By Aaron, on November 22nd, 2010%
 Photo Found in Rates & Charges brochure Buyer beware: If the County of San Luis Obispo tries to sell you their “Rates & Charges Ordinance” by incorporating a photo of critics that have vehemently oppose the wastewater project in their glossy brochure, they do not likely have the best intentions in mind. While it’s true that many in the photo support the County’s efforts to bring a sewer to Los Osos, there are quite a few people in it who are protesting the ordinance, and the County is fully aware of that. How could they not be? Residents like Gewynn Taylor, Al Barrow and Linde Owen have appeared at numerous meetings, appearing before the podium to oppose the project — but, of course, the County doesn’t want you to know that. They want you to know that everyone is on board.
Continue reading How to Sell a Sewer With Costly Tales →
By Aaron, on November 12th, 2010%
 Mecham and Slovik On Wednesday, November 10, I wrote to SLO County Board of Supervisors Chairman Frank Mecham regarding comments he made at the BOS meeting on Tuesday. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to those who are involved in the Los Osos wastewater project that Mecham has a certain level of disdain for those who approach the podium regularly. Sure, there’s a lot of repetition from people who reasonably believe that they will lose their homes and find themselves financially underwater because of the extraneous costs and burden that this current project presents. But Mecham has heard all of that “bickering” before — and so I tried something different.
Continue reading Mecham the Deserter →
By Ed Ochs, on November 6th, 2010%
 New Los Osos Population To be blunt, no PZ homeowner in their right mind should accept a sewer bill of $200+ a month that supports the County’s runaway $165 million and rising sewer project. It’s really a no-brainer. So go ahead, write your letter protesting the ordinance.
What will a winning protest accomplish? Probably nothing, but that’s not the point.
Continue reading Protest the County’s Lethal Sewer Rates & Charges →
By Ed Ochs, on September 9th, 2010%
 In the bitter, backwards world of American politics today, where right is wrong and wrong is right, there was no clearer illustration of what’s wrong with the country today than what took place on the steps of the government center in downtown San Luis Obispo County last Friday, September 3.
Continue reading Celebrating a Sad Day for Los Osos →
By Aaron, on July 22nd, 2010%
When does product disparagement become an issue of fraud? At what point does the community of Los Osos become a victim of fraud? Razor Online continues our special “STEP vs. SLO County” series, documenting how honesty and fairness got lost in the sewer shuffle.
Previously, Razor Online discussed the potential case against San Luis Obispo County for product disparagement of the STEP collection system, which for two years was an integral part of the County’s design-build process — until April 7, 2009, when STEP was dropped without a plausible explanation and any chance of a true design-build process crumbled into failure. If what Orenco Systems’ Bill Cagle wrote in a letter to Chairman Frank Mecham on May 28, 2010 is accurate, and it appears to me that it certainly is, then the County’s Los Osos wastewater project team has intentionally and purposefully misrepresented STEP technology to the benefit of County coffers, MWH and County-friendly contractors and consultants.
Continue reading STEP vs. SLO County: The Case for Civil Fraud and Concealment →
By Aaron, on April 24th, 2010%
Last Sunday, The Tribune endorsed Bruce Gibson for supervisor, the incumbent for San Luis Obispo County’s 2nd District. Though it’s not surprising that Gibson was endorsed by a newspaper that has Gibson on their speed dial, the timeliness of the endorsement was.
Both LOCSD President Marshall Ochylski and Gibson have yet to square off in a debate. Neither candidate has made an effort to detail their positions enough for voters to compare and look for differences. Neither candidate has unveiled their campaign strategies. By endorsing Gibson so early in the campaign, The Tribune has shown their readers and subscribers unprecedented bias as they value loyalty over competency.
Continue reading Tribune Endorses Gibson Too Early →
By Aaron, on March 25th, 2010%
Since the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors nixed Los Osos wastewater project updates, County Public Works worked on their response to the California Coastal Commission’s substantial issues. On Tuesday, it was revealed that the County sent 500+ pages to the Coastal Commission for review. If you want a copy, you are more than welcome to drive to Santa Cruz and pay $300 for printed copies or you can read the materials at the Public Works office. Bring your best reading glasses. They won’t let you take it home. Adding insult to injury, the County has declined to post their documents online at the LOWWP web site. According to sources who have read the documents, the County’s response to the substantial issues is nothing more than 500 pages of recycled verbage that was sent to CC staff previously.
Continue reading TRANSPARENCY UPDATE: County Fails to Post Coastal Response →
By Aaron, on March 4th, 2010%
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.
Continue reading Another Brick in the Wall →
By Aaron, on March 3rd, 2010%
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?
Continue reading County Revokes Transparency →
By Aaron, on January 25th, 2010%
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:
Continue reading Gibson’s Costly Arrogance →
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