Response to Ann Garfinkel

October 17, 2008 by Aaron

It was very nice of Mrs. Garfinkel to take the time and clarify a few things for me.

The problem is that I’ve never seen a debate before that did not allow the audience to ask questions about particular subjects. I can understand the argument, “Why should we talk about the Los Osos wastewater project? It’s in the County’s hands for the most part.” I agree, but I think the issue is relevant to the candidates. Three out of the five candidates are members of TAC, an advisory group that consists of Los Osos community members. Their mission is to objectively screen the design, location and other technical aspects regarding the Los Osos wastewater project.

I think it’s definitely fair game to be asked about the candidate’s administrative experiences regarding TAC. I believe it’s very important to see where they are coming from on that issue because they will be serving as the community’s liason — a role that has been diminished due to AB 2701 — regarding the project.

About Aaron

Originally from Santa Monica, California, law student and musician Aaron Ochs (b. 1984) is Managing Editor of The ROCK, a newspaper covering California's Central Coast.

Prior to the launch of The ROCK, Ochs was a regular contributor to local politics in Los Osos, California, actively providing input and analysis of controversial topics such as the Los Osos wastewater project. Ochs has also garnered attention for being a vocal supporter for the Democratic Party and Barack Obama during his presidential bid.

Since 2005, Ochs has run a small graphic and web design business from his home. As co-founder of OchsStudios, he has worked on several web sites including the Central Coast Green Cooperate and former Los Osos Community Services District board member candidate Karen Venditti. He has also done several ad designs for local businesses on the Central Coast.

Ron

Hello Aaron,

Interesting stuff. Nice job.

Something sure does smell fishy here, huh?

Here are some questions I have:

Ann never answered your excellent question: Who made the “unusual request” in the first place? Where did that “request” originate from? It must have come from someone. So, who?

Also, is Ann Garfinkel related to TAC, chair, Bill Garfinkel?

I’d also be interested in Ann’s answer to this question, that you touched on:

“Has that ever happened in any other LWV sponsored debate — where one subject was off-limits? If so, what was it?

Finally, there seems to be some discrepancy on whether the request came from a letter?

Ann says it didn’t. You say it did.

What’s the deal there?

If it came from a letter, I’ll get a copy of it.
Ron

Hello Aaron,Interesting stuff. Nice job.Something sure does smell fishy here, huh?Here are some questions I have:Ann never answered your excellent question: Who made the “unusual request” in the first place? Where did that “request” originate from? It must have come from someone. So, who?Also, is Ann Garfinkel related to TAC, chair, Bill Garfinkel?I’d also be interested in Ann’s answer to this question, that you touched on:”Has that ever happened in any other LWV sponsored debate — where one subject was off-limits? If so, what was it?Finally, there seems to be some discrepancy on whether the request came from a letter?Ann says it didn’t. You say it did.What’s the deal there?If it came from a letter, I’ll get a copy of it.
Aaron

Hi Ron.

Ann never answered your excellent question: Who made the “unusual request” in the first place? Where did that “request” originate from? It must have come from someone. So, who?

I was told that it was Ann, herself, that issued the request. Her response was ambiguous in that regard. I was hoping for Ann to tell me whether it was an informed decision to omit wastewater questions from the debate or if she was the only one who made that decision.

Also, is Ann Garfinkel related to TAC, chair, Bill Garfinkel?

Yes, Ann Garfinkel is Bill’s wife. Conflict of interest maybe?

“Has that ever happened in any other LWV sponsored debate — where one subject was off-limits? If so, what was it?

To be honest with you, I’m not sure. My knowledge only pertains to Los Osos candidates forum and I don’t recall any particular subject being omitted from audience questions.

Personally, I find that to be a tad subjective because there may have been things that were said, pertaining to wastewater issues, that could make or break a candidate.

“Finally, there seems to be some discrepancy on whether the request came from a letter?”

Ann says there wasn’t a letter. It was basically part of the moderator’s opening statement.

