Humboldt County News
Sadly, Proposition 8, the measure to ban same-sex marriages in California, seems to have passed by a pretty decent margin. It's a sad day for California, and a dark day for gay rights everywhere.
The SF Chronicle says "The flood of dollars that poured into the state from every part of the country made Prop. 8 the most expensive social issue race the nation has ever seen."
That flood of dollars they mention amounted to over $70 million, with the Yes side inching ahead by a few hundred thousand dollars. Either way, it is shocking that the same Californians who voted for Obama would deny homosexuals the right to marriage. Especially considering that Obama supports gay rights and equal right for all humans.
Results in California:
Voted for Barack Obama: 61.3%
Voted for Prop 8: 52.1%
At least here in Humboldt 60% of us voted against this hateful ballot measure. Shame on the other 40% for perpetuating hatred and denying a large group of Californians equal rights based on their sexual orientation. Way to push the human rights movement back a decade or so.
Here it is again, that one day out of the year when kids get to eat loads of free candy, parents can be thankful for the fluoride in our drinking water, and all the young girls of America dress themselves up like prostitutes and go out to get macked on by drunk dudes in costumes.
We used to love Halloween. But then a couple of years ago while we were handing out candy to the local children who came to our door, we were unexpectedly rushed by a group of 10 teenage boys who weren't even wearing costumes. At first we tried joking with them, "Ah you guys aren't even in costume! Gotta save this candy for the children who dressed up!" But they just started grabbing the treats from our bowl and shoving their way into our home. These kids were probably 16 or 17 years old. A couple of them looked like they were on the high school basketball team.
That was the last time we participated in Halloween in Humboldt County. We have never had such a negative neighborhood experience (daytime home burglaries excluded), and we don't plan on ever again opening our door up to the local youths after sundown.
So, to celebrate Halloween this year, we found this ridiculous photo gallery of dogs dressed up in hilarious costumes. We sincerely hope you enjoy. And please, be safe tonight if you go out. Have a designated driver, be aware of your surroundings, and watch out for STDs. ;)
Not that we're very surprised, but this month's electricity rate hike is so substantial and well-targeted that we just had to tell everyone about it.
Growers looking closely at their power bills this month might notice a marked increase in the rates for top tier power usage. PG&E likes to divvy up your electricity charges into different "Baseline Quantities", charging more per Kwh when you use more power than they think you need.
This is fine for those of us who turn our lights off when we leave the room, shut our computers down at night, and keep our thermostats set low. But for the many thousands of households where residents are running multiple high wattage horticulture lamps, dehumidifiers, and industrial exhaust fans, those baseline charges could be a big deal.
This month PG&E increased rates for the "Over 300% of Baseline" tier by nearly 15%, and the next tier down by over 13%. The bottom two tiers, aka the non-grower tiers, actually went down in price by a couple hundredths of a penny.
Last month's power rates
This month's new prices
This is kind of a big deal, but only for growers. For the rest of us it's actually a little satisfying to know that pot growers who are using 100 times the amount of electricity as a normal household (no joke) now have to pay an additional 15% premium for their excessive consumption. But is it right for PG&E to purposefully implement what is essentially a grower tax? We would much rather see a real tax where the money comes back to the community somehow, but for now it's nice to know that at least someone out there is skimming a little off the top of the most profitable (and questionable) industry in California.
Should pot dealers and smokers expect prices of indoor marijuana to increase this year because of the beefed up electricity charges? Definitely not, because the profit margins on marijuana are still so astronomically high that an additional 5 cents per Kwh is quite literally a drop in the bucket for these guys. Consider that a 4-light indoor pot garden will generally yield 4 pounds of bud every 60 days. Running that garden will cost about $1000 in electricity each month, plus maybe $1500 in rent per month, and maybe $350 in supplies and upkeep. Oh let's throw in $40 for water, too. So it's about $2890 per month to operate that grow house. But quality indoor marijuana sells for at least $3600/pound these days, and this house is producing 4 pounds every 2 months. That leaves the grower with a profit of $8620 every two months, or $4310 a month.
