NEVADA CITY, Calif. January 22, 2016 – County supervisors down here have joined company with some of the best con artists in the country; like those kids on the streets of New Orleans who come up to you and say, “I bet you a dollar I can tell you where you got them shoes!”

After long hours of public testimony last Tuesday the supes came back in session and announced that they were placing the no-sunlight marijuana growing measure on June’s ballot. But they’re not. It’s already a done deal. No sunlight.

With one hand they seemed to be giving Nevada County residents a choice. But, the other hand was busy taking that choice away. Throughout the long afternoon YubaNet, our real morning newspaper, was peppering the Internet with information like this shocker:

“But, even if voters reject the proposed ballot measure, the ban on outdoor cultivation will remain in place.”

YubaNet’s Pascale, one of the best working journalists down here, wrote: “With supervisors justifying their vote for the immediate ban in part by stating voters will have their say in June, the public (and this reporter) assumed the ballot measure would provide a clear choice: Vote yes and uphold the ban, or Vote no and the ban is overturned. Alas, a closer reading of the ballot language shows otherwise.” The ballot measure is not a Yea or Nay vote on the urgency ordinance.

“If the ballot measure only deals with fairly cosmetic changes to the existing ordinance and does not provide for a mechanism to overturn the BOS decision, why have a ballot measure and spend $72,000 of taxpayer dollars to fine-tune a land use ordinance?” Pascale continued.

To read full YubaNet coverage of Tuesday’s governmental con game go to http://yubanet.com/regional/Marijuana-Cultivation-Measure-will-not-reverse-outdoor-growing-ban-even-if-voters-reject-it.php.

The measure under consideration came from Sheriff Keith Royal, prompting one citizen to ask, “How come the guy who enforces the law also writes it?” On another web site Niel Locke posted this comment: “Now we know why the Tinhorn Sheriff needs a tank in his arsenal!”

“You got them shoes on your feet!” And the kid and your dollar are gone.

Editor’s note: The Mountain Messenger, California’s oldest weekly newspaper since 1853, is published on Thursdays from Downieville, California.

The Mountain Messenger can be purchased for half a buck at the National Hotel (sidewalk), Nevada City SPD (outside), Nevada City Express Mart (outside) and in front of Safeway, Brunswick area.