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Thursday, April 26, 2007

Calhoun’s Cannons, The Bay News, Morro Bay, CA, for April 25, 2007


Pass the Madeira

Watching Don Imus’ precipitous tumble from the I-man to the Out Of Work Man, stanzas from the old Limelighter’s song, “Have Some Madeira, M’Dear” kept rolling through my head. The song tells of a Sweet Young Thing being seduced by an aging Lothario who warns her against the perils of gin while plying her with sweet draughts of Madeira, until she awakens with “an ache in her head . . . . and a beard on her pillow that tickled and said, ‘Have some Madeira, M’Dear.’”

The song came to mind while watching respectable, virginal CBS and Sweet Innocent Young MSNBC both tiptoeing through their delicate, hypocritical, vaporish hand-wringing, trembling with woe, fingers to the wind, testing for every hum and murmur from their viewers and advertisers, upended twitchy noses scenting like a pair of Culture Bloodhounds sniffing out the zeitgeist for the slightest change, weeping in belated sorrow that they had NO IDEA what that nasty man was up to, Boo-Hoo, Boo-Hoo, until they came to their senses and dumped him with a thud and a promise that they should have listened to Mother and not gone up to his room and surely shouldn’t have drunk all those glasses of wine, Nosir, Nosir!

Adding to the melodramatic comic effect was the Reverend Al (Twana Brawley) Sharpton, and the Reverend (Hymietown) Jesse Jackson’s pious cant churning up a chorus of the faithful to express Shock & Dismay! that the I-man was a crude, lewd, bigoted nimcompoop, while the rich and powerful people who had previously fallen all over themselves to be guests on his show, demurred as to how he was a good man, really, helped sick kids, and that if the Rutgers University women’s basketball team that he so thoughtlessly trashed on air would only “forgive him,” we could all join hands and sing Kumbaya and be redeemed together in this amazing Morality Play about a radio talker who regularly spit out racist, misogynistic, homophobic, anti-Semitic remarks in a radio show that was best described by Constance L. Rice, a civil rights attorney in Los Angeles, in her op-ed piece in the L.A. Times, as “eavesdrop[ping on] a seventh-grade white boy’s locker room . . .”

A seventh-grade white boy’s locker room run by The Cool Guy In School, the edgy dangerous guy who tempted the sweet young things, kicked sand into the eyes of the geeky guys who nonetheless flocked to his door for the sand-kicking so his macho, bully-boy cool could rub off onto them. And so, one after another, seventh-grade White Boy Politicians and White Boy Media Elites played the role of the Sweet Young Things invited into the I-man’s den to look at his etchings, sip some sweet Madeira, and with tongues loosened, indulge in the frisson of trash talking under the cover of pretending to engage in serious political discussions – like guys who claim they only buy Playboy . . . for the interviews.

And all of it done for years without any real consequences or accountability.

It was a lucrative business and moved the I-man from the Get-No-Respect talk radio basement up into the corporate offices high above the mean city streets. But, clearly, it was a phony marriage of convenience that remained dangerously uneasy. Marrying above your station rarely has a good outcome. Corporate America will sleep with the very lucrative tabloid trash, but will never marry one of them when the cost escalates, as Imus learned, to his temporary sorrow.

Well, weep not for the I-man. He’ll find his seventh-grade white boy locker room niche once again. What should have concerned Americans years ago wasn’t the I-man and his ilk, but was the politicization and tabloidization of the news, the consolidation of fewer and fewer media outlets into fewer and fewer corporate hands, the repeated failure of even the basics of journalistic integrity and diligence in reporting the news, and the race to the bottom by all media in the ratings wars that give us Infotainment -- Anna Nicole Smith 24/7 – instead of real news.

All this while deadly problems that need the attention and active engagement of accurately informed citizens gather dangerously outside the blinking, mesmerizing lights of the media circus tent that we have built around ourselves, passively “amusing ourselves to death” by mistaking its contrived dumbshow for “reality.”

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, what a wonderful piece of fluff which said absolutely nothing!

That is unless this circus of a blog were to compare the media carival schrade of the I=Man and the folly being foisted upon Lost Osos by our ever truthful CSD 4 plus our lost JohnBoy and as always honest GailMac.

Please Ann, cut through the hyperbol and try for once to focus on the damage being done by our local government. Explain how the bankruptcy is helping in any way. Instead of just some one-sided column, dare to explore what is really wrong with this CSD. Don't just blame the State, the County and tbe past Boards, but try for once to see what a small group of vocal activists have done to a small community.

Ron said...

Ann wrote:

"What should have concerned Americans years ago wasn’t the I-man and his ilk, but was the politicization and tabloidization of the news, the consolidation of fewer and fewer media outlets into fewer and fewer corporate hands, the repeated failure of even the basics of journalistic integrity and diligence in reporting the news, and the race to the bottom by all media in the ratings wars..."

