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Sunday, January 28, 2007

Short Cuts =Short Circuits

During the February 22 CDO hearings for The Los Osos 45, attorney Shauna Sullivan was questioning RWQCB Prosecution Team staff member Matt Thompson about the 2011 drop dead date on the Cease & Desist Orders. She asked if he felt four years was adequate time to ensure an entire wastewater treatment system would be completed and he rather sniffily replied that not only did he feel that was adequate but that some of the top water experts (referring to the “peer review” of the Project Update by the National Water Research Institute) felt that was adequate time as well.

But here’s what Mr. Thompson, uh, “forgot” to mention, from the National Water Research Institute’s “Final Report, Dec 4, 2006” : “The Central Coast RWQCB’s 2010 compliance date [since changed to 2011] appears to be somewhat arbitrary. The most optimistic estimate of the overall time period to complete the project is approximately 4 years.”

“Somewhat arbitrary . . . most optimistic estimate . . . approximately . . .” Those words weren’t convenient for Mr. Thompson to include in his testimony UNDER OATH. They were also not convenient to make sure the Board itself heard them. Nor was it necessary for Mr. Thompson to point out that in Los Osos, only a complete fool would seriously rely on something using the words “most optimistic estimate," or "approximately.” But, no. The date on the CDO’s was perfectly fine and reasonable and doable and adequate. After all, all the top experts agreed, didn’t they?

At that same hearing, Board member Hayashi asked staff why Los Osos residents voted to dump the original county project and proceed anew and again, from staff, (also all still under oath) received a severely “edited” and therefore false and misleading answer. Clearly, that misleading short-hand “history” was fine with him. There have been other instances when Board members have made statements that also clearly indicated they don’t know the whole story or even half of it, yet these same Board members vote on issues critical to Los Osos residents, while their heads are filled with false “stories” and devoid of critically needed real information.

Recently, Joyce Albright had a “Viewpoint” in the Tribune. She characterized the Los Osos 45 as “fighting the water board.” The “Viewpoint” even carried that wonderful “buzz phrase” as a headline, “It’s time to stop fighting the water board,” as if making sure their property rights and legal rights are protected against regulatory abuse is somehow a bad thing to be doing. After all, only wicked people would “fight” a water board who’s only “goal here is to protect our water supply and the bay.” Right?

In a Jan 15 letter to the editor, Doug Morin wrote in favor of a gravity system and cited Olympia, Washington as an example of how awful STEP systems are. What he forgot to point out is that Olympia’s problems were the result of operator error and a mismatch between their gravity and STEP systems. That information had been presented at a CSD meeting and was readily available, but somehow that information went missing, thus leaving the reader with a misleading idea regarding STEP.

And so it goes. Critical information that goes missing. Poorly informed Water Boards who don’t care to take the time to find out what’s really going on. They can’t be bothered. Buzz words that imply the exact opposite of what’s real. Deliberate distortion, dishonest spin, lazy, lazy shorthand that blinds and deceives.

And it’s all so easy. If you control the debate, you control the issue. If you “brand” an issue a particular way, it stays branded.

To the outside world, Los Osos has been portrayed as some sort of Dogpatch filled with “anti-sewer” Moonbeam McSwines all happily rolling around in their urine. It’s a lie, of course, but it’s a CONVENIENT lie, so even the Water Boards – who should know better and should have taken the time to find the truth in the complexity of the issue – have swallowed that lie.

And why not? Complexity is hard. By comparison, simply branding Los Osos forever as ANTI-SEWER is easy.

If you thought the Tri-W site was environmentally the wrong site, you were ANTI- SEWER. If you objected to the way this project had been put together, you were ANTI-SEWER. If you objected to the cost of Tri-W, you were ANTI-SEWER. If you preferred a Step/Steg system, you were ANTI-SEWER. If you wanted a sewer treatment plant out of the center of town, you were ANTI-SEWER. If you supported the recall, you were ANTI-SEWER. If you objected to the ill conceived, run-amok, pointless (except for electioneering) CDO process, you were ANTI-SEWER. Indeed, if you were not 100% in support of Tri-W, you were ANTI-SEWER!

