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“The Y.V. Planning Department intentionally misled the Council. — D.J. Ross, CAMS Director
“Many of us in the Basin had high hopes for you, thinking you were an independent and progressive thinker. But not anymore.”
So what were you thinking? What have you done? Your vote put good people with families out of a job during the joys of the holiday season. And more. . .
Dear Lori Herbel,
How are you this evening? I hope you are fine. The cats and dogs in our Morongo Basin Humane Society in the Joshua Tree shelter are not doing so well. The humans that take care of them told me they are scrambling for food to feed the animals. Worse yet, they haven’t the money to keep the shelter open much longer. Thanks, in large part, to you.
What message are you sending to the youth in the valley?: Lets not follow the law; lets keep the street drugs; lets not regulate a marijuana dispensary; lets not regulate marijuana, lets not make it available as recommended by a doctor. What message you are sending to the disabled, those with life-threatening diseases, terminal cancer suffers, the seniors, PTSD people and veterans. Phooey on you, that’s your message to them. Disrespect for the law, that’s the message you are sending. Shut down the animals shelters, that’s the message you are sending.
“Oh golly, gee, I didn’t have all he facts when I voted… ” What a crock of denial, Lori Herbal. “But I’ve covered my tiny little butt on this one. Whew… What’s up next, Frankie?”
You send this message too: “Whoopee! You people that will soon die a horrible death from a terminal disease, good riddens , screw you sickly, sorry people. Society doesn’t care about you. We don’t need you. Die and go to hell. It’s a dog eat dog (you don’t care about them either) world. Die in pain people. I don’t care. I’m protecting my image, I’m a good ‘ol girl and I’ll play it safe with your lifes. Get your damn harmless botanical plant out in the streets. Ha, Ha, Ha.”
Credible news reports that over 65% of medicinal marijuana legal users are seniors with cancer. Did you know that Lori?
Let me think this one out…. Okay. Someone has terminal cancer. Maybe 1-6 months to 
live. They are frail, weak & worn out and very tired. Past 50. Haven’t a family. So they get dressed and hit the streets for medication to offset the affects of radiation or chemotherapy. They have no desire or appetite for food (enjoy your dinner tonight Lori) due to their treatment. Marijuana is the only thing that boosts their appetite. Lets see, where do they go. Hey, try one of the parks. 
Nothing. Ask some of the down ‘n out in the streets. Nothing. Oh my god, what if its an undercover cop?! More stress. Lets try Wall*Mart. Pssst, do you know where I can get some marijuana. Can you please help me? Sure lady, how much do you want?
That seller is doing a better service for this woman than you, Lori Herbel.
That’s the picture, the scenario, that’s real life.
Very recently, I contacted a County Enforcement Officer. The Enforcement Officer said that all of the shelter in the Basin are overflowing with Animals, many of the same pets that have shared our homes, our love, and have provided our children with so much in return. It’s been said by a well-known philosopher, that society can be judged by the way we treat our animals.
Your actions have proximately caused the Morongo Basin Animal Shelter to be in peril of closing their doors (more on that).
Your knowingly and purposely voted to close down a legal business. Human Resources Director, Debi Rodriques, of CAMS, told me they have already laid-off most of their employees. Nice gift to these employees Mrs. Santa Claus.
Your vote put good people with families out of a job during the joys of the holiday 
season. My guess is at this moment, they are depressed and wondering how to navigate through the joyous holidays.
You’re a mean Councilwoman because your vote proximately caused the cessation of funding — $4,000.00 a month to be exact — of the Morongo Basin Animal Shelter. That wasn’t very smart. The CAMS Medical Dispensary immediately cut their funding to the Shelter, and now CAMS is revving up to sue the City.
D.J. Ross, Director of CAMS — the legal medicinal dispensary in Yucca Valley — told me this morning you didn’t have all the fact right, was misinformed and then voted to have them close their doors. Seems you were confused. D.J. Ross states the Y.V. Planning Department intentionally misled the Council. Gosh… is this how it’s going to be with you as Mayor Pro Tem, or Mayor — being hoodwinked by the Planing Department who failed to come up with a plan as directed, but rather acted on their own.
They purposely misinformation you and the rest of the Council guys. Are you going to 
let them get away with that? Who runs the show at City Hall, the Planning Department Head lackey?