In case you missed Amy Goodman's, Democracy Now (90.1 KCBX, Noon - 1:00, p.m. weekdays) yesterday, there was an excellent interview with Bill Moyers regarding his new series on PBS that deals with the media, and specifically how they handled the run-up to the Iraq war.

If you have a little time... click here to read/hear it. Great stuff.

David Gregory dancing with Karl Rove?

That's not the style of journalism I was taught.

Anonymous said...

TO RON:

There is NEVER a great interview by Amy Goodman. She controls the questions, and her questions are framed to support her socialistic/liberal agenda. She always seems to interview those with her same agenda to support her agenda. AHHH, the liberal elete media! Sort of like being interviewed by Jesse Jackson, but far more sophisticated!

And there it is!

Anonymous said...

anon 5:53am, I loved your post! I am sure we will both be expecting another loud silence from Ann on our Los Osian debacle.

What is it about the truth here that is so impossible for Ann to see? What hold does this group have on her that she just refuses to look? Anyone - do you know WHY Ann defends these people? Did they pay for a trip or buy her some stock? What?

I have had friends that did me wrong - we argued, talked, cried, reasoned and finally forgave. We didn't hide any of this from the world. We grew from the experience.

I wish that this could happen here. But if there is no admission of guilt - and it is clear to all that great wrong was done - there will be no healing. Ann could be a great help in this process, it would make great reading, but no. Silence. Why?

Mike Green said...

We are NUMBER ONE, New times poll puts LO sewer wars as the #1 Best waste of taxpayer's money!

What the heck dose that mean?

Are we the best at wasting money? or the best waste of money?

Confounded media, no wonder we are confused!

Anonymous said...

Obviously New Times readers aren't keeping up with the RWQCB's Waste of Taxpayers' Money. Another meeting on may 10 where they'll sentence the two CDO defendants they "heard" on January 22 and decide what to do with the seven who recanted. Oh, and they say they may also decide what to do with the other 4500+ households at the same time - probably to save a smidge of that Taxpayers' money.

Anonymous said...

The Best waste of public money? Who go the the Worst Waste of public money?

Churadogs said...

anonymous sez:"Please Ann, cut through the hyperbol and try for once to focus on the damage being done by our local government. Explain how the bankruptcy is helping in any way. Instead of just some one-sided column, dare to explore what is really wrong with this CSD. Don't just blame the State, the County and tbe past Boards, but try for once to see what a small group of vocal activists have done to a small community."

Dear Anon. Please go to the top of this blog. Read what the title is: Calhoun's Cannons. It's NOT the Los Osos ALL SEWER ALL THE TIME BLOG. If you want one of those, go get one of your own and blog away. Also, please re-read what you have written: " . . .what a small group of vocal activists . . ." Please correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the community vote for Measure B and vote for the recall? And didn't they vote to return two previous CSD board members and one new one? And under our form of government, aren't issues decided by a majority of votes? Seems to me your quarrel is with a majority of the voters here in Los Osos. That's fine. Have at it.

anon sez:"I wish that this could happen here. But if there is no admission of guilt - and it is clear to all that great wrong was done - there will be no healing. Ann could be a great help in this process, it would make great reading, but no. Silence. Why?"

You haven't been paying attention to what I've written for years. The term "silence" doesn't fit. Nor have you paid any attention to what Ron has written for years. This train wreck started waaaay back when. If you're into sniffing out "guilt," and "wrongs," your list is going to be very, very long. Plus, it's not my job to "heal" the community. That's the community's job. Just as it was their job to pay attention to what was being done in their name.(I did not vote to gamble (and lose) millions of your tax dollars by starting the Tri W project before the recall.) Now that the Process has gotten somewhat back on track, it's now (again) up to the community (not me) to decide what they want, vote to buy it, then we can get back to squabbling about other things.

Anonymous said...

Ann,

Your answers are so full of crap.

Answer the question about how the current board has raped the community. STOPPING the project caused all the mayhem in Los Osos, not starting it (as the PROCESS has been going on for years prior to the recall).

Ann, you are a fool.

Ron said...

Ann wrote:

"And didn't they vote to return two previous CSD board members and one new one?

That's true, and they would have returned three previous CSD board members had Fouche decided to run for reelection. Anyone that knows their way around the statistics page of a sports section can tell you that.

Anon wrote:

"STOPPING the project caused all the mayhem in Los Osos..."

No. Forming the LOCSD in 1998 under false circumstances caused all the mayhem in Los Osos (how did you vote on Measure-K, Anon?). And, since the Tri-W project was never going to work anyway, stopping that lemon saved Los Osos and California taxpayers countless millions of dollars, and a MUCH worse train wreck, if you can imagine that.