It soon became a short-hand buzz word to falsely frame the issue and brand a whole town. Well, if you’re ANTI-SEWER, then you’re nothing but a town full of wicked criminals and deserve everything you get. Torquemada will be arriving tomorrow to punish you.

See how easy it is? And people who should have known better, (All the government agencies, the media, etc.) swallowed the lie whole, without a questioning burp. Worse, it’s clear that they’re still proceeding forward on those lies. After all, a poorly written, scientifically unsound CDO with an “unreasonable” drop-dead date on it will (like the old “unreasonable” TSO) cause nothing but trouble down the line. Unnecessary trouble. So, what did it benefit RWQCB staff member Matt Thompson to, uh, shade the truth during the CDO hearings? What was the point, except to bias the process by failing to give the Board the full statement by the world-class experts he was happy to “misquote.”

And just because the County now has this project, doesn’t mean the branding and distortion and dishonesty has abated. So, why should that concern this community?

Unless the distortions stop, the lies stop, the half-truths stop, it will be impossible for this community to ensure that the County’s PROCESS can go forward without hidden agendas, without being rigged, without distorting and dishonest “thumbs on the scale.” And unless that process is “clean” and, like Caesar’s wife, can be seen to be “clean,” I fear this battle could continue unnecessarily or worse, fail utterly. And for a PRO-SEWER community that wants CLEAN WATER, that would be another pointless tragedy.

51 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ann says:

"See how easy it is? And people who should have known better, (All the government agencies, the media, etc.) swallowed the lie whole, without a questioning burp."

Excellent explanation of your "spin" machine. Thanks for the clarity, finally!

Anonymous said...

By reviewing the documents that were not allowed into the record, and the time constraints set up so all testimony had to be coordinated, and then stripping off 28 for a bogus settlement it is no wonder offers of proof for important docs like the WDR, transcripts for Wickham, Ripley report, Orenco turn key fast track, the report from Dr T. of the NWRI team, and actual alternative systems were tossed. These were serious evidence that could have put us in compliance and clean water interim goals until a project is built. The the gaging of the community to speak in WB public forums, denying the commitment to stand down in AB2701,and the procedures for the hearing-all designed for a hearing board carefully by Jeff Young's agenda, including Briggs absent, no prosecution evidence from staff except a map. Even the timing of the hearings,delayed as long as possible and just 30 days (counting holidays) to appeal-YET 270 days for the SWRCB to respond to the appeal. That's geared to synchronize with a CO. 218 schedule. The hearings are now rigged for an out come-and the CO ought to be the affected party appealing these enforcement actions-because they DO interfere with their process. Otherwise the Co Process and the 218 vote do not belong to the people paying for this project.
Wake up-This is NOT about clean Water. HELLO---If you live in Los Osos your property rights, due process rights, abiltiy to put on a defense, and your voting rights- are the endangered species here.
Blame your neighbor or do something constructive and urge the County to petition the SWRCB to back off so they can deliver a project.

Anonymous said...

Is anybody's name more synonymous with the sewer than Joyce Albright? More specifically, Tri-W.
She rails against public comment. Her public comment is everywhere.
She rails against filing lawsuits. Has she paid for the lawsuit she started yet? The one she lost?
She pleads to let the County do their job. She fails to mention that it was her and her ilk that took the sewer away from the County in 1998. On a plan that the water board said was un-acceptable. Yet they plowed ahead anyway.
Where were the fines, and or enforcement then?
Sadly, every board or agency that has had something to do with this sewer has failed us miserably.
For those who would say that this community only blames others, might consider that we were presented the highest per capita sewer in the U.S., at a location the majority of the community doesn't want.
Yes, this has gone on for thirty some years. Not one single remedial step taken to improve water quality. It makes me wonder.
Will we ever know the true story behind Tri-W? The name Kennedy comes to my mind.
Sincerely, M

Anonymous said...

