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Orozco, Norma <br />From: Greg Camphire <gcamphire@gmail.com> <br />Sent: Monday, July 19, 2021 5:33 PM <br />To: eComment <br />Subject: Item 26: Amend Santa Ana's Cannabis Public Benefit Fund <br />Hello, <br />I am writing to advocate for the responsible distribution of funds from the City of Santa Ana's Cannabis Public <br />Benefit Fund. As a relatively new source of income for the city, which comes from sales of an adult recreational <br />substance, the city has a great opportunity to use these funds for much -needed services for the communities who <br />live here. <br />Unfortunately there has been little transparency in the distribution of these funds, and that needs to change. <br />Residents have made it clear that there is a great need for significant investments in youth services, education, <br />job training, after -school programs, public parks, renewable technologies, mental health services, healthy food <br />access, and affordable housing. At the same time, the SAPD has been grossly over -funded historically and <br />already receives the largest portion of city revenues. Our police department is also one of the deadliest in the <br />country, with 27 shootings per 324,568 residents and additional officer misconduct records hidden from the <br />public. <br />It's time to shift funding from police enforcement to other community services. Santa Ana needs to reorient the <br />Cannabis Public Benefit Fund back towards a model that truly puts residents first. We are calling on Santa Ana <br />City leaders to break from the ineffective and unequal prioritization of policing in city budgets, and invest in <br />Santa Ana's people. <br />The safest communities are not the ones with the most police, but the ones with the most resources. Please <br />utilize the Cannabis Public Benefit Fund to make that statement true for Santa Ana. <br />Thank you, <br />Greg Camphire <br />92701 <br />