By Aaron Ochs, on October 14th, 2011%
 But did he read the book? UPDATE (10/16): Adam Hill issued a response to Los Osos resident Bo Cooper, which read, “Certainly Linde can make her comments without resorting to ugly personal statements about staff and their personal lives. Mostly she is able to avoid that sort of thing, as are most of her fellow speakers. I don’t think this a matter of legalistic retreat; I think it’s a matter of decency and civility. Of course so many vile things can be defended under the hazy banner of what’s democratic. To each his or her own.” Naturally, this earned a response from Cooper. Read it here (PDF).
SLO County Board of Supervisors chairman Adam Hill cut Los Osos resident Linde Owen‘s microphone during her public comment at last Tuesday’s meeting, creating an uproar in the community that has led to investigations against Hill for constitutional violations. Following the outcry, the New Times’ “Shredder” took the opportunity to tell residents to “shut up.”
Continue reading Hill, New Times’ Shameful “Shut Up Los Osos!” Campaign →
By Aaron Ochs, on October 5th, 2011%
 General Grant leads the Uncivil War. UPDATE (9:50 AM): Jim Grant has issued a response to his timing of the report’s release. He tells Razor Online, “As I publicly stated Tuesday before making my statement, I had originally intended to report out after closed session in the afternoon but after thinking about it I thought it more appropriate to report out during the Public Comment period in the morning. There were a number Los Osos residents that were in attendance that are interested in the wastewater project and I knew they would be interested in my review and evaluation of the alleged conflict of interest. I also stated that, if needed, I would repeat my comments in the afternoon.”
When San Luis Obispo County Administrator Jim Grant dismissed the conflict of interest allegations involving Public Works Director Paavo Ogren and former LOCSD director Maria Kelly, there was outrage from members of the public who waited until the afternoon to speak on the issue. In an e-mail written to The Tribune sent on September 30, Grant told the newspaper, “It is my intention to report out after closed session.” Instead, Grant presented his findings in the morning after Los Osos residents had already provided public comment. Some have said Grant did this as an attempt to thwart protests in the afternoon.
Continue reading Ogren Investigation a PR Disaster →
By Aaron Ochs, on October 4th, 2011%
 Time to tie the knot? San Luis Obispo County Administrator Jim Grant has thoroughly dismissed the allegations of conflict of interest between Public Works Director Paavo Ogren and former Los Osos Community Services District director Maria Kelly as having “no factual basis” during the morning portion of Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Grant listed each facet of the investigation that he focused on, and stated unequivocally that Ogren was cleared of conflict of interest on all allegations raised by the local media.
Continue reading Ogren Investigation Falls Short →
By Aaron Ochs, on September 19th, 2011%
 Is anybody home? On October 13, 2010, I wrote an article titled “Get The Facts: Ring Paavo’s Doorbell,” which was understandably controversial. The controversy reached a fever pitch when I took on local radio host Dave Congalton, who wrote an article about it. Since then, I spent time objectively analyzing the overall job performance of the County, and their responsiveness to concerns surrounding the Los Osos wastewater project.
Continue reading ‘Ring Paavo’s Doorbell’ — One Year Later →
By Aaron Ochs, on August 26th, 2011%
 "They did it to themselves." I often listen and read what Los Osos residents have to say regarding the sewer. There has been plenty of articles and discussions hosted on this site that give many of our readers a very clear idea of our positions — but there has been little to no coverage of the diverse opinions expressed by residents. The sewer controversy has been alive and kicking for more than 30 years, and many people have a lot to say about it.
However, there are some Los Osos residents who cannot live with the idea that there is disagreement, that there is this groundswell of discontent that has become a mainstay of this current incarnation of the project. There is this bizarre belief that “one side” is completely right, the “other side” is completely wrong — and anyone discussing the very existence of gray shades is viciously harassed by misanthropic, self-serving sewer pundits who actually believe that the people of Los Osos “did it to themselves.”
Continue reading Dividing Los Osos →
By Ed Ochs, on August 22nd, 2011%
 The USDA Cash Cow With federal dollars drying up, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is lending San Luis Obispo County $86 million with willful blindness to its own policies and the truth about the County’s unaffordable and hazardous $200 million Los Osos wastewater project.
Despite all eyes in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. focusing on federal deficit reductions, the USDA continues to act as poster child for federal agency ineptness and reckless spending of taxpayer money, not to mention the devastating costs for thousands of Los Osos homeowners paying off the loan with interest over 40 years.
Continue reading USDA Loan Underwrites County Waste →
By Aaron Ochs, on August 11th, 2011%
 Mr. Katchoman Strikes Again The County doesn’t want you to think about Maria Kelly and Paavo Ogren.
County Public Works unveiled an ace up their sleeve at the SLO County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, August 9. Public Works’ John Waddell told board members during public comment that on August 4 Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 1125. 1125, which was introduced by former BOS supervisor Katcho Achadjian, is a supplement to State Senator Sam Blakeslee’s AB2701 that allows the County to “develop a program that would offset the assessments and charges adopted by the county for very low and low-income households with outside funds, including grants.”
Continue reading Unaffordibility Assistance Falls Short →
By Aaron Ochs, on July 20th, 2011%
Though she had no power or authority over the Los Osos wastewater project during her tenure on the board, former Los Osos Community Services Director Maria Kelly may have promoted the Los Osos wastewater project on her boyfriend’s — County Public Works’ Paavo Ogren — behalf through election campaigning, word-of-mouth at various community events, and progressive board action that allowed a controversial contractor to participate in the wastewater project. Given the seemingly lopsided results of the Proposition 218 assessment and the community survey, the County of San Luis Obispo benefited from her free marketing.
Continue reading The County’s Manchurian Sewer Candidate →
By Aaron Ochs, on July 13th, 2011%
 Now playing at LOCSD funhouse CORRECTION (11:47 PM): Marshall Ochylski spoke to Razor Online and has denied that Wright is his insurance agent, and has also denied that Wright is campaign manager. Proper corrections have been made to make the article as accurate as possible.
On July 7 Michael Wright was appointed to the Los Osos Community Services District board, assuming a seat that was vacated by former Vice President Maria Kelly, who recently resigned under pressure. Board President Marshall Ochylski, the leading supporter for Wright, openly admitted to reaching out to Wright and convincing him to submit an application for the position. Later it was rumored that not only is Wright the board president’s insurance agent, he was also his campaign manager during his most recent bid for the District 2 seat on the SLO County Board of Supervisors. Ochylski has denied the rumors.
Continue reading When Wright is Wrong →
By Ed Ochs, on July 4th, 2011%
 Only seven miles to Los Osos Not since Hurricane Katrina have a few politicians toyed so dangerously with the lives of thousands.
Recently, State Sen. Sam Blakeslee fought hard for a suspension of the relicensing of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant until “a myriad of questions regarding the seismic setting at the facility are answered.” Blakeslee rode the headlines from Japan to headlines in the U.S.
Yet Blakeslee has remained silent on asking for a suspension of engineering contracts on the nearby Los Osos Wastewater Project, less than eight miles away from the nuclear facility, until a parallel liquefaction study for Los Osos can be completed prior to engineering the sewer project. Any major earthquake in the area is likely to affect both Diablo Canyon and Los Osos.
Continue reading Blakeslee’s Seismic Contradiction →
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