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Wednesday evening, October 2nd, I attended Ukiah City Council’s regular meeting [Read MendoFever’s coverage of the meeting here] to speak in support of the council passing a resolution to support Prop 36. I made a comment, urging the council to pass a resolution supporting Prop 36.
City Manager, Sage Sangiacomo did an excellent job putting together information to back up the staff recommendation to support the resolution. He presented the case well, making strong arguments why our community, and many in California, need Prop 36 to pass. Council members Crane and Orozco acknowledged that Prop 36 wouldn’t entirely or immediately fix the issues our community is facing in regards to rampant theft, substance misuse, and homelessness but felt it would be a step in the right direction.
Council members Rodin and Duenas didn’t do enough research prior to the meeting to productively contribute to the discussion. Coming unprepared to a council meeting is unacceptable and a disservice to the community you are elected to represent. Because they did not come prepared with enough information, they voted to abstain.
Council member Sher, who solidly voted no, claimed that Prop 36 would lead us back to mass incarcerations and The War on Drugs. I strongly disagree with this claim.
Prop 36 does not mandate that prosecutors seek a felony charge for theft or drug offenses. Prop 36 gives them the discretion to charge certain crimes as felonies if there are two prior charges for the same offense. Repeat offenders that now qualify for a felony charge, could be held without bail until their arraignment instead of being released within hours which is currently the policy for misdemeanor offenses. The punishment for theft and drug offenses has become so inconsequential that they have been effectively decriminalized, leading to rampant retail theft and open drug abuse. While drug and mental health diversion options still exist, the threat of state prison is gone because effectively, we have no stick to push people suffering from substance abuse disorder to accept the carrot of treatment. This situation very likely is contributing to the epidemic of drug abuse, overdoses and suicide we are seeing today. Mendocino County is in the top ten of California counties per capita opioid deaths and suicides. This isn’t something to be proud of.
Passage of Prop 36 won’t bring us back to the War on Drugs. Cannabis, which historically accounted for a substantial portion of drug arrests, is now legal. Drug offenses will still be charged as misdemeanors until the third offense and up charging to a felony will be at the discretion of the DA. With the scourge of drugs such as fentanyl, having that stick of a prison sentence should push more people into treatment programs and if not, they can sit in prison which is better than watching them die on the streets of an overdose.
While the vote of the Ukiah City Council was disappointing, not all is lost. Ultimately, this issue will be decided by the voters and polling shows very strong statewide support. Hopefully, the three council members will be on the wrong side of history. One of those council members is now up for re-election. Hopefully, the voters of Ukiah are savvy enough to remember how they voted against the best interest of public safety when they get their ballots and vote accordingly.
-Adam Gaska
Problem is not going to be solved by more perpetual “NIMBY” mentality. There will either be prison overcrowding in jail, overcrowding or Creek overcrowding. Excuse me, it seems in the best interest of everyone, if the counties could use surplus lands to sanction camps. Supply mini size Quonset hut shelters or tents, portable shower facilities, hand washing stations, a place to cook, and several garbage disposal bins. But I know that people here are reading. This will get up in arms and want taxpayer money spent on such. Well, hello stupids! Tax dollars are already going towards the homeless. By way of sheltering and feeding these people that are revolving in and out in and out in and out of the defunct court and jail system, in the emergency room, etc… It’s not humane to force treatment. Seems like it would be better just to sanction the goddamn camps, provide them with whatever they need to sustain themselves within their allotted lands because the homeless are not going away. Let them govern themselves. There is a hierarchy in camps. And there are votes to leadership within those camps. Give them a voice, make them feel heard and they might be a little bit more respectful towards these uppity nimbies. Even the homeless have a hierarchy. They are a society. Get over it. Pushing them out and shoving them around and saying they can’t be here is not working. They are everywhere. Treat them as humans and they might not shit on your walls. And the ones that do will be dealt with by their own voted in governing system.
Wow great idea! NOT
You want to reward these people who are using, stealing, victimizing? Please do that at your house. Move these folks into your back yard and you can suffer through the thefts, drug psychosis behavior, arson and violence. And to really feel good about yourself when they victimize you don’t call the police. Instead sit in a talking circle confessing how it’s your fault they victimized you. That should help.
What is your address? We can send them to your house! Complete joke of a comment. Adam Gaska’s Op-Ed is right on. We the voters need to hold these three council members accountable. We start with Duenas on Nov. 5. Please vote John Strangio or Jacob Brown, they want to make our community safe.
“Let them govern themselves” how is that working for you.
Oh my goodness you incredibly naive person. I had $12,000.00 worth of tools stolen from a work trailer and off of a job site this year. You complain about the price of housing an inmate? It seems a lot cheaper than replacing my tools over and over.
How about you show sympathy for those of us who are trying to make a living? As long as folks like you continue to sympathize with criminals instead of holding them accountable instead of working people like me, crime will continue to flourish. And don’t say they were hungry unless you think they ate a couple air compressors and nail guns?
We need to go back to the 3 strikes you’re out law. Stupid enough to do something 3 times? Well you sir have proven you’re not fit to operate in society so we’ll have to put you in jail forever for everyone’s own good. It is not the role of the government (Federal, State or Local) to provide housing to ANYBODY, let alone criminals, drug addicts and illegal aliens and asylum seekers, people who can’t produce identification, people from other states etc fill in the blank…. It’s you bleeding heart liberals who have made this problem. If people aren’t contributing to society, they need to be locked up. It’s as simple as that. Mentally ill? Locked up! Criminal? Locked up! Drug addict? Locked up! Jail is the best place to dry out and get sober. Not enough room in jails? Build more jails- I’m happy to spend my taxpayer dollars on that. If you leave food out, you will just have more raccoons. That’s common sense that liberals who put ideology over common sense lack. California is the junk drawer of America thanks to our stupid liberal sanctuary state policies.
