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 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,  The $CENT OF MONEY (KCCN.tv, 2011) To the dismay of a few whiners, KCCN.tv’s Dan Blackburn released his 15-minute documentary, The $cent of Money, on March 21. The documentary covered the Los Osos wastewater project and some of its “really big” infrastructure problems. The last Los Osos sewer video to grace YouTube was “Crisis in Los Osos” by Insider Exclusive from November 27, 2007, an infomercial that covered Gail McPherson and her “nightmarish story” about the state water board’s regulatory abuse. Unlike the video from 2007, Blackburn’s 15-minute documentary focuses on issues that have been the subject of hot debate amongst the sewer politicos — and the fiery debate has continued even after the video was released. On Blackburn’s KCCN.tv and Calhoun’s Cannon, the anonymous bloggers have vigorously weighed in, including a few familiar faces.  Tornatzky mooning the community. If Taxpayers Watch‘s Lynette Tornatzky is any indication of the ignorance and cynicism that some residents have about the Los Osos wastewater project, the town is in serious trouble and may never heal. On March 16, KSBY reported that the $189-million Los Osos wastewater project was unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors. At the March 15 County Board of Supervisors meeting, KSBY interviewed Tornatzky and former Los Osos Community Services District director Julie Tacker: two people from different sides of the controversial debate. It was Tornatzky’s comments that caught the attention of Razor Online.  ... or are they Tri-W zombies? Every time the Los Osos wastewater project is talked about, there will always be that one person that says, “We [the majority of the Los Osos community] are tired of the ‘anti-sewer obstructionists’ that are ruining our town,” followed by some obscene, repetitive ad hominem attack and a series of exclamation points!!!!  Taxpayers Watch leaders (Clockwise from top left) Gordon Hensley, Stan Gustafson, Joyce Albright, Richard LeGros. Los Osos Taxpayers Watch, the successor group to Tri-W sewer site promoters Save the Dream, has become an enigma in Los Osos: are they watching out for taxpayers or are they watching out for big business? In this case, it’s big business with a long shadow. Former Los Osos Community Services District Director Richard LeGros’ stinging press release on Thursday, April 1, announcing the Taxpayers Watch settlement was peculiar. It was peculiar because LeGros misinterpreted the terms of his own settlement. Unsurprisingly, LeGros’ vitriol toward the “CSD5″ overwhelms any substance that might be found in this incomplete agreement. LeGros claimed that the settlement recovered $1,310,301.52 that had been “misappropriated” by the “CSD5,” when it doesn’t actually say that at all. Taxpayers Watch (TW) has settled its 2006 lawsuit with the Los Osos Community Services District (LOCSD), removing a key obstacle to resolving the District’s financial woes, presently knotted in bankruptcy. Continue reading Taxpayers Watch Settles Suit Against LOCSD → UPDATE (3/30/10, 11:45 PM): Comments are now enabled. You may fire when ready. For the past few days, I’ve received several e-mails from readers who asked me why CalCoastNews would do something so “heinous and catastrophic” as to disable comments on Piper Reilly’s viewpoint, “Looking for transparency in Los Osos.” I have an idea why CCN disabled comments in that article. 2009 was the year that included the removal of STEP/STEG and other alternatives from the County Los Osos Wastewater Project’s design-build process, a formal complaint against Public Works director Paavo Ogren and hours of tedious — but sometimes heated — debate at the Planning Commission meetings. Along the way, mistakes were made on both sides of the debate while everyone hopelessly expected some of the bigger problems to be mitigated. Contrary to what the County of San Luis Obispo has said, the County has unanimously sided with County staff recommendations with each and every turn involving the LOWWP. With hope fading in their eyes, a small group of Los Osos residents pleaded with the board to reconsider their decisions, but the board moved ahead. Those with the loudest objections to the County were silenced with Supervisor Bruce Gibson’s wave of the hand, a chuckle out of pity and a quick tug of the microphone plug — and the microphone was off. On a few occasions, Gibson asserted that most of the people of Los Osos approved of their handling of the process, but do they? Whether you like it or not, it’s unarguable the County made an incredible amount of what they would call “progress.” The Planning Commission moved forward with the project, changing many of the project conditions, most of which remained uncontested by the Board of Supervisors. The BOS successfully paved a clear path for the project to be considered by the California Coastal Commission, which will discuss the LOWWP and the appeals in January of next year. The County also managed to secure consideration for USDA grant money (through a population waiver) thanks to the provision on Los Osos added to the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which President Obama signed into law. Let’s not forget the $35 million dollar authorization in the Water Resources Development Act, which is available for federal appropriation. The only problem is that after lingering fees and changes relevant to the sewer, which include paying off the interest of the USDA’s $64 million loan, Los Osos residents may not actually see the savings. For now, let’s take a look at what’s happened in 2009 and check out the highlights. Continue reading The Razor’s Los Osos Best and Worst of 2009 → |
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