And that is a really small grow scenario. Most growers would laugh at 4 lights because they're probably doing twice that, and you don't even want to start speculating about how many growers here in Humboldt County have multiple grow houses, each with 8 or more lights.
Speaking of marijuana prices this year, word on the street is that the big outdoor harvests from Southern Humboldt and Mendocino County are far, far bigger than ever before. Last year it rained early and caused lots of losses, but this year the rains have been light and the weather has been warm and sunny, allowing many growers to leave their crops in the ground much longer than normal. We have been hearing reports of double-sized yields over last year, and quality is unbelievable. As a result, prices are looking to be a bit lower this winter, which might put a strain on some indoor growers looking to unload their goods. But uh, we're definitely not offering any sympathy, seeing as how margins in the pot business are so ridiculously high it actually makes us sick.
In case you were wondering exactly what goes into setting up, managing, and financing a marijuana grow house, How Stuff Works has published a 6-page article describing all the bits and pieces that go into running a real indoor pot garden for profit. The article is titled Setting Up A Grow House.
According to the website, "HowStuffWorks, a wholly owned subsidiary of Discovery Communications, is the award-winning source of credible, unbiased, and easy-to-understand explanations of how the world actually works." We seem to recall that this site started out as a resource for school children, which is why we're a bit surprised to see them explaining commercial marijuana gardening.
The in-depth article references the LA Times story from a few months back and some bits from the Arcata Eye to back up their facts, and they throw down some numbers in the beginning, too. Of course, those numbers are way off. For example, they state that one marijuana plant grown indoors can yield half a pound of pot, but any grower in Humboldt will confirm that actual realistic yield from a single plant is between 30 and 90 grams, and rarely more. Nobody gets more than a quarter-pound of weed from a single plant in an indoor garden in a normal grow cycle.
The article also claims that a single 1,000 watt grow light can sustain 15 to 20 plants, but most pro growers won't do more than 9-16 plants per light, mostly to keep the number of total plants down so they don't exceed the legal limit for Prop 215 cultivation, and also to curb the complexity of their operation.
All in all, Setting Up A Grow House is an informative read, and the author, Robert Lamb, either did a lot of research before writing it or he has first hand experience with indoor pot gardening. He even mentions that grow house operators are less likely to interact with their neighbors, which is probably true. Maybe that has something to do with #12 in this morning's post?
Isn't it interesting that marijuana growing has become so prolific and commonplace that our children can now read about the inner workings of illegal pot gardens at their favorite Discovery website? It turns out this is nothing compared to their article on Manufacturing Crack Cocaine, which is complete with photos and step-by-step instructions on how to turn regular old coke into crack rocks! Yay for education!
Ekovox recently posted an email that is circulation entitled "You know you're from Eureka if...". We thought it was a good idea, so we're taking it one step further and doing a list for all of Humboldt County. Here goes:
You know you're in Humboldt County if...
- One out of every three vehicles you see on the road is a gigantic pickup truck with a 12" lift and a 20-something pot grower's girlfriend behind the wheel.
- Your internet and long distance connectivity is severed every few months when Caltrans digs up the fibre to San Francisco.
- Everyone you know has been robbed or burglarized at least once.
- You never leave your car unlocked, not even for a couple minutes while you run into the gas station for smokes.
- The sun only comes out once a week, maybe less.
- The pungent smell of fresh marijuana wafts through your neighborhood on a regular basis.
- You don't bother calling the cops, ever, because you know they won't show up for at least two hours.
- There's an indoor marijuana garden related house fire at least once a month.
- Every person under the age of 30 you see walking around town is wearing a hooded sweatshirt.
- Every person under the age of 24 has their hood pulled up over their head, even when the weather is nice.
- You fully expect every driver on the road to be uninsured and driving an unregistered vehicle without a valid license.
- Nobody smiles at you or says hello.
- White people with super gross dreadlocks are everywhere. The longer the dreads, the more disgusting the person wearing them seems to be.
- At dusk, only half the drivers on the road use their headlights. The other half are divided into two groups: those who refuse to turn their lights on until it's actually pitch dark, and those who think it is acceptable to drive around with only their parking lights on.
