By MIKE GENIELLA
Last Modified: Friday, May 23, 2008 at 6:08 a.m.
UKIAH -- A surge in cash contributions from Bay Area marijuana advocates has narrowed the money gap in a hard-fought campaign over Mendocino County's liberalized pot guidelines.
Repeal proponents under the banner of "Yes on Measure B" had a nearly 5-1 spending edge in the early weeks of a campaign aimed at ending the county's national reputation as a haven for marijuana growers.
But a total of $26,900 in new contributions, including an $11,413 personal loan from the director of the San Francisco office of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (known as NORML), has closed the gap for opponents of Measure B.
"We're struggling to keep up, but we're finding growing support in the final days," said Laura Hamburg, organizer of the "No on Measure B" campaign.
So far the No campaign has raised about $33,000, compared with a total of about $40,000 raised by the Yes group, according to financial documents filed Thursday by both campaigns.
Yes chairman Ross Liberty, a Ukiah businessman, said he personally has made $10,000 in cash and "in-kind" contributions in efforts to replace the county's current guidelines with a more restrictive state standard.
Liberty said another major contributor has been businessman Ron McGeehee, who put up $5,000. Supporters of Measure B, who are rallying behind the slogan "Take Back Our County," include business leaders, law enforcement agencies, city and county officials, school administrators and even some former advocates of the county's liberal guidelines.
Adopted by voters in 2000 by a 58 percent-42 percent margin, current guidelines allow individuals to possess up to 25 plants or 2 pounds of processed marijuana. Federal law doesn't recognize the local standards, but state and local law enforcement agencies do.
Since 2000, however, some county residents have grown angry over surging marijuana production and related crimes and environmental damage.
Critics of Measure B argue that it unfairly targets small growers and medical marijuana users, and provides no real ammunition for local law enforcement to go after large commercial-growing operations.
The No on Measure B campaign is being largely underwritten by NORML, and its executive director, Dale Geiringer. NORML has pumped in $12,000 in cash, while Geiringer has made a personal loan of $11,413. In addition, Geiringer recently made a $500 cash contribution.
Geiringer said his organization supports "sensible regulations to address the problems of illicit growing in Mendocino."
"But we oppose the meat-ax approach of Measure B," said Geiringer in a statement.
You can reach Staff Writer Mike Geniella at 462-6470 or mgeniella@pressdemocrat.com.
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Yes on B and No on B report finances
By ROB BURGESS The Daily Journal
Article Last Updated: 05/25/2008 12:42:36 PM PDT
The second round of financial reports for both the Yes on Measure B Coalition and the No on Measure B Campaign have been made public, and even those numbers are a point of contention.
In all, the No on Measure B Campaign reported receiving $7,079 in monetary contributions and $12,500 in non-monetary contributions over the last two months, including a $12,000 survey paid for by NorCal NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). The campaign reported spending $5,624 during the same time period -- money that was reportedly used to buy local radio spots and for the purchase of signs.
NORML's Executive Director Dale Geiringer offered up a personal donation of $500 and a $11,413 loan to the campaign.
"We oppose the meat-ax approach of Measure B that instead targets small-scale personal use growers," read a quote by Geiringer listed in a statement released by the campaign.
On the other side, the Yes on Measure B Coalition reported $33,211 in monetary contributions, the return of $3,900 in the form of a loan that was repaid to Duane Wells and $4,326 in non-monetary contributions.
Some of the larger individual donors included: $5,000 from Elizabeth McGehee, $2,000 from Richard Selzer, $1,000 from Jody Lashinsky, $5,416 from Ross Liberty and $2,000 from the California Association of Realtors.
The campaign also reported $24,882 in payments made during the past two months on advertising.
Liberty, the Yes on B Coalition spokesman, stated that his organization questioned the validity of the opposing camp's records.
"The Yes on B Coalition is concerned with irregularities in the No On B financial disclosure information," he said.
Liberty said money used to pay for mailers and the accompanying postage was unaccounted for in the opposing campaign's filings.
"Another interesting but separate point is that 90.7 percent of traceable money raised is from outside Mendocino County," he said. "I do not personally believe those outside contributors care what commercial marijuana cultivation is doing to our county."
Neither Dan nor Laura Hamburg of the No on B Campaign could be reached as of press time.
Measure B, which was placed on the ballot by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors in January, would repeal Measure G, the county's personal use marijuana ordinance, and set medical marijuana limits in Mendocino County at the state limits of six mature or 12 immature plants and eight ounces of dried marijuana.
Measure G, which was passed by Mendocino County voters in 2000, instructed law enforcement to make the prosecution of marijuana gardens of 25 plants or fewer the lowest possible priority.
Rob Burgess can be reached at udjrb@pacific.net.
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_9378123
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