Go, Growers! 

Editor:

Mr. Faulk's article, "The Grow Tax" (Oct. 4), shed a very dim light (pardon the pun) on the grow room taxation. There are two major flaws in this proposal that will very likely cost the Arcata taxpayer serious money:

First is the fact that the $650,000 cost of this scheme must be paid up front and may never be recovered by this ludicrous idea. There has been given no analysis of what happens if the majority of large indoor grows simply scale down to 400 watt lights, and cut the numbers?

Secondly, as an owner of an all-electric car who pays P&GE $400 to $700 a month, and who made his purchase decision based on the massive savings offered by the State of California incentives which PG&E allows on electricity purchase, you are about to pass a law which is diametrically opposed to state incentives now in operation. As a member of the very passionate group of "first adopters" of this technology, I can assure you that this measure will be an instant lawsuit against the City of Arcata. Get ready to pay up, Arcata!!

Not to belabor the point, but, Arcata city management believing that the city will make money off of this follows a pattern of serious mistakes it has recently made including:

-     The three "Homeless houses" still on  O Street;
-     The closing of the oldest community recycling center in the history of the United States and;
-     Allowing our Community Development Corporation to go bankrupt.

If the city wants to tamp down the trouble caused by grow houses, it should simply enforce the laws now in place. The fee charged by the Building Department is $1,500 for each busted house. Unless Gallegos is intending to let them simply "Cruz" on out of here, then let Chief Chapman do his job.

Robert Silvers, Arcata