All the Nipomo News fit to blog, read, comment, and ponder.
Media accounts across nation over the last weeks and months paint a portrait of an industry in decline all over California: Medical Marijuana. Starting with the Sacramento Bee there remain only eight stores, down from 99 that at one time operated in Sacramento County. Sacramento City has frozen permit applications for new dispensaries, while Sacramento County is cracking down in the unincorporated areas: Read more »
I have no idea of the current status of Mr. David Rosenthal’s application to the county to open a pot dispensary in Nipomo. I have requested clarification from county planning, but have heard nothing as of yet. Based on Mr. Rosenthal’s presentation at the SCAC meeting on Monday 11/28/11, it is clear he intends to move forward as though his application is intact. Read more »
I have just received an email from Mr. Brandon Gesicki of the Abel Maldonado campaign. The email is actually a forwarded email from an Eric Gamble, who represents himself as the Director of the Tri-M Rental Group. Tri-M is the partnership which owns the subject property that has been proposed as a marijuana dispensary in Nipomo. The email was sent to the San Luis Obispo County Planning Department, with a copy to Mr. Dan Woodson, current chair of the SCAC. I am attaching a copy of this email here: Tri-M Email Read more »
As an update to my last post on the Nipomo marijuana dispensary, I spoke again this afternoon with Mr. Brandon Gesicki, of the Abel Maldonado campaign. Based on my discussion with Mr. Gesicki, I came away with the understanding that Mr. Maldonado has never favored or agreed renting to the individual, i.e., David Rosenthal (named in the application papers filed with the county) seeking to operate a marijuana dispensary in Nipomo. Mr. Gesicki confirmed that Mr. Maldonado does have an ownership interest (along with other partners) in Tri-M; however, Mr. Gesicki speaks only on behalf of Mr. Maldonado, and not Tri-M. Mr. Maldonado is a silent partner in the organization. And, it is Mr. Maldonado’s position that when Mr. Rosenthal first approached the Tri-M partnership about renting the building for a marijuana dispensary, the Tri-M partnership told him no. They further told Mr. Rosenthal that they would not sell him the subject property so that he could use it as a marijuana facility. Read more »
When I returned home from dinner last evening I had received a telephone message from a Brandon Gesicki. Mr. Gesicki identified himself as working “with” Abel Maldonado–though did not identify in what capacity he works for the former Lt. Governor, and upcoming congressional candidate for 2012. From his website, however, it is clear Mr. Gesicki runs a political PR firm and has had long political ties to Mr. Maldonado. At Mr. Gesicki’s request I will post the message he left on my answering machine, verbatim: Read more »
In a very strange twist to the latest Nipomo Marijuana Dispensary application, the name of Abel Maldonado, California’s former Lt. Governor, past State Senator, Assemblyman, and Santa Maria Mayor has surfaced. Mr. Maldonado may have an ownership interest in the building to be rented to the applicant wanting to open a marijuana dispensary in Nipomo. I have attached a 29 page Statement of Economic Interests Form which reflects that Abel Maldonado, Jr. has an ownership interest in Tri-M Rental Group, the same name that appears on the County’s application form as the owner of the building in question. Here’s the link to the financial disclosure information required of California politicians. Go to page 14 for details on Tri-M’s ownership interest in the property: Maldonado 2011
Again, the application paperwork is located here, and clearly shows Tri-M Rental Group as the building owner. Mr. Maldonado’s financial disclosure form clearly establishes he has an ownership interest in a Tri-M Rental Group in Santa Maria. I have placed a call to Mr. Kirby, whom I believe is representing Tri-M, and probably Mr. Maldonado to confirm this relationship and ownership; however, I have not yet received any response from Mr. Kirby. The only slim doubt is that the address given for Tri-M in the financial disclosure papers is a street address. The address given on the application to San Luis Obispo is a P.O. Box. I have no reason to believe there are two Tri-M Rental Groups operating out of Santa Maria. I would like to hear from the building owner’s representative to confirm or deny the relationships apparently disclosed by these forms.
I will continue to update this information and more as it becomes available.
As unbelievable as it sounds, San Luis Obispo County is once again considering Nipomo as the location for a marijuana dispensary, despite the overwhelming opposition of Nipomo residents to a similar project almost two years ago. See local media reports here and here. The South County Advisory Council (SCAC) will discuss the proposed project at their November 28, 2011 meeting held at the Nipomo Community Service District (NCSD) Board Room at 6:30 p.m. The meeting location is 148 S. Wilson Street, Nipomo, CA. If you have an opinion on this issue I am certain the SCAC board welcomes your input. Please attend and express your opinion to the SCAC. Read more »
On 10/24/10 the Tribune endorsed candidate Hilda Zacarias for State Assembly. This is my response.