I was at the CSD meeting where a citizen reported on what the Olympia Washington sewer plant operator said to him in a telephone conversation. While what was said about the problem was true, the last thing the citizen reported was that the operator said he did not recommend the step system. i guess that part was forgotten or ignored by Ann in today's opinion article.

Sewertoons AKA Lynette Tornatzky said...

Ann says:
"Los Osos has been portrayed as some sort of Dogpatch filled with “anti-sewer” Moonbeam McSwines all happily rolling around in their urine."

How then should we explain to the outside world that for 30 years Los Osos has resisted a sewer? Will the "right" sewer ever appear that someone won't shoot down, dragging this out another 10 years? - No wait - we HAVE to build one this time or we have to move!

Oh, by the way, rain is possible for the next couple of days - want to guess what will come floating to the surface in the pooling of the excess water? Some of our million gallons of sewer water that we put into the ground every day above our drinking water supply!

Anonymous said...

Many times during the RWQCB hearings I have heard Matt Thompson explain that as long as there is reasonable progress being made toward a sewer, that the 2011 date is NOT a firm date. Yet you Ann continue to allude to it as a "drop-dead date." Misleading Ann? Devoid of critically needed information? Buzz word Ann? Deliberate distortion? Ann, you are the Queen of spin, of distortion, of "buzz words." Your calling the kettle black is extremely hypocritical. You do a great disservice to this community.

Anonymous said...

I tend to agree with the previous poster. As long as the Prop 218 vote passes and the County is making reasonable (diligent) progress in the permitting, right of way, design, value engineering, financing, etc. the Regional Board will not come down on the 45 targeted homeowners.

Typically, the agency doing the project lays out the project schedule, with key milestone dates, and the Regional Board staff tracks the actual progress and discusses variances with the agency doing the work. This will be about making a committment (Prop 218 vote) and a diligent project development effort.

Anonymous said...

The timeline is purposely shortened to allow the RWQCB an enormous influence on the outcome. They want us us to build a traditional gravity system using an SRF loan. This will allow them to dictate the process, with requirements beyond those legally required in California.

They will also be able to add on to the loan moneys that they currently can't collect from the illegal and unethical funding of the prior project (without a secured 218 vote). If the county project fails for some reason, the RWQCB will then be able to collect by fining individual homeowners. The Waterboards screwed up big time funding then resending the previous loan, and they are going to make us pay for their mistake using any method that they think they can get away with.

Anonymous said...

The county should be looking very seriously at alternative funding sources. Will the RWQCB discourage thisopenly and directly, or through their typical backroom threats and deals?

They will try to get the county to sell us down the river. Will the county stand up for us, or cave?

Anonymous said...

To Anon 9:20am, have you ever actually seen this happen?
Back in the beginning of the "El NINO" years, when we had an extraordinary amount of rain, the drainage problems of this town were exposed. If you pool water long enough around a condensed area, then something is going to come up. This is what happened. Not septic tanks. If septic tanks were so bad, why were the allowed in the first place? Why were more properties allowed to be developed after the order was given not allow septic tanks?

Anonymous said...

I don't have much faith that the Dog Patch mentality of Sewerville would ever agree on any sewer plan. There will always be a better design just around the bend.

Ann and Ron would like us to sit back watching the grass get greener over the leach fields until the perfect WWTF magically appears to save us from the corrupt Reveneurs? I'm surprised they are using electric computers to write their columns, don't they know that there will be another, faster, cheaper, better computing device just around the corner?

Anonymous said...

Joyce Albright, like Pandora Nash Karner & the recalled 3 members of the PREVIOUS LOCSD BOD, should ALL BE TARRED & Feathered & SENT PACKING OUT OF TOWN ASAP. Wasn't it them & their "CRONIES" who lobbied the CCRWQCB to "FINE US OUT OF EXISTANCE?"

Anonymous said...