There will be more communication going back and forth with the LWV because it is an interesting issue.
Aaron

Hi Ron.Ann never answered your excellent question: Who made the “unusual request” in the first place? Where did that “request” originate from? It must have come from someone. So, who?I was told that it was Ann, herself, that issued the request. Her response was ambiguous in that regard. I was hoping for Ann to tell me whether it was an informed decision to omit wastewater questions from the debate or if she was the only one who made that decision.Also, is Ann Garfinkel related to TAC, chair, Bill Garfinkel?Yes, Ann Garfinkel is Bill’s wife. Conflict of interest maybe?“Has that ever happened in any other LWV sponsored debate — where one subject was off-limits? If so, what was it?To be honest with you, I’m not sure. My knowledge only pertains to Los Osos candidates forum and I don’t recall any particular subject being omitted from audience questions.Personally, I find that to be a tad subjective because there may have been things that were said, pertaining to wastewater issues, that could make or break a candidate.“Finally, there seems to be some discrepancy on whether the request came from a letter?”Ann says there wasn’t a letter. It was basically part of the moderator’s opening statement.There will be more communication going back and forth with the LWV because it is an interesting issue.
Alon Perlman

Aaron,
Congratulations on the earlier launching of your blog, thank you for the questioning and the well composed letter.
I have comments regarding some statements in your letter.

My Campaign’s official position is that the Alon Perlman for LOCSD campaign is satisfied, and thankful with the LWV involvement in the Forum and I thank the League, its leadership, and its volunteers, who gave up their free time for something they believe in.
This will not change.

From a technical prespective, more grist for your mill;
I did read the response, by the official representative of the League of women voters. I believe it suffers in that “prior” would have needed to state “Immediately prior to the start of the forum and communicated simultaneously to all Candidate participants”. But then, how well were these fine people prepared for the vagaries of blogspace.

At this time the “appearance” of impropriety question remains, etc.. who first thought of the restriction, and did they discuss or share that information with others, who in turn may had gotten that information to a Candidate(s).

As for your comment within the letter “Not only was the audience, as well as at least three of the candidates, surprised by this last-minute announcement”
I consider myself the least surprised candidate, and I do object to being lumped into categories. I also object to the “at least three” format. In this election in particular, that “Framing” has only tended to confuse the voters and mislead the innocent.
At this point I doubt you will be sued for slander by either Maria or Marshall, even though I do believe those are the remaining two whom you meant as unsurprised. “Not only was the audience, as well as at least three of the candidates, surprised by this last-minute announcement” 5-2=3

I was about to review your analysis of the debate before posting my unique Post-Graduate level preparation technique next paragraph below.
I wanted to see the valuable feedback I hoped would be there. Unfortunately Mr. Duggan and myself must had done extremely well to deserve the distinction of not being mentioned anywhere (as candidates (I do not speak for Double D)) in your blog.
This does change things and will be resulting in another post to your site regarding the TAC administrative experience of the unmentionables.

I was not surprised by changes in the format. I had prepared for this debate/ forum by pulling a large stack of Veldt Grass in Sweet Springs (THE PRESERVE, NOT THE DRINKING ESTABLISHMENT), in the days before. Other than that, I assumed there would be surprises, and expected the unexpected.
my only other preparation, Other then 180 units at Sewerwars university, was to adopt the mindset of the greatest military strategist of all time, a foreigner who went by the decidedly unamerican name of Mohandas Karamchand

“May your virtual house be filled to the rafters with posts and comments, and may the sages from far away electronic villages, point their referring links to your house.
Ancient traditional middle eastern blessing. Sultan Al Wazir (full quotation later)
Alon Perlman

Aaron, Congratulations on the earlier launching of your blog, thank you for the questioning and the well composed letter. I have comments regarding some statements in your letter.My Campaign’s official position is that the Alon Perlman for LOCSD campaign is satisfied, and thankful with the LWV involvement in the Forum and I thank the League, its leadership, and its volunteers, who gave up their free time for something they believe in.This will not change.From a technical prespective, more grist for your mill;I did read the response, by the official representative of the League of women voters. I believe it suffers in that “prior” would have needed to state “Immediately prior to the start of the forum and communicated simultaneously to all Candidate participants”. But then, how well were these fine people prepared for the vagaries of blogspace.At this time the “appearance” of impropriety question remains, etc.. who first thought of the restriction, and did they discuss or share that information with others, who in turn may had gotten that information to a Candidate(s).As for your comment within the letter “Not only was the audience, as well as at least three of the candidates, surprised by this last-minute announcement” I consider myself the least surprised candidate, and I do object to being lumped into categories. I also object to the “at least three” format. In this election in particular, that “Framing” has only tended to confuse the voters and mislead the innocent.At this point I doubt you will be sued for slander by either Maria or Marshall, even though I do believe those are the remaining two whom you meant as unsurprised. “Not only was the audience, as well as at least three of the candidates, surprised by this last-minute announcement” 5-2=3I was about to review your analysis of the debate before posting my unique Post-Graduate level preparation technique next paragraph below.I wanted to see the valuable feedback I hoped would be there. Unfortunately Mr. Duggan and myself must had done extremely well to deserve the distinction of not being mentioned anywhere (as candidates (I do not speak for Double D)) in your blog.This does change things and will be resulting in another post to your site regarding the TAC administrative experience of the unmentionables.I was not surprised by changes in the format. I had prepared for this debate/ forum by pulling a large stack of Veldt Grass in Sweet Springs (THE PRESERVE, NOT THE DRINKING ESTABLISHMENT), in the days before. Other than that, I assumed there would be surprises, and expected the unexpected.my only other preparation, Other then 180 units at Sewerwars university, was to adopt the mindset of the greatest military strategist of all time, a foreigner who went by the decidedly unamerican name of Mohandas Karamchand“May your virtual house be filled to the rafters with posts and comments, and may the sages from far away electronic villages, point their referring links to your house.Ancient traditional middle eastern blessing. Sultan Al Wazir (full quotation later)
Ron