Also, stopping that lemon was exactly what they were elected to do. Imagine voting for a Senator that says his/her #1 priority is to pull troops out of Iraq, and then the first thing that Senator does in office is vote to send more troops to Iraq? How would you feel?

Anonymous said...

Ron,

The TriW project will work (hence it received the approval of the RWQCB, was permitted and funded.) On what FACTS do you claim that it would not?

As for not forming the CSD, duh!

As that forming the CSD caused the mayhem, how about the failure of Los Osos to build the damn sewwer back in the late 1970's?...seems to me that Los Osos citizens are at fault for not being too bright.

And Ron, your a stupid and drunken pig.

Anonymous said...

Ann said:
"Please correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the community vote for Measure B and vote for the recall?"

Yes, they did, and didn't the proponents lie about the expected results of Measure B and wasn't the recall based on $100/month out of town?

You can't tell me Biggs & Co. wasn't smart enough to know the measure was only written to stall, to hell with the consequences, and that the $100 was to entice the voter away from the reality that that the cost of the sewer would be large no matter where the placement - yet another stall - which has resulted in bringing the cost up even more?

The whole uproar could have been avoided if lies to stall were not put before the voting public. There were in the works grants and other mitigations of cost to those who could not afford the $200. At least the County is savvy enough to publicize their efforts for this up front.

Your SILENCE has ONLY been about the wrongdoings of the LISA BOARD, you have covered all the other "wrongdoings" in mind-numbing detail.

So when are we going to hear about the shortcomings of the Lisa Board?

Mike Green said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shark Inlet said...

I have to agree with our most recent anonymous contributor.

Essentially the votes for Julie and Lisa, the recall and measure B were largely because of campaign promises that the makers should have known would be impossible to accomplish. Take, for example, the promise by Steve, Chuck and John that they had a plan that was ready to go that would cost us less than $100/month.

Ann, can you tell us that Chuck, Steve and John delivered on this promise? Can you tell us that they even had a plan? Don't you think that if they told us they had a plan that they would have eventually told someone what their plan was?

Ann, can you tell us that such campaign promises didn't influence the voters? Can you honestly tell us that you believe the recall would have been successful had they promised to try to move the sewer but that our bills would be higher whether they were successful or not?

Ann, you and Ron have been very harsh in your criticism of the Solutions Group and of the original CSD boardmembers. You've said that they should have known in advance that the RWQCB would not approve their ponding scheme. You all have said that they shouldn't have taken action to choose TriW without first carefully considering all the other options and unintended consequences.

Yet ... now that the tables have turned one hundred and eighty degrees ... neither of you have even suggested that the recall board should have known in advance that their plan to move the sewer wouldn't work ... even though both the RWQCB and SWRCB announced in advance, the implications of stopping the TriW project. Simply put, the recall board didn't consider the consequences of stopping the project before they made that choice.

Yet silence from Ann on the screw ups of the recent group.

No surprise, really ... just a bit of hypocrisy.

Essentially Ann has only been telling us her opinion on these matters and her opinion seems to be less about paying attention to the process but more about getting TriW stopped no matter what.

Anonymous said...

Excellent Shark Inlet. Please continue posting as you are much better at analyzing the situation and asking clear questions than most of us. You make more sense than any other that I've read. We know we've been lead down the primrose path, but can't express our frustration nearly as well as you always do. Thanks.

Mike Green said...

Sharkey! that was pathetic,
"Essentially Ann has only been telling us her opinion on these matters and her opinion seems to be less about paying attention to the process but more about getting TriW stopped no matter what."

Please tell me how making no comment on a subject results in a hard and fast statement.

Where did she write that it was her intention to "stop TriW no matter what"?

It's your OPINION that you are posting just like she dose,
I suggest you continue to keep attacking the message, not the messenger.

Or here is a thought, Go write your own blog, It's incredibly easy.

By the way, I've posted the Sullivan brief over at LOviews (click on my name) As the link Ron gave us doesn't seem to work anymore.

Shark Inlet said...

Mike,

I'll stand behind my comments even if they seem a bit rough to you.

To me it is pretty clear that she's chosen to take one side on a logical argument when it is convenient for her but she refuses to take that same side when it is inconvenient.

For example, if it was wrong of the Solutions Group to sell us a "solution" that they should have known wouldn't work ... it should have been wrong for the recall candidates to do the same. Ann has criticized the one group yet refuses to criticize the other group.

I've thought about doing my own blog but then I would have to come up with original content which I don't have the time to do. I do think it great that Ann welcomes comments on her opinions and I gladly participate.

Thanks also for putting Sullivan's brief online again. Those who want to read it to see whether the PZLDF bucket will likely hold water or not will now find it much easier to read this document.


Honestly, I have a great amount of respect for you, Ann and PG. (Spectator and Public Works as well, of course!)

I just wish Ann would be more balanced or that she would be willing to admit she's pretty much one sided...

Anonymous said...

