Ensenada's Newly Elected Legislative Council Says No to Pelayo
From The OC Weekly
For the original article, go to: http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/2014/02/ensenadas_n...
By Bill Esparza
"Two days ago, Ensenada's new government ended months of uncertainty in the Valle de Guadalupe and initiated the process to cancel the unpopular
Sectorial Program for the Urban Touristic Development of the Wine Producing Valleys, which threatened to drastically transform Mexico top wine region
into a highly unsustainable model for touristic purposes.
Por un Valle de Verdad, a home-grown movement consisting of winemakers, chefs, hoteliers and farmers in the Valle de Guadalupe, has been fighting this
land reuse proposal that was passed into policy in a closed door session, since the beginning. They even threatened to cancel Vendimias, the Valle's
annual wine harvest festival. Between their press conferences, attendance at council meetings and social media activism, they've managed to garner
local support and attract international attention to their cause to recall the proposal by the loathsome, ex-governor, Enrique Pelayo Torres.
For now it's hands off the Valle de Guadalupe, and a big win for Baja wine and food--and yes--Vendimias is on!
The council further agreed not to publish the controversial legislation into the state ledger, which is the standard practice for putting a new piece
of legislation into effect. The Síndico Procurador (Municipal attorney), Iván Alonso Barbosa Ochoa, of Ensenada's XXI Ayuntamiento, or government
reasoned that the land reuse was a serious violation of local autonomy n the Valle de Guadalupe.
Twitter feeds of famous chefs and winemakers were alive with celebratory messages from friends and supporters all over Baja California.
Monte Xanic's legendary winemaker, Hans Backhoff, tweeted, "congratulations to all who helped us with this initiative." Top Mexican Chef, Benito
Molina of Manzanilla wrote, "the regulation change for land use in the Valle de Guadalupe has been cancelled, we won--Vendimias is on!"
Others cheered but vowed to prepare themselves for any other battles that should arise--who says Mexico doesn't have grassroots democracy?
Now, if they'll just fix that damn highway, we can all get back to some serious drinking!--congratulations to those that fought the good fight."
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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