Aaron wrote:

“I was told that it was Ann, herself, that issued the request.”

and;

“Yes, Ann Garfinkel is Bill’s wife. Conflict of interest maybe?”

Well, well, well. Lookie what we have here. We’re going to have to get to the bottom of this, eh?

Los Osos is the best!

A quick reminder seems appropriate here: TAC boss, and SLO County public works director, Paavo Ogren, was hired by the initial LOCSD Board, that included Nash-Karner, Hensley and Gustafson, as the interim GM in early 1999, to shepherd their dead-on-arrival, “better, cheaper, faster” project that was solely responsible for forming the CSD in the first place.

I wrote about that at this link:

http://sewerwatch.blogspot.com/2008/03/quick-look-at-bruce-gibsons-job.html

(Always important to note: Before “better, cheaper, faster” came along, two previous attempts to form a CSD in the 90s in Los Osos failed at the ballot box.)

Yep, Ogren, the boss of the TAC, was hired by Nash-Karner, Hensley and Gustafson in 1999. And, now, the wife of the TAC’s chair, as “President” of the local LWV is popping out, according to her, an “unusual request” that the sewer be off limits at a debate?

Uhhhhh… oh yea, we’re going to have to get to the bottom of this.

Excellent job, Aaron.
Ron

Aaron wrote:“I was told that it was Ann, herself, that issued the request.”and;“Yes, Ann Garfinkel is Bill’s wife. Conflict of interest maybe?”Well, well, well. Lookie what we have here. We’re going to have to get to the bottom of this, eh?Los Osos is the best!A quick reminder seems appropriate here: TAC boss, and SLO County public works director, Paavo Ogren, was hired by the initial LOCSD Board, that included Nash-Karner, Hensley and Gustafson, as the interim GM in early 1999, to shepherd their dead-on-arrival, “better, cheaper, faster” project that was solely responsible for forming the CSD in the first place.I wrote about that at this link:http://sewerwatch.blogspot.com/2008/03/quick-look-at-bruce-gibsons-job.html(Always important to note: Before “better, cheaper, faster” came along, two previous attempts to form a CSD in the 90s in Los Osos failed at the ballot box.)Yep, Ogren, the boss of the TAC, was hired by Nash-Karner, Hensley and Gustafson in 1999. And, now, the wife of the TAC’s chair, as “President” of the local LWV is popping out, according to her, an “unusual request” that the sewer be off limits at a debate?Uhhhhh… oh yea, we’re going to have to get to the bottom of this.Excellent job, Aaron.
Aaron

Alon:

I am thankful that the candidates were prepared for the request. It’s always healthy to expect the unexpected.

I did not intent to lump anyone into “categories.” I had mentioned that three of the five candidates were members of TAC and their leadership qualities should be examined by what they’ve done on TAC, however I believe that everyone should be allowed to attribute past experiences to emphasize on strengths and weaknesses — not attacks, not diversions.

I was not aware that I was potentially liable for slander by Maria and Marshall. Would you like to clarify on how I would be liable given the opinions I already expressed?

The reason I did not mention you in the analysis, Alon, is that there weren’t any highlights that could make or break your candidacy. In other words, you were a solid candidate like Dave Duggan. My only critique is that you should rehearse your lines extemporaneously so that your statements are crystal clear.

Ron:

I appreciate the daily dose of history. It puts everything into perspective.

This morning, I recalled that Bill Garfinkel, chairman of TAC, had used similar language that was mentioned in the LWV’s request. Back when TAC started, at one of the first meetings, Garfinkel said something very similar to, “The selection and construction of the sewer project is under the jurisdiction of the County.”

