The Cost of Legalization Is Killing Cannabis and Hurting Local Businesses in Humboldt, Says Article in Politico
[Photo by Kym Kemp]
The author reports,
Humboldt was the only county that lost sales tax revenue last year—dropping 2 percent from 2017 to 2018, or $424,000. In Eureka, it dropped 3 percent. Meanwhile, California, over the same period, saw a 4 percent increase.
In the article, a former Garberville business owner described having to leave the town and open her store elsewhere because of the economic situation.
The author interviewed several cultivators in the area but focused on Southern Humboldt grower and school board member, Thomas Mulder. In the article, Mulder describes losing his retirement savings trying to meet difficult regulations.
As the author points out, “[W]here farmers once paid just income and maybe some sales taxes on their medical marijuana, they are now paying taxes before they grow, after they grow, and after they sell.”
And, as the author notes, this means less money for all businesses in the area.
To read the excellent piece, click here.
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Yeah SO who cares.
You don’t care about local businesses struggling and less taxes being available for fighting fires and fixing roads?
The less pot growers there are in this county the better off it will be.
We all need to stop growing cannibis and start growing marijuana again!
Now that IS funny!
they all hopped on a bandwagon… whose fault is it if you participate with the legalization process especially not understanding the process completely. Foolish to not know your power and unite instead of letting others dictate your future. Forking over huge amounts of money to government… suckers.
Totally agree. Been selling since I was 18 in 98 and growing since I was 25. And every time they try to legalize it in my state I vote no because I don’t want no big company coming here sucking up money that I’ve been risking my damn freedom for the last 20 years to get smoke grow smoke and sell smoke to people who couldn’t get it anywhere else. It’s a damn shame people sell out so quickly just so they can buy something at a store that’s mass produced taxed and owned by a big company. They don’t give one thought to the people who rest their freedom to find sale and grow them the stuff they couldn’t get anywhere else until now.it’s still illegal in my state and I will vote no every time like I said I don’t need a big company who hasn’t been in the business, don’t know anything about the business or ever risked anything as much as their freedom to make their customers happy, their selves a living and if they’re like me working 40-hour job every week on top of it to succeed and provide. But we live in the age of sellouts and corporate monopolies now that we fought all these years against and now in America the monopolies and rich are back on top and trying to be more greedy than ever. I mean really how much more money do rich people/companies need,quit trying to take the business that you never cared about away from the people who risk their damn freedom for it all these years!!
Jeffersonian,
You will not be welcome in the state of Jefferson
The state of Jefferson relies on resources, cannabis is one of the many resources on the north coast.
No, Kym, I don’t. I don’t care about the Pot culture and the BS it brings with it SO good riddance, I hope they dry up and blow away. It’s all going to be grown in the Valley by the big Corp’s soon anyway. And the sooner the better!!!
I am the pot culture is not going anywhere it’s just going through some hard times.Why anybody who doesn’t like pot culture would stay in Northern California is beyond me since it’s been the capital If cannabis since the 60s
It surely is not beyond even the limited horizon of people whose life revolves around getting high that there are beautiful trees, an ocean and wonderful wildlife here. Pot culture is something to tolerate in order to live here. Not the other way around.
Honestly the roads they fix with tax money don’t even need fixing it’s pathetic. The ones that actually need it are still focked and probably always will be.
All I can say is Salmon Creek road is better than it used to be. (Though still very bad!)
Out with the old in with the new.
Next generation needs to hurry up!
Family of growers here. We quit tipping so much, quit spending in stores, quit donating to schools, quit going to my local hair dresser so much, we even quit buying gas, less travel, less spending. We just can not support any businesses. Lucky to have food and housing.
Good luck to you.
Well…welcome to the real world of actually playing by the rules and unfortunately, having to pay taxes just like every other legal business does
~the “real” world of Legal. More like propaganda in overdrive.
THE STATE’S CRIMINALITY
“[T]he State’s criminality is nothing new and nothing to be wondered at. It began when the first predatory group of men clustered together and formed the State, and it will continue as long as the State exists in the World, because the State is fundamentally an anti-social institution, fundamentally criminal. The idea that the State originated to serve any kind of social purpose is completely unhistorical. It originated in conquest and confiscation — that is to say, in crime. It originated for the purpose of maintaining the division of society into an owning-and-exploiting class and a property-less dependent class — that is, for a criminal purpose. No State known to history originated in any other manner, or for any other purpose. Like all predatory or parasitic institutions, its first instinct is that of self-preservation. All its enterprises are directed first towards preserving its own life, and, second, towards increasing its own power and enlarging the scope of its own activity. For the sake of this it will, and regularly does, commit any crime which circumstances make expedient.”
–Albert Jay Nock
(1870-1945)
My guess is most of you haters just hate on successful people.
Its ok you can spread your hate, you are not contributing anything good yourselves, just hate and bad energy.
While you are hoping everything around you collapses, it will keep going.
I Won’t play by the rules with a stacked deck.. legal business favors eleteiest imperialistic privileged greedy people, it’s almost impossible to play in there game by there rules.. its designed that way.. then they get all proud and criticize people trying to servive in such an unfair and selfish environment. If truth be known these people actually pay very little in taxes, most of them pride themselves in tax write offs…hey your just like Donald Trump.. lol
I think that anybody that has a pot shop right smake in the middle of wher all this stuff is grown dont realy stand a chance kind of like going to a bar with free drinks
Like taking sand to the beach.
On me and my grower friends used to sell or pounds and then go by 20 different kinds in the medical club just for variety. The medical clubs made tons of money despite being in the valley of plenty
Yep, change is a bitch, especially when the low tax illegal cash game is over. In the end 64 is good for the consumers. It’s tough having legal competition eh? That’s called business. If you can’t hang do something else.
Try to compete with China and slave labor. The capitalist model leaves some people wanting.
My first comment is the money just got vacuumed out of the county and estelle holds the bag.
She 100% knew how much the economy was rooted in it and she didnt give one fuck because she has her nice $100,000 a year taxpayer funded job plus all the bribes they gave Estelle every day to make the little growers go the fucking fuck away.
My second comment is if thad greenson can write ‘fuck’ in his North coast journal editorial blaming marijuana economics for a 16 year old shooting his peers over nothing, i can surely write it too. He sets the standard right Thaddeus? Hey maybe the black market is why the guy shot his peers over nothing in myrtle beach last weekend, or why the drunk gambler shot up a country music show full of cops, diremen, and other working class people last year, or any of the other acts of senseless violence that happen every day. Maybe its all cuz of the black market. Thaddeus, Explain how it works to me because it just looks like you want someone to blame and you dont want to ask yourself why you dont do more to take on income amd wealth inequality in your presssscious paper.
And lastly, our poor education plays a part in our poor memory.
From the history books you didnt bother to read comes the past sounding tons like the present…
Moonshining began very early in American history. Shortly after the Revolution, the United States found itself struggling to pay for the expense of fighting a long war. The solution was to place a federal tax on liquors and spirits. The American people, who had just fought a war to get out from under oppressive British taxes (among other purposes), were not particularly pleased. So they decided to just keep on making their own whisky, completely ignoring the federal tax.
For these early moonshiners, making and selling alcohol wasn’t a hobby or a way to make extra cash — it was how they survived. Farmers could survive a bad year by turning their corn into profitable whisky, and the extra income made a harsh frontier existence almost bearable. To them, paying the tax meant they wouldn’t be able to feed their families. Federal agents (called “Revenuers”) were attacked when they came around to collect the tax, and several were tarred and feathered.
All this resentment finally exploded in 1794, when several hundred angry citizens took over the city Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. President George Washington called for a gathering of militiamen under federal authority. Thirteen-thousand troops dispersed the mob and captured its leaders. This Whisky Rebellion was the first major test of federal authority for the young government.
Interesting, can almost hear the history rushing through.. TY. Central Humco talks about this too. Yeah, I was reading a story about this guy in Kalamath Falls OR who killed his Neighor. No Cannabis involved. It’s kinda a long story, and kinda self defense. Solar Pannels where the catalyst…
Yeah, not a Estelle fan here. She has absolutely profited off of unveiling a bad situation here in the county.. Such a shame. There is one in opposition so far solidly and one considering. and I hope Estelle is voted out. An absolute disgrace. She can just go the {Edit} away.. {edit}… (Kym would have edit that.. so I will just do the honors..
Why blame Estelle for prop 64? I don’t get it.. she’s not a backwards antipot hick like a lot of old humboldt politicians. Seems to me like she did the best with the hand she was dealt. Maybe I’m missing something.
Anyone who took the time to think it out would have realized legalization is coming, and it’s be tough for the county. And when it’s federally legal it’s gonna get a lot uglier. No black market and not many legal farms either, I would bet.
No one is blaming her for 64, but for the draconian way the county has implemented the ordinance..watch whats happening other places. We have the worst rules in terms of environment rules, taxation, fees to get started, and so much more.
