Various members of the community joined together to protest and
picket against Measure G on Thursday.
Members of the No on G Committee, along with members from the
Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) and the business
community gathered at the corner of Fourth and San Benito streets,
holding signs proclaiming
”
No on G
”
and passing out fliers.
Various members of the community joined together to protest and picket against Measure G on Thursday.
Members of the No on G Committee, along with members from the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) and the business community gathered at the corner of Fourth and San Benito streets, holding signs proclaiming “No on G” and passing out fliers.
“We’re here to bring attention to our cause,” said Tom Tobias, president of the Farm Bureau. “There’s still a lot of people asking us what the thing is all about. We’re here to let people know that we’re here, and we’re mad.”
Measure G has caused a rift between proponents and opponents of the initiative, and will be voted on by the public on the March 2 ballot.
Educating the public before that time was the purpose of the rally, said No on G Committee campaign manager Annette Giacomazzi.
“People will start thinking, start listening, start seeing all the people and think, well maybe it’s not what (we thought),” Giacomazzi said. “And maybe they’ll start asking some questions.”
With the congested traffic on San Benito Street during the 5 p.m. rush hour, many passing cars honked in recognition of the picketers.
The support shown by community members indicated that, slowly but surely, the community is receiving their message, said picketer and lifelong Hollister resident Steve Lujan.
“We believe this growth initiative is going to affect us now and in the future,” Lujan said. “I think people are against G – I think the word is getting out and hopefully we can make a difference.”
With 33 days until the March election, Thursday’s rally and picketing is the first step in a long campaign leading up to voting day, Giacomazzi said.
In those days, informing the public on what Measure G holds for the future of the county is their goal, she said.
“We have hundreds of volunteers that are getting the word out,” she said. “We’ve got great educating opportunities planned for the next 33 days.”
A fear that the public will vote for the initiative based on the premise that they think Measure G will slow growth in the county and reduce traffic has pushed the opponents of the measure to launch a more high-profile attack against it, Tobias said.
“The problem of growth was created in the city of Hollister… this does nothing to fix it,” Tobias said. “It affects our ability to do business, to pass our land on to the next generation.”
The opponents claim that if the measure passes it will not only do nothing to quell the county’s growth, but it will increase traffic congestion and housing problems, because all the growth will then be concentrated in Hollister, Giacomazzi said.
“Of the 24 pages of the initiative, only three paragraphs are attributed to slow growth,” she said. “This measure is not about controlling growth.”
The fact that many different sectors of the community came out to protest the measure says something about it’s overlying effects, said orchardist Anthony Botelho, who is also a candidate for District 2 supervisor.
“We need to work hard, all of us, to get it defeated,” Bothelo said. “And then come back with a more reasonable approach as far as our community planning.”