D.J. Ross informs that their attorney, James Rhae, Esq. (spelling?) in Palm Springs, a seasoned attorney specializing in defending marijuana issues and medicinal dispensaries is “ready” to sue you guys. Of course you’re not a guy, but it doesn’t matter. Seems you just went along to get along with the guys.
Anyway, Attorney Rhea is waiting for the Council to move to the next Council level. Then he will file his suit. Most likely, a local commissioners will hear it and rule against CAMS. But that’s okay, the appeal will be before likely a Superior Court Judge. After that, if appealed, the Appellate Court may hears the case. After that, more appeals. Perhaps to the California Supreme Court. You don’t want that Lori. They respect our laws, you don’t. But this is the good news.
Now for the bad news. If a Class Action suit is brought as planned on behalf of the Hi-Desert Communities people that have been damaged by your going-along with the guys on the Council, you’re looking at a $500,000.00 of City money for legal fees. Does the council has so much money that they can fritter-away $500,000.00 defending a Class Action suit? If certified, the class will includes the Hi-Desert Community folks that have traveled to the City to do business with CAMS.
Since CAMS is the only dispensary of its kind in the County of San Bernardino, CAMS brought many people into the economic base of the City. Have you forgot, we are in the greatest recession (or depression) since Franklin D. Roosevelt. Don’t you people on the Council want all the business CAMS brought into the community? What are you people thinking? Many of the Hi-Desert Communities were drawn here by CAMS and did their shopping right here in Yucca Valley.
But even if the City wins the Class Action suit in Supi Court, D.J. Ross informs that they shall appealed, and more appeals. Once you get into the Appellate Courts a case becomes like a bouncing ball, back and forth for years. I’m personally involved in a case that’s now in its eight year. Add a thousands to the City’s legal defense fund, or 
more, for all appeals and legal ping pong legal maneuvers.
It may just end up in one of the two Supreme Court forums available to CAMS and their attorneys. You surely don’t want that. There, they actually respect and follow the law — and have already come down on the side of Prop. 215 and legal medicinal dispensaries.
Should you loose, you’re looking at millions of dollars in damages apportioned to each and every one in the class situated in the Hi-Desert communities (and parts of Riverside County). That wouldn’t be such a welcome gift to the City or the people of Yucca Valley; it wouldn’t be such a good legacy for you, would it?
D.J. Ross tell me may the City may go bankrupt should this be pursued as a Class Action. I think D.J.’s legal advisers must have told him that. I know about Class Actions law suite, having worked on a few in my time. It is a rush to realize you are helping many, many people who are seeking restitution from bullies.
The other bad news, you know or should know, is that there’s much money to be had in California surrounding marijuana legal issues. Other groups, organizations and dispensaries surely will come to CAMS aid because Yucca Valley would be a test case. How everybody loves test cases. That’ll rake in the money for lawyer fees.
You are most likely aware that the California Cities of San Jose and Gilroy have lost their law suits for the same ‘on point’ issues the Council has been stalling over and bellyaching about . In those Cities, they failed to show the dangers of increased crime, the added use of Sheriff’s time, et cetera, and other municipal costs to their respective Cities. It doesn’t look good for you and the Council guys.
Which brings me mind, you’re vote on this matter is anti-American, anti law abiding, and anti-veteran. What is your problem with a mandate of the People of California concerning Prop. 215? — and subsequent legislation from both Houses that are incorporated in California Codes. If CAMS and other prevail in a Class Action, that will open the doors for all cities who fail to uphold the law. Maybe you’ll even be a named defendant.
Don’t you like our Democracy?
Golly, I met you this summer at the J.T. Farmers Market. You were telling me how to train my dog on a certain situation. You even offered to train her. But now, Lori, given what you have done to the Morongo Basin Animal Shelter, I don’t want you anywhere near my dog. Unlike you, I would never vote to leave them without a home. That shelter is struggling to hang on. Here’s a thought, Lori, maybe you could volunteer to be the one that puts the cats and dogs down if it comes to that.
I know what you may be thinking… you are only one vote out of four. True, but many of us in the Basin had high hopes for you, thinking you were an independent and progressive thinker. But not anymore. You are just one of the guys.
While 56% of the American people think that the prohibition on Marijuana should be lifted and legalized, you’re a fraidy cat to even have the harmless botanical plant sold and controlled in a legal dispensary as mandated in California. It wouldn’t surprise me if you were not reelected for being one of the boys. They are not very popular you know.
You are not a friend of Veterans. That the message. 
