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Bruce vs. Marshall vs. Pandora?

March 17, 2010

The last-minute entry of Marshall Ochylski into the District 2 county supervisor race against incumbent Bruce Gibson has tongues wagging around Los Osos.

Sources tell CalCoastNews that the upcoming June election battle is actually a contest between Gibson, seeking his second term, and former political ally Pandora Nash-Karner.

“Make no mistake about it,” said one long time Los Osos resident, who asked not to be identified. “Pandora recruited Ochlyski to run. She’s a major player in his campaign. She wants to see Gibson defeated. I think Bruce is in trouble.”

By all accounts, Nash-Karner supported Gibson during his initial campaign in 2006. Gibson returned the favor by appointing the Los Osos marketing expert to the San Luis Obispo County Parks Commission after his election.

No one knows the specific reason for the alleged falling out between Gibson and Nash-Karner, though some suggest the rift was fueled by disagreement over how to handle the ongoing sewer issue.

“Pandora doesn’t like the job Bruce is doing,” the same source said. “It all comes down to the sewer, just like it always does out here.”

Nash-Karner denies the allegations and insists that she has every intention of supporting Gibson.

Meanwhile, at least one Los Osos blog has already come out, attacking the decision by Ochylski, currently the president of the Los Osos CSD, to run.

“If Ochylski were to win and abandon his seat, the district would have to pay at least $30,000 to hold a special election–and that cost would be incurred while the district continues to resolve its bankruptcy.”

The election is scheduled for Tuesday, June 8.


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mythBuster – – – – – you said “I;m hoping those that caused the delay will be vocal ………………and come up with some ideas…….”.


I guess you mean both the original delay caused by the solutions group and the second by the ultra-opositionists.


Perhaps Obama will put the bill on his chinese credit card for us.


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The Solutions Group’s idea was to keep it at Tri-W. That project is long gone. So no, they can’t help now. There never was a plan with the Lisa Board, so now we have a bankruptcy to payback too, so no, the Lisa Board cannot help here. I mean the ones screaming for Step/Steg. We’d be getting bids and the Supes would have accepted the project if not for them. They didn’t apparently like the grant and stimulus money enough, so they better have a Plan B to replace it.


Oh, you mean that card that Bush gave Obama?


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mythBuster — nice spin.


A lot of us were fooled at that time, but not fooled for long. I blame myself for being so gullible and voting for the lesser amount.


That was then, this is know.


Perhaps you can give some helpful advice to the poor folk as to how to cope with their $300.0 or so upcoming utility bill.


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Well, the lowest income group will get some relief if they meet a certain income level. It’s the middle that will take the hit — because it may be too late to get the $16 million grant and the cheapo money from the stimulus funds that would have helped them. (This waiting to see would be due to the STEP/STEG people [including some of the same faces as the last sewer stall out] throwing everything they could find against the County project at the Coastal Commissioners to try to get them to go to a full De Novo hearing. They won on most of their points except for the one that counted for their POV, leaving a delay of an unknown number of months in finalizing the conditions of the project between the the two staffs. So we don’t know what the final price will be, don’t know where the help will come from.


I’m hoping those who caused the delay will be vocal with some fabulous new ideas to help the middle class to pay for this.


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Mythbuster, Just who do you think will be giving these “low income folks” help? Where are these purported funds coming from? The vast majority of the homeowners in the PZ, are retired people on fixed incomes, ie: social security, disability, etc. To think that 4500 homeowners in Los Osos, the poorest of the poor, are paying for the multi million dollar sewer. Do the math, it just doesn’t compute, where will the money come from? Instead of “being like Obama & pulling the plug on Grandma”, Paavo, Gibson & the County will just “throw her out in the street ,” because she can’t afford the costly gravity sewer and/or the high costs that go with it. This is just an outrage. Pandora sits back & laughs at the prospect of people losing their homes, forgetting that SHE is a major cause of so much pain in this Community. She knew full well when she campaigned so strongly in favor of having a CSD in Los Osos, that the Community could ill afford one. We do not have the infrastructure, the county should have given us paved streets, street lights, etc. What had they been doing with our property tax dollars all those years?? They only gave us one little park. That’s how Pandie got the County “off the hook” for their responsibility in providing Los Osos with the necessities

other communities “take for granted”. Our tax dollars went to giving other communities THEIR ammenities. That’s how Pandora got some of her many “pay backs” from the County. Make no mistake, she’s still looking to collect more. Pandora has done more than her share of damage & as far as the choice between Gibson & Ochylski, frankly, it’s not MUCH of a choice. Gibson is a “good old boy” & has much more exposure than Ochylski, but ethically, they’re both the SAME, so it’s really not much of a choice, is it????


