The final push in Mariposa County and the Supervisor Smallcombe’s Conflict of Interest on the Conditional Use Permitting scheme (CUP).
We are asking for your help in one last push on this horrid attempt to create yet another layer of bureaucracy on mining. There are numerous laws, regulations and agencies which regulate mining activities, even on private land. This CUP proposes we apply for an additional permitting scheme through the county and have an unqualified person determine whether they will let you or not….of course you will have to pay whatever fee’s they deem is necessary first, then can deny you. This may come to a vote this Tuesday, the 14th in Mariposa at 2pm.
Mining claim owners own “real property in every sense of the word” as ruled by the United States Supreme Court. It is why we pay property taxes to the county each year. If you are a member of any gold club which owns claims in Mariposa county, or a member of AMRA, you own mining claims in this county. Be heard.
Judge Ochoa ruled the State’s scheme on suction dredging was illegal. That Federal law preempts State law. And it would in this case as well. If passed, we will once again have to sue the county to prove our Constitutional rights. You want this to stop?
Ms. Smallcombe, the radical Liberal Supervisor from Yosemite (not a native, nor native to Mariposa County), is on the Board of Directors (as well as her husband) of a company called MERG. A far-far left enviro company which is actively promoting and testifying for this permitting scheme, they have been for over a year. Because of this, it is a clear case of a conflict of interest. COI’s do not need to be financial, as her supporters claim, to be a conflict. Look at it this way: if I was on the board of directors of Safeway and lobbied for a new permitting scheme for all properties next to mine to have to buy a new lawn mowing permit because I didn’t like their lawns, that would be one thing. But if I was on the board of directors, lobbied for this scheme AND held a county seat which determines whether or not the scheme was passed, that is entirely different.
We need you to send an email to the supervisors and county council. We’ve made this as simple as we can, simply copy and past the emails listed below and send your opinion on whether or not she should recuse herself.
We work very hard folks to defend your rights, we could use a little help here. SEND AN EMAIL asking for her recusal based on the facts.
FACT:
She is on the Board of Directors of MERG.
MERG is promoting this scheme.
Her husband is on the Board of Directors of MERG.
This is a clear conflict of interest in CA Fair Political Practices rules.
For these reasons, you demand she recuse herself immediately.
Their email addresses:
jcarrier@mariposacounty.org, mjones@mariposacounty.org, rsmallcombe@mariposacounty.org, mlong@mariposacounty.org, kcann@mariposacounty.org, swilliams@mariposacounty.org
SEND AN EMAIL TODAY
We also encourage you to participate in the discussion on Ms. Smallcombe’s Facebook page:
What is the address on were to go ?????