Taking Exception

At the risk of making a nuisance of myself, I would like to submit notes on two subjects published by the Independent.

First, I want to express my disappointment in both the substance and the tone of the opinion piece by Joe Armendariz: “Cannabis Retail Gives Santa Claus Lane a Bright Future.”

First, I don’t know where he lives, but it seems to me these decisions should be left to those who are local and affected. When he suggests that it is somehow only two wealthy medical doctors that oppose the location of a retail cannabis outlet on Santa Claus Lane, he is horribly mistaken. Did he check to see the petitions and the resistance by the entire community to this outlet? Not to look is so misleading and irresponsible.

What is also irresponsible, especially for someone who has apparently held public office, is to use personal attacks in any expression of opinion. To talk about the doctors as pouting, fanatical, and hysterical, only alienates people who want to try and judge the issues reasonably.

You should be ashamed of yourself Mr. Armendariz!

Second, let me respond to the article about the supervisors’ move to ban natural gas in Santa Barbara. The article points out that supervisors have acted not to require carbon scrubbers in Carpinteria cannabis greenhouses because it draws too much electricity. But then in banning natural gas, they are imposing an enormous new load on electrical grids. That sounds so obviously contradictory to me that it’s unbelievable.

Are they serious? My hat is off to Supervisor Bob Nelson for making this point.

Having taught logic at Westmont for 15 years I would be happy to offer my services free of charge for lessons to our Board of Supervisors.