By Aaron Ochs, on January 16th, 2012%
 Los Osos Internet Troll promotes "healing" This report is based on research that tracked online activity of Los Osos residents since the 2005 recall elections, which effectively stopped the controversial wastewater project on the Tri-W site. The recall was followed by a handful of lawsuits filed by contractors and a local group run by two of the three recalled district board members. Online, there was outcry from anonymous residents who — for more than five years — have conspired to undermine the “obstructionists” who were in support of recall efforts. Their campaign against the “obstructionists” persists to the present.
“Check this out. This is scary,” wrote former Los Osos Community Services District president Lisa Schicker to supporters in July 2006. Elected in November 2004 as a candidate who fought for an “affordable, environmentally superior sewer project,” Mrs. Schicker provided a link in her e-mail to comments made about her by anonymous pseudonyms on a message board operated by The Tribune.
Continue reading The Los Osos Sewer Wars: Fought in Cyberspace →
By Aaron Ochs, on December 21st, 2011%
 Saltwater intrusion ignored On December 13, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved a $7.6 million contract to HDR Engineering, a Nebraska-based global firm that would provide construction management services for the Los Osos wastewater project. This came after District 2 Supervisor Bruce Gibson assailed the project opposition for being “irrelevant” and “in denial” in comments that weren’t directly related to the contract itself.
While the costs continue to rise for the project — despite assurances from County Public Works that they are working within their $174 million budget — the project is once again overshadowed by Gibson’s draconian provocations, and the County’s callous unwillingness to look at the social and environmental impacts that Prohibition Zone homeowners would have to face and ultimately pay to mitigate. The last BOS meeting of the year ended on a note of defiance from the board, with no legitimate reason for them to do so other than to lay down a smokescreen to obscure the many questions and concerns they left unanswered.
Continue reading Gibson Calls Saving Millions “Irrelevant” →
By Aaron, on December 6th, 2011%
 Do not cut these trees down! Los Osos environmental activist Joey Racano weighs in on the controversy surrounding the Morro Coast Audubon Society’s plans to remove Eucalyptus trees from the Sweet Springs Nature Preserve.
As misunderstood as King Kong and standing nearly twice as tall, the Eucalyptus of California is alive and well, and living in Sweet Springs Nature Preserve. There are as many varieties of Eucalyptus as there are flavors at Baskin Robbins, with names like Blue Gum, Wooly Butt and Black Peppermint. As with many trees inhabiting present-day California, the Eucalyptus originated elsewhere, and some, like the Black Peppermint, grow taller in their native lands. There are some who disparage the mighty Eucalyptus, branding her an alien, an invasive, a weed to be eradicated. But like it or not, this tree is now part of our ecosystem, and causing us to redefine the word native.
Continue reading Don’t Disparage the Mighty Eucalyptus →
By Aaron Ochs, on November 28th, 2011%
Everyone in the County agrees that the opposition to the County’s planned Los Osos wastewater project is a stubborn bunch of watchdogs. And it’s true. They are.
Because of their unyielding tenacity to present the sewer as a problem on a weekly basis, they have become political fodder for project supporters and outside observers who believe the project should be moving forward.
They have also been accused of desperately cajoling officials into investigating scandals. Scandals between contractors, their own employees, and the relationships between employees and individuals with special interests, any weak link in the chain that is also somehow in some way connected to the Los Osos sewer.
Continue reading Breaking Down the Fragmentation →
By Aaron Ochs, on November 18th, 2011%
 Popcorn Politics (Original photo by the New Times) UPDATE (December 23): According to the RCLO web site, Marshall Ochylski was removed from the board of directors roster.
After our article about ReCreate Los Osos was published, many residents came forward to raise concerns about the non-profit organization, their intentions, and the mystery surrounding the group’s formation. Here is some more information about the organization and its founders.
Continue reading UPDATE: Say “No!” to ReCreate LO →
By Aaron Ochs, on November 9th, 2011%
 Free the Tornatzky Six? Not another “healing” group! At least that’s what they claim to be. Razor Online took a closer look to see who’s “healing” who.
This year, Taxpayers Watch ReCreate Los Osos made its debut during this year’s Oktoberfest. RCLO is the newest in a long line of local non-profits in Los Osos that have aimed to “heal the rifts in the community” that have been caused by the wastewater project controversy.
Continue reading ReCreate Tri-W →
By Aaron Ochs, on November 7th, 2011%
 The evil engineers of division Razor Online has an exclusive report, detailing a large-scale operation by County officials to discredit Los Osos wastewater project dissent in never-before-seen detail.
When San Luis Obispo County Public Works Director Paavo Ogren attended a town hall meeting on June 19, 2007, he was asked by a resident about working with Dana Ripley of Ripley Pacific Company and the STEP/STEG collection system. He calmly told the resident, “Personally, I’m not a fan of that technology. Besides, [Ripley] and his project is more or less absurd. I don’t want to work with him, and… so what’s the point in complaining, right? We just follow the process. I just do what I’m told.
“It’s part of the game.”
Continue reading Inside The County Sewer ‘Game’ →
By Ed Ochs, on October 31st, 2011%
 Your host for disaster. Welcome to the “Great Seismic Disaster Game,” the only game show in America where you spin the Seismic Wheel of Misfortune and, if you live in Los Osos, you lose your home no matter what!
Continue reading The Wheel of Misfortune →
By Aaron Ochs, on October 20th, 2011%
 New Times sticks it to Los Osos On Thursday, the New Times’ Shredder doubled down on criticism about Los Osos residents, and mentioned Razor Online in a particularly unflattering light.
Continue reading New Times ‘Lame’ Identity Crisis →
By Aaron Ochs, on October 18th, 2011%
Chairman Hill,
I’ve written several articles about your conduct, and I strongly suspect that you’ve read them all. There’s no need to rehash the subject matter. It’s already been ingrained into your consciousness — so let’s cut to the chase.
You broke the law.
Continue reading An Open Letter to Adam Hill →
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