Supervisor Gibson’s failures to disclose

October 25, 2011

Bruce Gibson

By KAREN VELIE

Bruce Gibson, a San Luis Obispo county supervisor who boasted on his campaign website that he advocates transparency, is under fire for failing to disclose some of his assets as required by law.

State law requires that supervisors fill out a statement of economic interest each year, and disclose stocks they own. In addition, they are required to report when they purchase or sell stocks on a 700 form filed annually with the county clerk recorder.

“Supervisors have to claim any stocks they own over $2,000 in value which relate to business enterprise in San Luis Obispo County,”  said County Clerk Recorder Julie Rodewald. “They are also required to disclose when they acquire or dispose of stock.”

However,  Gibson  has reported he owned two dozen stocks one year, but just a couple one year later —  though he disclosed selling only two oil company stocks.

Gibson, who was first elected 2nd District Supervisor in 2006, did not return requests for comment.

During his victory speech, Gibson jeered at opponents who called into question his claimed status of “farmer” and attempted to paint the candidate as an “oil baron.”

When Gibson ran for office in 2005, he reported ownership of only two stocks, Chevron and Conoco Phillips. In January 2006, the supervisor — who formerly worked in the oil industry — sold his oil stock before voting a month later in favor of a project involving the California-based Chevron.

Then in his 2006 filing, Gibson noted the sale of the controversial oil stock and posted 22 other stocks he claimed he owned including $10,000 to $100,000 each in stock from Wells Fargo, Washington Mutual, Bank of America, Pepsico, Verizon, and Microsoft.

A year later, even though he did not disclose selling any of his stocks, he claimed only stock ownership in a farm supply company.

A few weeks ago, Los Osos resident Bob Shanbrom filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission noting Gibson’s ownership of a real estate company. Shanbrom is concerned with Gibson’s push to change a vacation rental ordinance while he owns a Cayucos rental and a real estate company operating in Fresno.

“While the complaint is in process, I ask that Supervisor Gibson suspend all political activity regarding the vacation rental ordinance,” Shanbrom said in an email to the board of supervisors.

In 2000, Encino Grande LLC was created with prominent San Luis Obispo attorney Warren A. Sinsheimer listed as the agent of service and Gibson’s home address as the business address. An Internet search shows sales of $330,000 and five employees in the company that Gibson claims does all of its business outside of SLO County.

And while the 700 form requires supervisors report “any financial interest in any business entity located in or doing business in your agency’s jurisdiction, ” FPPC officials told CalCoastNews that if the company is not operating or managed in SLO County, Gibson is not required to list the business on his 700 form even if the LLC is listed with a local address.

Even so, Shanbrom questions why the supervisor who claims to be transparent is not open about his real estate holdings.

“If people are looking for a perfect magnification of Occupy Wall Street they can look at Bruce, a real estate guy who is being true to realtors,” Shanbrom said. “If you turn a home into a vacation rental you can make a two to three times the gross.

“We purchased a pleasant single family residence and he is attempting to up-zone our neighborhoods to benefit real estate interests and land speculators.”


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We continue to get what we ask for. Isnt gibson the one that lives on the Bluff in Cayucos and then forced the ordinance that prevents everyone else from building on the Bluff. But we continue to re elect these fine examples of human excrement and each time they become bolder, more corrupt and like the dead skunk in the middle of the road they’re stinking to high heaven. Is anyone shocked that he is a liar.


No, Sam, Gibson does not live on the Bluff but in a valley behind Cayucos growing oranges.


Rich people cheating and stealing to become more rich. Is it any surprise that Gibson had no trouble shoving an overpriced, poorly thought out sewer down the throats of working and retired people in Los Osos?


EXACTLY. +^


“Cheating and stealing?” Come on, jimmy-you, how in the world do you make that conclusion from the above pseudo-news story? Furthermore, the Los Osos sewer debacle has been decades in the making, it was not Gibson’s thing, and if people in Los Osos had cooperated 20 years ago, the thing would have been built long ago, at a fraction of its present price, with much larger grants than available today. The cost of the sewer to individuals has multiplied precisely because of the ill-tempered opposition to the sewer that has delayed it all these years. So, in the interests of fact, let’s not blame one public official for all this.


Cheat: To deceive by trickery; swindle.