It is obvious to me that the State and Regional Board are forcing the 218 vote. End of story. They are forcing us to decide this thing once and for all. I know what I am going to do. The CSD has continually failed. We are incapable of doing it ouselves.

Anonymous said...

That is a tired old comment.

Alan, why don't you and your partner Kieth find someone else in a wheelchair to slap around, why only tar and feathers, why not hang them along LOVR as examples to keep out all those you disagree with?

God, you are such cowards!

Anonymous said...

This blog is disintegrating fast. Catch you later.

Anonymous said...

A previous blogger said if the 218 fails they will declare a Health Emergency. More scare tactics. The Health Emergency seems to be in Morro Bay (not here) so why does the RWQCB not look there, and only here? Hmmmmm.

The county must be sued for allowing septics. They are liable. It's not a hard or expensive case. A class action suit will do. IT MUST BE DONE! Why should they be allowed to get away with what they've done? It's they who caused this to happen. They delayed a project, they dumped it on the CSA9 and wanted the Los Osos residents to pay for it instead of county wide taxpayers. Then they permitted almost 1,000 septics after 83-13.

If the county was truly trying to help, they would follow the 218 and the law, and have the state and federal government pay their share of benefit. BUT HAVE YOU HEARD BRUCE GIBSON AND/OR PAAVO MENTION THIS AT ALL? NO! THEY ARE IN ON PANDORA'S BIG FIX!

The Regional & State Water Boards are not supposed to tell us what kind of system we have or where, YET THEY ARE! They are going to great measures to have us submit to Tri-W. ELECTIONEERING with CDO's for a yes 218. The county's 218 is open ended. Paavo says there are no caps on public works projects. If the 218 does pass, it's a "free ride" for the county to do what they've promised Pandora and her good buddy, Roger Briggs and MWH-- the Tri-W. Bruce Gibson is Pandora's buddy, so is Paavo (he was interim GM for dreamers) Paavo wants a blank check, and fees and charges will make L.O. unaffordable for most people. Pandora and buddys will get rich. Is MWH paying some in Los Osos to get Tri-W/gravity?? I think so!

Thanks Bruce Gibson, Sam Blakeslee, Pandora and Paavo for NOT LOOKING AT A SUSTAINABLE AND AFFORDABLE PROJECTS! You are rats. Paavo and Bruce are putting their nice PR act on for us, but we can see through it.

Notice that Dreamers have to lie over and over to sell their Tri-W....

Anonymous said...

Lies? Hmmmmm. $100.00 per month. No lost SRF loan. No CDO's. We're ready to go. You boys wrote the book on lies. C'mon. You can do better than that, can't you?

Anonymous said...

Someone really does not like Pandora?

Maybe as much as I dislike the lying Mrs. Schicker?

All you are showing is your ignorant misinformed pea brain. Get your head out of your ass and find out the facts! You have no idea who Pandora is! You still back the lies of the Queen of Disceet and have the gall to blame Pandora. Schicker and Tacker have done more to destroy the finances and credibility of this stinky mud flat garbage heap than any of the past CSD Boards ever did. You can only offer insults and threats, but you have absolutely no idea how to plan a sewer system. But then you are probably one who knows we don't need a sewer. You keep on pissing in your drinking water, your brain is already damaged irrepairibly!

The PLAN is that the County is going to roll right over you and those who attempt to continue the delay!

Anonymous said...

To Anon above:

Yes, we know what the corrupt county is going to do. Yes, we know what Pandora did. Yes, we know there's a better alternative. Yes, we won't be fooled again. Yes, you are lying. Yes, Lisa and Julie didn't do the right thing (because of Gail) but the recalled board denied our right to vote and started a project that put us in the financial mess we're in! How can you defend that??

Work on your brain -- feed it some truth. Work on your soul -- try to care about your neighbor!

Churadogs said...