So that throws one thing into question: who really wrote that request? If that request was really done by Bill Garfinkel himself, is it possible that the TAC members had some notice before the request was officially brought to their attention? I’m not going to speculate. I don’t know, but it doesn’t hurt to wonder.

I did not live in Los Osos in ’99, but from what I’ve seen in terms of CSD documents, Paavo Ogren played a very integral role on the board. Now Ogren is overseeing the Los Osos wastewater project. In my opinion, that cuts things a little close in terms of objectivity.

Thanks for your comments, Ron and Alon.
Aaron

Alon:I am thankful that the candidates were prepared for the request. It’s always healthy to expect the unexpected.I did not intent to lump anyone into “categories.” I had mentioned that three of the five candidates were members of TAC and their leadership qualities should be examined by what they’ve done on TAC, however I believe that everyone should be allowed to attribute past experiences to emphasize on strengths and weaknesses — not attacks, not diversions.I was not aware that I was potentially liable for slander by Maria and Marshall. Would you like to clarify on how I would be liable given the opinions I already expressed?The reason I did not mention you in the analysis, Alon, is that there weren’t any highlights that could make or break your candidacy. In other words, you were a solid candidate like Dave Duggan. My only critique is that you should rehearse your lines extemporaneously so that your statements are crystal clear.Ron:I appreciate the daily dose of history. It puts everything into perspective.This morning, I recalled that Bill Garfinkel, chairman of TAC, had used similar language that was mentioned in the LWV’s request. Back when TAC started, at one of the first meetings, Garfinkel said something very similar to, “The selection and construction of the sewer project is under the jurisdiction of the County.”So that throws one thing into question: who really wrote that request? If that request was really done by Bill Garfinkel himself, is it possible that the TAC members had some notice before the request was officially brought to their attention? I’m not going to speculate. I don’t know, but it doesn’t hurt to wonder.I did not live in Los Osos in ’99, but from what I’ve seen in terms of CSD documents, Paavo Ogren played a very integral role on the board. Now Ogren is overseeing the Los Osos wastewater project. In my opinion, that cuts things a little close in terms of objectivity. Thanks for your comments, Ron and Alon.
Alon Perlman

Aaron
please delete earlier comment which had some duplicated language.
___________________________________
Thank you Aaron for the feedback. The Libel Lawsuit comment was in jest. Good response, I learned from it.
I owe it to those who voted for me already (and I don’t know how many) to put my name out there when relevant and this was relevant.
I will submit to you a link in this message relating to TAC audience participation, it is also possible to paste into google, the following
site:www.slocounty.ca.gov “alon” tac lowwp

if you change “alon” to “duggan” or any other relevant name
you will see comparable results between us in our participation and that is consistent with your analysis of our “solid” candidacies
I hope the voters find also in favor of my total depth and body of work, including Sierra club and other endorsements, LOCAC membership (elected) including dealing with the land use issues of this community in the past 2 1/2 years. But, I am not concerned to be in a race with qualified candidates, as this election process should be good for Los Osos.
Thank you for hosting
Alon Perlman, LOCSD Candidate

Alon TAC involvement and experience

Dave TAC involvement and experience
Alon Perlman

Aaronplease delete earlier comment which had some duplicated language.___________________________________Thank you Aaron for the feedback. The Libel Lawsuit comment was in jest. Good response, I learned from it.I owe it to those who voted for me already (and I don’t know how many) to put my name out there when relevant and this was relevant.I will submit to you a link in this message relating to TAC audience participation, it is also possible to paste into google, the following site:www.slocounty.ca.gov “alon” tac lowwpif you change “alon” to “duggan” or any other relevant nameyou will see comparable results between us in our participation and that is consistent with your analysis of our “solid” candidaciesI hope the voters find also in favor of my total depth and body of work, including Sierra club and other endorsements, LOCAC membership (elected) including dealing with the land use issues of this community in the past 2 1/2 years. But, I am not concerned to be in a race with qualified candidates, as this election process should be good for Los Osos.Thank you for hosting Alon Perlman, LOCSD Candidate Alon TAC involvement and experience Dave TAC involvement and experience
Aaron

Thank you for those links, Alon. I’ve read most of the minutes.

I’m preparing a new entry to address all of the latest content brought to my attention.
Aaron

Thank you for those links, Alon. I’ve read most of the minutes.I’m preparing a new entry to address all of the latest content brought to my attention.