To the Editor:
Dear Fillmore,
I am writing you this letter in hopes that I may convince you to vote against all pot related business, cultivation, testing, distribution, manufacturing and whatever else they throw at you this election year.
Our community has a strong “family community” life style, always has and always will. We may be poor in finances but we are rich in so many ways that money can’t buy. So tell the City officials and the pot companies WE ARE NOT FOR SALE.
Why not allow them to come into town? 7/28/2016 Fillmore Gazette paper states “Fillmore says no to Marijuana”, Chief of police report from information gleaned from the states of Colorado and Washington “overall message, don’t do it”. Hospital visits are up as well as DUI’S and car insurance (7%) in Colorado linked to pot. Here is the person who works for the safety of us all asking us not to do it, warning words from others dealing with the problems that were unforeseen from this business.
About 300+ residents came out to a council meeting to say no and only about 12 residents and visitors were in favor. Pot business spends big money sending people from Oakland to council meetings speaking in favor of marijuana. At the 8/8/17 City council meetings the pot industry lied to our community with mail home flyers about “40% off water and sewage utilities for every household” if you showed support of a medical cannabis facility in Fillmore at the meeting. They also offered on their web site a celebratory meal after the meeting. Fillmore stood strong and voted no. This meeting had many people show up in support but they were mostly from out of town; 20 out-of-towners and five residents in support and 93 residents not in favor.
At 6/25/17 public forum meeting, written and oral comments were documented as follows. Benefits to cultivation: income(11) jobs(7) progress(3) regulations to comply with state law(3)med marijuana grown locally for those who need it(2) support AG industry/crop diversity(2) and now, concerns about cultivation: Increased crime and safety(20)slippery slope cultivation processing to dispensaries(9)youth at risk(9) fear of drug cartel activity area(7)negative city image(7)unwanted local travelers(7)more homeless(3)financial impact to families(3)dysfunctional families(2)low paying jobs(2)water use(2)property value loss(2)waste/trash/pollution/environmental concerns(2)smell of pot(2).
There was a comment board that was filled entirely from people who said, “there are no benefits”. The forum was to get feedback from local residents and yet again two tables had non-residents who commented on the pros.
At 8/9/16 council meeting the Fillmore Unified School Superintendent and school board passed the following resolution that states ”whereas, the Fillmore Unified School District governing board believes the presence of marijuana cultivation, sales, and distribution in this community is contrary to the interests of the public health, safety and welfare of its citizens and the desires to preserve the rights of the citizens to live and work in a community where drug abuse is not accepted and the citizens are not subject to the adverse effects of drug abuse.’
There is so much more to write but the long and short of it is that most Fillmore residents do not want this in our community. I feel that those who do not take the time to come and voice their opinion in public in favor cannot be really taken seriously since often times they are out-of-towners posing as “residents or local community members”.
Please vote for leaders who OPPOSE Measure T this election year and vote NO on Measure T. The decisions of the City of Fillmore greatly impact those citizens and communities just across the bridges in all three directions.
Respectfully,
Kathy Pace