This blog is so much fun. A bunch of folks who make up their facts and then make it their "opinion", i.e. Ann and Ron

It is going to be so much fun to see our District dollars at work. Shana laughs all the way to the bank. She's just another lawyer who could take either side of a discussion and switch sides if she feels like it. Forget the lawsuits, just build the sewer!

Mike Green said...

OK Shark, I'll take pathetic back and replace it with displeasing.
I have the greatest respect for you too!
We dont always agree, but you have greatly increased my desire to stay informed, thanks.

P.S. your excuse for not creating your own blog was pathetic.

Shark Inlet said...

While my excuse might be pathetic ... it is my own.

Honestly, I thought about it but I feel that if I don't have the time to commit to putting content out there on a regular basis and the time to make it worth reading consistently, it wouldn't be a good investment of my time.

Commenting on Ann's blog is a good diversion but I don't want to have to do a half-assed job or to be chained down to it.

Mike Green said...

Sharkey bubbled:
"While my excuse might be pathetic ... it is my own."


Hmnnn. Using original content to prove the lack of.... original content! Brilliant!


Bwa ha ha ha! Good one!

Ron said...

Anon (of course) wrote:

"And Ron, your a stupid and drunken pig."

I make typos all the time, so I really don't have much room to correct other commentors when they f-up, but if you're going to call someone "stupid" you might want to make sure that the words preceding that insult are grammatically correct. The word you were reaching for is "you're"... it's a contraction of "you" and "are."

Inlet:

"I've thought about doing my own blog but then I would have to come up with original content which I don't have the time to do."

Yet you have the time to out-word Ann and I combined. Hmmm....

Anon:

"This blog is so much fun. A bunch of folks who make up their facts and then make it their "opinion", i.e. Ann and Ron"

Yes, blogs are fun. As for "opinion," do you mean opinion like this?

Anonymous said...

Yeah Ron, you really are a "fucking" idiot!

Anonymous said...

2 Thumbs Up !!

Shark Inlet said...

Ron quoted me: "I've thought about doing my own blog but then I would have to come up with original content which I don't have the time to do."

Then added "Yet you have the time to out-word Ann and I combined. Hmmm...."

Yes ... it takes far too much of my time to combat the misconceptions the two of you promote to leave me any time to come up with my own original contributions.

If the two of you promise to just be factually based and to show far less bias I would have some more free time. If you really want me to make my own original contributions, just stop spewing so much nonsense ... I would be quite happy to oblige.

Anonymous said...

4 more ****

Anonymous said...

Oh Geez. The above post to Ron explains alot. The Dreamers are on meth! I never was quite sure about that name "dreamers" but now it makes sense.

Anonymous said...

To Anon 6:01 above,

Geez......what to know what the Dreamers are REALLY all about? Read this copy of of past letter to the editor printed in the Tribune (2005);

THE DREAM
Responding to Keith Swanson’s venomous “pipe dream” letter of January 15; in which Swanson fails to comprehend that in Los Osos the “dream” is much more than just the sewer.

The “Dreamers” dream of ending a vicious thirty year conflict in Los Osos; dream of stopping the gross pollution of our beautiful environment and reversing the damage caused; dream of clean water and a pristine Morro Bay; dream of keeping Los Osos a small town surrounded by open space and farms; dream of freeing Los Ososans to add bedrooms or bathrooms to their homes; dream of welcoming our future neighbors to realize their dreams on their vacant lots; dream of a beautifully landscaped nine acre park for our community; dream of a vibrant downtown with growing locally-owned businesses; dream that through grants and hard work that we can assist our less-fortunate neighbors so that none need leave town; and dream much more!

The “Dreamers” know that the quickest and least expensive way to see these “dreams” come true is by enthusiastically supporting the LOCSD Wastewater Project. Make it your dream too."

Anonymous said...

Gag, Choke, Puke

Fiction is stranger than reality!

Could some one, maybe even Swanson, explain just where that abundance of clean water is going to come from? We won't even ask just how it would be funded, but it would be nice to have seen a plan, any plan, back in January, actually back in January 2005 or any time since. Well after a little bump in the road, a little nuisance called bankruptcy, any real plan was sort of taken away, but here we are with Julie still shooting her mouth off and dreaming of building a mythical sewer somewhere closer to Fresno.

Let's hope the property owners of Los Osos understand the rape of our community by those MTS Dreamers! How much longer will we have to put up with the obstructionism?

Anonymous said...

Gag me with a gravity collection system!

Anonymous said...

You are confusing obstruction with 21st century green technology. Don't lump us all together or you may miss the chance to do-do it right!

Anonymous said...

+++++++++++ Notice that the columnist is an African American.++++++++++

Subject: IMUS gave the opportunity

Shaun Powell
SPORTS COLUMNIST


IT'S MORE THAN JUST IMUS
In retrospect, outraged people shouldn't have united and screamed "blank you" to Don Imus the last few days. No, instead, we should've stuck out our hand and said, "Thank you."

