admin @ Mon, 2005-10-24 20:46
Editor's note: Government reporter Seth Freedland's weekly column, Matter of Fact, debuts today and is planned as a regular feature of Sunday's Daily Journal.
It's OK -- I'm not personally offended. Yes, it's my job to educate and extrapolate Mendocino County's political world to you, and for you to respond with a shrug to the news I report is distressing. But, honestly, I understand where you're coming from. From Ukiah to Utica, local politics is widely seen as boring proceduralism, small potatoes in the era of big money or even mysterious and sinister to outside observers.
I politely disagree. To argue that politics has little relevance in our lives touches on the absurd. We are profoundly affected by government. The hard-working men and women at 501 Low Gap Road and 300 Seminary Ave. ultimately decide what you can and cannot do, your monetary worth, where you live, where you shop, how your kids play at the park, and so on.
The old adage that all politics are local -- even though some suits in Washington would probably disagree -- has a ring of truth. Our city and county officials possess unique powers not found in state or federal positions that address both local issues and the implementation of broader programs. Feedback is smoother. We invariably come into contact with local pols more frequently, and with more direct concerns, than with state or national representatives. So why the cloud of uncertainty we give city hall activities?
With this thinking on the forefront of The Daily Journal's collective mind, The Powers That Be have allowed me this column to shed some light on the puzzle pieces that construct Mendocino County's political fabric. "Matter of Fact," as we've dubbed this weekly discourse, will also give me the opportunity to publicize the smaller decisions that never merit their own articles but still deserve to be discussed.
Let's look at it this way. Just as you may not understand the nuances of county government, I don't understand how my car works. I know where the ignition is. I know where the gas and brakes are. After a few attempts, I even found the hood release lever. But the machine's innards may as well be an alien life force for all I'm concerned.
My trusty Honda, to make a long story short, broke down recently. My momentary fear dissipated under the soothing words of my local mechanic. He explained to me where the engine had faltered and I'm a better person -- and a better driver -- for the knowledge.
Similarly, I know most of you probably wouldn't recognize an interim urgency ordinance from a hole in the ground, but my hope is that this column will facilitate your greater understanding of our active political world -- the engine that drives Mendocino County, if you will.
One last thing: At the end of these columns, I'll run a request for you to e-mail me your questions, thoughts, concerns, vitriolic castigations and so forth. If you're curious about anything politically, please feel free to ask. Your wish, Dear Reader, is my command.
On Wednesday, the Ukiah City Council approved its tobacco youth sales ordinance. As I reported this week, it will mandate all retail outlets that sell tobacco products to obtain a new license through the city. Violations will result in license suspensions and fines. City Manager Candace Horsley said the license fees would probably be around $45.
The tricky part of this new law lies within its enforcement. Ukiah likes to keep its business licenses running on an annual basis, starting in January, and city staff is determined to put the tobacco ordinance on the same cycle. So, when the City Council OKs the license fee in two weeks, the ordinance will go into effect but the implementation won't. Bottom line: For about two months, Ukiah will basically have an unenforceable law.
Mendocino County will welcome a new library director after the Board of Supervisors approved the executive office's recommendation last week. Melanie Lightbody, previously library director at Jefferson County Library District in Oregon, will begin work in Ukiah on Monday. Alison Glassey, county chief operating officer, said Lightbody's obvious energy should allow county residents to expect some improvements at the Ukiah branch soon.
The county ordinance removing products containing pseudoephedrine from pharmacy shelves due to a linkage to methamphetamine will only affect drugstores in the unincorporated areas of Mendocino County. This fact seems to have escaped a few of the Journal's readers. The supervisors did send a copy of the ordinance to four cities in Mendocino County, suggesting they take similar steps.
This is cache, read story here