MENDOCINO COUNTY TO KEEP FUNDS TO FIGHT POT

UKIAH - After an emotional four-hour debate Tuesday, Mendocino County
supervisors decided to keep accepting yearly $250,000 state allocations
targeting marijuana growers rather than end an anti-pot war local critics
contend can't be won.

For the second year, Supervisors John Pinches and Charles Peterson could
not muster a third vote to become the first county in California to say no
to the pot money.

Pinches, a Republican running for state Senate, and Peterson, a retiring
liberal member of the board, have joined forces in a bid to send a message
to state and federal authorities over the alleged futility of
anti-marijuana campaigns. The pair contend that despite millions of dollars
spent by government agencies targeting marijuana growers, the program is a
bust.

"The only thing we've accomplished is to drive the price of marijuana up to
where it's worth more than gold," said Pinches.

Once again, the swing vote Tuesday was Supervisor Richard Shoemaker, who
said in the final analysis he simply couldn't bring himself to turn down
the state money just to send a political message.

Shoemaker then tried to win support for an alternative motion demanding
that the state allow the county to target methamphetamine as well as
marijuana. But Sheriff Jim Tuso countered that the state grant is specific
to marijuana, and that his department has a pending application in front of
federal authorities to fund a proposed joint venture with Lake County to
crack down on methamphetamine producers.

At the end opf the long afternoon, board members voted 3-2 in favor of
applying for the state marijuana grant, the final allocation of a
three-year program. Shoemaker succeeded in putting into the resolution
language that said the county recognized the state goal of eradicating
marijuana was not "reasonable or obtainable. The approved resolution also
said protecting public and private property owners from trespassing
marijuana growers was the county's highest priority.

Pinches and Peterson refused to support the motion, contending that despite
the added language the county board in reality was simply continuing the
status quo.

During Tuesday's long debate, tears were shed by some county supervisors as
they recounted drug horrors in their own families. A parade of speakers
reflected deep divisions among county residents over continued state
funding of a local county anti-marijuana unit within the sheriff's department.

Supporters said for the county to stop targeting pot growers would be
sending the wrong message to the county's youth, while creating a possible
"safe haven" for outside drug dealers.

"Marijuana is illegal. Period. Are we going to turn our backs on laws that
when we took the oath of office we swore to uphold?" asked Supervisor
Michael Delbar.

Supervisor Patti Campbell wiped tears from her eyes, tears she said
reflected the anger she felt by having to debate the marijuana issue one
more time. She said marijuana policies are set at the state and federal
levels, and that it was unfair to ask that Mendocino County "do something
alone."

Pinches, who repeated his support for legalization of marijuana, said
continuing state and federal efforts against pot growers were wasting
millions of dollars of taxpayer monies in light of ample supplies of the weed.

"The only way we're going (to) stop the marijuana problems is to take the
money out of it," said Pinches.

Checked-by: Richard Lake