We should feel indebted to a shriveled, unfunny, insensitive frog for being so ignorant that he actually did us all a favor. He woke society the hell up. He grabbed it by the throat, shook hard and ordered us to take a long, critical look at ourselves and the mess we've made and ignored for much too long. He made us examine the culture and the characters we've created for ourselves, our impressionable young people and our future.
Had Imus not called a bunch of proud and innocent young women "nappy-headed hos," would we be as ashamed of what we see as we are today?

Or, to quote Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer: "Have we really lost our moral fiber?"

And our minds as well?

I'm not sure if the last few days will serve as a watershed moment for this MTV, middle-finger, screw-you generation. Probably not, according to my hunch. A short time from now, the hysteria will turn to vapor, folks will settle back into their routines, somebody will pump up the volume on the latest poison produced by hip-hop while Al Sharpton and the other racial ambulance chasers will find other guilt-ridden white folks to shake for fame and cash. In five minutes, the entire episode of Imus and his strange idea of humor will be older than his hairstyle. Lessons learned will be lessons forgotten.

I wish I were wrong about that last part. But I doubt it, because any minute now, black people will resume calling themselves bitches and hos and the N-word and in the ultimate sign of hypocrisy, neither Rutgers nor anyone else will call a news conference about that.

Because when we really get to the root of the problem, this isn't about Imus. This is about a culture we -- meaning black folks -- created and condoned and packaged for white power brokers to sell and shock jocks like Imus to exploit. Can we talk?

Tell me: Where did an old white guy like Imus learn the word "ho"?

Was that always part of his vocabulary? Or did he borrow it from Jay-Z and Dave Chappelle and Snoop Dogg?

What really disappointed me about that exhausting Rutgers news conference, which was slyly used as a recruiting pitch by Stringer, was the absence of the truth and the lack of backbone and courage. Black women had the perfect opportunity to lash out at their most dangerous oppressors -- black men -- and yet they kept the focus on a white guy.

It was a tremendous letdown for me, personally and professionally. I wanted Stringer, and especially her players, many of whom listen to rap and hip-hop, to take Nelly to task. Or BET. Or MTV. Or the gangsta culture that is suffocating our kids. They had the ear and eye of the nation trained upon them, and yet these women didn't get to the point and the root of the matter. They danced around it, and I guess I should've known better, because black people still refuse to lash out against those black people who are doing harm to us all.

Honestly, I wasn't holding my breath for Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, a pair of phony and self-appointed leaders, because they have their agendas and financial stakes. I was hoping 10 young women, who have nothing on the line, who are members of a young culture, would train their attention to within the race, name names and say enough is enough. But they didn't, and I was crushed.

You should walk around the playground and the elementary and high schools today and listen to how young black people speak to each other, treat each other and tease each other. You'd be ashamed. Next, sample some of their CDs and look at the video games they're playing. And while you're at it, blame yourself for funding this garbage, for allowing your kids to support these companies and for not taking a stand against it or the so-called artists making it happen.

Black folks, for whatever reason, can be their own worst enemy. The last several days, the media had us believe it was Don Imus. But deep down, we know better.

Anonymous said...

Black folks make this country great! Most work hard, are more than competent, and are a fabulous benefit to all of us.

This country would be far poorer without black folks. They make all people laugh at themselves, sing and dance. They work hard. They pay taxes, and are heads of industry. They are family people. God fearing people!

Consider what this country would be without black folks!

They bring joy to all! But not the liberal pale skinned blacks with their hand out.

Shaun Powell and Dr. Cosby are correct!

I respect, AND ADMIRE, hard working black folks. God bless them! And may the scumbag white liberal politicians who exploit them be defeated in all elections.

I wish wealth, happiness, and good health to all with African decent.

You will never understand what really black is until you go to Africa. Black is truely beautiful.

Ron said...

Anon worte:

"Ron, YOU're a stupid drunken moron"

See? Much better.

I just don't get it. Why all the hate towards people like me and Ann, or anyone else, for that matter, that had a hand in stopping the highly embarrassing Tri-W mess? If everything goes as it should from here on out (read: sans monkeywrenching), Los Osos will end up with a modern, out-of-town, energy efficient sewer plant that will cost some $50 - $100 million less than the Tri-W mess (which was never going to work anyway), according to just about every official that's reviewed the current situation.

So, why the hate? I just don't get it.

Here's my suggestion to the haters: Come up with a contingency plan. Because, without one, you're going to look pretty silly hating on all the people that had the brilliant foresight to stick a fork in the Tri-W lemon, thereby saving you all kinds of money, and moving an unpopular sewer plant, or, more precisely, an very expensive ATTEMPT at a sewer plant, from the middle of your beautiful coastal town, especially since there was no reason whatsoever to build it there in the first place.