Anonymous sez:"Many times during the RWQCB hearings I have heard Matt Thompson explain that as long as there is reasonable progress being made toward a sewer, that the 2011 date is NOT a firm date. Yet you Ann continue to allude to it as a "drop-dead date." Misleading Ann? Devoid of critically needed information? Buzz word Ann? Deliberate distortion? Ann, you are the Queen of spin, of distortion, of "buzz words." Your calling the kettle black is extremely hypocritical. You do a great disservice to this community.

9:38 AM, January 28, 2007"

Then you also heard the prosecution team being asked by one of the CDO recipients to define reasonable progress and they said nothing. What you need to understand is that anything Matt or the Board members SAY has no meaning, legally. What does have meaning is contained in the CDO written document. The date 2011 is there. So long as "making progress" remains UNDEFINED, it can meaning anything that the Board votes to decide it can mean. Do you want to put your property in the hands of a group of people who brought you The Mad Pumping Scheme, who previously set a TSO that Buel testified was "unreasonable," that have now set a 2011 date that the Peer Review Committee said (at 2010) was "somewhat aribitrary" and could only be met by "the most optimistic estimate of the orverall time period to complete the project . . ." ? Those are the LEGAL peramerters of the CDO and the CAO, NOT what Matt says or Mr. Young says or anyone else "says." If that's fine with you, then please call the RWQCB and ask for your CDO and/or choose the CAO settlement agreement.

Watching this RWQCB and staff for 24 years, and especially watching what they've done with this CDO process, I no longer have any confidence in anything they do or say.

another anonymous sez:"Anonymous said...
This blog is disintegrating fast. Catch you later."

Since you obviously read through the COMMENTS, then posted your comment, do you mean the BLOG is disintegrating fast or that the COMMENTS are disolving into The Anonymous Neener Neener So's Yer Momma Stupids? Big difference.

Anonymous said...

The comments are disintegrating, not the blog :)

Anonymous said...

Ann, 24 years of fighting a "corrupt" RWQCB is way too long!

I saw the following on another blog....

"We are a social species living in close proximity to one another which has created the need for laws governing our infrastructure... unfortunately Los Osos seems to have a concentration of people unwilling to accept those regulations and want to fight against the government created to assist us in living together...

As this saga has grown, I've wondered why those individuals want to stay in this society, this fighting the system is consuming their lives... They couldn't be very happy, why don't they move to some place where they don't need to have laws or governments or sewers...???

They shout that the government planning/regulating/enforcing this sewer is corrupt, well, why are they staying when they could move anywhere else that doesn't have corrupt governments....??????"

Ann, just why would you continue to live here? My family has lived here more than 35 years. We have watched this grow to where we're glad to have the County (another of your corrupt governments?) step back in to finally build the sewer. There are too many individuals like you who don't want government. You haven't worked with the government, all you have done is complain that they are corrupt. You haven't changed the laws, you haven't changed any part of the government. Hasn't any of that sunk in? Why do you continue to live in Los Osos if you hate the government so much?

Ron said...

A bunch of Anons wrote the following stuff:

"The CSD has continually failed. We are incapable of doing it ouselves."

You're exactly right. That's why it didn't pass the first two times it was presented to Los Osos voters in the 90s. It was until the Solution Group raised their Community Plan up the flag pole in 1998 did LO voters salute. Could someone do me a favor and run down to the Tri-W site and let me know if the Solution Group's ponding system is there? (And I don't mean "Lake Pandora.")

"Ann and Ron would like us to sit back watching the grass get greener over the leach fields until the perfect WWTF magically appears to save us from the corrupt Reveneurs? "

Have you installed your composting toilet system yet?

"And people who should have known better, (All the government agencies, the media, etc.) swallowed the lie whole, without a questioning burp."

Save SewerWatch.

"At that same hearing, Board member Hayashi asked staff why Los Osos residents voted to dump the original county project and proceed anew and again... "

That answer should have been about an hour long. Was it? He could have also read this document and got his answer.

"God, you are such cowards!"

Signed, "Anonymous."

"BUT HAVE YOU HEARD BRUCE GIBSON AND/OR PAAVO MENTION THIS AT ALL? NO! THEY ARE IN ON PANDORA'S BIG FIX!"