And these environment rules have not only fucked the small grower, theyve fucked the environment. Now grows need to be MAMMOTH to be economically viable. you can see robert sutherland is too dumb to think ahead, but estelle isnt. But she had her bribes to consider.
When sutherland sued the county for using the law properly, the small growers should have filed a suit against the county for trying to kill us economically, after targeting us with asset forfieture for over forty years, when the county offered to settle with those asses.
Does anyone notice how old all those lawsuit people are. Bonnie blackberry is hanging on by a thread. They dont need anything anymore, so they could five a fuck if we starve.
Those environment rules could have been written to save every fish and martin while growers of a hundred plants were able to do well.
Have to agree with Oathkeeper here. It is the way the policies were implemented.. No other county that has passed ordinances have gone to the extremes that Humboldt has, especially in the abatements and fines departments. The county approved huge destructive grows on the timber lands at the same time excluding the smaller growers. Estelle is the 2nd district representative. She failed in her job to work for all but the most wealthy of her constituents.. She is a failure as a supervisor. It’s not just the small unpermited farmers, it’s the licit farmers too..
Always a black market.. the only people who will not be happy are the people who have done nothing but grow marijuana and nothing else for an income. People like me who have always worked a 40 hour a week job, started selling at 18 and learned to grow really good at 25 in 2005 don’t fear anything because we’ll do what we always have done lower the price, keep lowering the price because equipment is 100 times better now and seeds are easily available. Most of us have learned to harvest our own seeds/strains and with the equipment that I have now it cost me about 50 to 60% less to grow it I grow. Luckily in my state it’s not legal and I will vote no every time to keep it illegal as long as possible so the big companies who don’t care who they run over for a few people to be richer and way more to be poorer. When it does become legal who cares I already have a nice 40 hour week job and a salary I’ll just drop the price and keep making that extra money on the side, it’s always extra money and I like growing it’s fun.
As a small grower, I care. Last year I paid 48% in excise and cultivation taxes before my income taxes. The whole thing is a fucking joke. After calling and bugging them for montsh with no answers, I just got my first notice from the planning department in a year. They asked for 6 more things to continue processing my application. I know that 3 of them in my file. I have to call and try to correct it today.
All I read in the Politico article is how they grew Hukleberry bushes to conceal pot back in 70’s from LAW. Crooks as I see it; and I give 2 shits about their income now. HELLS BELLS I praise the working man: No working man wants to hear about the story of the embattled pot grower. ? It should have never been to begin with the financial gain from pot! ?Mega-Million-aire high school dropouts ? What I don’t understand is how their social security forms say they never made any money in their lives but they own multiple ranches and properties worth millions? And a lot of times they even include to enroll in the food stamp program?? Mega lift dually trucks in the parking lot of Ray’s filling up the cart with high priced food on EBT? I bet a confrontation with the IRS could be worse than cancer, it waits without warning then corners you suddenly…
HATERS GONNA HATE, A LOT OF YOU COMMENTERS ARE SAD HATEFUL INSECURE BIGOTS living in a backwards time warp WHO HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO THAN VENT YOUR PSYCHOSIS ONLINE. GET A LIFE & go to a psychotherapist.
Right on
You must be new here or on any public blog.
Which are the haters? There are plenty who hate what pot has created and plenty who throw hate on anyone who doesn’t love it.
This is exactly what they wanted to happen. Redway will be a ghost town before long. Smh. Kids will have to move away to find a real living. The cannabis industry kept so many other businesses going strong. So all you Mormons that think this is a good thing…. you bumped your already handicapped heads!!!
Boy there’s an intelligent statement. Who cares. Who cares if the economy and tax base are devisted. Who cares if local businesses have to shut down. Who cares if this county goes broke due to plummeting revenew streams from property taxes and sales taxes. Guess what haters, YOUR property values will plummet along with everyone else’s. In case this is too many words for all you, this means your investment is going to shit along with the rest of the economy. You all bitched when environmental laws prevented the logging companies from cutting timber, but now the shoe is on the other foot.
Hi, im here from the government, im here to help you, NOT
When we get further into this global economic downturn I truly believe that what is going to get us through is sharing sharing food sharing herb freely without restrictions we are going into some very dangerous times even are habitats is being compromised sadly we are seeing the devastation of many species within our lifetime and our children struggle well be multiplied unless we start taking care of each other and the planet we live upon
~imagine a world where everyone understood the corruption that was happening. Where we supported one another, brought a community together and began building a life where we can all truly thrive. No more dumbing down and minimizing human potential.
Maybe we could dream that dream into reality yes one of the best parts Unity and the human potential it seems that somehow we are being guided into separation The Haves and Have Nots what soon might escalate into big problems my great-grandfather gave away food in a time of famine I think he saw it coming similar thing’s might happen soon here and a lot of places around the world people need to grow more food to take care of their friends family and neighborhoods we are in environmental breakdown from the petrochemical industry In Our Lifetime we will see problems arising from acidification of the ocean which means all Crustaceans will have a difficult time when balances in the ocean are disrupted it is usually devastating plastic and microplastics intrusion are suffocating a lot of sea life on this beautiful summer day I am wishing everybody and every living thing a happy and Safe time please Grow food and share the sacrament of life
XO
Want to see what happens when the government helps you? Look at an Indian reservation….
??That’s from all the fighting over who gets to stick there hand in the kitty.
You know, when I stick my hand near a kitty I often get scratched. After a while I learned not to do that. I think it’s too early to tell. I have seen businesses close and new ones start. I saw the article in Politico and my initial thought was “A day late and a dollar short” Don’t people know there are some great adjustable models out there for modelling economic change? Like most things in life that are worth doing they take time and effort and money. This is contrary to the Trump solution of “oh shit, do it.”
Trump has nothing to do with you illegal dope growers so leave him out of it.
Trump Rules 2020!! [edit]
Ok say you can say bitches but not wook? Weird standards.
For ever loving sakes…I don’t read every comment before it appears on the website. Bitches is not okay and has now been edited but can you try to be a little less offended?
And yes, I’m tired, cranky and you aren’t helping.
You’re doing great Kym! Deep breaths! I think I speak for most of the community when I say we appreciate you immensely.
Definitely!
Yeah. I noticed yesterday you got around to deleting a couple of comments (w/photos) I and another commentor got into way off topic. Not complaining. The pics were terrible quality wise. I should have deleted them myself but figured you’d eventually get around to it and you did.
Still, I have to confess to a mild snicker, or two, at the now, mandatory PC use of the term “Cannibus” in opposition to the more historic terms; weed, pot, MaryJane, ganja, etc. Suddenly, it’s like being tossed back into high school, Latin class. “Omnis Gallia est divsa in partes tres”. That’s even better with a trot. Pretty soon growers will all become lawyers- Nolo Contendere! Yer honor. That one brings back memories of Spiro Agnew. Can’t get away from politics no matter what language is spoken.
I appreciate everything you do. Maybe just let all the comments ride and you woumdnt be so stressed. Just sayin. Youre probably a great mom but you dont need to.mom the internet. Impossible anyway.
MAGA
Mexicans Always Get Across
Mindless Angry Gringos’ Absurdities
dude:
We ALL HAVE A MAD GRINGO DEEP DOWN INSIDE.
He’s pissed about the traffic. The stress. The ties you have to wear. He’s telling you to chuck it all and go sleep on a beach in Mexico. Or Brazil. Make a compromise. Refuse to be a corporate robot. Wear a tropical shirt now and then. Vow to watch more sunsets. And if you can’t go slow, at least go slower. Whatever you do, don’t ignore your Mad Gringo. He just might do something crazy.
ESE LOCO..?
My administration got arrested
My (edit) Got Assaulted
Sorry Kim, but this part of the thread made me laugh for the first time today, and I couldn’t resist adding this to it
No.. but Trump is pro business. Trump is all about less regulation. Legal growers are being regulated to death and you Republicans cheer it on? Hypocrite much?
If the President wasn’t so beholden to right wing, Evangelical causes, I think he would legalize cannabis Federally given he’s so pro-business. Who knows?
He wants to decriminalize it, not legalize or criminalize it. He says the power rightfully belongs to the people.
Good for you. I agree. If trump had any say in the stupidity of California, things would be much different for the better.?Trump 2020
Even Placer Mining will make better profit than the 7% claims of this grower.
If you really only have $100000 profit on a 1.5 million crop, you should get bigger or move to actual farmland and go corporate…
I have no good advice, but, it’s not going to get easier.
Run it like a business, and if it doesn’t pay, try something else.
Like selling fertilizer
Hey- Let’s all vote for “legalization”!! Then we can all be FREE and SAFE! Don’t bother reading the fine print- I’m sure it’s super cool. It says “legalization” right at the top and you know that means they care about us! And then we’ll all have our own farms where we can be safe! And free!!!
How many of us are smart enough to look ahead and determine the consequences of our actions? There are several scars that I own. I paid for them and hopefully I gained the knowledge not to do that action. I wonder why there is so much pain and often blood involved. I guess it’s just the cost of being alive.