I have no idea what that contingency should be, but I just have this image in my mind of someone counting all the cash they're saving because Tri-W's in the dumpster, and while they're counting all that cash, they just keep mumbling, "Stupid, drunken, move-the-sewer morons."

Yep. You guys need a contingency plan, fast. That hate will make no sense soon.

From "The Dream" letter:

"... dream of a beautifully landscaped nine acre park for our community..."

Really? That's a dream of Los Osos? If so, then why did Measures E-97 and D-97 fail? Or is that ridiculous $10 million park in the Tri-W project (that was to be funded by the SRF loan -- what a freaking joke) someone else's dream? Is that a "community value" or is that a specific person's value?

Quick show of hands -- All Los Osoans that have a dream of a multi-million dollar park in their sewer plant, and then have that park dictate an expensive, mid-town location, raise your hand.

Yea... that's what I thought.

So, whose "dream" is that?

Anonymous said...

Ron,

Let's see a show of hands of Los Ososians who are happy that they get to spend so much more per month ($300+) because Ron Crawford does not like the location of a park at Tri-W.

By the way, I do not hate you...I just find you to be an uncaring egomaniac blinded by booze.

Anonymous said...

Oh man here we go again...giving Ron all the credit for stopping the sewer. If you guys think he's responsible you are seriously out of it. We did it to ouselves and that's a fact.

Anonymous said...

Hi Anon above,

I never wrote that Ron gets "all the credit" for stopping the sewer.
The credit belongs to Julia, Lisa, Chuch, John and Steve; all now shown to be liars.

But Ron has been a "cheerleader" supporting stopping the sewer; and has done so without regard to the damage being caused to Los Osos.

Or are you proud of supporting stoppping the sewer?

Anonymous said...

Well, let's just say that now that the county has it, we will have some choices and I do think that will go a long way in healing the community. I am proud of changing the direction of the project. I am pleased that everyone will be heard as opposed to what happened to the community in the past. I'm not "proud of stopping the sewer." Obviously that has been a major mess. But, couldn't it have been avoided if the old CSD would have chilled out for a few weeks? If they had they wouldn't have been recalled. And we'd have a sewer being built. We all can play the blame game. P.S. how do you know the sewer will be $300?

Anonymous said...

Hi Anon above,

The process to build the Tri-W project had been ongoing since 2000...and the CSD was at the END of that process (26 million dollars having been spent). It is by STOPPING THE PROCESS by the new CSD that the "mess" was created.

There are no facts supporting the concept that IF the old CSD had not started the project that;
(a) we would not be in the current "mess", or that
(b) the old board would not have been recalled.

As for the $300/month cost, it is an estimate bases upon educated assumptions. I suggest you look at the cost estimate sheets compiled by ex-director LeGros on this subject.....they have been posted in the past on this blog.

Anonymous said...

I trust LeGros about as much as I trust Al Barrow. But whatever. We need to come together and support the county and see that the process is as open as possible. One thing I dislike about the LOCSD, past and present, is that they seem to always have their own "agenda." Maybe the county will give us the more balanced approach we have been needing for so long. I suggested that the recall might have been unsuccessful had the old board not started digging because I know several people who decided to vote for the recall because they were so upset about it. These were people who hadn't decided how to vote. And it was a thin margin! We tend to base our opinions on our own observations although I do know that is not scientific. I don't think it will cost us $300. I might be a moron but that is what I think.

Unknown said...

The point about LeGros is that he's put his numbers on the table. He's explained exactly why he thinks the costs have gone up and will continue to rise.

If you don't trust him, fine.

It would be great, however, if you would explain to us where you think he might be in error. After all, if you have the hope that we'll end up paying less than $300/month, it would be great if you could pass that hope on to those of us who have looked over his analysis and found to be by-n-large, sound. Maybe we overlooked something.

So ... why do you doubt Richard's numbers (not Richard himself, but the analysis he presented)?

Anonymous said...

Because, when you don't trust someone, you don't trust their numbers either. Duh. Follow politics and human behavior lately? We're sheep , man. Deal with it.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We don't have "numbers." Look at President Bush. If he brought out the numbers he would be freakin' assassinated. But of course he won't because he's too stupid to know anything beyond his pet goat. Ain't blogs great?

Shark Inlet said...

Fair 'nuff.

You don't trust Richard (in general, for some unstated reason) so you don't trust his estimated costs for a future project.

That being so, I would suggest it should be easy for you to show where his cost projections would be in error. Go for it.

Anonymous said...