- Every house has the curtains drawn or the shades closed to hide the marijuana growing activity within.
- Locals are outnumbered 4-1 by out-of-towners who moved here to grow pot.
- There are hundreds of restaurants, but only about 5 that are worth eating at.
- You can't walk down the street without some homeless 19 year old with dreadlocks asking you for spare change. When you refuse, he cusses at you and says something about capitalism and greed.
- Nobody drives the speed limit. They either go 5 mph under the limit, or they go 10-20 mph over.
Did we miss any? Feel free to add yours in the comments section!
Looks like they captured Anthony Flores, the driver of that silver Mustang who caused that horrible accident a few days ago. Let us all hope that he is repeatedly raped for many, many years as he rots away in a jail cell for his crimes. Glad that douchebag is off the streets.
Now that the Evergreen Pulp Mill is shutting down, can Humboldt County residents expect an increase in quality of life and general cardiovascular health? It sure will be nice to go outside and not have to smell the horrible stench of paper pulp every day. We're betting the view from the Bayview Motel perched above Broadway is going to be much nicer without the steaming stacks of noxious pollutants billowing away in the distance.
Economic downturn? The new Great Depression? Maybe in the rest of the country, but here in Humboldt County we really don't think it's going to mean much. Why? Because we are nearly positive that at least half of those living behind the Redwood Curtain won't even notice because they either grow marijuana themselves, or they work for someone who grows marijuana. If you have a pair of blue Wiss scissors, you won't be out of work any time soon. The stock markets might be crashing and home prices have plummeted, but that gold mine in the attic will keep you warm until the next federal raids (so long as it doesn't go up in flames).
Anyone remember Zachary Cruz Cooke from early 2007? Let us refresh your memory:
Cooke was the 18 year old kid who went on a fanatical Bonnie and Clyde style crime spree in late 2006. He and some buddies were super high on an extended meth binge in Eureka and decided to hold up some convenience stores around Humboldt County with guns and masks. They robbed a few places (3 if we remember correctly), and then fired some shots at a sheriff's deputy in Myrtletown after a late night car chase just before Christmas 2006. They were some of the most violent and dangerous criminals in Humboldt County history, and the local coppers launched a massive investigation to hunt these guys down and lock them up before they hurt or killed someone.
The whole thing ended on Jan 4, 2007, when a 6-man task force of local police, sheriff's deputies, and ATF agents busted down the door of the vacant house at 3207 Albee St. in Eureka where Cooke and at least one other man were squatting and doing drugs between armed robberies. When the task force came in, Cooke fired at them with the stolen shotgun he was holding, and the task force responded in kind, shooting him dead right there in the thick of his own meth'd up squalor.
Now, almost two years later, Cooke's father, Alan, has finally found an attorney to take his case to the civil courts. No one but Alan and his attorney are entirely sure how they are going to win a wrongful death case in which the deceased committed multiple violent armed robberies, fired a gun at a sheriff's deputy after a high speed car chase, then shot at the task force that came to arrest him a few days later, but clearly they think they have it in the pocket. To the tune of $25,000 for each local agency named in the suit (5 or more by our count).
According the Eureka Reporter, the lawsuit says "Zachary Cooke was murdered ... without any lawful justification; the defendants are liable for the use of wrongful force in shooting Zachary to death."
Wait wait wait wait, is this to say that going on a wild crime spree of armed robberies and urban shootouts before attempting to kill the law enforcement team that came to arrest him was not illegal? Or perhaps that when Cooke fired that shotgun at those cops, well apparently those cops should have just turned around and left, or maybe they should have stood there and let Cooke shoot them all before he cut out another hotrail in the Albee house where he was squatting? Oh no no we get it, those coppers should not even have been pursuing Cooke in the first place! Come on, right? He was only a kid, and well, kids will be kids!
Alan Cooke, please stop wasting everyone's time and the resources of our county's insurance company by filing frivolous civil suits against them over the death of your violent and drug addicted son. You won't win, and you'll only make more enemies in the community. Your son robbed people here, he tried to kill a cop, then fired a shotgun at a whole team of cops! Don't be surprised when the community strikes you down for not only raising a child that threatened to destroy the lives of dozens of community members, but also seeking monetary damages after our law enforcement officers risk their own lives to take this violent drug addict off the streets.