Legalization was a lie. Its really regulation and taxation
just like beer.
Got any?
Jeffersonian- it wasn’t a lie that’s how they sold it, and the unthinking knee jerk liberal people here bought into it.
that is all it ever is . legal means goverment approved. never ever should we need anything the be legal. never should we ever have to ask permission from the goverment it is the goverment that needs to be asking us,and in truth they did with prop 64. but because of brainwashing through our goverment indroctrinations facilities read schools with the goverment approved books goverment issused standards etc. most dont even know what they end up voting for. they merely vote how they are told to because we no longer value independant thought infact those whom think differantly are riddiculed labled and silenced .
Right on.
~the reason people awaken is because they have finally stopped agreeing to things that insult their soul.
How much of a paper trail is there on money that isn’t considered legal by the federal government, one for you ,two for me, holy moly ,taxes collected dropped this year lmao
We told you.
It will hurt us here in the cannibis community the most.
How do you think most of our underprivelleged folks subsidized their meager lifestyles.
OMG is this what the rest of society does, do they Pay TAXES? Is this what other businesses do, like medical offices, restaurants, service /repair shops?
How can the real world be so CRUEL! Sorry but people on a daily basis that are not in the cannabis industry go through this, it is that the folks that were used to an illicit market reaped more benefits financially than those in a legal market. They were brought to the light and now the whining has emerged. You are not experiencing more burden than all other groups in the legal market. You may be undergoing some growing pains, realizing your cost outweigh the net, but those that do not whine and roll up their sleeves will prosper. Those that are just complaining on whoa is me, well, let’s just say the world needs ditch diggers.
Those of you on the “legal” side are paying a bounty for my destruction. Real friendly ain’t ya?
~say it like it is, Rod.
Still waiting on any real evidence or facts that prove the “government”, or anyone in a costume pretending to be “government”, would have jurisdiction over a real living breathing human being just because they are in a certain physical location.
maybe you dont understand or just merely think that farming is just throwing some seeds in the dirt and watering it. growing is alot more like ditching digging than sitting in a office not providing anything of value other than some busy work. tell me . if office jobs were taken away, what true harm would happen? and if all farmers were to stop farming what would happen ? . you are right in one thing we do need more ditch diggers because at least a ditch digger creates something of value. without ditch diggers your power wouldnt be there your water your gas your roads. so please dont look down from your self appointed high spot you think you are in life judging the workers. because in truth most know and understand it is those who do not know how to work in the dirt ,those who do not build or create that are insane as they have been brainwashed into beleiving they are somehow better all the while becoming slaves to the laborers. because if they cant generate wealth they can not surive. so they spend and attempt to earn in order to pay the laborers to provide for them the very things in life they truely need, as they are unable or to stuck up to learn how to provide for themselves
Gee, they pocketed how much before it became legal? Sorry but from someone who has worked and paid taxes I don’t feel sorry for them.
How about for a county that is losing money and therefore has less to fix roads and fight fires?
~it’s about control, Not economics. T.H.E.Y. can print $ all day long. If it was about $, then surely The County would be able to produce Annual Financial Records s o m e t i m e within 12 months after the close of a fiscal year – you know, to show their worth . . . What we get are more and more and more agencies, such as the newest Economic Development Department.
“If ever again our nation stumbles upon unfunded paper, it shall surely be like death to our body politic. This country will crash.”- George Washington, 1732-1799
“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks…will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered…. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.” . . . “Paper is poverty. It is the ghost of money and not money itself.”– Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826
“History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance.” – James Madison, 1751-1836
“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” –Henry Ford
Maybe if the dope growers would have paid county taxes not just sale’s taxes, the county would have had money to fix the roads and to fight fires.
Trump Rules 2020!!
“The County” ain’t hurtin. Why do you think The County is reluctant to produce financial records?
That would have been quite some trick as they couldn’t declare the money legally. However, yes, it would have helped and taxes to help the county are an important reason for legalization.
“Legal” tender has zip to do with lawful.
The more corrupt the State, the more Codes, Rules and Regs. Not too hard to figure out.
Every law is a freedom lost.
~there is only one way to remove a freedom belonging to the people. That is by a YOU knowingly waiving a particular freedom. Some of the confusion in our present system has arisen because many millions of people have waived their freedom to travel unrestricted, forage for food, build a home and other basic fundamental freedoms and opted into the jurisdiction of the state. Those who have knowingly given up these freedoms are ‘legally’ regulated by state color of law, and must obtain permits, registrations, insurance, etc. State statutes and codes apply only to those who waive their freedom under contracts like the drivers license, social security card, or birth certificate and consent / contract with the state or federal governmental corporation.
“All codes, rules and regulations are applicable to the government authorities only, not human/Creators in accordance with God’s laws. All codes, rules and regulations are unconstitutional and lacking in due process …”
Rodriques v Ray Donavan (U.S. Department of Labor), 769 F. 2d 1344, 1348 (1985)
We arent all liberals.
We are constitutionalists.
It’s not the people at the top that are being hurt.
We have lawyers, money, property, resources.
It’s the people in the community who make 5 to 10gs per year below board and use it to subsidise their low incomes.
They will be hurt the most.
If businesses arround the county didnt pay folks Arkansas pay scale they wouldn’t need the extra dough.
We will be fine!
Maybe you could write an article about the supervisors and their raises.. Or would that not be in your best interest? Theres some money right there.
What would you like me to say about their raise? It happened? You already know that and don’t like it. What would you like me to add?
Currently, I am over a month behind on stories I promised to do, so no…I don’t see myself writing an article that people don’t need.
Just sayin.. Theres some money. Expose them a little.more and make em squirm for the liars and theives they are.. Why do people trust politicians?
The supervisors renewed the contract for satellite abatements through 2020 at a cost of $ 200,000. The county of humboldt has also taken in millions of dollars in fines from abatements as well as fines for growing more than permitted allowance. This is a cash grab by everyone from the county to the average wanna be corporate farmer! The horse is out of the barn and The train has left the station.
We gave up on thinking they would ever fix the roads. didn’t you hear, just move to eureka. they built a new bike path for you to walk to target. As for the fires, we will be fine, firemen are a huge waste of resources. they are just milking the tax payers for money, they are not a protected class, neither is Kyms husband who works for the country road department.
Cough better check your facts on the local firefighters and on Kym’s husband.
Firemen are heroes and those who maintain the roads are a close second.
Haha wait til you have a fire then we’ll see.
Lol lots of misinformation you have there lady. You keep on guessing let the grown up talk
Someone or lots of people didn’t plan very well, now did they?
Boo hoo. the county hasn’t got any money to fix roads. Well maybe they need to plan better. The roads are fine where I live (not in the rural hills).
Boo hoo, I can’t afford to live the way I used to. The real world is scary and I have to make changes in my life. Maybe you should have planned better.
I think you mistake concern for the economy and looking forward for better ways in the future for whining.
I live the same. There are some differences though. I don’t spend money at rays or the blue room. No eel river cafe or Benbow inn. No I moved to trinity county and spend my money in hay fork and Weaverville. Now the land I used to live on in white thorn is now a big tweaker farm full of junkies who steal from my old neighbors weekly. So explain how me moving away helped the local community. Seems like some would rather see it crumble than have a grower near by. I don’t see business owners liking this at all
and gee some people dont seem to understand that alot of growers the small mom and pop that never blew it up didnt make millions or even hundreds of thousands. no they grew enough so that while working their low paying kobs they could afford to to make their land payment or put their kids through college. all the while donationing to local charities and providing private funding for the fire departments schools radio stations foodbanks and parks all the while ready to step up and help out a neighbor in need either by physically stepping up or quietly providing what was needed. those folks are the ones being hurt. this story is also about how people being hurt by these regulations never even touched a single plant. they never grew but yet they are losing their jobs homes and buisnesses because the money being spent locally is drying up by these excessive taxations those dollars that would have supported those jobs are being stolen from them by their own goverment and being sent elsewhere.
maybe in your hate and distain for the growers you can learn to see past your hate and open your eyes and mind. your hate and intolarance is just as ignorant as those that cut off their nose to spite their own face.
Nothing really stopped them from learning other skills and/or living in a way that they could afford. It’s like these people isolated themselves from civilization, lived in a bubble and just put all their faith into one thing. I don’t think most people in the world live like that.
The people who make decisions at the top of the food chain, live in a bubble as well.
Except they have the weight of a deeper understanding of which way they see the future working out.
1,000 pounds isn’t ‘industrial’?
Wow ! Thanks Kym Kemp.
Everybody please read this article at least twice. The peanut gallery illuminates how strongly the prohibitionists’ propaganda has settled into some people. Try to envision how our local government officials sound a lot like them.
There’s no doubt, California’s 64 is a fraud in action. Remember the rollout and the chosen one’s preferential treatment? The author set the scene but failed to explore the damage done to Californians. John Smith stacked 99 one acre growing permits while I and numerous others couldn’t get a single one. That’s not what anyone voted for.