ANALYSIS OF COSTS OF RIPLEY-PACIFIC PROJECT
• ASSUME AB 2701 ENACTED SEPTEMBER, 2006
• ASSUME NEW STATE SRF LOAN @ 2.7%, 20 YEAR TERM. NO FEDERAL OR STATE GRANTS OFFSETTING COSTS.
• ASSUME START OF CONSTRUCTION BY OCTOBER, 2013. CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED 2015
• ASSUME INFLATION RATE 0F 8% /YEAR (2006 to 2013), COUNTY AA-RATED BOND RATE OF 6%
• ASSUME LOCSD LIABILITIES TO CONTRACTORS (DUE TO STOPPING WORK ON OCTOBER 3, 2005) AND BOND ASSESSMENT PREPAYEES PAID THROUGH SEWER PROJECT MONTHLY FEES FOR FIRST 5 YEARS OF SEWER PLANT OPERATION (2015 TO 2020)

HARD COSTS
Beginning with the August, 2006 construction price estimate of $100,000,000 by Ripley-Pacific, add:

1. The costs (debt) to the property owners for abandoning the Tri-W project………………………………………… ……………………… $55,000,000
These costs include the 90 day suspension costs of the contractors ($3M), pay contractor work costs ($5M),
costs to re-negotiate contractors contracts ($1M), RWQCB fines ($6.5M), repay SRF ($6.5M), SLO County
costs ($2M), Mob-Demob costs ($4M), MWH fee ($1M), money spent by CSD since 10-05 on lawsuits, repaving,
alternate plan ($3M) contractors’ lawsuits and claims ($20M), repay assessment bond prepayees (3M)
1a. COUNTY portion of debt = ($ 3,000,000)
1b. LOCSD portion of debt = ($52,000,000)

2. The costs of new project to acquire land and easements, project design and engineering, permit acquisition, lawsuits.……………. $ 20,000,000

3. 7 years of construction cost inflation @ 8% /year (of $100M base) until construction commencement....………………………………$ 56,000,000
4. Existing assessment bond costs to property owners….............................................................……………………………………….… $ 20,900,000
4a. Pre-paid assessment bond money collected = ($ 3,000,000) refunded in #1 above
4b. Bond Assessment on remainder = ($17,900,000)

5. Property owner costs to connect to sewer …..………………………………………………………………………................................... $ 20,000,000
5a. 2000 property owners pay out-of-pocket = ($ 8,000,000)
5b 3000 property owners pay via a loan= ($12,000,000)


TOTAL HARD COSTS
• TO THE COUNTY: ($100,000,000) + ($ 3,000,000) + ($20,000,000) + ($56,000,000) = $179,000,000
• TO THE LOCSD: ($ 52,000,000) + ($20,900,000) = $ 72,900,000
• TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS: $ 20,000,000

SUBTOTAL (HARD COST) $271,900,000
SOFT COSTS
Project soft costs consist of “A”, “B”, “C”, and “D” costs as listed below;

“A” costs of #1a or #1b, and #2, which may not be funded through an SRF loan FINANCED BY COUNTY $ 23,000,000
FINANCED BY LOCSD $ 52,000,000
AND
“B” costs of estimated construction cost ($100M) + #3, which may be funded by an SRF loan FINANCED BY COUNTY $148,000,000
AND
“C” costs of existing assessment bond (#4b) FINANCED BY LOCSD $ 17,900,000
AND
“D” costs of #5b FINANCED BY OWNERS $ 12,000,000

“A” SOFT COSTS
• FINANCED BY COUNTY: $ 23,000,000 @ 06% over 30 years results in interest paid of $ 26,643,000
• FINANCED BY LOCSD: $ 52,000,000 @ 07% over 14 years results in interest paid of (paid in 05 years) $ 29,717,000

“B” SOFT COSTS
• FINANCED BY COUNTY: WITH STATE SRF LOAN:
$156,000,000 @ 02.7% over 20 years results in interest paid of $ 46,064,000
“C” SOFT COSTS
• FINANCED BY LOCSD: $ 17,900,000 @ 06.2% over 30 years results in interest paid of $ 21,675,000

“D” SOFT COSTS (only applies to 3000 property owners that borrowed money to connect to sewer)
• FINANCED BY OWNERS $ 12,000,000 @ 06% over 30 years results in interest paid of $ 13,900,000


TOTAL SOFT COSTS
• TO THE COUNTY: $ 72,707,000
• TO THE LOCSD: $ 51,392,000
• TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS: $ 13,900,000

SUBTOTAL (SOFT COSTS) $137,999,000
TOTAL PROJECT COSTS
TOTAL PROJECT COSTS = [(HARD COSTS)] + [(SOFT COSTS)]

[($271,900,000) + ($137,999,000)] = SUM TOTAL (TOTAL COST OF PROJECT) $409,899,000


BOND NAME ($ PRINCIPAL) + ($ INTEREST) = TOTAL COST
• Bond “A” COUNTY: ($ 23,000,000) + ($ 26,643,000) = $ 49,643,000
• Payoff “A” LOCSD: ($ 52,000,000) + ($ 29,717,000) = $ 81,717,000
• Bond “B” COUNTY: ($156,000,000) + ($ 46,064,000) = $202,064,000
• Bond “C” LOCSD: ($ 17,900,000) + ($ 21,675,000) = $ 39,575,000
• Bond “D” OWNERS ($ 12,000,000) + ($ 13,900,000) = $ 25,900,000


