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By Axle Broke
April 1, 2017 (San Diego) –Last month, Supervisors voiced concerns over falling gas tax revenues and inadequate funding to repair roadways countywide. Today, motorists seeking solutions to roads battered by winter storms held a press conference to announce the “Pot for Potholes” ballot initiative to solve the region’s infrastructure problem.
Supervisors, at the same March meeting where infrastructure needs were raised, also voted to ban all sales and farming of marijuana in unincorporated areas, even shutting down existing medical marijuana facilities.
“Our initiative will make it mandatory for the county to authorize at least one medical and recreational marijuana facility in every community planning group’s zoning area,” announced Guy Smokes, chair of the initiative drive. “ The measure also legalizes cannabis farming and prohibits the County from discriminating against farmers who choose to grow pot or hemp as alternatives to water-thirsty crops such as avocados.”
The measure will levy a 10% tax on all sales, wholesale and retail, of cannabis crops and products. Those revenues will be used to fill potholes and sinkholes, repave ripped up roadways and shore up failing bridges.
Supporters say the measure fulfills the spirit of recent statewide ballot initiatives that legalized recreational marijuana use by adults as well as medical marijuana . “Our Supervisors have defied the spirit of the law and the will of voters, who clearly want access to products that California has legalized,” Smokes stated.
Opponents, including three Supervisors who voted to s hut down all cannabis operations, object to the measure. “Voters really can’t be trusted to make their own decisions on this burning issue,” said Supervisor Kristine Gaspar. “I support finding other sources to fix our crumbling roadways, such as cutting funds for services such as firefighting, or just live with those pesky potholes.”
Faith Driver, co-chair of the proposed ballot measure, fired back, “I wasn’t a fan of legal weed at first. But after my SUV broke an axle in an 8-foot-wide pothole that I hit while driving home from church after that last storm, I became a believer. We have a moral imperative to keep our roadways safe for citizens –and if takes taking up a collection from cannabis business taxes to protect to local motorists, we must in good conscience help gather signatures to support the “Pot for Potholes” initiative.”
Happy April Fool’s Day!