If you see yourself as a segregationist, by all means, go legal.
I’m happy that the people who decided to take the high road of legalization are going bankrupt!
Reparations for destroying the local economy in my opinion.
I couldn’t live with myself knowing that I played a key role in the collapse of our local economy and the loss of countless properties.
~the futility of representative government in An Age Of Robber Barons
That’s the way the ruling class operates in any society. They keep the people fighting with each other. Until we are all free, none of us are free.
You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor worship them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. Exodus 20:5
It’s a funny idea “the high road” prior to election and then after the realization sets in. There’s been an abundance of eager beavers who bought into the fantasy. I wonder if the real journalists can uncover the totality of licensing fees paid by folks.
“In the end, there is no hope for freedom if men of the mind are not willing to truly stand for freedom, to make of themselves Gibraltar-like representatives of its attributes no matter what level of rejection, calumny and injustice is heaped upon them. This is the true role of the intellectual in history, his only role – to stand intransigently for truth and its concomitant of freedom, even in face of a vast social herd of academic pedants, poseurs, and media clowns stampeding the other way.” – Nelson Hultberg
That generally doesn’t matter to a Supervisor. If Mark Twain didn’t say, he should have. “There is no greater thief than a public official’.
Amazing that so few people saw this coming it was obvious too many of us in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Too many laws and too many whips.
“Governments need armies to protect them against their enslaved and oppressed subjects.” –Leo Tolstoy.
Keep the quotes coming! Thanks.
[edit] Normal people like me don’t mind at all. Legalization is the right thing to do for numerous reasons. Maybe you should have gotten yourself some real skills instead of growing weed for a living. [edit]
Could it be there are less people growing so not as much money being spent? Not that the big legal farms are having it so rough. What I don’t get is why are all the mega growers still driving a 2019 superduty 9000 micro penis truck if they’re going bankrupt??
The smaller legal farms I get it but if you are harvesting 1000lbs that’s not too small of a farm. With most selling on the black market that a lot of bread more so if it’s dep! I don’t get it.
Small farmers produce over 1,000 lbs. of micro greens a year on an acre or two. Producing 1,000 lbs. of POT isn’t a big “farm”. The environmental impacts of producing 1,000 lbs. of POT on timber land are however much greater than that of an flat ag zoned property.
Let’s rename them “Mega destructors” rather than mega growers…
” The environmental impacts of producing 1,000 lbs. of POT on timber land are however much greater than that of an flat ag zoned property.”
Bingo. The land used by Humboldt growers to stay in the shadows was never suited for intensive agriculture to begin with. That is the root of their problems trying to compete in a legal marijuana industry. The fact that others are growing on more suitable land where it is easier to meet environmental compliance entitles growers using the remote “homestead” model, at the ends of long dirt roads and pulling water out of small streams on TPZ lands, to nothing.
A special thanks to our county government for representing us all so well !!! You’ve done such a wonderful job for all your constituents!!!! May the polls have lines around the block waiting for your re election. We all just love you Estelle,bone,and bass your the best thing that ever happened to us. Bbbllllaaaa hhhhaaaa hhhhaaaa !
Local, could it be…yep it could exactly be. 25k$ a day worked. Whose idea was that anyway?
And 1000 lbs was unheard of until 10 years ago and then it was a massive massive grow.
Why couldnt stella ,living on the kindness of strangers and all, have had the insight to curb the grow size at 100 plants or a hundred pounds? Then aggregate the sales to the market on a county level….because she got the ‘lack of insight grab the money blues.’
Instead, now the legal grows are GIANT and ecologically inappropriate and the middle class cant pay their taxes.
“25k$ a day worked. Whose idea was that anyway? ” Estelle set the abatement tax amounts, and she’s more than happy to admit it.
“Why couldnt stella ,living on the kindness of strangers and all, have had the insight to curb the grow size at 100 plants or a hundred pounds? ” Deficient right brain. Incompetence, and yes, greed. She once told me, “My hands are tied”.
~wouldn’t you/me/us/we think that when the signatures have been gathered and turned in to get her removed, that she, or whomever is in that controllers’ position, would have the common decency to step down?
Yes indeed third eye. Critical thinkers would have realized that before throwing all their money into permitting. It sure feels nice to blame someone else when you make a stupid choice doesn’t it? Blame the voters who voted 64, blame the mega growers, blame the politicians… take some responsibility for stupid choices, adjust to the current situation and quit yr bitching. (Not you 3rd eye- I’m speaking to the general commenting public out there)
Willow Creeker- I’m with you on that blaming. It might sound like I complain but I am just trying to keep the record straight against a headwind of propaganda. The voters were stupid to vote for it. They were easily mislead by false hopes and promises… The mega-growers were greedy and selfish and drove us all into the ditch. Then they gleefully grabbed permits to continue the destruction. I have no sympathy for them….The politicians were just along for the ride as always, choosing winners to line their pockets and support their continued holding of office….We could have written up a legalization in many forms- we could have passed one that capped the grow size or plant counts and thereby ensured a system where 10’s of thousands of smaller families thrived, a real Jeffersonian democracy. Instead we gave it all to Sacramento and huge corporate take-over. We did exactly that. The real sufferers are the small people who grew a little to supplement their legal low-paid jobs or who grew just enough to live a decent, not extravagant rural life. I have no sadness for the extinction of ballers, fake spiritualistic Bali-travelling hippies, or those who went big and lived like rock stars. They were the most obvious but we did have thousands of regular people just buying a new tablesaw or chainsaw or a truck that didn’t need constant repair. And those are the people we threw under the bus.
True, I realize that. I am pretty sure though, that these forces were always out of our control here in humboldt. Legalization; it was going to happen. Small farmer goes the way of the dinosaur; it’s bound to happen. We had a good run, where the older lady (my mom for example) would grow a few plants to be able to afford her medical bills. The single mom could afford to be independent and not stay with the asshole guy. And so forth… but it could not last, it was a bubble. Not really anyone to blame in my mind. Just the way the cookie crumbles.
I don’t know about that W.C. yes, the cookie will crumble, and part of it is changing times and larger market forces, that is part of the picture, for sure.. but, it is also corrupt policies …Straight up! Personally, I really dislike the blame game, and yes, people need to be honest about the odds against them.. however, some of these policies are just straight jaded and have been a hinderance rather then a Help or neutral position. Some regulations, are needed, ok.. but most are just corrupted… so there’s that..
How did people think it would go down? The cookie crumbles indeed. That’s the way of the world. Some just need to wake up from their delusions, and many of those will have to move somewhere they can afford and *gasp* get real jobs and redefine themselves. Gold rushers had to do it, loggers had to do it, fishermen had to do it. This is life. Things change.
They did it..Who cares… time for a better bigger brighter different picture.. we make the cookies and bake them. This our world and we build it…
You’re a good journalist Kyme.
Way to go Humboldt, you never let me down. Duh
Honestly black market weed just pushed back the collapse of the economy here by a few decades. After you couldn’t make any real money logging here anymore it would have become obvious that we have no industry to support such a rural area had black market weed money not become the new industry. Something else will have to be our next boom otherwise we will collapse.
Guesty has it figured out. Sustainable population of Humboldt County… maybe 20,000… maybe less.
Ag… minimal. Maybe 150 dairies.
Fishing… minimal after the Feds wiped it out. Few Oyster farms.
Couple lumber mills. One big… on mid sized… couple small.
No pulp mills.
One chip export dock.
County is being kept alive by other money.
Residual Timber money… due to run out after the boomer generation dies.
Fed Taxes… Social Security… due to run out after the boomer generation dies.
State money… Humboldt State… C/R… Local Schools.
Dope money… black market… shrinking and running out of $$$ as other people can grow dope.
Whats next ? Maybe nothing.
~don’t forget all those *Free* GrantS, Grant$, Grant$.
Coastal CA, cheap prices? My prediction is a gentrification like we’ve seen creeping up from SF. More people and online jobs. Traffic is more noticeable than ten years ago on 101, no doubt.
Mulder drives schools into the ground…heard through grapevine south fork has about 3 years left… why would he be a successful business man….poor him.lol pics are too funny.
Maybe nothing? Not so fast. It’s all been laid out and even boasted about.
A relisten to past President (& political) speeches reads like a ‘how to take down America and recruit for Isil’ in hindsight.
Division? Check.
Poverty? Check.
Homelessness? Check.
Non secured borders? Check. (but reversing)
Free healthcare for Isil? Working on it.
It’s like any business you start, the first year it often just breaks even. It’s called “growing pains”. ? I like we have dispensaries now to obtain product. It’s tested. You know the dosage. I use it medicinally. Black market weed can destroy the environment, related to crime, etc. And I knew many growers who made six figures a year, vacationing to exotic places and not paying taxes. I’m sorry Humboldt economy seems to be hit by legalization but many of us are struggling to make ends meet working at 9 to 5 jobs too!
Black market is not worse for the environment. Many of them are better than legal farms.