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Ah yes bustamove, you’re sure right.


Without a doubt, taking the wastewater project from the County when we did was one huge mistake, a financial disaster and a monumental disservice to the entire community.


The financial consequences are in fact greater today with the present day depression, than ever before.


As you correctly stated, the entire community was oblivious to what was to follow shortly thereafter and couldn’t hear above the noise put forth by the most effective advertising campaign in county history to make sure it happened.


We the people of Los Osos couldn’t afford the proposed $87.00 or so a month the County was proposing at that time, that’s why we were sucked into the so called Solution put forth and voted in such great numbers.


And the beat goes on.


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wolfhound,


I think you are confusing the two wastewater projects. The noise was the scare and denial tactics on Tri-W over liquefaction, sludge falling off the back of trucks, “we really don’t pollute,” “dinosaur technology,” and the like.


On the Pismo project, It wasn’t just the cost of $87, it was storing chlorine gas by the middle school, it was the way the County wouldn’t address questions about where the boundary to the plant actually was — you are ascribing it all to another “blame Pandora” scenario and you are leaving off half the picture.


The $87 issue………. It wasn’t just “can’t afford,” it is also “don’t want to pay.”


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“Fine the (CSD) out of existence” not the community. Instead, the board that took office ended up pulling the entire community into a bankruptcy. If the CSD was fined out of existence who would have been left holding the bag? It was clear by those that understood the districts finances that it would not be able to survive without the project because the majority of the CSD’s financial resources had been committed to the development of the project. The bonds sold obligated the district to provide a revenue stream from a waste water project to pay off the bonds. It was a financial disaster that the majority of the community seems to be oblivious to because they can’t hear above the noise regarding the waste water project. The financial consequences are potentially disastrous to property owners living on the financial edge already. We are grateful to the current board who have been able to reduce the debt even owed by over 2 million dollars – with 16+ million left to deal with.

CalCoast, you may want to get better sources or check the facts – this is abysmal and an enormous disservice to the community of Los Osos who don’t care about the personality conflicts that continue to smear the line between reality and conspiracy. Where did the $30,000 come from? Ochylski wouldn’t take a seat until January and with an election in November – just add a 4th to the ballot – no extra money required. Common sense vs. conspiracy marketing without the facts.


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Thank you, CalCoastNews for linking to The Razor.


The $30,000 figure originated as a tip and then it was confirmed by the LOCSD office.


Here’s where bustamove falls short. If a fourth spot (another CSD director vacancy) was added to the ballot and Marshall were to lose to Gibson, then whoever wins in that fourth spot will get the short end of the stick and not get the seat. Also, saying that it’s even possible to simply add a fourth to the ballot is to ignore SLO County election procedures.


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This is where your logic falls short. If the decision is made in June, then there would be 4 spots on the November ballot. Yes, it does cost $30,000 for a special election. The process is to request that the Clerk Recorder include the 4th spot on the November ballot.

How could there not be a decision made in June?


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My mistake. You’re right. It’s June. Disregard my previous post. I was going by SmartVoter, but they only had the November 3, 2010 ballot info.


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Actually, I correct where I stand corrected. Here’s the word from the County-Clerk:


The Primary election is June 8, 2010 and November 2nd is the Consolidated General Election. I don’t know what Marshall Ochylski’s party affiliation is, but if he’s a Democrat, he would directly be competing with Gibson in the primary. If he were to lose his seat as a Democrat competing against Gibson, there would be no special election and the $30,000 will stay in the coffers. Gibson would then run opposed. However, if he’s a Republican, Independent or any other party, then he would be challenging Gibson in November.


If Marshall is a Democrat, then I will print a retraction on my site.


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Thank you for the research, Razor.


Let me display my ignorance by saying that I thought Supervisor was a non-partisan position.


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Racket, you’re right and you’re not ignorant either. The supervisor position is non-partisan when it comes to the official ballot, but political parties tend to stand behind the candidate who gets the most votes in the primary. For instance, after the June 6, 2006 primaries, Judy Vick received the least amount of votes so the El Moro Democratic Club decided to throw their support behind Gibson and then Vick dropped out of the race.


