Correspondence - #26 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chispa July 20th, 2021 Mayor Sarmiento and the City Council Members City of Santa Ana 22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 RE: Agenda Item #26 Consideration of Ordinance Amending the Cannabis Public Benefit Fund Restricted Uses for Additional Youth Services Dear Mayor Sarmiento and City Councilmembers, I write on behalf of Chispa to express our support for Item 26, amending the cannabis public benefit fund restricted uses for additional youth services. As an organization by and for young Latinxs, this proposal is deeply personal to us and our members due to the positive economic impact this would have on young Latinxs in Santa Ana, who make up a significant portion of this City. Santa Ana was the first city in Orange County to approve the legal sale of cannabis, which has raised more than $55 million in the last 4 years. While law enforcement continues to eat up a significant portion of this revenue, there remains concern over the lack of transparency for how this money is used. According to the Orange County Grand Jury's report on Santa Ana's Monopoly of Cannabis, "it's been difficult to secure specific information over how this money has been used " The absence of transparency over the investment of these funds raise serious concerns, and further widens the gap of trust between community and police. Economic equity is at the heart of this proposal. The City of Santa Ana has one of the youngest populations in the country, but yet our youth programs and services still remain under-resourced. We as a city can do more to invest in the young people in the city. We urge you to pass this change in the Cannabis Public Benefit Fund and transfer funding from enforcement activities to youth services. Lastly, we ask for ongoing community input in the process of creating new and expanding existing, effective programs that best fit community priorities with these funds. Sincerely, Boomer Vicente Policy Director Chispa