~like 707prius says @ 9:54, “Let’s rename them “Mega destructors” rather than mega growers…”,
Let’s call the “Black market” what it is – the Free Market – every one better than “Legal” farms with their “Legal” documentation from the purveyors of nonsense.
Hmm: Please notice I said black market CAN destroy the environment. I didn’t say ALL. I know there are many responsible people as well who grow unpermitted yet the clean ups from many black market grows is despicable. Garbage, pesticides, killing of wildlife. That’s what I am talking about. It’s disheartening.
Agreed.
Seems like the problem is big legal grows that make a few rich and took out hundreds of soulful small righteous growers. That’s what government does. Legal beagles should have seen this coming instead it cut the soul out of growing weed.
There was never any soul in growing weed. You just believed that you were special, but that was only an illusion caused by it being illegal. If weed had been legal throughout the 20th century then the whole counterculture aspect would never had existed. No rebellion against the man, no “420 bro”, no pot leaf icons. That’s all been “smoke” blown up the ass, so to speak. I like weed, but for most it’s not spiritual. Kinda like booze. It’s simply an intoxicant that many enjoy.
Look at a bigger picture. Your 9 to 5 can’t continue to pay you if people like me stop spending money with your employer. Where do you think your boss gets the money he pays you. From me [edit]
Prop 64 has lived up to its promises:
The proposition has specific safeguards that would protect children while allowing responsible adult use of marijuana.
The proposition would incorporate best practices from other states that already legalized marijuana use and would adhere to recommendations provided by California’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy.
The proposition would generate tax revenue and decrease law enforcement costs, providing funding for things like afterschool programs, drug prevention education and drug/alcohol addiction treatment, law enforcement training and research on impaired driving, and other programs.
The proposition would prevent legislators from using generated revenue for their pet projects.
The proposition would provide an environment where marijuana is safe, controlled, and taxed.
The proposition would decrease black market and drug cartel activity.
The proposition would give the elite of any given county the authority to squash all competition of friends, family members, and those who grease the pig with cash.
Nice piece.
The greenrush was a false economy. You can thank the Humboldt County Sheriffs Dept for the 10 year boom years that businesses luxuriated in. If you owned a business and thought it would last forever and didn’t plan ahead I’m sorry, but seriously, what did you expect? You can’t base your future on the whims and lack of enforcement from the lazy county sheriffs. Most greenrushers are gone, leaving in their wake an economy that must balance itself to the new normal. I see by the soil and supplies on the road that some stragglers are still going for it, as are the in process permitters, some of whom are giving it a sincere go and a lot still keeping the process going to make some more hundreds of thousands before Metric and serious oversite sets in. I give it a few more years for the new normal to find itself.
Exactly. The whole thing has been a false economy. Time to adjust. It’s very simple.
Metric what do you even know about it lol. It’s so easy to bypass. You can write pounds out as mold loss and destroyed. Or the best one is out of Oregon grower grows 2k units indoor high quality and sell it to say Dayton Ohio for top dollar. Then replaces those units with cheap outdoors from the black market. Destroys said crap outdoor weed as a loss. Now you have a tier 1 grow putting thousands of pounds into the black market reaping the higher prices in the Midwest and still not paying a dime in tax because metric thinks his whole crop was destroyed. Wow seed to sale tracking out on blast
Regulation was captured by the wealthy before the law even got passed. And since the motives were a cash grab rather than bringing law into alignment with morality, it was a very easy thing to accomplish for those with capital.
They didn’t pick a very sympathetic person on which to focus the article. Boo hoo for Thomas Mulder.
That’s the truth ! He’s been ravaging the earth for years for Profit .. not a nice guy either
“The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the law of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
— John Adams, A Defense of the American Constitutions, 1787
~our forefathers knew of the dangers in establishing Governments. They knew that without constant vigilance Governments would ignore the limitations placed on them by the Supreme law of the land. Our founders additionally warned us about the relationship between property rights and liberty.
That which they feared has come to pass. Property is no longer sacred. Because it is not held sacred and is repeatedly scavenged by all levels of Government, neither are the unalienable rights of Man sacred to the tyrants. With the destruction of private property rights, so was our Liberty destroyed. We are, whether we like the idea or not, slaves to the few.
Personally, I think 1000 pounds is a lot to ask out of the timber lands. Oh. But tiny 100 plant or 2500 square ft no bigger than a small victory garden are to blame for the ecological damage. Yeah right.. Ok, in Washington state, farms are mass producing 8000 pounds on prime farm land. So 1000 units sounds small, and it can be.. but I agree, not on the timber lands, that is a lot to ask. Actually, I am reading articles about how a lot of the food producers are actually not happy with the canno neighbors moving in. Because they are sucking up all the labor. Among other issues.. I actually think it’s pretty foolish to start occupying traditional farm land for Cannabis. This Nation needs food.. What? Then end up like the wine grapes.. ridiculous. Cannabis farming belongs in the discrete farms in the hills. Maybe not on such a big level. Personally, I don’t think the county should have gone above 10,000 square ft in the hills. And that is fairly large. That was a bad policy right off the start and reaks of corruption. Tax the larger growers on a larger scale. Tobacco is taxed according to different market pricing.. Taxing $9 an ounce at the growing level is absolutely ridiculous. That should be less, and paid at the retail level. The square foot tax is a sham as well.. so are these stupid brackets of square footage they try to put growers in. They didn’t up hold the caps anyway, so why does it matter at all now? It matters on the timber land.. but that should be site specific, with a general square foot cap.
I mean, personally I understood the onslot of industrial cannabis would eventually take its grip on the industry. However, I think us smaller types at least deserved an equatable chance at participating in the market. Personally I understand the need for reasonable regulations, and any buisness takes hard work, dedication and follow through. I would also like to add that running and successfully pulling off ANY small business these days is a large challenge. Farms across the nation have succumbed to lesser forces. Especially smaller family run farms, the odds are not in your corner.
And honestly, the county system is a sham, it is bent at sucking your savings and rolling the dice with very little security, and false or poor representation. Buyer beware.. But, I refuse to believe that folks here should just accept this tyranny as the new norm. Licit or OG farms what ever. Don’t beilive the hype. Do what ever you can to resist or succeed. DONT BEILIVE THE HYPE! Best of luck to all the well intentioned people of the triangle.. May the Truth be With you.. ( And stop eating your neighbors… that is severaly messed up, canno canabalism sucks.. that is just disgusting and disrespectful… Just sayin..) Rant Over and out.. for Now…….
I agree with your sentiment, but I think you need to realize that farming in the hills doesn’t make any sense when you’re talking about a legal crop. It’s why no one has ever gone about growing lettuce or tomatoes or anything in the mountains around here. There is no advantage when you have naturally good soil, a better climate and easier egress in the valleys.
The hills were great for an illegal crop. And a wonderful place to live and have a garden and some cows and chickens, but not grow a crop commercially. There’s no way to regulate the market in such a way that would make that work long term.
We’ll have a few more decent years if you want to stick to black market, enjoy and hold your breath every time you get to your gate… and hope you don’t get the county letter.
Personally, I understand that the hills are a harder sale.. but like look at Humboldt Creamery or Alexander dairy. Organic Loleta Cheese. They are still here.. If they would have said.. that.. Na.. just move, this place will never be feasible. But look at it now.. honestly some of the best pasture raised dairy and best humane eggs in the nation! I know some are vegan and not happy about it… tra la la. And I know the dairy industry has some issues.. but the point is they persevered and are still here. Sure, ups and downs, ok. Yes. But, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be feasible given the opportunity. Look at Napa. People said.. once a long Time ago.. nothing will grow there.. California wine will never compete with frances orchards… Zillion Dollar industry now… so.
The problem is with the current canno trade.. the opportunity is being underscored by ruthless tactics..
And as far as it being tomatoes or lettuce, it really is an entirely different beast. That’s like comparing apples and oranges…. entirely different sets of growing conditions and circumstances…
And here it is, so far with”legalization”most of the big farming tracks of California are in deep RED counties. They are not exactly happy about the cannabis, and why push it on them? A lot of them have said no Cannabis.. Honestly, I am not trying to say like “save”the children or anything, but it is an altering substance. Maybe it is best to keep it in the hills and slightly more discrete. I know there are people that disagree. And some who dont.. If you agree or not, the point is that most of big tracks of farm land are in red counties not necessarily open to cannabis farming. In fact some of the bigger outfits closer to big populations are already being shut down because the smell is very loud and no amount of technology can cure that (out door). Among other issues as well.
Besides, when the powers that are realize that fuel can be grown in the ground sustainably, Hemp, with pollen might actually just really blow up. Wouldn’t want to be in the big Ag land then! Even with “pollen inhibitors”… (which are probably not something that you really want in your canabis anyway)..
As far as them “not being able to stop or regulate the bigger farmer” that’s true to an extent, but not really.. I mean the county is threatening to charge $10,000 a day for 1 measly plant over 6. Can u imagine if they tried to do that to any other farm industry??? They wouldn’t stand for it.. and we shouldn’t either!! And actually it is entirely possible to “regulate” farm land and create ordinances with set backs and visual barriers, and such.
