Mmmmm, Flies. Yummy Flies. Oh, wait, bad analogy.
In his August 28, 'o5 Tribune Viewpoint ("Los Osos these days looks a lot like 'Lord of the Flies'"), Morro Bay resident, Jeff Wheelright, alas, has the viewpoint exactly backwards. The several thousand people who signed the recall petitions were behaving like adults, not out of control, murderous children in need of a Hobbsian Controlling Authority. As adults, they had repeatedly requested from the Big Daddy CSD a voice in what kind of sewer system they were being required to "buy." That request was repeatedly denied. Instead, they were told, like good children everywhere, that Daddy knew best and they needed to shut up and sit down and eat what Daddy fed them without complaint or question.
Children usually do sit down and shut up. Adults go sign recall petitions. So, it's not "Lord of the Flies" at all. Just a whole lot of grown up bears asking the community to finally account for itself. Like adults.
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Calhoun's Can(n)ons was originally published in 1990 in the (now defunct) Morro Bay, CA, Sun Bulletin, and since 1992 has continued in the various resurrections of the Los Osos, CA. Bay News, Bay Breeze, Bay News, Bay News-Tolosa Press. A few years ago, the Can(n)on was added to the Central Coast NewsMission blogsite. Ann Calhoun lives in Los Osos. You can email her at Churadogs at gmail dot com
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3 comments:
Like I said, here's the solution.
Here's your solution to all Los Osos's problems, well at least the sewer and water. All for free too- I mean the advice.
The City of San Luis Obispo has a sewage treatment plant, plus tertiary treatment network, and has 3300 acre feet of Nacimiento water coming over the grade in a few years. Which is more than 2x's as much as the community needs for buildout.
Just maybe the City will take your crap- and use the treated water for irrigation and sell you a bunch of water that the rate payers of SLO are going to scream to high heaven when their water bills double to pay for water they don't even need. Maybe cost plus 10%- you know you gotta make a little profit.
Hmmm, 2X than needed for build out, eh? interesting thing about those build out numbers, isn't it? And how, uh, less than forthcoming public officials are when you ask, "Why are we importing twice as much water as our master plan says we need, even for maximum build out and worst case 100 year old droughts and such like? Whyfor are we doing that, Hmmmm?"
I love the blank stares you get in reply.
Well, the good news is that most people apparently DON'T mind somebody peeing on their shoes and telling them it's raining.
Uh, Los Osos will sell their water allotment to other communities? What water allotment? We're now in overdraft by some 950 acre feet a year. The recent water report lists possible ag exchange and/or importing state or Naciemiento water just to achive build out. Lacking that, there will be no build out, much to the surprise of a whole lot of people who are under the impression that once the sewer goes on line they'll be able to build their dream home.
So, What water allotment?
As for the so-called Andre property, the CSD made an informational video and there was the WMH engineer standing on land next to the PG&E towers, holding up a revised ground plan showing that the proposed sewer plant would fit into the long, skinny lot next to the towers. Not under the towers, but next to them? Wonder why the CSD was wasting WMH's time drawing long skinny sewer plant plans for nonexistent land?
I would speculate that the majority of people who signed the recall are not ignorant, and are not against a sewer; they're against an industrial sized sewer plant in the middle of their town. They would also have liked to have been asked which system they're gonna buy at which price. Which raises a question: Why has the CSD clung so fiercely to the center of town? It can no longer be cost. The center of town only made sense when it was the original Ponds of Avalon, using a step/steg piping system. The minute that plan failed, the CSD needed to go back to the community and admit defeat and then re-look at the entire project from ground zero. They didn't do that. Instead the have the hilarious fiction that the people desperately want a sewer plant in the middle of their town so they can put Tot Lots and community gardens next to it. Fiction. The people of this community had an opportunity to vote to tax themselves $10 a year for a swimming pool and a modest recreation program. They REFUSED! So why are we to believe they're willing to pay nearly three million for a Tot Lot next to a sewer plant. No, Ron's dead on with the real reason: Pretending it's a vital community held need so as to keep the project in ESHA land AND get state money to pay for the "mitigation", money which will then be repaid by the folks in the prohibiiton zone. (And, incidentally, keeping the sewer in the middle of town also means higher costs simply because of land value. The Coastal Commission asked for a side-by-side comparison with the so-called Andre site. They never got it. The CCC staff "ran out of time," but did include a brief one sentence in the updated appeals report: The out of town site could cost one million less or five-six million more. Question: If the CSD had presented both plans and both costs to the voters and allowed them to choose, which do you think they'd pick? After all, six million on a $150 mil project is chump change. A couple of bucks a month? So, would it be worth that to get your sewer plant out of the middle of town? Alas, the CSD never allowed the community to make that choice.)
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