ButteCounty Guy
Member
Tyranny of the Majority
Tyranny of the Majority
The brexit vote reminds me of our county politics. Those who wanted to leave the EU were mostly older. Younger people wanted to stay by a good majority. So the old leave the young with a big mess. Same for the people of Scotland. They wanted to stay, but are now out of the EU, and considering another vote for independence.
When I looked at the voting results in Nevada County, a mostly rural county, the outlying areas were all against Measure W, meaning they wanted to allow outdoor growing of marijuana. Some areas as high as 80% against the measure. The city, and high density areas were for measure W. I don't blame them, who wants a smelly garden 20 feet from your back door?
I'm sure the Butte County vote was the same. Some areas embraced growing, and voted against measures A, G, and H, some areas reasonably consider it a nuisance, and voted for the measures.
The sad part is that if our government was doing its job, far more people could get what they wanted. If they had used the ordinances against nuisances that already existed, many of the complaints against growing wouldn't have happened. Measure A wouldn't have been needed. If they allowed growing in zones where there were few residents, and prohibited it in highly populated areas, more of their constituents would be served.
The old guys that run our county are using the democratic process to allow the people who might have never seen a garden but have a preconceived notion that pot is bad, to prohibit property owners miles away from a legal opportunity that bothers no one. If someone had the time and money to spend to get it on the ballot, a measure to ban rice growing in the county might pass using the same principle.
The democratic process only works properly if it is carried out by people who can put their prejudices aside and do their job.
Tyranny of the Majority
The brexit vote reminds me of our county politics. Those who wanted to leave the EU were mostly older. Younger people wanted to stay by a good majority. So the old leave the young with a big mess. Same for the people of Scotland. They wanted to stay, but are now out of the EU, and considering another vote for independence.
When I looked at the voting results in Nevada County, a mostly rural county, the outlying areas were all against Measure W, meaning they wanted to allow outdoor growing of marijuana. Some areas as high as 80% against the measure. The city, and high density areas were for measure W. I don't blame them, who wants a smelly garden 20 feet from your back door?
I'm sure the Butte County vote was the same. Some areas embraced growing, and voted against measures A, G, and H, some areas reasonably consider it a nuisance, and voted for the measures.
The sad part is that if our government was doing its job, far more people could get what they wanted. If they had used the ordinances against nuisances that already existed, many of the complaints against growing wouldn't have happened. Measure A wouldn't have been needed. If they allowed growing in zones where there were few residents, and prohibited it in highly populated areas, more of their constituents would be served.
The old guys that run our county are using the democratic process to allow the people who might have never seen a garden but have a preconceived notion that pot is bad, to prohibit property owners miles away from a legal opportunity that bothers no one. If someone had the time and money to spend to get it on the ballot, a measure to ban rice growing in the county might pass using the same principle.
The democratic process only works properly if it is carried out by people who can put their prejudices aside and do their job.