As far as getting the “letter”.. I am prepared. I have made preparations, and thought ahead.. so.. I know how to play cat and mouse. Would rather not though.. and it’s ridiculous to push small people to those measures..
Correction..Frances Vinyards..
Well, what they are doing at the county is helping the market also. Just saying.
I think there are better ways to do that which do not involve such oppression. The canno industry really needs to step away from using injustices for “subsidies”…
“I actually think it’s pretty foolish to start occupying traditional farm land for Cannabis.”
Webster defines cannabis/mj as the hemp plants’ destination of the female plant. Having said that, i concur to the cannabis part, but not the hemp plant itself.
“This Nation needs food.” I buy 24 oz. bags of ‘Just Hemp Foods’ ‘Hulled Hemp Seed’ at Grocery Outlet . . . product of Canada :-(( Hemp seeds are what has saved lives during times of famine . . . back, back, in the day.
“However, I think us smaller types at least deserved an equitable chance at participating in the market.” It’s not to the moderation and justice of others we are to trust for fair and equal access to market with our products, or for our due share in the transportation of them; but to our own means of independence and the firm will to use them. –Report of Secretary of State on Trade & Tariff 12-16-1793.
“Personally I understand the need for reasonable regulations” That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves. – Jefferson. Man. We’re gonna be needin a ton of post traumatic slave disorder supplements. (not saying for you SmallFry – just in general).
Willow Creeker, below, evens out a view for us.
Hemp is the new corn in Kansas
Legalization is the right thing.Economic arguments lack the moral highground. Our backwoods lifestyle has been built in part by the suffering of others in far away places,and sometimes here at home.Hundeds of thousands of people arrested,and sometimes hurt or murdered to fuel your Reggea lifestyle.Get over it.No doubt it was hard to be a farmer in Georgia after Sherman’s March to the sea,or a small shop owner in Berlin in 1945, open your eyes to the suffering of others. Certainly all legal farming in this country is dominated by large farms with plenty of land and money.If you don’t like it shop at a local farmers market,or if your fortunate enough to own land grow a garden with food as well as pot.This county should have imposed a gardening supplies tax years ago but no surprise the county preferred the regressive sales tax.Say the haves to have nots, take the shots. What I hear in some of these libertarian arguments is the cry for rights without responsibilities.So like Charlie said at the beginning of this feed why should your suffering concern me when you clearly only care about yourself?
Does Eric understand how the game has beenot rigged for a very long time? The barriers to entry are so unnecessarily prohibitive that we actually think that buying 70 to 80% of our goods from China and other 3rstuff world exploited countries doesn’t have collateral consequences on our way of life.
Tariffs just recently brought to the nation’s attention because of the lop sided deals that were made in the 70s with china to begin utilizing their cheap labor for the increased profit margins of the corporate person hood.
The blindness to the increasing merger and acquisitions the last few decades and the ridiculous compensation packages for the CEO”s and board of directors have widened the gap between the workers and the management.
Mondragon is one such example.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/07/mondragon-spains-giant-cooperative
The game is rigged. There is very little room for the kind of individual prosperity on the scale that CEO”s of the most profitable and ruthless corporations.
I’d like to believe that hard work is enough to navigate the vast array of glass ceilings, barbed wire, and fences and economic walls that keep the majority of Americans 2 paychecks away from economic disaster.
That would be the real story here. What has the underground economy actually done for this economy, and what will it mean for future hopes of the kids graduating, to raise a family in this incredible land.
It’s a war of attrition. Things are going to get worse for many, better for a few, and what will this mean for the greater northern California potential for independent prosperity?
These are the kinds of questions I think some people without government jobs are worried about.
Eric Taylor.. Your right in Cannabis legalization is the “right thing to do”. However the policies that have been implemented in the guise of “legalization” truely are not “the right thing to do” . It’s not the moral high ground to trade one Ideal for another.. I think it would have been good for the county to implement some sort of reasonable tax it could legally benefited from long ago. I agree actually… Honestly, I realize that massive farms exist… food crops take massive amounts of land in order to feed large populations. Cannabis is a slightly different unique circumstance.
I will also tell you, that large corporate models are not always beneficial to the actual “farmers”.
It’s very true farming of any nature can be a rough path, and not always the most profitable.. and Yes.. people can vote with thier dollars, by supporting smaller farmers who stemed the tide and fought to be around.. Personally, I am not trying to argue for rights w/o responsibilities, I am arguing for reasonable regulations, and practices from the state and county governments. Especially when it comes to smaller farmers.. just my perspective..
Testing, testing. One, two, three.
To Eric Taylor @ 7:35 am 6-5,
“Legalization is the right thing.”
Did you miss the title of the article for this thread? “The Cost of Legalization Is Killing Cannabis and Hurting Local Businesses in Humboldt”
“Economic arguments lack the moral high ground.” That’s because too few know what economics is and how it applies in the real world. Not that it matters, we’re using monopoly game money and Grant$ up the gazoo, minus financial records. So what the hay?
“Our backwoods lifestyle has been built in part by the suffering of others in far away places”
In China there are suicide nets up and around the buildings where cell phones are assembled.
“Certainly all legal farming in this country is dominated by large farms with plenty of land and money.”
And toxic pe$ticide$. And $ub$idie$.
“This county should have imposed a gardening supplies tax . .”
~cut.
~how about that? Even when i ‘Reload Current Page’, the comment that Rodd Gass posted earlier, in reply to Eric Taylor, seems to have vanished?
Not to fear HumCo I got deleted, again. The bias has shifted. I’ll be back.
What’s with the census worker harassment?
According to Mr Whitehead, you can’t ask a census worker to leave the property?
Correction, the current population survey, not the official 10 year census
~i keep coming back to your question, Sid. Mr. Whitehead is an Attorney, you know that, he battles in the courts of the District of Criminals. His approach, as i see it, is, prove their “laws” are stacked. He has to litigate in Code v Code . . . but then the best part, he’s heavy on the land juris.
So, he gives a bit. Private property is private property. If you didn’t invite whomever (census, irs, whatever fiction), it’s your decision to tell them to leave, Or not.
He has so aged in the last five years, and yet his articles get better and better.
Hey Kym.. I know your swamped and busy and I appreciate your work… but.. How about an article about this ridiculous letter from the stupervisors about the “hemp ordinances”? TY
~ Big sigh.
“It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.” Dale Carnegie
“There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them.” Anthony de Mello
“The pleasure which we most rarely experience gives us greatest delight.” Epictetus
“You cannot buy the revolution. You cannot make the revolution. You can only be the revolution. It is in your spirit, or it is nowhere.” Ursula K. Le Guin, The Dispossessed
There are no crimes, just commerce.
~not here to start a revolution, but rather to stop one that’s well under way.
“Compared to a stream the human dream doesn’t mean shit to a tree.”. Paul Kantner
“If you can make it through the night there is a brighter day”. 2pac
They just handed out a crap ton of abatement notices in willow creek. We have 700 square feet of canopy car port size greenhouses. 10 days to abate. We have been living here for 5 years and paying taxes and put a ton of money into the economy, we are leaving humboldt to move to southern oregon josephine county. Not that anyone cares. Its a shame what they are doing they are going to ruin the economy and turn humboldt into slums. The place we live at in willow creek was a slum before we made it beautiful with cannabis money. Anyways Im not a greedy person just wanted to do what I loved and am passionate about, if they didnt sell us all out and make it impossible to get permitted while maintaining a small square footage maybe we would stay but we rather move to josephine county and put humboldt in the past. Best wishes to all who stay.
Sad to hear! I think that sucks! I wouldn’t expect much out of most of the commenters on here.. most of them just think about how great it is for thier bottom line! Sorry to say.. Some are cool.. others.. not! Oregon is quite nice actually in a lot of ways.. It’s a real shame the way Dumbolt and the county sell out stupervisors have proceeded with these ordinances.. they are ruining out a lot of good folks in thier maddness. Ford just said on Interview w/ kmud how they pretty much got all the “big grows” abated. But that whole interview was so bull. All these folks in Humboldt have been Gaslighted so hard. Your not crazy. These ordinances are! Best of luck to you in your new adventure!
Yeah were finishing our first run they can fine us we wont pay the fines. I’m not the only one not cutting it down in the 10 days that I know of either. If they take the property who cares I rather have money to pay my bills and feed my family and to move somewhere else if I need to then to have take everything down and have no money to live.
~the deficiency here is a failure not of the free market but of the corporate governmental actors and the society in not granting a property right to the rightful owner of his resource crops.
Corruption isn’t the problem. The problem is the acceptance of the corruption.
“Corruption isn’t the problem. The problem is the acceptance of the corruption.”
Amen!
It’s so accepted as a way of life that we find ourselves fighting over which ‘power’ we need to rule over us in the next election.
Shaking my head so much, it’s dizzying.
