The ballots are out
It’s time to vote
This week’s newspaper provides information to help you do that
By now you should have received your ballot in the mail for the Nov. 6 election and no doubt you are deciding how to vote on your local representatives, Measure B, state and federal offices, and the state propositions.
This newspaper issue contains information that we hope will render those decisions easier to make. First, we are including a graphic that outlines the state propositions and how various groups are recommending that their constituents vote. If you closely align with a particular political group, their recommendations may help guide you as you consider your decisions.
On a local level, all of our papers contain coverage of the forum held by the League of Women Voters for the two candidates on the ballot for the Feather River College board: Margaret Garcia and Guy McNett. This is an opportunity to read about what differentiates these two individuals and what they hope to bring to the board of trustees for the community college.
The Portola Reporter contains a Q&A with the candidates for Eastern Plumas Health Care, while the Feather River Bulletin contains a Q&A with the candidates for the Plumas Hospital District. Unlike in Chester, where a forum was held for the Seneca Health Care District candidates, there were no forums in Portola or Quincy for health care, so hopefully this will help our residents learn more about their choices.
Finally there is Measure B — perhaps the most discussed ballot measure in recent county memory. Last week the facing opinion page included pro and against arguments, and the same is true in this issue. In addition, we are running an opinion piece authored by the U.S. Attorney for Colorado. It originally ran in the Denver Post in late September and we received his authorization to run it in our newspaper.
What’s interesting about this piece is it’s written after six years of experience with commercial cannabis production in the state. It paints a bleak picture of what could be expected here and we encourage all of our residents to read this well written warning. During last Wednesday’s Measure B forum (covered elsewhere in this newspaper) both sides spoke conjecturally on what commercial cannabis could mean for crime, youth, social services, the economy, etc. This opinion piece lays out Colorado’s experience and it’s difficult to think that our foray into commercial cannabis would be much different.
During the Measure B forum, hosted by the Plumas Action Network, both sides did a good job of presenting their case, but the real takeaway at the end of the meeting was that no one should have been in that room in the first place. They were there because the Plumas County Board of Supervisors didn’t do its job. If Measure B fails, then it will fall back to the Board of Supervisors to take action. If it passes, the public will be left with a Measure that while written in good faith, is flawed and would leave the county open to expensive lawsuits. And if that happens, the board will have only itself to blame.
We encourage all residents to review the information that we have provided and vote. If you plan to hold your ballot for a while since Election Day is still nearly three weeks away, then keep these pages to refer to when you do sit down to fill out your ballot. Just remember to vote.