So the election will come down to June because there is no opposition to the Democrats on the ballot. There will still be a November election, but at that point, if Ochylski gets the least votes in the primary, then it’s highly likely that Ochylski will drop, Gibson will run unopposed and win. Then there will be no special election and Ochylski will serve the rest of his term.


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Marshall Ochylski – Democrat. Email him and ask him yourself to verify.


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Or, build a time machine, go back to the Sept. 08, Los Osos farmers market (outside the market itself) and observe if there were Vote for Obama signs leaning against his CSD director Candidate table.


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Razor, Maybe Los Osos might start getting a break…and by that I mean, maybe it’s time for the LOCSD to be dissolved. It has been unaffordable & was a bad idea from the time Pandora first came up with the scheme. At first, it sounded good. Yes, the County had been treating us like “step children”, but after thinking about the “BIG PICTURE”, it just didn’t “pencil out” because, the County had dropped the balll years ago in their responsibility in providing Los Osos with the bare necessities called “infrastucture”…You know, paved streets & stuff. Now, it’s only the CSD water rate payers who are keeping the LOCSD going & frankly, we can’t afford the salaries, benefits, etc. any longer. It’s a waste of our money. We’re NOT GETTING OUR MONEY’S WORTH. The CSD needs to go, NOW.


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Something else “fun” for our amused Pandora to ponder while she’s doing her nails:


In 2005 MWH contributed $10,000 to her “Save the Dream” front to defeat the recall. Did any of that contribution somehow find its way into Gibson’s campaign? Why is Gibson married to Paavo who is married to MWH? Follow the money.


In November 2000, halfway through her term, Pandora quit the CSD. Less than a month later she submitted a proposal to the LOCSD for a $50,000 PR contract. Only because of legal concerns the CSD turned her down.


In late 2001-02, Pandora submitted a 3-page budget proposal to the CSD under “Pandora and Company.” The total amount was $705,759. THIS WAS NOT A BID!


“SUMMARY OF TOTAL COSTS BY FIRM,” prepared for and at the request of the LOCSD by Carollo Engineering, listed Pandora under two categories: “Project Manager” and “Construction Management Services.”


Pandora, Project Manager: $125,309.

Pandora, Construction Management Services: $580,450.

Pandora’s husband: $202,480.

Total: $908,219.


In September 2005, following defeat in the recall, she wrote in an email to well-known romantic David Edge: “Thanks David, I hope the CSD gets fined out of existence fast enough to save the contractors and the low-interest loan!” Pandora


It’s nice to know Pandora still supports Gibson, even though he missed the boat to Tri-W. It’s also nice to know that Pandora denies backing Ochylski. We should all believe everything Pandora says. That’s how she became Park Commissioner — because of her honesty and integrity. And that’s why she still supports Gibson — because of his honesty and integrity. A match made in darkness.


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Hmmm — Pandora-Nash Karner, is that the gal that asked the Regional Water Board to “fine the town out existence” when they stopped the infamous waste project from being built in the middle of town.


That didn’t set well with many town folk.


Could it be that Bruce Gibson wants to distance himself from her.


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The last representative and real supervisor Los Osos truly had was Bill Coy. It has been hard to watch the downhill slide ever since. I am glad to see Pandora endorse Marshall Ochylski. I respect them both.


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Interesting article.


While I mean no offense to Pandora, does she have the political clout to be anything more than a thorn in the side of the Gibson juggernaut? He seems to be have supporters all across the board and he seems beholden to no one in particular (besides Shirley Bianchi).


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Very interesting story, especially when it’s supported by a “long time Los Osos resident, who asked not to be identified”… that I recruited Ochlyski to run. That’s news to me. Your news service seems to have sources that I don’t. I supported Bruce Gibson for supervisor when he ran the first time. There has been “no falling out” and I will support him again.


But it is kind of fun to ponder that some people think I wield so much power.


Pandora Nash-Karner


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Uh oh.


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Thirty thousand is just a teeny, tiny drop in the big bankruptcy bucket caused by Lisa and Julie. Did Rock of the Coast squawk about the millions upon millions those directors’ stupid decisions cost us? No, it didn’t.


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Rocks don’t squawk, people do. And as bustamove will point out indirectly later in the future of this string, it is the County and its residents including LO that pay for elections.


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