Hello America. We are a self governed people, we power trip our selves, not others. Those who cannot self govern themselves, who cannot refrain themselves from literally harming another’s inalienable right to life, liberty and property, have to deal with the consequences of not following the self governing rule of never harming another’s rights to life, liberty and property.
That’s what the Constitution is all about.
The Constitution limits the government. The people drew up the rules, giving the government limited and defined jobs to do. Nothing more.
The Constitution is a Compact, or, in layman’s terms, a Contract.
Contracts are solid deals. The person who signs the contract with the bank, cannot go in later and amend the contract. They must abide by the contract.
Same with the Compact. The Limited and Defined Government cannot lawfully go in and change the compact in order to extend their ‘powers’ over the Compact creators.
Issues are a dime a dozen. Ask yourselves this question. What power of authority does the Government hold over my gender, marriage, daily habits, quirks, likes, dislikes, speech, eat, drink or smokes? There is no authority.
Once the people stop fighting each other over created ‘issues’, hopefully they’ll take to pen & paper or telephone and tel their ‘reps’ to knock it off and get back to work SECURING your rights and the rights of ALL.
I agree to a certain extent Shak.. I think all people deserve thier right to pursue thier liberty.. And “self governing” I like to think that people can self govern to a certain extent. It’s a higher Ideal that I like to certainly beilive in. However, I am kinda a feet on the ground type person too.
However, personally I think too much gov. You end up like China… or in a severely repressive gov. which is terrifying. And sometimes I ask myself… if we are already there?
But lately, honestly, my mind feels like it’s in a tennis ball court bouncing from one extreme to the next, lol.. So I am seeking to find my zen within the chaos…lol..
But, that is where they want us all, a state of chaos, so Corporate rule can come in and seize all the assets, and lay out thier “big money adgenda” everybody fall in line bull.. divide and conquer. Work for us and work for less. type deal..Farming of any sort a lot of times is the often epicenter for this disaster.. And it’s definitely panning out to have major consequences thought the US.
But honestly, while I retain the higher Ideal of self governance.. honestly, In So Hum, it’s kinda been a fail, in representing that. Just look at the River in the Deep Summer? I mean I BEGGED people to start practicing better practices, and getting more water storage and use organic methods.. Begged, pleaded, infoed, what ever, and was largely ignored.. So unfortunately, if the rivers where healthy, I would count that as a win for “self governing” but it wasn’t, not in the long term. And unfortunately, now it’s been a platform to financially terrorize well meaning folks into submission…
Where, I see success, in this however, is Micro Capitalism pursuits, and wealth distribution… I would say.. that was a BIG WIN.. in my book. BUT now we are entering a “bigger picture”.. so the experiment continues..
Personally, I do not believe profit should be the guiding principles in giving up people’s guaranteed rights in the constitution.. I find that repulsive, and every part of me says, many parts of these policies are fundamentally FLAWED!!
Honestly the Water rights really really gets me, because that is one of the biggest grasps at independence, and why I personally sought to be out here and closer to the land to begin with. However, I also see people have been irresponsible with it..
I do agree on the principle, that these codes and fines are an absolute abuse of the government however. In my book. And the fines, fees and taxes they ask for are nothing short of extortion, abotrary and unessesary. I think there is also a fine line between using the government to maintain protections of the people, or the common good, or using governments to maintain markets…
And who is actually profiting here off of these abuses of our civil liberties? The county is. They are making a crap ton of money off of extorting people, and don’t look know, but I do believe that the government is not supposed to be profiting off of excessive fines and fees. I beilive that is part of the 8th Amendment of unreasonable fines..
That is why the supervisors giving themselves a raise proves that. They are benefiting off of unreasonable fines and fees.. they profited. It’s absolutely highway robbery here, of the highest order.
Excuse the Novel here..
I hear you to the core of my being and have fought that chaos many many times myself. You eloquently said it all.
How to stop the chaos? By returning to the original intent of the law.
The original intent was all about reparations & restorations. If anybody harmed another, the courts (jury of their peers), gave them the choice to either make things right or lose their own secured by the constitution rights and be declared an outlaw. (outlaw is shorthand for those who ‘live outside the law’, which was the constitution). With no secured rights, the outlaw was at the mercy of everyone the outlaw met up with and had no protection whatsoever from the law-sheriff, because the outlaw decisively chose to end his constitutional rights.
Those who chose to make things right to the person’s they harmed, would work it out with the persons involved. If he robbed them, he paid it back plus some. If he ruined their property, he had to rebuild, refurbish, rehab, the property. If he couldn’t afford to it financially, s/he would work out the labor and time into doing it.
That was the way it used to be. If the river was damaged, they cleaned it up on their own dime and their own time.
Do they fix the waters in modern times or do they just force the culprit to pay them extortion fees?
If everyone knew they had to restore back to normal or better, everyone would be educated on how to do it. Instead, they are educated on how to sell off everything owned in order to pay the extortion fees.
Ending chaos means ending the modern extortion and returning to the original restoration. The community members would be happy to come help a person who truly wants to do right by others. It would also be an educational outlet that the community learns best practices by helping others who chose to learn and do.
I hope this made sense.
Restoration vs extortion 101 in 100000001 words or less.
“James Madison’s definition of property: “…everything to which a man may attach a value and have a right; and which leaves to everyone else the like advantage…a man’s land, or merchandize, or money is called his property.” Also, “…a man has a property in his opinions and the free communication of them…in the safety and liberty of his person…in the free use of his faculties and free choice of the objects on which to employ them. In a word, as a man is said to have a right to his property, he may be equally said to have a property in his rights…Government is instituted to protect property of every sort…”, (edited for brevity).”
Reread that again and again, especially this part: “man is said to have a right to his property, he may be equally said to have a property in his rights…Government is instituted to protect property of every sort”
I think it would be a better world if “repreations and restorations” where restored today.. certainly. And if corporations of today, actually had to “fix” the damage created, they might think better than to pursue those endeavors.. or to pursue endeavors with greater accountability… Personally, I have seen a few creek restoration projects that where quite nice.
Government does have a responsibility to protect property rights and people’s rights to thier property. I definitely beilive that.. While it’s an excellent foundation, I think the convolution is when industries enter the picture.. Does an industry have the same protections, or rights? I think people can be held to possibly be more responsible for the greater good and individual accountability.. but what about industries? Or the people who run those industries.. Are they entitled to the same ideals of self governing? Can they self govern responsibly? While I think individual people can.. I am not sure industries can. Corse That then becomes groups of people instead of just one person,
But those are all very interesting concepts. Ty for sharing!
Corporate personhood.
Yes the corporation enjoys the rights of the person.
I think there is one simple answer.
There are two sets of rules in play. One for the puppets, and one for the pupoet masters.
Industries are not individuals. Only individuals rights are secured by the Constitution. The constitution wasn’t written by an ‘industry’ or the ‘govt’, it was written by freedom loving individuals.
Repealing the law that gave industries (or any group for that matter), the right to rights that over ride the rights of the individual’s rights would be a great first step towards regaining our country back.
But, that would take individuals aplenty to write/call their congressmen to let them know that we’ve had it up to here and ain’t gonna take this BS no more, so fix it.
~repealing fiction, acknowledges fiction.
4400 words in the Constitution for the united States of America.
“No action can be taken against a sovereign in the non-constitutional courts of either the United States or the State courts, and any such action is considered a crime of Barratry.
Barratry is an offense at common law.” State vs. Baston 17 S.E. 2d 511, 512, 513.
“No State shall convert a liberty into a privilege, license it, and charge a fee therefore.” Murdock v. Pennsylvania 319 US 105.
“If the State converts a right into a privilege, the citizen can ignore the license fee and engage in the right with impunity.” Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham Alabama 373 US.
“People of a state are entitled to all rights, which formerly belong to the King by his prerogative.” Lansing v Smith (1829) 4 Wendell 9, 20 (NY).
(people of a state. Not U.S. citizen)
~but, but, but, with HumCo’s population shrinking, where’s the ‘hurry-up’ “Wind” energy’s need? Whatever will ”The County” do with all of that counter-productive power?
Dave Daniel is the Sheriff of Josephine County. Whether he is an Oath Keeper – idk. Sorry to see you go, NoLongerHumboldt – understandable.
It ain’t no joke I’d like to buy the world a toke
And teach the world to sing in perfect harmony
And teach the world to snuff the fires and the liars
Hey I know it’s just a song but it’s spice for the recipe
This is a love attack, I know it went out but it’s back
It’s just like any fad, it retracts before impact
And just like fashion it’s a passion for the with-it and hip
If you got the goods they’ll come and buy it
Just to stay in the clique
So don’t delay, act now, supplies are running out
Allow, if you’re still alive, six to eight years to arrive
And if you follow, there may be a tomorrow
But if the offer’s shunned
You might as well be walking on the sun
Smash Mouth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQj–Kjn0z8 3:27 90’s
lol..I have this song on my playlist! Good one!
The People Nappy Roots..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG1egeDwHaw
YES! YES!
