PROMOS AND POT

My comments on the county not even interviewing former Supe John
Pinches for the Dept. of Transportation director's job generated mucho
reaction, most of it anger tempered with disbelief. Several county
officials spoke to me privately this week about Pinches being passed
over for the roads position. "How could they do that?" asked one
incredulous county seat insider. "Everybody knows it was John who
straightened out the Transportation Department. He was the only one
who understood that operation and its budget. John would have been
perfect for the job. How could they not give it to him? Tell John I'm
really sorry it happened. You know, we really miss him down here."

One fellow from the north county area summed up the views expressed by
others who shared similar thoughts with me. "I think him pushing so
hard on the marijuana thing (legalization of pot) probably made them
think he was too controversial for that job. What'd they think he was
going to do, send out road crews to cut roads to the marijuana gardens?"

Speaking of Pinches and pot, what do you think of Attorney General
Bill Lockyer's announcement on CAMP activities this year? After
almost 20 years of waging war against the Devil Weed, record volumes
of pot were seized this year, both statewide and here in Mendoland.
Lockyer called it "the most successful year in the 17-year history of
the CAMP program." Come again, Bill? Since its inception, CAMP has
uprooted more than 1.9 million plants with an estimated "wholesale
value" of $6.5 billion. The wholesale value of seized pot this year
alone was almost $1 billion, according to the state's top pot cop.
Here in Mendocino County more than $300 million in illicit weed was
eradicated.

Lockyer also said, "In recent years, there has been a shift from the
'traditional' north coast growing sites to other areas of the state."
He stated that counties like Fresno, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles,
Orange, Riverside, Madera and San Benito heretofore "not considered
prime marijuana growing areas," now account for more than half of all
CAMP seizures.

Oh yeah, pot production is up in Mendocino County, also, allowing it
to maintain its numero uno ranking. Lockyer touts ever-expanding
proliferation of pot-growing, including to areas previously
uncultivated, as proof that the war on pot has resulted in "the most
successful year in the 17-year history of the CAMP program"? Explain
this concept to me, please.

Pinches was absolutely right when as a supervisor he identified the
Pot War as the most successful government subsidy program in this
country's history. Pot raiders pull up literally just a handful of
plants (compared to the millions left untouched), but enough
nonetheless to shore up inflated street prices for marijuana. What a
system. I keep telling you, folks, this Pot War is nuts. The only
answer is legalize it and tax it just like booze.

Think of all the potholes that could be patched. Think of all the
classrooms that could be built. There's money up in them there hills,
don't let Bill Lockyer tell you any different.