Why cultivate?
Thanks, Rollie, for an excellent article on the county’s upcoming relook at marijuana farming regulation.
I will stick my neck out and ask the question. In view of the water, smell and general unattractiveness issues that Rollie lays out in the article, why would anyone want pot growing and processing within miles of where they live? Why not just prohibit all commercial pot growing and limit marijuana cultivation to small “individual use” plots with isolating setbacks?
Walter Muelken
Sebastopol
Housing in Sonoma County
I have lived in Sonoma County all my life — my family, several generations. Keeping it real: We have a housing crisis, not just a “problem” any longer. The lottery system Sonoma County Housing Commission has started is not a humane solution.
I have learned they are still trying to “sort” through their list of people they have chosen in 2019! Okay, so COVID-19 messed a lot of things up to say the least but even if COVID never happened, we still have a housing crisis. Even if the housing commission were able to give out their “vouchers” in a more organized, faster way, where are all the homes available for people to rent, and are homeowners really willing to accept the voucher system for potential? A very grey area.
Too many homeowners are becoming greedy and turning homes into vacation rentals without any thought into the reality of managing them or consideration of the outcome, other than maybe making some fast money. And many of those homeowners are the problem not the solution of the homeless crisis. Some folks might be able to live in tiny one room buildings but most need and want a real home! Keeping it real: To the people who are moving into Sonoma County and building homes for wealthy only people, you are killing off the people who are working and living here with their families and older retired people, people on disabilities etc. We are the heart and soul here and have been for a long time.
While you sleep well at night, they are not. There needs to be rent control here —seriously. More and more senior citizens are forced into homelessness each day — this is inhumane. We need to work together more to resolve this nightmare we are suffering with. People complain all the time about homeless people, and they do nothing to help. We need solutions, not more problems. There are a lot of empty houses in this county, they could use repairs, maybe. Let’s fix them. They are empty let long term renters move into them and care for them. To those homeowners: open your hearts and be real.
Joan McMillan
Bodega Bay
