Our local Republicans

A little background (like anyone reading this cares!) For nearly thirty years, the state has been trying to force this little unincorporated town (population about 15,000) to put in a system to replace the use of septic tanks. The argument is we are contaminating the upper aquifer with nitrates. It is important to note that we are "downstream" of a large farming area that uses nitrate fertilizers. The main point is that our septage drains into Morro Bay. Competent analyses show that over 90% of the nitrate contamination of the Bay comes from other sources.

We draw our drinking water from an aquifer several hundred feet deeper. It is pristine and palatable.

The county was adamant about putting in a conventional sewage treatment plant, at outrageous cost. We established a Community Services District, electing board members who ran as opposing the county plan, and for putting in a ponding system, like the one in Arcata, CA. Five years later, they are ragingly opposed to such a system, and are pushing through a 40' high treatment facility in the middle of town, where any failure would create a raw sewage run-off into the bay! They are supported by, among others, realtors, who have been quoted as saying that the high cost of the system (currently over $200 a month!) would "drive the riff-raff out of town." These oh-so-typical Republicans think that poor folk, folk on fixed incomes who bought their home here years ago, average people, don't deserve to live in this beautiful town. They envision a New Carmel.

In a recent election, two board members were replaced by Julie and Lisa, who oppose the current plan. A recall election is almost certain to be held, deposing the remaining three ass-wipes. Since Julie and Lisa came on board, the other three have publicly harassed and demeaned them. They  withheld information from them, and refused to put even one  on the committee overseeing the wastewater management issues.

After the election, the Evil Three hired a "secret watcher," whose job description is incredibly vague, to take names at the public board meetings of those who seem "suspect"  to the Republicans, even though we already pay a sheriff's deputy to be on hand.

You will also note the name Bruce Buel 'our' general manager. He was hired at a huge salary. The rational for his salary and perks was (no, really, this is true!) that he could get a comparable salary in a larger town elsewhere, but he likes living in this area! How many of you have ever gotten a larger salary because you are living where you want to?!

Los Osos interest group privy to secret CSD agenda

Lisa Schicker cries foul at irregular access to information

If the Los Osos Community Services District (CSD) could just get through five minutes of a meeting without a personal attack on a citizen or a board member’s face turning red with rage, it would be a day for the history books. But instead it’s just business as usual.

In the latest twist of small-town subterfuge, Board Director Lisa Schicker is accusing the CSD of shuffling its confidential agenda without notifying her or her like minded colleague, Julie Tacker. Not only were Schicker and Tacker uninformed of the postponement of some key agenda items from March 17 to April 7, Schicker said, but somehow their political adversaries, the Save the Dream (STD) group, had announced the items in their newsletter.

Schicker explained that she had been instructed by general manager Bruce Buel not to share the contents of the draft agenda for last week’s meeting with anyone. Having honored the board’s request, she was doubly surprised to learn that the agenda had not just been changed, she said, but that someone had shared those changes with the STD.

“They knew about it, and I didn’t,” Schicker said.

One of these items involved a motion requesting to wave interest on a loan from the state revolving fund for the wastewater project. The approval of this request would dramatically reduce the cost of the sewer, and thereby increase community support for the contentious downtown project.

In its third newsletter, dated March 9, STD announced that this zero-interest loan would save the community $25 million. That newsletter calls on all Los Ososians to attend the April 7 meeting and ask the board to vote yes on this cost-cutting resolution.

Pandora Nash-Karner had a simple explanation of where she got her information.

“I just called the CSD to verify the facts before publication. I also thought [the item] was on the 17th [of March],” she said. “Anyone can call and verify that information.”

Yet Schicker maintains that the board has instructed her that the draft agendas are “not for publication or discussion.”

Bruce Buel could not be reached for comment and was in court all morning on Wednesday, where the CSD was filing a demurrer to dismiss a lawsuit of the Concerned Citizens of Los Osos vs. the LOCSD and the State Coastal Commission.

In an ongoing quest to uncover public records, Director Schicker has spent several weeks trying to obtain a copy of Hensley’s spending records from fiscal year 2004-05. In the past nine months, Hensley has made numerous trips to meetings in Monterey, Washington, D.C., and Southern California on behalf of the CSD.

“Every other board member has a credit card file — with a zero balance or a spending record,” Schicker explained. “It’s quite possible that Gordon [Hensley] didn’t spend anything, but he’s got files for every other year he’s been there.”

The general manager’s office has repeatedly asked Schicker to stop wasting its time, and told her that there are no such records. Buel insists that his office is too busy to waste its valuable time on these frivolous requests. But Schicker explained that it would only take a few minutes to call and request copies of the zero-balance credit card bills, and it should be worth those few minutes to prove to the community that Director Schicker is being frivolous and unreasonable.

Directors Hensley and LeGros and President Gustafson are all three the target of a board recall campaign. STD leads the opposition to this recall. General Manager Buel is expected to remain neutral on the issue, although he has a history of collaborating with Pandora Nash-Karner, who directs the pro-sewer, “move forward” interest group. Tacker and Schicker have also distanced themselves from the recall movement, but the two minority members enjoy wide support from the recall proponents.

Gail McPherson, one of the chief
organizers of the recall, has reported that the campaign has already collected more than the 2,000 signatures needed to put the initiative on the ballot. As the April 15 deadline approaches, McPherson says that the group is continuing to collect signatures as a safety cushion before turning in the petitions.

McPherson has always maintained that “The recall is not about the sewer,” but that this is just one example of poor planning and fiduciary irresponsibility on the part of the current CSD.

Now I would hate to slander or libel any members of the board, but I would like to know why they are so married to this plan, in the face of vociferous community objections to it's design and location, why the feel it necessary to obstruct and undermine our new members, and if, say, any of them own property here that would benefit from a build-out of vacant property and replacement of current housing with multi-million dollar homes. But I'm probably just being cynical.

Comments

[Ellen]

Ah, but Jerry, I bet the "STD" group has much more fun!

On another note... GO Julie!!!

[Jerry]

Fun?! Oh, hell, yes!!A local discussion board was started that they have basicly taken over. Check the link if you want to read some of the most ignorant rantings of all time. I especially like the one in which an opponent is attacked for his weight and balding. Get a chuckle from these posts by the mentally challenged here!

[Ellen]

Jerry, maybe all their STD's will cause brain damage eventually...

[Jerry]

Snerk! Are you suggesting that some nasty venereal disease might be eating at their brains?!

[Ellen]

Well Jerry, they ARE the STD group... I for one, will still think of them as the VD group, but if they prefer the more modern and politically correct initials of STD, that's okay. It's all the same, right? And, they appear to be brain-damaged.

Happy Easter, Jerry!

[Jerry]

Yep, stage 4 syphillus has that effect!

[cookie]

huh?

[Jerry]

Sorry...guess this takes too much background to appreciate the greed and mendacity.

[cookie]

No, I think stage 4 syphillus is setting in.

[Jerry]

No really! I have lived here for 23 years, and the whole mess predates me by a decade. The ammount of history of all the intrigue, manipulation, mendacity, science and science fiction and politics that circle this situation like a flock of vultures, or or a coven of realtors (both have been spotted feeding heartily) begs far more than my little post to appreciate. I was just really ticked when I wrote ite it, and was venting more than informing, I think...though it is soooo contemporary Republican.

As the lady said, "Well, this is just a little Peyton Place and you're all Harper Valley hypocrites"

(Oh, and sorry about the syphillus thing...shouldn't have mentioned it if you really want to mud-wrestle ricky!)

[Slutty Drunk Teens]

any news coming ?

[Crimson Moon Spanking]

yeah.. amazing thoughts..