Do you know that Paavo Ogren was Interim General Manager of the LOCSD in 1999 while Nash-Karner's Solution Group was chasing their ponding system? They're on a first-name basis, and have been for some time now. What was Ann saying about Ceasar's wife?

"Paavo (he was interim GM for dreamers)"

Well, I guess that answers my question.

To the Anon that wrote this:

"You keep on pissing in your drinking water,"

Have you installed your composting toilet system yet?

"This blog is disintegrating fast."

I disagree. I can't stop reading this stuff. It's so interesting. You know who would have loved this story? Rod Serling.

Ann worte:

"Watching this RWQCB and staff for 24 years, and especially watching what they've done with this CDO process, I no longer have any confidence in anything they do or say."

I second that motion. They can't seem to do anything right.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said... "You haven't worked with the government, all you have done is complain that they are corrupt. You haven't changed the laws, you haven't changed any part of the government."

Are you an idiot??

We haven't worked with government? What is it when we speak at public meetings, join committees, submit written reports, volunteer endless hours of our time, etc.?

We may have complained about corruption but that is not all we do... we have always recommended solutions, and some have been implemented and worked out very well for Los Osos (ie. the fire tax).

We haven't changed the laws? What about Measure B? What about the Blakeslee legislation? Those were laws.

We havent changed any part of government? We changed who provided fire services to Los Osos. We lowered the proposed increase to your fire tax. We elected Lisa and Julie. We recalled Stan, Gordon. and Richard. We elected John, Chuck and Steve. We reelected Chuck and Steve. What are you talking about... that sounds like change to me.

Your comments are so out of touch I wonder if you've ever even been to Los Osos??

Anonymous said...

Keep pat'n your back if you think your obstructions were positive in bringing about change.

The only part of government change you brought about was to have the sewer project removed from responsibility of the corrupt, incompetent CSD, oh yes, you helped bring the RWQCB to it's knees begging us to share our secret WWTF technology with them. Could someone explain what the CSD's Plan really was?

I sure appreciate the changes in making the Water Boards tighen up the rules to make it so much easier for a sewer to fought by a bunch of obstructionists.

I really appreciate the change from the CSD to the County to actually plan and build the sewer.

Gee, you really did bring some positive changes. I look forward to a $5,000 compost toilet or a $400 per month sewer bill.

Now I'm looking forward to Lisa and Julie and John and Chuck and Steve explain to the judge why they are the only honest defenders of public funds even though they gave away public funds to their private lawyers. My, is that corruption at the local level? May be you should let Ann or Ron explain that so you don't hurt yourself.

Anonymous said...

I still haven't heard anyone (except Ron) explain why the sewer HAD TO BE AT TRIW. Didn't Pandora and her cronies have an opportunity to change course around the year 2000? And why didn't they do that? DUH because she's on the SLO County Parks Board or whatever and she could be the Queen of the Sewer Park! She must have been hell bent on getting that damn park downtown even if it had a sewer with it! And make us pay for it. God I can't believe I voted for her. What a phoney.

Anonymous said...

You are really fixated on this Pandora person. I don't even know her, but all your remarks keep making you look like a spurred wantabe. She must have turned you down.

What are the real reasons you don't like the site?

It sounds like you are not very knowledgeable of how the CSD made decisions.

Anonymous said...

To anon @ 9:52AM,

We are not fighting anything other than fighting to save our homes. Maybe you can afford $400-$500 a month for a mega sewer that is over the top for this small village, but most can't and shouldn't except a horrible project (Tri-W with gravity.)

You fail to realize that the RWQCB should have acted as soon as they knew there was any sort of pollution problem, but they accepted tests from illegal wells (knowingly) and want to focus solely on Los Osos. If they really cared about pollution, they would focus on Morro Bay!

You should want a sustainable project too. Why not? Why insist on a sewer that's not needed with all the bells and whistles? Do you stand to cash in too?

