Fifth District Supervisorial candidate Patrick Cleary was on KMUD’s Monday Morning Magazine this morning to chat about the issues of the day. Below are some notes on what he said. Listen to the whole interview in the KMUD archives.
Cleary is chairman of the Headwaters Fund Board which seeks to raise employment and economic prospects in Humboldt County, so he has an inside view on some of key issues.
On Delta: Bringing Delta to Humboldt for direct flight service to Salt Lake City was a community-based effort. HSU put up a lot of money. Transportation is a big issue here. Idea of direct flight east to SLC was very appealing. Had it been done in any other economic time it would have succeeded. Delta wanted 70% occupancy. They got 69%. It’s disappointing they’re gone, but they haven’t closed the door forever. It can cost less to fly from San Francisco to New York than Arcata to SF. Some competition would have been good.
On Marijuana: In a normal world I would say, please, let’s legalize it, regulate it, and tax it. I’m not sure in Humboldt whether that would be a good thing. When it gets legalized, corporatized and moved to the central valley — that could be one of the most devastating things to happen to our economy here. But there is the element of violence that comes from criminalization. Some of the best and brightest young people are going into the marijuana business. I don’t think it’s evil, marijuana is less harmful than alcohol. Worry about what legalization might do to our economy in the short term. Some say Humboldt would become Napa of the marijuana business. No way to know what Humboldt will look like 10 years down the road and see the effect of legalization. The Board of Supervisors should have honest discussion about it.
On Richardson Grove: Local businesses are pushing for the realignment project. The Headwaters Fund explored alternatives. CalTrans did a study on their own. Then the county appropriated the money for a campaign in favor of the realignment without coming back to the Fund board. The fund board is 7 volunteers with one half-time staff member. The grant was not handled well and I made my opinion known to Community Development Services Director Kirk Girard. Staff was allowed to amend the grant without coming back to HWF board for approval. The situation resulted in a change of policy at the fund.*
Cleary noted that one his opponents in the campaign, Ryan Sundberg, has raised over $50,000 already, mostly from Eureka businesses that are outside the fifth district. He said public financing of campaigns would create more level playing field.
As outgoing head of the Headwaters Fund Board — he’s being termed out this week after seven years on the board — Cleary will give the annual report for 2008-2009 to the Board of Supervisors at tomorrow’s meeting. Presentation starts at 10:30.
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*Perhaps someone will ask him in a future interview why the process was not stopped after the county appropriated the money for their favored alternative without coming back to the Headwaters Fund Board.
With the now regular reminders that a major catastrophe could be upon us at any second, it’s apparent that local friends and neighbors are more likely to answer a call for help than the federal powers that be.
Posted by Heraldo 
