On February 25, President Barack Obama met with congressional Democrats and Republicans for his bipartisan health care summit. For almost a year, both political parties sparred in seemingly countless, heated debates. Increasingly, the debates became more personal and polarizing due in part to the rise of the Tea Party and health insurance lobbyists funding conservative grassroots movements across the country. At one point, it became certain that the discussion became so complicated that it would take a widely broadcasted, public meeting of Democrats and Republicans to seek a consensus — or at least make the effort to show how divisive the debate has become. By the end of the summit, Obama thought the effort was worthwhile even though the majority of Republicans in attendance were in favor of completely scrapping the current health care bill.
In Los Osos, the lines are drawn as clearly as the partisan lines that we see in Washington D.C.
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Another Brick in the Wall
Posted on 04. Mar, 2010 by Aaron.
The Tribune’s Bob Cuddy has not stepped into Los Osos deeply enough to gauge public opinion regarding the wastewater project. In his article on March 2, Cuddy reported that Chairman Mecham is no longer allowing a “special speaking time” for Los Osos since it detracts from other board business. Where’s the comments from the sewer critics? Take that, journalism! Since Cuddy wouldn’t elaborate on the finer details, we’ll discuss them here.
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County Revokes Transparency
Posted on 03. Mar, 2010 by Aaron.
Pull the curtains. Draw the shades. The issue of transparency is no longer playing a part in the Los Osos wastewater project. Why? Is the $165 million sewer, to be paid for by only 4,500 homeowners, not an issue that beckons the need for San Luis Obispo County government to be open, honest and forthcoming with this selected group of homeowners? November 2009 was the last month that included a project update that was publicly considered by your board. December 15th was the last time County Public Works wrote something about the wastewater project on their blog. It would seem like the project has vanished into thin air — as if the issue is over and done with, as least as far as Board of Supervisors Chairman Frank Mecham and his crew are concerned. How is that even possible? By what brand of logic?
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Tsunami Advisory for February 27, 2010
Posted on 27. Feb, 2010 by Aaron.
The San Luis Obispo County coastline is under a tsunami advisory, meaning that an actual tsunami is possible after a magnitude 8 earthquake hit Chile earlier today — so please be advised. Stay away from the beaches. If there is a tsunami, the sandspit will likely not protect your home from damage if you live by the Los Osos bay area. Stay away from the beaches and marinas in Morro Bay and Cayucos. Hopefully, if there’s no tsunami, expect strong currents in the water.
UPDATE (7:22 PM PST): A high surf advisory will remain in effect until 9:00 PM, but the advisory warning is no longer in effect for the area. Still, it’s best to stay away from the beaches and marinas until 9:00 PM.
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Wolcott-Blakeslee in the White House in 2012?
Posted on 21. Feb, 2010 by Aaron.
It’s not too late to get some of the best candidates to throw their bonnets and hats into the ring against Obama in 2012. The Razor believes new blood is needed in the next campaign, that is if Republicans are really committed to defeating the leftist coup now operating out of the West Wing. We believe that California offers a ticket that can’t be beat. To head the ticket, Barbara Wolcott should run for President of the United States in 2012. Wolcott wrote a book (“Small Town Perfect Storm: The Los Osos Sewer Saga”) that was so objective and amazingly accurate, she simply must run for President. Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee would make a terrific vice presidential candidate or a candidate for any office that has the word “vice” in it. Blakeslee has achieved icon status on the Central Coast for making it a law that 4,500+ homes in Los Osos’ so-called “Prohibition Zone” are polluting and need to pay for a $200 million sewer. His “Money Is Green” job initiative to levy new “green” energy taxes on homeowners is another example of his altruism.
Here are the Wolcott-Blakeslee positions on the key issues in a nutshell.
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Chris Allebe: Tribute to a Straight Shooter
Posted on 14. Feb, 2010 by Aaron.
At one of Supervisor Bruce Gibson’s office hours last year, I saw Christopher Allebe take a seat in the back of the room. He leaned his chair back against the wall while Richard Margetson chided Gibson on his rebuke of Los Osos public comment. After Margetson finished speaking, Allebe took a long sigh, looked in Gibson’s eyes and said to him tersely, “You know, I don’t appreciate our rights being taken away, Mr. Gibson. You don’t want to listen to us, do ya? That’s not right.” When Allebe said that to Gibson, I thought about John Wayne when he said, “A man ought to do what he thinks is right” (Hondo, 1953). Like Wayne, Allebe had a unique, “no-holds-barred” western swagger that left his political adversaries shaken -- but those who knew him best recognized him for his gentle soul and his unwavering sense of justice.
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“Reclamator” Man Sues Everybody
Posted on 10. Feb, 2010 by Aaron.
Rebuffed by Los Osos and the courts of San Luis Obispo County, urban wastewater cowboy Tom Murphy, proprietor of “The Reclamator” onsite system, is back pawing familiar ground and has turned himself into a perpetual suit-filing machine. His target for the new year: Everybody.
Holed up in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Murphy has been firing off rounds of lawyerless suits in federal courts against the federal government, the EPA, the State of California, and Lake Havasu City. Filing suits is nothing new for Murphy – it’s always been his calling card — but he may have already played all his cards and used up his suit quota for 2010 just in January and February alone.
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New Feature: Chat on The Razor
Posted on 09. Feb, 2010 by Aaron.
The Razor has introduced a new way to get in touch with other readers. We have a new chat taskbar that appears on the bottom of your screen. You can readily chat with guests who are reading the blog. We will also have scheduled chats with The ROCK and The Razor editorial team. Dates are to be announced, but if you see one of the staff members online, don’t hesitate to say, “Hello!”
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Tea Party Loses Steam
Posted on 06. Feb, 2010 by Aaron.
The Tea Party movement has not done much to raise awareness of specific issues that regularly affect millions of Americans. Instead of issuing a reasonable, thoughtful rebuttal of President Barack Obama’s policies, Tea Party supporters have been preoccupied with producing a fearful caricature of Obama as a “committed socialist idealogue,” a Leftist Leviathan who will do everything in his power to destroy the Constitution. At least, that’s according to Former Congressman and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo, who spoke to an audience at the first-ever Tea Party Convention in Nashville.
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Gibson’s Costly Arrogance
Posted on 25. Jan, 2010 by Aaron.
In a Tribune viewpoint penned by SLO County Supervisor Bruce Gibson on Jan. 25, Gibson had a mixed reaction to the California Coastal Commission’s overriding 7-5 vote to dismiss staff recommendation, calling their vote “disappointing and encouraging.” Those mixed messages require some translation to get at the root meaning of his Viewpoint comments:
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News From The ROCK
- LOCSD President Ochylski Decides to Run Against Gibson for 2nd District Supervisor’s Seat
- 'Reclamator' Man Sues Everybody
- COASTAL COMMISSION HAS MORE ‘SUBSTANTIAL ISSUES’ WITH SEWER PROJECT THAN COUNTY ADMITS
- County’s Omissions, Gaps and Lies Force Coastal Commission Hearing on Unresolved Sewer Issues
- COUNTY’S SEWER PROJECT TIMELINE DELAYED MONTHS
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