Let’s just keep it clean? No MAGA talking points? It’s bad enough without dragging the Crazy into it
We absolutely need to go back to the “war on drugs” we need to prosecute EVERY offense with time in prison. At least while they are in jail they are not selling or using out on the street! There are more then enough programs offering help and the choose not to use them so we need to make that decision for them.
Build a bigger jail.
That is in the works and construction has started.
The three council members that failed to allow this to pass, do not understand that people will not go to drug treatment unless they’re compelled, usually. Stiffer penalties are the right thing to do. It helps the offenders and it helps the general public.
This is solely about the influx of transients (mentally ill, addicts, or otherwise) coming into our community. Live in willits & the last year has seen out “unhoused” community quadruple! Where are they coming from? Why? Someone or something is driving them here. I have nothing but empathy for a person in their situation! But that doesn’t mean I want to see & live their lives with them! They’re a hazard, danger. & nuisance, to our environment & general public! These aren’t locals. Someone dumped their garbage at our doorstep.
Many are locals. In Ukiah, I recognize many as people I went to school with growing up here.
Covid, inflation really did a nunber on a lot of marginal people.
Mendo had a homeless problem before Covid. It is a long term pattern where Mendo needs to develop a (legal) economy beyond Ag, Cannabis, and Hotels.
As a real estate agent for the last two years I drive by properties that my son owns or we represent. These are all commercial properties.
In my encounters my data suggests about 25% are local.
So let’s talk about my data, I make my rounds daily 2-3 times a day to about 6 locations. When I first started I averaged about 5 encounters a week, one year later that number increased to 28. As of about three weeks ago the number is over 50. That is not a decrease of 23% as Mo Mulheren wants you to believe. It’s about a 500% increase.
As I have said to the City Council, empty buildings attract homeless. Perkins St at this moment has many vacancies, one of the main streets to downtown. This is the first impression people see of our City! Part of this problem begins with City of Ukiah Planning Dept. They make it tough for people to open new business.
Sorry for the honesty.
Now the homeless, when they set up at these locations they vandalize, deficate/urinate, drug use that leaves needles behind and an incredible amount of trash. Most have mental issues, addicted or both. I have had many of them tell me that they were given a bus ticket to our town from S.R., Healdsburg, Windsor and Humboldt County. Many have been arrested in Ft. Bragg and when released from jail in Ukiah stay. Right now we are moving them from place to place. That’s not the answer. Being homeless is not a free pass to commit crime. It’s time that law enforcement, D.A., Judges and our County and City leaders step up and start serving the people they took an oath for. Right now the citizens and business owners are the only one’s fighting to solve this problem.
Well said BT!
Yes on 36. Harsh penalties all around. Out of town homeless come for the services. Look at San Francisco. They’re throwing money at the problem and it’s worse than ever. Don’t make it easy for people to stand or lay on the streets drinking hard alcohol and using drugs. Stealing groceries in plain sight, grocery stores not providing security. Our leaders are out of touch and making poor decisions. Quit making excuses for bad behavior. It’s ruining our communities and putting our children at risk.
I’d like to add that harsh penalties are not the answer, otherwise we wouldn’t have had people stealing a loaf of bread when the penalty was having your hand chopped off. The question is whether we are willing to invest in human beings. Do we believe they can be rehabilitated by a proportionate penalty, plus mandatory drug treatment for those that need it, job training, housing and mental health therapy? Yes, it will be costly but where there’s a will there’s a way. The problem didn’t arrive overnight. It won’t be solved overnight. I think it’s worth trying.
Most law breakers don’t see the light until they feel the heat! Turn up the heat!!
Adam – thank you for the editorial and the beautifully succinct writing. I wholeheartedly support what you have written and appreciated your clear comments at the meeting.
One clarification for some of those commenting on this and the related articles. The agenda item for the City Council was not about passing any legislation. It was not a proposed ordinance or change of local law. It was solely for the City Council to say the city of Ukiah is supportive of Proposition 36, Call it an endorsement. Given the simplicity of it just being a statement – and had they been educated about it – it should have been a 10 minute topic with a “Aye” or “Nay”. What it revealed is the functionality of our current leadership. Nov will give some options to change that.
I commend Sage, Crane and Orozco on their thoughtful consideration and research not only into Prop 36 but also the related history and issues we are facing.
As for the commenters – use your names – show your face – let’s be in a real discussion about what our community is dealing with so we, as a community, can come up with real leadership and solutions together. Attend the meetings, sign in online and comment live, find places to volunteer.
What a ludicrous waste of time. As the editorial correctly notes this is a statewide issue going before the voters in four weeks. Putting this in front of our city council as some sort of litmus test was pointless. City council isn’t the appropriate target because the “I don’t like the homeless” candidates, Strangio and Brown, were both so unserious in the city council forum that they are not credible replacements for our current members. If 36 is so important to you, take it to the voters instead of wasting a city council meeting.
Using litmus tests for our local elected’s is very pertinent. State issues affect us at the local level and personally, I want to know how they stand on these issues.
Prior to the city council meeting, I went to our Board of Supervisors last meeting and requested during public comment that they, too, agendize/discuss/vote on whether or not they support Prop 36.
There used to be a day when Ukiah was a great place to live and raise a family. Now, it is the epitome of what horrible policies and lack of leadership have created. Accountability is no longer something the city leaders have. It’s all about blaming your political foes because you have no idea on how to lead. Ukiah needs better and should expect better.
More mentally ill in prison is not a solution. The problem in Ukiah and everywhere else in this nation is illiteracy and an ineffective healthcare policy. You can put them all in jail and you will still have a pervasive problem.