From what I have read and seen during the campaign, Ms. Zacarias is an honorable person, with good qualities who might make, under normal circumstances, a fine Assemblywoman. These are not normal circumstances. California faces its greatest financial crisis, probably since it became a state. The machinery of government is essentially in lockdown, unable or incapable of functioning. And while both Zacarias and Katcho are probably better choices as candidates than in most races around the state, I think Katcho’s experience not only as a successful businessman but as a very successful 4th District Supervisor gives him the edge over Zacarias.
In its editorial, the Tribune opined in part:
In the final analysis, though, we found Zacarias to be the better fit for the state Assembly. She is the more moderate of the two, and we believe she will be better able to balance the need for economic recovery while maintaining the environmental protections so vital to the Central Coast.
The Tribune continued:
Our decision did not come down to a checklist of issues, however, but rather to identifying the candidate who seems in a better position to build consensus. Achadjian was adept at this in his early years on the board, but as we’ve noted before, he’s recently taken a harder turn to the right.
But, as recently as 05/02/10 in endorsing Katcho in the republican primary the Tribune noted:
If Republicans want a smart, moderate, experienced candidate for Assembly on the November ballot, we believe San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Katcho Achadjian is the clear choice. If, on the other hand, they want a dogmatic, hard-line conservative to face off against Democrat Hilda Zacarias in November, they have two options: local financial planner Matt Kokkonen or Etta Waterfield, the former planning commissioner from Santa Maria.
I’m unsure whether the Tribune’s editorial board is implying that Katcho has taken this supposed hard right turn only in the last five months or over a greater period of time: they failed to elaborate–though it’s inconceivable how Katcho became a right wing ideologue in only five months. Over the last 12 years I have seen absolutely no evidence of a hard right wing ideologue. In fact, when it came time for Katcho to pursue a partisan office, I’m not convinced his choice to run as a republican was always a forgone conclusion. Of course, there are clear advantages in being a republican candidate in this community.
I, on the other hand am a life long democrat, who is crossing party lines in this race because I have seen and experienced Katcho the consensus builder over the last 12 years. I have seen and experienced the tireless public servant Katcho going far beyond the call of duty of his office to represent the people of District 4 based on his understanding of what they want and what is best for the community.
I believe the Tribune got it right in May, when they described Katcho as a smart, moderate, experienced candidate, who is not a dogmatic hard line conservative. Not only am I sending Katcho to Sacramento with my vote, I am sending him along with Jerry Brown, because I think they are both the better choices in their respective races. And, frankly I expect them to work together for California’s benefit, and believe they will do exactly that.
I do not agree with Katcho on all the issues; however, given his track record of exemplary leadership, incredible hard work as a public servant, overall experience and good common sense, I believe he is the better choice for State Assembly in this race, regardless of the Tribune’s endorsement . . .
There’s a disturbing post over at KCCN.TV about a San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s raid on the home of San Luis Obispo County citizen Matt Hart, a north county resident. Included in the post is a 22 minute video comprised of some actual footage and recordings of the sheriff’s raid on Matt Hart’s home in 2008, which documents some actual conversations of the sheriff’s deputies involved. The video is also part of a written opinion piece by the site’s owner, which you can see here.
Certainly the web site owner has an agenda. Still, the video excerpts are disturbing. Is the 4th Amendment under assault by law enforcement? Did the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies who responded to this particular call go too far and abuse their discretion, violating the 4th Amendment rights of Matt Hart? My collegue Louis Koory, Esq. a well seasoned civl and criminal trial lawyer is interviewed in this “documentary” as is a former San Luis Obispo Police officer. They raise some troubling questions about this particular raid. Questions I would like to hear the two Sheriff’s candidates answer.
How do our current Sheriff Candidates Joe Cortez and Ian Parkinson feel about this raid? How do they feel about the 4th Amendment? I am going to post links to this video and article to their Facebook pages and invite them to comment. I would like to hear their responses. How about you? Joe. Ian. Any comments?
I just received an email notification from Dan Gaddis, Chair of the South County Advisory Council that the applicants for the Nipomo Marijuana Dispensary have filed an appeal of the Planning Commission’s denial of their application. The appeal will be heard by the entire Board of Supervisors sometime in late August or September.
If you have an opinion about whether Nipomo should have a Marijuana dispensary operating under the guise of “medical marijuana” contact all of the board of supervisors, not just our own supervisor, Katcho. You can find all the supervisor’s email addresses here.
The applicant’s appeal is here: appeal form- applicant_20100618162319
More to come . . .
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