Swindle: swindle v. to cheat through trick, device, false statements or other fraudulent methods with the intent to acquire money or property from another to which the swindler is not entitled. Swindling is a crime as one form of theft.


Fraud: A deception deliberately practiced in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain.


(FreeDictionaryOnline)


Would Gibson have had to disclose the vacation rental business when he applied to be on the Coastal Commission? Perhaps that’s why Brown didn’t pick him.


Bruce Gibson worked for the oil companies for years before becoming Supervisor. Anyone who thinks he makes the majority of his money from farming is being duped. He has always put his personal agenda above what is good for the 2nd District. He doesn’t seem to think the rules apply to him. The form 700 should be posted on this site for all to see.


For crying out loud,. why don’t they just put up a big red light over council chambers and be done with it.


Oh, sorry. That would be an insult to hookers, who are at least forthright about their deals with their “voters,” wouldn’t it?


It seems to me, we taxpayers all feel like the “working girl” on that infamous ranch in Nevada who complained the more she worked, the more she got screwed”.


Mary — Thank you for voicing my frustrations and giving me a small laugh for the day. I needed it.


HA! If you really want a laugh, you should see what my hair looks like today. =)


It is amazing to me how blatant our local politicians, appointees, and government administrators are regarding don’t do as I do, do as I say. These people think they have the “right” to be superior because they are the masters of their people. What is more surprising is the fact that the people continue to allow this type of behavior to continue. We continue to re-elect these corrupt evil thinking idiots and then we sit back and complain. In the last six months we have seen at a mininum Supervisors (Hill, Gibson, Patterson), our wonderful loyal DA Shea, our local judges, Paavo, John Wallace, Wade McKinney, Mayor Marx, police officers with drugs, off-duty paramedic beating a citizen, Ex-Sherriff espousal abuse, and his No.1 assistant drinking under the influence, CHP manager not tested for intoxication but taken home, and the list goes on and on. Shame on us for allowing this behavior to go on and on and on ! I say vote every person out of office after one term until they get the message and to comment to deal with the incompetent appointees.


Masters of the people, ha,ha..yeah. More like we put them in place with our votes,we pay their salaries and benefits and we get screwed by their lies. This isn’t the Roman empire folks,there is no army we must fight against in order to be heard or to allow us to take action, its time to throw these deceivers and crooks out on their butts.


It is time to throw Gibson et al in jail.


And which of the sinless among us will take their place in public office?


BUZZZZZ! Wrong answer.


Your statement is the equivalent of:


1) “everybody else is doing it, so I can, too” AND

2) the scare tactic “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know” AND

3) the whining “he’s the lesser of two evils.”


That’s a dandy attitude except for the fact that:


1) Most parents wouldn’t take that kind of reasoning from their 5-year-old,

2) You still end up with Satan running the county BOS.

3) You still end up supporting evil.


In fact, I wouldn’t take any of those excuses from a 5-year-old year old, would you?


Why would you take that attitude about the county officials who make the decisions which can greatly change your life?


Let’s let the state investigate him first. I’d just as soon he is nice and ruined financially, socially, and unable to hold political office again when he gets out of jail.


Corrupt elected officials are like a nasty infected wood splinter. If we don’t take them down to the deep skin layer they will, like an infected splinter ,just end up oozing pus in public office again.


That’s okay…they said the same thing about Mayor Rizzo in the City of Bell for a LOOOONG time…”Why, isn’t he the most blatantly dishonest jacka** ya ever did see?”


But then the state got interested, and everything changed.


I’m hoping our state auditor is getting ready to file a bunch of investigations on Jan. 1, 2012, when his new SUPERPOWERS start. I hope these new investigations will be using his new SUPERPOWERS given to him by the legislature and our Governor Brown, and I sure hope he starts with San Luis Obispo County.


Gee,


Another dishonest public servant. Now there’s a shocker!


Someone famous said “I want less corruption or more chance to participate”. Me too!


Bruce Gibson, a righty for himself and a lefty for his “peoples”, who he hopes to leave behind financially with the help of the connections he has gained as a result of being voted in by his “peoples”. What a surprise!


Another LO resident illustrating yet again why they are in the social and governmental equivelent of solitary confinement.


Hey can you explain that one, it went way over my dumb ass head, WTF? Over, I live here, you don’t, I could draw you a picture, but it wouldn’t be pretty!


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