As you may know PTSD with veterans is a very serious matter. I know that since I spent three years in this Valley and the Loma Linda Veterans Hospital being close to those veterans. It’s also known all across America suicides rates are soaring and are killing our veterans. Those are the guys with acute cases of PTSD. I’m guessing you aren’t too interested to learn that medicinal botanical THC — according to university studies — is the safest and effective treatment for PTSD.
Her at Cactus Thorns, to the right hand side of the page, you will see a picture of a little sad doggy. Click-on the picture. It will take you to a page where you can donate money to the Morongo Basin Animal Shelter. That’s the least you can do since you helped to created thir problem. You are the problem, Lori.
The fact that you were mislead, misinformed or didn’t having all the facts doesn’t set very well. It’s your job to know what’s going on, to be informed, to get correct answered from the Planning Department. If you need some training to this end, may I suggest you contact Councilman Steve Spear in Twentynine Palms. He has the guts to do what is right, unlike you. And he has the guts to get in the face of the Planning Department when necessary.
A simple telephone call to D.J. Ross or Ms. Rodriques would have cleared your alleged misinformation problem. You didn’t make the call.
You guys on the Council need to have your subordinate staff and department heads over there at the Planning Department clued-in that they work for the Council, they are not the decisions makers.
The second reason your decision doesn’t set very well is that you should have done the right thing, voted for the small dispensary, followed the people’s mandate, not put families out of work, voted to not take a harmless medication away from people, and not have proximately caused the Animal Shelter to be in peril.
Your resumé highlights your training and work with animals. I think you need to re-draft the resumé.
Happy Holiday and a Whooping New Year. The people you are responsible for putting out of a job and their respective families will not be so joyous this season. Btw, if I won’t be bumping into you again at the J.T. Farmers Market. I don’t think I can trust you around my animal. You are mean Councilwoman. Dogs know mean when they see mean.
Since this is an Open Letter to you, kindly respond to the letter. You own it to all the people you have negatively touched and concerned referenced hereinabove. I look forward to your reply, Lori. You should either standby your vote, or explain it here. Don’t be like the the rest of the political blowharts.
The aforementioned is based upon credible information, the remaining is my opinion which I believe to be true.
“The ends do not justify the means.” If you use illegal mean to accomplish a legal and even desirable result, the good result does not make the bad means you used justifiable.
Related posts:
In Response to Banson Hunter’s open letter dated December 23, 2009,
I have always stated, I would like to see CAMS move. In my numerous conversations with Town staff on this issue, the staff never informed me that they had a meeting with CAMS informing CAMS that they could not move.
One staff member told me that they “forgot” about the meeting and that they did not know as of December 1, 2009 that a moratorium meant that CAMS could not move.
I have since found out that we may be able to explore a way to allow CAMS to move without lifting the moratorium. In my opinion, they need to move so as not to continue to be an irritant at their present location.
I have sought the truth concerning information that was not presented to the Council. I did apologize to Mr. Ross because my sharp comments directed specifically toward Mr. Ross were based on misinformation and information not presented to the Council.
At the next Council meeting on December 15, 2009 I did apologize to Mr. Ross publicly and attempted to put the issue back on the agenda based on information not presented to the Council. I did not get enough support.
The State of California has passed Proposition 215, the “Compassionate Use Act”
The Compassionate Use Act is a voter initiative, passed in 1996, that made California the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use.
The text of the Prop 215 initiative follows:
Section 1. Section 11362.5 is added to the California Health and Safety Code, to read:
11362.5. (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.
(b) (1) The people of the State of California hereby find and declare that the purposes of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 are as follows:
(A) To ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes where that medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the persons health would benefit from the use of marijuana in the treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief.
(B) To ensure that patients and their primary caregivers who obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes upon the recommendation of a physician are not subject to criminal prosecution or sanction.
(C) To encourage the federal and state governments to implement a plan for the safe and affordable distribution of marijuana to all patients in medical need of marijuana.
The California Senate passed Bill 420.
This bill was passed in 2004 with the following purpose: “(1) Clarify the scope of the application of the act and facilitate the prompt identification of qualified patients and their designated primary caregivers in order to avoid unnecessary arrest and prosecution of these individuals and provide needed guidance to law enforcement officers. (2) Promote uniform and consistent application of the act among the counties within the state. (3) Enhance the access of patients and caregivers to medical marijuana through collective, cooperative cultivation projects.”
The above is California State Law and I accept the findings as presented.
Sincerely,
Lori Herbel