I get no joy out of complaining all the time. I know it might not always seem that way, but it's definitely not my favorite thing, so I at least try to whine constructively.

That's why, when I see people crying over nothing, it sends my eyes rolling back into my head so fast I'm in danger of severing my optic nerves.

Take what's going on in Lompoc, again, over the Lompoc City Council's ordinance on recreational cannabis in the city. They've opened the doors for pretty much unfettered pot shops, growing, and more for cannabis in the city.

Now, I know Lompoc likes to pride itself as being the "City of Flowers," but we're not talking about petunias here!

Two small contingents of Lompoc residents are mad at the council over how it voted on the ordinance, according to a whine-filled piece in the Lompoc Record. One side, which is decidedly anti-weed, has started a petition for a voter referendum to put the ordinance up to a vote by city residents on Election Day next year.

The pro-pot side, on the other hand, is "exploring the possibility" of recalling Mayor Bob Lingl. Why? Because mean ole Mr. Lingl voted against the ordinance!

For crying out cannabis, can everyone in Lompoc just calm down? What the hell are (or aren't) they smoking?

I cast my beady eyes to Lompoc Police Chief Pat Walsh to share in a bit of the blame on this. He made the argument that allowing weed in Lompoc would lead to trespassing, increase fistfights in the streets, and empower the drug cartels. My goodness, it's Reefer Madness all over again!

To the anti-weed folks: Cannabis is not as harmful or demonic as you've made it out to be, it's really not. Allowing recreational cannabis isn't going to change that much in your community. Why? Because Californians have treated the plant like it's legal for more than a decade now, and has it led to a massive collapse of civilization as we know it? No, it hasn't. Also, the argument that ending prohibition would empower organized crime doesn't carry any water.

At the same time though, the pro-pot people are behaving like a bunch of bong-hitting babies. Joe A. Garcia, the founder of the Lompoc Cannabis Coalition, is the one considering a recall of Lingl. He actually did a public records request of Lingl's emails and has a "professional" sifting through them to look for a possible conflict of interest.

Dude, really? Lingl is up for re-election next year, so if you want him out of office, there's your chance. Lingl is also entitled to his opinion on cannabis; that's how representation works. I'm sure all those people hoping to block the ordinance will be voting for Bob again next year, so if Lompoc is as pro-pot as you say (a majority of Lompoc residents did vote for Proposition 64) then hit the ballot box as hard you hit a joint.

I'm skeptical, I gotta say, of whether the anti-weed crowd will get enough signatures for that petition, or if Garcia will find anything in Lingl's emails or get a recall going. Sounds like everyone's just blowing smoke.

I'm also curious why the Record dedicated 1,500 words to the bickering of a handful of residents. The pot controversy has been covered up and down in Lompoc, aren't there other pressing issues, like the pension/budget crisis that's going to cost the city tens of millions of dollars?

Oh geez, don't get me complaining about the pension crisis!

The Canary does enjoy complaining about complaining. Send your thoughts to [email protected].

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