The Encinitas Chamber of Commerce has accepted advertising for a Marijuana Dispensary in the Encinitas North Coast Chamber of Commerce official newsletter called “Encinitas First”.
This seems untoward, especially since they take public funds from the City of Encinitas and from Supervisor Pam Slater-Price’s discretionary (slush?) fund each year.
Again, while this type of business is arguably legal; the Chamber of Commerce is not required to accept advertizing and money from every business seeking to promote itself. They have discretionary authority. And the Chamber takes public money from the Supervisor’s office, typically $10,000 each year promoted by Supervisor Slater-Price, and approved by a majority vote of the entire County Board. The Chamber also collects about $80,000 from the City of Encinitas to run its visitor’s center… Not exactly chump change… and…Funny, I don’t remember the County Board of Supervisor’s being overtly friendly toward medical marijuana purveyors, and I can’t find any official position at all from the City of Encinitas… The current Mayor, a Ms. Houlihan, just this past Monday in a hastily called ”special” City Council meeting voted with a split majority (3-2) to continue funding the Chamber’s efforts on behalf of the City… Was this part of the decision?
It’s interesting that the newly minted CEO and Executive Board of the Encinitas North Coast Chamber of Commerce have approved of this kind of business being represented in their publication. What’s the message they’re sending? Green is good? Green weed and green money are OK? I’d be curious to know if the hardworking, taxpaying Members at large of the Chamber approve of these dispensaries in Encinitas and want them promoted in the Chamber of Commerce official publication? Will the City of Encinitas Visitor Info Center have pot brochure’s now? Is this the type of “commerce” the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce, the City Council majority, and the County Supervisor want Encinitas known for?
It turns out that the CEO, President, Vice President, Treasurer and Chairman of the “Ambassadors” for the Encinitas North Coast Chamber of Commerce do not live in Encinitas; so perhaps ”absentee” management of this organization explains some, but certainly not all of what looks like a poor decision valuing a few bucks in ad revenue above the public interest while also taking public taxpayer dollars.
Comments 14
Duuuuude….. Faaarrrrrr ouuuuuuut, mannnnnnnn. That’s my kind a chamber, duuuuuude!!!!
Gotta hit the reef after hittin’ the reef, Bro!!!
Cheech and Chong are now running the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce.
Please get your facts right. The City of Encinitas does NOT fund the Chamber, it funds the Visitor Center. The Chamber is not beholden to the City for any funds, other than expenses it fronts for the City and is expected to be reimbursed. In fact, running the Visitor Center for the City costs the Chamber time and money.
Other than that, I wonder who you think you actually are and if you could enlighten us all with a list of all the businesses throughout that world that YOU think should be allowed to exist?
From the post above: “the Chamber of Commerce is not required to accept advertizing and money from every business seeking to promote itself. They have discretionary authority”…
…”It’s interesting that the newly minted CEO and Executive Board of the Encinitas North Coast Chamber of Commerce have approved of this kind of business being represented in their publication”
And finally…”Is this the type of “commerce” the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce, the City Council majority, and the County Supervisor want Encinitas known for?”
Get off you high horse anonymous Chamber apologist, the above are valid and salient points which deserve a public vetting from an organization accepting taxpayer dollars from elected officials. They need to answer to the publc!
Sometimes a shining a smiling spotlight on a subject makes creatures uncomfortable, or even run for the comfort of the dark, yes?
Hey, get your facts straight. The post clearly says they take City money TO OPERATE THE VISITOR CENTER!
…I’d be curious to know if the Chamber members want this type of business promoted in the Chamber of Commerce official publication?
Will the City of Encinitas Visitor Info Center have pot brochure’s now?
Is this the type of “commerce” the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce, the City Council majority, and the County Supervisor want Encinitas known for?
Good questions, all. Any Answers?
Thank you to the blogger who brought this issue to light. My office contacted the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce to discuss our concerns with the CEO. First, no grant funding for fiscal year 2009-2010 has been allocated by the County Board of Supervisors for the “Encinitas First” publication. It is clear that most, if not all, of the medical marijuana dispensaries that are operating in the San Diego region are doing so outside of the parameters of state law. In particular, the requirement that collectives or co-operatives be run as not for profit, is not being followed. This is the basis for the various law enforcement raids that have occurred in the county. My stance against these illegal operations remains unchanged.
While we are impressed that Supervisor Slater-Price has posted her position, the spotlight spots a parsing of the issue. The Supervisor has never to our knowledge given money to “Encinitas First” because it’s just the official rag of the Encinitas Chamber, which she has indeed donated our tax dollars to.
Will the Honorable Supervisor come back and clarify that she won’t be applying for grant funding for the Encinitas Chamber for 2009/ 2010 as a result of this issue as she alluded to in the parsed response above?
Ms. Slater-Price recently made news for working hard, but ultimately failing to have NCTD ban commuters enjoying wine sipping on the Coaster Trains. Pesky Board members!
Could she really be OK with a Chamber taking discretionary ad money from a business she states is likely “outside the parameters of state law”?
No more parsing, please ma’am, just a straight answer for the public who have supported you for many years.
Honorable Ms. Slater-Price
I will say, the previous blogger had some valid points. Ms. Supervisor, please join me (or send one of your representatives)and take out a speaker slip at the next Encinitas Council Meeting to publicly expressing your blogging comments. If you don’t, I’ll assume your just full of hot wind or medicinal smoke…
I will there and will be reporting back to our bloggers!
I wonder how you know that hese are for profit businesses?
Have you even bothered to ask or look?
You are repeating misinformation that is being put out by the mexican drug cartels who don’t wan the compition.
If you don’t have these legal bussiness in you r town you are supportting the people who have killed over 6000 people.
I wish you would take off your blinders and look at the truth.
Did you know that the Holy oil that Jesus made was made from cannabis? You should find out the facts before you write or talk.
Kinda reminds me of the stoner on the radio in the Cheech and Chong skit: “For those who say smoking pot causes memory loss…..uhhh…..errrr…..wow, I forgot what I was gonna say.” (Paraphrased)
I make table candles, dude. I pour wax on the table and light it on fire!!! HAHAHA (paraphrased from memory)
Dave’s not here right now, man.
Supervisor Pam Slater-Price;
focusing on problematic dispensaries will only waste all of our time and energy at “what not to do”….
It would be nice to see you highlight legal 501.c3 ‘s MMJ cooperatives that have been trying for years to develop relationships with the community. There are many of us with experience and good intention of providing MMJ within guidelines and are even willing to consult and develop a collaborative plan that addresses the many valid concerns many folks have. …….or
you could just let Long Beach and LA march on down here with enough war-chest to rebuild each time you knock em down (they will ultimately take your/ time and OUR money in a courtroom.)
I just heard Harborside may have grossed somewhere in the 30-40 million range in their last year of operation. But it could just be “my bud is bigger than yours”
Encinitas has always been known for its flowers and agriculture and also boasts some of the best cannabis in socal dating back to the days when surfers camped in our citris trees; so yeah, I think that image already exists. We have now, an opportunity to be a model of “how to do it right” and generate legit tax. Let the flower patches of Encinitas create a new Dog Park , sink some powerlines, dredge the lagoon, fill some “POT”holes, and School patches like up North.
Oh yeah, it is blowing up cancer cells in phase II clinical trials at the moment.
All this energy about what ads were paid for by what funds is really not addressing the scope of what is happening right now.
typical