Is it just us, or does it sound like Alan Cooke is actually trying to cash in on the death of his son?
We would also like to note that even Rose was in support of the DA's 2007 decision to skip charges against the officers who shot and killed Cooke at the Albee St. residence. And she hates the DA!
Why was it that when we were unable to drive down Harrison Ave. last evening due to fire trucks and EPD cruisers blocking the way we immediately thought "some grower must have burned down another house"? Are we jaded? Well, yes, but that's beside the point.
Sure enough, this morning's Eureka Reporter contains a short article about the house fire on Harrison that was caused by "owner installed lighting and electrical equipment" in the attic where two soil beds of marijuana plants were being grown. When does a house burn down in this county that isn't the result of ghetto electrical wiring or a tipped over fan in a pot garden? It rarely happens. Growers burn down more homes in this area than any other cause, no question about it.
We should probably also point out that the house fire in McKinleyville on Friday was also the result of a gigantic, house-wide marijuana growing operation that burst into flames. This one happened while someone was there! Isn't that the purpose of having a person man your grow op, so that they can prevent unwanted events like structure fire from happening? This home was so completely converted for pot growing that some of the firefighters who entered the house to extinguish the blaze became tangled in loose wires and burned ventilation tubing. Good thing for them they are trained to escape from exactly that sort of mess.
Yeah, and people want to argue that pot growing is harmless? Combine the constant residential fires with the associated violence, burglaries, tax evasion, and environmental damage, and there's no question that we have a serious problem on our hands.
Come on Humboldt residents, let's run these destructive and greedy criminals out of our beautiful county!
Yikes. ABC News has an in-depth article on marijuana profits in, where else, Humboldt County, and how Arcata is basically marijuana central, home to weirdos and pot profiteers.
We're glad that Mary Spicuzza, author of the article published today on the ABC News website, noted that "tensions seem especially high" in Arcata due to the disagreements on the legality of such a highly profitable yet questionable industry. The article starts out describing Stephen Gasparas who owns the Arcata iCenter, and mentions that he makes about $100,000 from his marijuana business.
This surprises us, particularly because we are under the impression that it is not legal to turn a profit from medical marijuana, so it's interesting that Gasparas would reveal that he makes six figures and drives a brand new Toyota SUV. Are growers and dealers here so comfortable today that they don't even give a crap about the fact that growing pot for profit is illegal?
The article also discusses tax revenue from marijuana, stating that only $143 million in marijuana sales are reported annually statewide, netting $11.4 million in tax revenue. But conservative estimates of gross sales in Humboldt County alone are steady at $500 million, and Cal NORML even estimates that Californians grow/smoke/sell as much as $2 billion worth of marijuana each year. Where's the rest of the tax revenue? Oh right, there isn't any more, because the vast majority of marijuana growers and dealers in Humboldt County (and surely all of California) are actively evading taxes and dealing their cash crops to the highest bidders, especially out of state dealers. Then what do they do with their ill-gotten money? They buy fancy trucks and SUVs, of course.
So what happened to the feds? They rolled in and raided a fairly wimpy ring of suspected growers, somehow missing out on the half billion dollar industry that is largely criminal and illegal. Well, whatever. With articles like this getting national attention, it won't be long before they return...
Coppers are on the trail of the latest commercial indoor grower to burn his operation to the ground after Cal Fire extinguished a blaze on the 100 block of Weott Heights Road in Weott, just south of Eureka.
Apparently someone screwed something up at this 10-light pot growing facility, which as it turns out was actually a singlewide mobile home. Oops! Guess no one told the growers in Weott that trailers don't make good structures for 10,000-watt marijuana gardens, what with the low grade wiring and highly flammable construction materials.
