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.