MONTHLY COSTS PER PROPERTY OWNER

COST PER MONTH FOR OM&R AND BOND SERVICE
OM&R: Annual OM&R of $850,000 [($850,000 / year) / (12 months/year)] / (5000 prop. owners) = $ 14.00 /month

Bond “A” COUNTY [($ 49,643,000 / 30 years) / (12 months/year)] / (5000 prop. owners) = $ 27.58 /month

Debt Payoff “A” LOCSD [($ 81,717,000/ 05 years) / (12 months/year)] / (5000 prop. owners) = $272.40 /month

Bond “B” (with SRF Loan) [($202,064,000 / 20 years) / (12 months/year)] / (5000 prop. owners) = $168.39 /month

Bond “C” (existing assessment bond) [($ 39,575,000) / 30 years) / (12 months/year)] / (5000 prop. owners) = $ 21.98 /month

Bond “D” [($ 25,900,000 / 30 years) / (12 months/year)] / (3000 prop. owners) = $ 23.98 /month



FOR THOSE 2000 PROPERTY OWNERS THAT PAY CONNECTION COSTS TO SEWER OUT-OF-POCKET

RIPLEY-PACIFIC PROJECT
GIVEN the monthly payment for years 2015 to 2020 would be: OM&R + Bond “A” COUNTY + Payoff “A” LOCSD + Bond “B” + Bond “C”
GIVEN the monthly payment for years 2020 to 2035 would be: OM&R + Bond “A” COUNTY + Bond “B” + Bond “C”
GIVEN the monthly payment for years 2035 to 2045 would be: OM&R + Bond “A” COUNTY + Bond “C”

THEREFORE:
• Monthly payment years 2015 to 2020 = ($14.00) + ($27.58) + ($272.40) + ($168.39) + ($21.98) = $504.35 / month per property owner
• Monthly payment years 2020 to 2035 = ($14.00) + ($27.58) + ($168.39) + ($21.98) = $231.95 / month per property owner
• Monthly payment years 2035 to 2045 = ($14.00) + ($27.58) + (21.98) = $ 63.66 / month per property owner
• After year 2045, property owners pay OM&R costs only (adjust for inflation) = $ 14.00 / month per property owner



FOR THOSE 3000 PROPERTY OWNERS THAT BORROW CONNECTION COSTS TO SEWER

RIPLEY-PACIFIC PROJECT
GIVEN the monthly payment for years 2015 TO 2020 would be: OM&R + Bond “A” COUNTY + Payoff “A” LOCSD + Bond “B” + Bond “C” + Bond “D”
GIVEN the monthly payment for years 2020 TO 2035 would be: OM&R + Bond “A” COUNTY + Bond “B” + Bond “C” + Bond “D”
GIVEN the monthly payment for years 2035 TO 2045 would be: OM&R + Bond “A” COUNTY + Bond “C” + Bond “D”

THEREFORE:
• Monthly payment years 2015 to 2020 = ($14.00) + ($27.58) + ($264.47) + ($168.39) +($21.98) +(23.98) = $528.33 / month per property owner
• Monthly payment years 2020 to 2035 = ($14.00) + ($27.58) + ($168.39) + ($21.98) + (23.98) = $255.93 / month per property owner
• Monthly payment years 2035 to 2045 = ($14.00) + ($27.58) + (21.98) ) + (23.98) = $ 87.64 / month per property owner
• After year 2045, property owners pay OM&R costs only (adjust for inflation) = $ 14.00 / month per property owner

Anonymous said...

LeGros resigns from creditor's committee! Caught with his pants down. What a total loser.

Anonymous said...

Silly Anon above,

As a close personal friend of Richard LeGros, I can say without hesitation that Richard is so very busy with his many architectural commissions that he no longer has the time (or patience) to deal with the silliness of the CSD board majority or an insolvent CSD.

Your assigning any other motives to his resignation means nothing other than you are mean spirted and a rumor monger.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the analysis, Richard. We understand that being recalled can make a person bitter. It's difficult to have a community, or a state, or whatever, organize and say look "you're gone." You were elected once but your performance was so pathetic that we had to get rid of you. Yes, please do stick to architecture. Leave a 21st century wastewater project to other professionals. BTW, if Richard (you) are so "busy" and the CSD is so "silly" why did he (you) spend so much time and energy trying to dissolve it?

Anonymous said...

Bull Shit!

Richard did a damn good job as Director! You sound like a bitter SOB who couldn't get your way, so you like a bankrupt CSD. IDIOT!