The following is a column submitted by Mendocino County 3rd District Supervisor John Haschak. The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the Mendocino Voice.
The budget process rolls on to the June deadline. What started as a $28 million deficit was reduced to $17 million. Cuts have been proposed that would bring it down to $2.5 million. These cuts will hurt. It is one thing to say that we agree to a hiring freeze but when that freeze affects county operations whether it be public safety, processing of building permits, or the ability to respond to a social service crisis, this will be felt by Mendocino County residents. I have proposed to rescind the Supervisor salaries, undoing last year’s raise and cutting the out-of-state travel and education line items. While these are important, we just can’t afford them right now.
FEMA eliminated the BRIC grant program that would have funded fuel reduction, home-hardening, and defensible space projects for the Brooktrails, Sherwood Road and City of Willits airport. This will not make our communities safer or stronger or more resilient. We will continue to look for other funding sources.
On a 3-2 vote with me and Supervisor Cline dissenting, the Board voted to go ahead with cannabis expansion due to a technicality in the ordinance. Supervisor Cline and I wanted to keep the original intent of the ordinance at 10,000 sq. ft of cultivation per parcel. With the vote, two permits per parcel are allowable, which will allow the doubling of cannabis cultivation.
As a cancer survivor, I have had annual appointments at Stanford for the last 34 years. I have had the same doctor who has been the department head for many years. We always talk about the newest breakthroughs in cancer research. Last month, he said that the breakthroughs will come at a much slower pace since federal funding has been cut. This is just not right. Medical research is critical for our health now and into the future.
We all live in a beautiful county with incredible people. The diversity of our county is a source of strength, a credo of live and let live, and appreciation for each other. Mendocino County is a place where our differences are celebrated and encouraged. As neighbors and community members, all are welcome to be who they are. The county regularly recognizes months for volunteers, social workers, veterans, Gay Pride, public safety officers, Black heritage. To truly recognize and appreciate who we are as a people is a source of community and county pride. I am co-sponsoring resolutions honoring Poppy and Memorial Days in May and Gay Pride in June.
The Talk with the Supervisor will be on Wednesday, May 14, 10 a.m. at Brickhouse Coffee in Willits. As always, you can communicate with me at haschakj@mendocinocounty.gov or 707-972-4214.
I keep hearing diversity is the source of our strength, like a mantra. Just believe, stop thinking so much. But I have yet to see anyone prove how working towards having more people of different skin color is significantly better than just letting the chips fall where they may. Nope, have not seen that. I would be interested in seeing or hearing the evidence…
And don’t forget to continue sponsoring Black History month John. As we know, Black Lives Matter!
There was no mention that the BOS wasted $50,000 they paid to a consulting firm on how to spend the FEMA BRIC grant that we never received. Stop spending money that we don’t have just because you anticipate we will receive it. It is not guaranteed money. Wait! How many millions were wasted to pay for wells and road improvements for cannabis farms to get permitted because you falsely anticipated getting back tens of millions in cannabis taxes? Private properties were improved with tax dollars and hundreds of cannabis farms never became legal and zero taxes on those cannabis farms were recouped. The decades of the BOS’s crystal ball spending hasn’t worked out for our community. it’s the citizens in the county that suffer from such irresponsible budget spending and oversight yet, the BOS refuses to take accountability for their poor governance of taxpayer funds.
“Decades” my friends.. “magic word”.. open the can of scum opportunists!!
As the only black owned brick and mortar business in the entire county , I can tell you this is all propaganda, as there are no actions taken to support the community of color.
Recently I was on the black history panel at Ukiah High and they had to import other black owned businesses outside of the county because there weren’t any other but myself here. And after being a business owner I. The city of Ukiah and Mendo county I can say I understand why. Poorly run, pandering, “woke” politicians and community leaders that are at the core everything but actually supporting of diversity and the development of diverse business programs here.
Everyone pretends to be so accepting of diversity but in the back rooms of the community where the rules are made they speak their truth and it’s ugly…