OMG! “The County” f i n a l l y posted salaries for 2018 on Transparent California. https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2018/humboldt-county/
Elected Officials – https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/search/?a=humboldt-county&q=elected+official&y=2018
Cheryl Dillingham was the County Admin Officer, until she was served meas. Z litigation papers in 2016. Then she skedaddled into the Finance Dept. Now, she’s headcheese there since the Finance Director, whom i liked, up and abruptly quit.
Those are some hefty wages for a county whose constituents can afford to pay those ‘leadership’ wages and benefits. My goodness, there must be a job opening around every bend, we’re such a rich county.
Whatever happened to the good old days when the elected ‘officials’ had to keep their day jobs?
“Whatever happened to the good old days when the elected ‘officials’ had to keep their day jobs?”
T.H.E.Y. (The Hierarchy Enslaving You), are on Boards and Commissions. If the CA. Coastal Commission meeting is the same time as Tuesday morning County meeting – they simply skip the public county meeting.
NoLongerHumboldt…. If you put “A Ton” of money into the local economy then why is it not affordable for you to license your scene. What is the whole truth to why you can’t make your grow scene work for you?
Its 700 square feet on a pracel that is too small to qaulity. A ton of money into the economy means a modest middle class income spending money locally for 5 years which to some ppl may not be a ton of money but to me its alot as I am not rich.
No longer Humboldt, I am no lawyer. But, according to Mr. Ford, they don’t take your property. But if they issue these very disproportionate fees, then it could be difficult to sell the property and move on… I think they can actually take your property, though after some time.
Actually these “fees issued” are a big problem all across the US right now, and are disproportionate to the “nuisances” they are claiming. Like in Missouri, I beilive, a couple was fined $180,000.00 for not growing half of thier lawn in “grass”. They had put in flowers and tidy landscaping, and the county fined them an exorbitant amount of money..
Actually, I am not sure settling with them is a good idea or not. I think there is a lot of pressure to “settle” and they claim to have the “judges” on thier side.. but I would actually like to see some of these cases go to a jury and see what a jury has to say about this..
This is absolutely an abuse of the 8 Amendment of the constitution, disportionate and excessive fines. It truely is.. I mean they can try and twist up all the language, and make a mockery of the constitution.. but anyone with eyeballs can see these fines are very excessive in a lot of cases..
Correction “Fines” not “Fees”
Talked to a lawyer they can only fine you and place a lein on your property but they havnt actually taken any properties due to the upheaval it would cause as they know they are already walking a fine line.
~if you learn from a lawyer you learn deceit. BAR – BRITISH Accredited Registry <<< foreign jurisdiction trespassing on American soil. "Woe to lawyers and their enablers."
NO ONE can place a lien on your private property without your day in a court –of COMPETENT jurisdiction. ALL parties of interest must be present. An attorney is not a party of interest, but rather, an incompetent fact witness. If he, or she, wants to testify as to the facts, then put 'em on the witness stand, under oath – this will never happen.
Remember you don't know the limits of your own abilities. Successful or not, if you keep pushing beyond yourself, you will enrich your own life–and maybe even please a few strangers."
— A.L. Kennedy
Who is going to keep the truth alive if not us?
If we can't self-govern, then why are we here?
Definition of habeas corpus
1 : any of several common-law writs issued to bring a party before a court or judge
especially : HABEAS CORPUS AD SUBJICIENDUM
2 : the right of a citizen to obtain a writ of habeas corpus as a protection against illegal imprisonment
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/habeas%20corpus
Exactly. If they “siezed” the properties.. it would most definitely place them under illegal search and seizure. While these fines are serious, because after some time I think they can motion to collect the fines.. and take the property….which would take some time and more judicial court over site to do.. Actually, I do believe the fines are essentially somewhat of empty threats.. but I would listen to your lawyer.. (even though I haven’t at times..lol, to my benefit) These fines are excessive and are not per portionate to the “act committed” especially in a situation like yours.. very small carport GH. .. Misdemeanor..Best of luck, I hope it works out to your benefit!
Truth.
It’s been happening for many years, but it’s ‘ampped up’ now because many of those unconstitutional regs and agencies have been reduced.
We will never be ‘safe’ and ‘free’ until every last one of them is taken to task.
Yeah, this impression that ALL growers have a ton of $$$ is pretty misguided. A lot of the nicer people in the community are not big ballers. The entry fees for the smallest grows rival what corporations with millions are paying. Not only fees upon fees, with exorbitant taxes, on top, there are all sorts of “consultants” then sucking u dry… then very expensive fees and taxes every year… these super high fees are across the board very high. And unrealistic for the current pace of the market.. and very unrealistic for small growers… it’s an unrealistic amount of money and red tape to ask it really is..
NoLongerHumboldt….. sorry for the situation you find yourself in. Hope your move brings you many new blessings.
Appreciate that, we will be fine its gonna be a great move gotta stay positive just wanted to post my story incase ppl believed ford that they werent going after small ppl. Im super small 50 pound harvest max if im lucky with a 700 square foot of greenhouse which are carports so yes carports need permits. So anyone else out there reading these comments if you think your safe cause your small your not.
How You Were Tricked to Live in the Land of the Legally Dead
https://www.wakingtimes.com/2017/09/16/tricked-live-land-legally-dead/
how many of you expected to get rich as fvck with legalization? all yall did, and spent money like oprah.
Industry definitions are plentiful, but this one seems to fit the bill here.
“something that is produced or is available in large quantities and makes a lot of money:”
Big Oil
Big Pharma
Big Education
Big Insurance
Big Healthcare
Big Auto
Big Fast Food
Big Ag
Big Homeless
Big Housing
Big POT
So you anti pot people won. The only grows left in the county are owned by Bay Area money. That means it is not spent here. So the growers move on to counties that want the money like trinity. And there is no more crab fishing the trees have all been cut. Now all you have is some tweakers left. Well they don’t eat much or buy new clothes. I suggest getting into the syringe business that’s about all you have left except 2small colleges that are also in financial trouble
~to adopt on attitude of defeat before freedom loving men and women have exhausted all potential remedies for this mind-control, is inexcusable. It’s time for this horrendous secret to end.
The people will decide victory or defeat.
As larger greenhouse grows in Santa Barbara, the Central Valley, along with huge indoor warehouse grows in LA and the Bay Area continue to harvest monthly, Humboldt County is in trouble and could face the same issues that Detroit faced when cars started being made all over for cheaper costs and manufacturers began producing more cars at a faster rate. Detroit eventually could not remain competitive and lost its reign as king of the automotive manufacturer world, and the same fate could be facing Humboldt. For those residents who claim/hope that Humboldt is the Napa Valley of Cannabis, there are a few differences that really help Napa and will hurt Humboldt. First off Napa is only a 2-3 hrs drive from the millionaires in the Bay Area so it’s an easy weekend trip for locals or people flying into the bay and it allows guest to get away and then get back home very easily. Napa is also full of beautiful places to stay, with many options of gorgeous hotels, resorts, vineyards. Napa also doesn’t have Eureka! Let’s be honest about Eureka!!!! Establishing a pleasant vibe with a truly kind Demographic of locals and having safe social options are key to building tourism. Humboldt has lots of sketchy people just roaming around town and even on the highway just walking out of the woods…. and it doesn’t make most tourists feel too comfortable about venture out at night, or the day. Yes the redwoods and coast are beautiful and it’s fun to look for Big Foot, but The hotels in Humboldt are atrocious and pretty much all need to bombed and redone. Air bnb homes have really improved but that will continue to limit tourism flow and the cash it brings into town, the Airbnb options are still too limited. There are a lot of small farmers upset about the 64 laws because of the permits, fees and regulations, that’s understandable, but let’s also remember that California is the WORLDS 6th largest economy, full of millionaires and billionaires….so why would anyone think that the regulations for a billion dollar industry would be structured to help small businesses in a state with the 6th largest economy in the world, that is home to Hollywood and Silicone “Tech Money” Valley… and thats not to say that it’s ok or a good thing or that I’m cool with it, but I’m not gonna kid myself and ignore the facts. Small farms and farmers will only survive this transition if they form a small farmers coalition union and get the state to grant them rights and regulatory standards as a group that the cultivation, manufacturer processing, distribution and retail sales processes must all honor and incorporate into their biz models. The state really has created a great carrot on a rope scenario and many small farmers are handing over all the black market cash they had buried for years, and now they have a permit to grow because they paid the state with that buried black market money, but now they are stressing because they have less capital and savings and there are so many continuous obstacles and fees for small farmers that it’s a real struggle to keep up. The states 5 year plan is to get a bunch of buried black market money that small farmers saved and will hand over as a way to pay for legal permits, but that’s how the state also takes then out of biz while getting the liner for permits. 64 is designed for big biz so those small farms will be out of biz in 5 years and have handed over lots of Savings tryin to keep up with the “pay to play” wheel in the new legal landscape, and its gonna be a challenge to survive. Good luck