“We the People,” strongly recommend voting for Laura Capps if you want to protect our county’s future.
In the past three years, we have gotten to know and joined forces with many residents of the 1st District who, like us, have spent countless hours attending hearings and pleading with their supervisor for relief from round-the-clock impacts of cannabis factories that are destroying Carpinteria and other regions.
Supervisors Williams and Lavagnino’s blatant support of the cannabis industry has resulted in our county becoming known as the “Cannabis Capital of the United States.”
Cory Bantilan, Lavagnino’s chief of staff, is in cahoots with cannabis lobbyist Mollie Culver, in creating a dark money PAC (led by and heavily funded by the cannabis-industry members, associated with previous contributions to Williams). This is inappropriate, unethical, and highly suspicious. We insist that our supervisor ask Cory Bantilan to detach himself from the PAC and not interfere in the 1st District electoral race.
“We the People,” must vote for supervisors who will listen to and respect our concerns, put public safety and welfare first, and take action to ensure that our quality of life is not further destroyed by the corruption and greed of industry lobbyists.
Whatever happened to the priorities in EIR 2.3.2 Cannabis Ordinances (8-10) that state the intent to:
8. … “minimize the risks associated with criminal activity, degradation of visual resources and neighborhood character, groundwater basin overdraft, obnoxious odors, noise nuisances, hazardous materials, and fire hazards;”
9. “Develop a regulatory program that protects the public health, safety, and welfare through effective enforcement controls… protect neighborhood character… minimize potential negative effects on people, communities, and other components of the environment; and
10. “Limit potential for adverse impacts on children and sensitive populations by ensuring compatibility of commercial cannabis activities with surrounding existing land uses, including residential neighborhoods, agricultural”
Note: Williams and Lavagnino, Ad-Hoc Committee’s first priority states, “Develop a robust and economically viable legal cannabis industry to ensure production and availability of high quality cannabis products…;” (the environment, public safety and children are listed as their Last Priorities).
We must support Laura Capps! She will reestablish our priorities by putting “We the People” First!