LandWatch Membership Alert

Critical Measures on the June 2007 ballot

What: A Yes, Yes, No Vote the June 2007 ballot

When: Now!

Come June, Monterey County voters finally have a chance to vote on what kind of future they want for their County. Unfortunately, the Board of Supervisors has done everything they can to delay this vote. Now they're doing everything they can to confuse the electorate. That's why it's important for you to help us get the word out:

As of today, there are three measures on the June 2007 ballot:

We urge you to vote Yes on Measure A, Yes on Measure B, and No on Measure C.

That's Yes, Yes, No.

What's at Stake: Your Right to Vote and to Honest Government

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors has consistently acted to thwart the ability of citizens to vote on land use matters. First they refused to place the Butterfly Village Referendum on the ballot. Then they refused to place the Community General Plan Initiative on the ballot. And most recently two members of the board who serve on LAFCO refused to let voters decide on the incorporation of Carmel Valley.

Regardless of how you stand on the issues, the County's persistent refusal to let democracy work is extremely disturbing.

Fortunately, the courts are starting to take notice. The County recently dropped its federal lawsuit to prevent the Community General Plan Initiative from being on the ballot, after the 9th Circuit Court ruled 14-1 that recall petitions circulated by citizens don't have to be translated into one or more minority languages. And earlier this month our attorneys were back in federal court arguing that the same 9th Circuit Court ruling also applies to referenda, including the Butterfly Village Referendum.

The County's latest attempt to preempt voters took place on January 3rd when in a 4 to 1 decision - Dave Potter dissenting - they passed GPU4 and placed it, as Measure B, on the June 2007 ballot as a "repeal measure." This measure asks voters to vote "yes" if they are against the Supervisors' Plan and want it repealed, or "no" if they like the Supervisors' Plan and do not want it repealed. This is essentially a vote in which "yes" means no and "no" means yes! The political logic behind this is that when voters are confused they're much more likely to vote "no" than "yes."

Arguments for Yes, Yes, No

If you go to the Community Plan website, you will find the ballot arguments for our Yes, Yes, No recommendations. In brief:

There is a lot more information available on the Community Plan website, and we urge you to read it and share it with your friends and neighbors.

Vote Yes on Measure A, The Community's Plan
Vote Yes on Measure B, Repeal the Supervisors' Plan
Vote No on Measure C, The Supervisors' Plan

LandWatch Monterey County promotes and inspires sound land-use legislation.

LandWatch is dedicated to preserving our community's economic vitality, high agricultural productivity, and the health of our environment by encouraging greater public participation in planning.

LandWatch will keep the public informed about the status of land-use planning in the county. We will monitor the local government agencies responsible for land use decisions, and participate in the public process to promote land use policies that protect the environment, and that will maintain economic vitality. LandWatch is the only professionally-staffed nonprofit organization in Monterey County dedicated solely to this mission.
Box 1876 * Salinas, CA 93902 * 831-422-9390 * FAX: 831-422-9391
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