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 11:52,

We don't have to have a sewer that costs $400 a month. Orenco can do it for $150. You can call some of us obstructionists, but your crew is criminal. Your recalled board started the project knowing they were breaking the law. Then they got their buddy, Sam Blakeslee (who they got into office) to write legislation making it law that we were polluters -- all 5,000 homes! They could never prove pollution, so he made a law to say we were polluters (with no proof!)

Sam Blakeslee only let the Dreamers in on the scheme, yet lied at the Regional Water Board hearing in April, saying that he was working with all of the community. Sam knew there was no 218, and was okay with that. His compromise wanted us to dump Measure B, have a 218 in the middle of the project (rather than before) and forbid us from suing the state. Sam knew the county would only do gravity. Sam never defended any of the CDO's -- yeah, his job is done -- he's gone now -- out of the picture -- gave it to the county -- he was entirely unethical.

You label us obstructionists, I label you criminals.

Anonymous said...

To Anon @ 4:01PM --

You don't know Pandora yet you don't understand why some don't like the site? Hey, try next to the library, community center, homes, church? Are you kidding or just stupid?

You know Pandora, and if you don't, she's the one who wears the corruption on her face. Look at her face, it's all there! Just like Shirley! And LeGros! They all wear the ugly corruption on their face for all to see!

Anonymous said...

I'm not buying into whatever you think is a horrible project, Tri-W is not a mega-sewer, it is a more advanced nitrate removal system, it doesn't emit odors, and it's not going to be as expensive to operate and maintain as the detractors tell us.

As for the RWQCB, they have been after SLO County for 30+ years. We had a project that would meet all the requirements and had funding. But, we all saw a very small majority of the voters let The CSD BOD stop that project. It is not the RWQCB that we should be angry at, it's our own community who halted the project and then bankrupted the District in a calculated effort to further delay any sewer. They knew they were causing dissention and confusion. They are still trying to stop any form of sewer for Los Osos, they will try to halt even the County designed sewer.

Let Morro Bay fight their own battles, let's get our community cleaning up our own drinking water before we have to pipe in State water.

Anonymous said...

Anon Above:

It is the RWQCB who we should be angry at! Their head agency gave out an illegal loan and now they're fining us because the illegal project stopped!!

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 5:41:

The recalled board was going to import water. Didn't you know that? Of course you did!

The community is divided BECAUSE of the Regional Water Board. They created a line for only some to pay for a sewer project. The PZ line doesn't exist anymore after 1996 when Prop 218 was enacted and they know it. The WHOLE DISTRICT BENEFITS AND PAYS! Yet, the RWQCB still insists on having the PZ making it pretty clear that they're in on the "land grab" with the county, the realtors, the developers, and everyone else who stands to make money off the homes when people have to leave and sell cheap and under market.

Montgomery Watson Harza has big pockets.
The county will benefit greatly from higher property taxes too.

Anonymous said...

The only thing illegal around here is the financial rape of the District by our elected CSD lead by Lisa Schicker!

There has not been a court or government agency who has decided that the loan was illegal or that the project was illegal!

Look right at Lisa and you'll be looking at the problem in Los Osos!

Anonymous said...

Does any one have any idea why Cabrillo Heights was really left out of the PZ?

Anonymous said...

Are you saying that because the courts and the governments haven't found anything illegal that what has been going on is just and morally right? Do you rely solely on the govertnment to make the right decisions for you? If so you have a mighty thin compass my friend.

Anonymous said...

I heard Cabrillo was left out because of higher elevation, less density, etc.

Anonymous said...

Blaming Lisa is as weak as blaming Pandora. It takes a village, remember?

Anonymous said...

"You label us obstructionists, I label you criminals."