Ten thousand watts worth of marijuana garden should realistically yield about 40 pounds per year, assuming a 90 day grow cycle at one pound per 1000 watts, and that the grower is getting $3400 per pound, which we are told is a pretty standard price for decent bud here in Humboldt County. That means this criminal was grossing upwards of $136,000 per year from that singlewide trailer. Maybe they should have looked into some business insurance to cover the hazards of running a ten thousand watt operation. Oh wait, that's not an option because growing pot commercially is illegal!
Valleywag, one of Silicon Valley's hottest gossip blogs, did a small post on the recent Google Street View issue that has Humboldt County in news headlines across the nation.
The story goes that Google supposedly sent their Street View vehicles up private roads in Humboldt and Sonoma Counties, passing by the "No Trespassing" signs and gathering images of private residences up to a quarter mile beyond the end of the public roads they are legally entitled to photograph. However, the Valleywag post really just talks about pot and the fact that lots of it is grown here.
This article from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat has a very well-done video report that we highly recommend. Shouldn't be more than a day or so before the offending images are removed from Google Maps, but lots of people are still upset at the idea of Street View anyway.
And for the lighter side of Street View in Humboldt, see this post from the North Coast Blogthing where Hank Sims points out that the Google car somehow omitted large portions of Eureka's west side, in particular most of California Street, and A and B Streets, as well as nearly the entire industrial district.
The Daily Triplicate reports that two Portland, Oregon men were jailed in Del Norte County after being stopped for speeding through a 55 mph zone at 70 mph near Crescent City.
The CHP officer that pulled them over quickly discovered four and half pounds of pot in loosely contained plastic bags in the trunk, and arrested Jeremey Ellet and Ian Kendrick for possession and transportation of marijuana for sale.
Apparently these guys didn't read the New Yorker story which described how, even here in the State of California where marijuana is essentially legal, "couriers" (as the article calls them) routinely triple seal their goods using a vacuum food sealer before driving it from Humboldt County to Southern California.
Better luck next time, Portlanders! We're wondering if they will roll over on the Arcata grow op where the 4.5 lbs. came from in order to avoid a 5 year stint for trafficking. Just so you know, that quantity of pot is worth about $17,000 in a place like Portland, and that's the bulk price. Street value is probably more like $25,000, assuming a price of $350 per ounce.
In other news, an anonymous tipster reports that a 4-car convoy of feds was spotted heading into Eureka from the south last night around 9 p.m. The tip says that 2 newer SUVs and 1 Chevy pickup truck were followed up by a blacked out Ford Explorer. None of the vehicles had any unusual markings, and they all had normal California plates with registration stickers (not CA Exempt). The giveaway was that they traveled in a tight pack in the fast lane at approx. 80 mph, and they did not allow other cars to pass at faster speeds, even physically blocking one motorist from passing in the right lane at a high rate of speed. The black Explorer bringing up the rear swerved in front of the speeding civilian vehicle, braked hard, then turned on his fed lights to warn that driver to stay back. The flashing lights were built into the tail lights, and the vehicle was otherwise totally unmarked.
We wonder if further federal investigations are currently underway in the marijuana growing community of Humboldt County, where citizens are calling for a crackdown and the Bush administration has personally offered to help if invited.
Pot-hungry turtles equipped with GPS tracking devices are poised to bring down the evil marijuana growers of our society!
Eureka has a new blogger, and his blog is absolute genius. Welcome to town, Joe!
Over on Craigslist, a Myrtletown resident suggests monitoring your pot growing neighbors in order to figure out where the cash is buried.
the best thing about grow houses (Myrtletown)
there is usually a good stash of cash buried in a nalgene bottle. anybody want to make 50K this year? Just watch your neighbors patiently.DEA maintains presence in Humboldt County
Stay tuned as the great Humboldt cleanup of 2008 continues on...
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- Marijuana Grow House Burns Down in Weott
- Valleywag On the Humboldt County Google Streetview Issue
- Portland Traffickers Busted On Return From Arcata
- Turtles Busting Growers - The Next Big Thing?
- Tom Says More Pot Raids Coming
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- Marijuana Grow Raided in Eureka
- Humboldt County Just Got Even More Dangerous
- Marijuana Legalization Could Be on November Ballots
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