Testimonials

A Cry for Help . . .

I feel strongly that the Ukiah community of voters needs to protect its citizens and children from the potential risk of commercially grown marijuana and the environmental hazards created due to the use of chemicals. As an educator and parent, I have deep concern for the children in our community being exposed to drug use daily as well as the amount of money that is being made illegally due to the opportunity now provided within our community. "Just say no" is becoming harder to advocate due to the extreme availability of marijuana...

--- Gay Tow, Educator

Adjacent to my home is a year-round growing operation that stinks in the summer, fall, winter, and spring. I do not get firewood from our woodshed at night, out of the very real concern that the owner of this operation will mistake me for someone trying to rip off his pot and take a shot at me. I see residences in our town taking on the look of fortresses, with tall fences and intimidating dogs, and realize this is not the town I decided to raise my children in 15 years ago.

--- Karen Oslund, Willits

“My next-door neighbor in the mobile home park started growing marijuana only 16 feet from my back door. The smell is intense. I get terrible headaches from it. I have to keep my windows closed from August through October. The Sheriff's Office says it is OK for them to have 25 plants because they showed a patient card.”

-- L.S., Calpella

"Why does this county set the limits of plants far above what the state has deemed necessary for marijuana 'patients'? This county has made itself a magnet to draw people of criminal intent, not to mention the ne'er do wells seeking free pot during harvest season. We thereby place our residents in danger and add to the cost of law enforcement."

-- Janet Freeman, Ukiah, letter to editor, August 15, 2007

“I think that everybody has been lulled into the untruth that the marijuana world is a fuzzy, mom-and-pop world. . .in reality it’s a commercial endeavor. The people doing this have no ownership in our environment and the neighborhood.”

--- Jim Harrison, county hazardous materials specialist, discussing environmental spills & dumping from marijuana operations

“We believe the vast majority who voted for Proposition 215 did not mean for it to allow any local resident to start growing enormous quantities of marijuana for people in San Francisco…It’s time to bring Prop. 215 back to the compassionate law it was intended to be, not the drug dealer’s haven it is now.”

-- Editorial, Ukiah Daily Journal, Aug. 5, 2007

“Currently we have a property adjacent to our elementary school on which medical marijuana is growing right up against the fence. While we support the rights of patients to use medical marijuana, we don’t support it at the expense of the rights of our youth to attend school in a drug-free environment.”

-- Anderson Valley Community Action

“My family has wintered cattle in the hills of Potter Valley for over 20 years. We’re not going back mostly due to several marijuana growers … Their dogs chase and mutilate our cows…there is no water in the mountains for the cows to drink, as most is being diverted for their plants…they are seriously harming the environment by pushing roads to lead to erosion…and polluting the hills with black pipe, fertilizer bags, holding tanks...”

-- J.L., Potter Valley, letter to editor, August 2007

“Several years ago a big time pot grower moved into the house behind us. He has grown up to 200 plants…the smell is so intense in the summer and fall that I can’t go into my backyard….in October, 2004, a criminal attracted by the smell came through our yard with a gun, climbed the back fence and shot the pot grower in the hand. Then he escaped through our back yard.”

-- Larry Puterbaugh., Ukiah

“We are a group of neighbors in rural Ukiah who are one of many communities in Mendocino County who have been victim to the onslaught of commercial marijuana growing under the guise of “medical marijuana.” We formed a Neighborhood Watch group out of concerns for our personal safety, potential environmental and fire threats, and fears for our wildlife. We have always supported medical marijuana for those truly in medical need and our efforts in no way are meant to deny that access. We, however, will not tolerate those who are taking advantage of the spirit of Prop 215 and using it for their own ill-gained profit while putting our community at risk. We only hope to reclaim Robinson Creek Road as the friendly, safe, and peaceful community it once was. We urge all Mendocino residents to vote "Yes on B."

-- Robinson Creek Road Neighborhood Watch
RCRWATCH@yahoo.com

“This fall the scent of plants at the elementary school has een and continues to be pervasive on school grounds”

--- Colleen Schenk, remarks to Board of Supervisors,
November 18, 2007

“The summer of 2007 was the first time in my life that Burns Creek went dry. All the water was being diverted out of it for marijuana cultivations. There is no longer visible evidence that any salmon and steelhead exist.”

-- N.H., Laytonville, who adds “I would not like my name used…I have had my life threatened.”

“When my neighbors bulldozed the top of the ridge I thought they were going to build a huge house. Instead they planted 50 marijuana plants, 25 each. They also punched in an access road all with no erosion controls. The sediment drains right into the creek.”

-- Name withheld, Redwood Valley

"...the citizens of the county, who are getting sick and tired of Mendocino County becoming the drug capitol of the Western World are left to throw their hands up in the air and ask, 'How can we change this?'"

-- Dennis Smart, Robinson Creek Road, letter to editor, Ukiah Daily Journal

"I know several people that grow large amounts with their "cards" and lead a very luxurious lifestyle....new home, new vehicles, jewelry, Harley, etc. I angers me that my husband & I have to work so hard for our money & these people are enjoying life to the max!! They have pretend jobs but we know the real deal. One lady even put her child through college with it & then the daughter filed for student aid when the crop market slowed down. Hard to swallow that one when there are kids out there that don't have the pot money & really new student aid. Wrong, wrong, wrong!!"

--- L.W., Ukiah

"There are a lot more people in support of B than you may know. Nearly all of our friends have agreed that we made a mistake on G, so many years ago. We were all misled. We need to be sure to fight the propaganda that's going to come from the other side. I think Yes on B needs to run some ads: "They Lied" -- to spell out the fact that they lied and fooled us citizens, and we're not going to believe their lies this time..."

--- C.S., Mendocino County

“With the arrival of our ‘marijuana growing’ neighbors this past Fall, came unwanted traffic down our private driveway, blocked roads and aggressive dogs. When we stop to open our gate we are confronted with an aggressive barking, snapping, lunging pit-bull and two other large dogs. We have been forced to be prepared for the day these dogs break out of their enclosure... Prior to the arrival of these ‘friendly’ neighbors our neighborhood was a quiet, peaceful area.”

--- V.F., Redwood Valley

“Many young people are leaving Ukiah/Mendocino County and not returning. In some cases the “kids” are making this decision themselves. In other cases, parents are actively discouraging their adult children from returning to Ukiah after college graduation for fear they will become disenchanted with mainstream jobs and turn to marijuana cultivation instead. In our family’s case, my child attended, and graduated from, public schools in Ukiah. Upon high school graduation, she left the area to attend college and graduate school. Unfortunately, she is unwilling to bring her professional skills back to her hometown because, in part, she feels she has nothing in common with many of her peers who have chosen marijuana cultivation as their career path. This fact keeps her from coming “home”. It also means that Ukiah is missing out on hiring a professional who would, in turn, contribute to the political and financial environment of this community.”

--- Anonymous, Ukiah

Whenever the County tries to enforce any
limits on marijuana growing, the
“no limits” lobby threatens to sue for
“violation of Measure G.” The sheriff
has been discouraged from helping
citizens who complain about even the
most severe problems. Measure B
will show that the public wants
reasonable protections.

Vote Yes on B
Save Mendocino County

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