Hmmmm. Let's see. We begin construction on a sewer after 30 years that will, if anything, bring us into compliance with the powers that be. You vote to recall the board and stop the project, probably becasue you believed the new board had a promised alternative project (which they didn't); and that they could deliver this phantom project for $100.00 per month (which, well, they can't); we happily wouldn't lose the SRF loan (which we did); you and your neighbors wouldn't be subjected to CDO's from the RWQCB (which sadly they are); and we would have money to burn to do with whatever we choose (which we don't since a little thing called bankruptcy).
Blame all you want. Call names all you want. But the last thing I know you want to do is take responsibility for screwing every homeowner in the PZ. Which you did.
And you call us crimminal? I call you an embarassingly pathetic neighbor.

Anonymous said...

No, Lisa made the decision to stop the sewer project. Pandora is something to do with Parks and Recreation, nothing to do with the sewer.

No, Lisa has been a poor manager and lead a failed CSD into bankruptcy. Great resume!

Anonymous said...

Boy, you dreamers need some education. You don't know the facts it sounds like.

The recalled board screwed everyone in the PZ (on purpose I might add) by starting the project before the recall (when they could have waited) and by not allowing us our legal right to vote on the project.

You can blame Lisa over and over again, all you want (you do and will) but if you had a brain in your head, you'd see it's your recalled board who put this village in debt and forced Lisa to file for bankruptcy PROTECTION.

Anonymous said...

The people in Cabrillo Estates didn't want to pay. Some important people (to the RWQCB anyway) live up there. Besides, it's the homes that can be torn down that they want. But Cabrillo Estates will have to pay anyway, just not as much if they're not sewered.

Anonymous said...

6:20 Anon:

You called the names and keep doing so! It sounds a lot like you don't live here. I bet you don't. Is Montgomery Watson Harza paying you too? Why do you spend full-time on the blogs? Is someone paying you to do this? If you don't live here, why are you pushing Tri-W? Can you answer? Probably not...

Anonymous said...

7:01 PM Anon:

Try calculating how much it would cost to sewer those steep slope properties and then calculate the flat land properties.

The CSD attempted to promote a reasonable price for the sewer per property, but adding in the steep slope costs and trying to average all costs per property actually made the flat land properties subsidizing the steep slope properties. It was decided to not sewer the steep slopes based on the extreme high cost.

Anonymous said...

Anon above,

When the PZ was formed, leaving Cabrillo out, wasn't it cheap then? Are they happy with septics? Wouldn't they want to join in on a sewer? Just asking.

Anonymous said...

It is incredibly expensive to pipe the steep slopes. Beyond what even those would have been willing to pay. The only reasonable approach was to exclude the heights.

Anonymous said...

6:16
"It takes a village...."

To bad the RWQCB decided to divide this community back in 1983, thereby ensuring that we would never come together. When the PZ is dropped, by common sense or by court action, we can then deal with the whole basin and find a solution that fairly balances costs and benefits for all. We currently have a system where those inside the PZ approve a 218, but those outside help decide what we are buying and, therefore, how much we pay. The PZ to go. Court challenge seems to be the only way. Go for it Moylan's.

Anonymous said...

So are the Cabrillo people going to just pay the expensive upgrade to their septics after AB885? On top of their benefit on the 218?

Also, there are homes behind Green Oaks Dr. that aren't in the PZ, why?? They are just a few feet away from homes in the PZ...

Churadogs said...

Anonymous sez:"So are the Cabrillo people going to just pay the expensive upgrade to their septics after AB885? On top of their benefit on the 218?

Also, there are homes behind Green Oaks Dr. that aren't in the PZ, why?? They are just a few feet away from homes in the PZ... "

Good questions and yet more reasons why it is long past time to re examine and update the Basin Plan.

Mike Green said...

The basin plan is a political "third rail"
No politican with an eye toward reelection will have anything to do with it. A no-win situation, as any changing of the status quo will inevetably cause (negative) economic impact of their constituency.
Life is not fair, and politics are ugly.

Churadogs said...

Mike sez:"The basin plan is a political "third rail"
No politican with an eye toward reelection will have anything to do with it."

If and when (and in whatever form) AB885 arrives at, won't homeowners be affected one way or the other, Basin Plan update or no Basin Plan update?