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Diktat or democracy?

June 5, 2012

OPINION By JAMES C WOOD

What will it be San Luis County? Do we want to be ruled by our “betters” with diktats from on high, or do we want a representative government responsive to the voters? That is the question we face on Tuesday when two of our commissars stand before the electorate. Let’s examine the records of Patterson and Hill and see if that’s the future you want for SLO county.

Smart growth

This monument to Central Planning and failed Five-Year-Great-Leaps-Forward by Supervisors Hill and Patterson jams unwanted high density growth into areas where no infrastructure is provided by the county to support their grandiose ideas and against the wishes of the effected communities.

Templeton sales yard project

The people of Templeton turned out in mass on every available opportunity to oppose this monstrosity of “Shut-up-we-know-best” representation forced on the community by Patterson and Hill.  The county is now defending a lawsuit by residents challenging the Supervisors’ ability to ignore their own General Plan to achieve their goals of one size fits all over development–in someone else’s community.

Redistricting

HAH! Remember this one? The whole north county went ballistic when Supervisors Adam Hill and Jim Patterson decided to divide Templeton into two districts in express contravention of the wishes of the electorate. They’re being sued on this one as well.

Plastic bag ban

“Right or wrong, we know best.” So don’t even bother expressing your opinion. The people oppose it, it doesn’t matter. We got it, because out betters know what’s good for us.

20 percent bicycle mandate  

So far it’s just San Luis Obispo that will be mandating everyone out of their cars. Can the county be far behind when they vote for every anti-business anti-growth fly-by-night scheme that comes along?

It’s time to take out the trash once again. Clean out the Board of Supervisors. Vote freedom. Vote Debbie Arnold and Ed Waage.


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Well, with the election of Debbie Arnold yesterday, at least part of San Luis Obispo County will be ruled by a definitive ‘lesser’.


Ah well…… half a loaf for Atascadero, Sta.Margarita, Pozo, and Carizzo Plain seems fitting.


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If Patterson was part of the Central Committee, that makes Arnold one of the Royalists. It’s about time the SLO County Ranching Oligarchy had one of their own back on the BOS.


BTW, if you ever want to get a clear sense of the enduring lineage of that elite oligarchy, which in the beginning largely stole the ranchos from the Californios, you needn’t go further than the wall to the left of the entrance to the board chambers.


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http://www.answers.com/topic/dirty-tricks


This is a type of ‘dirty trick’ to disseminate a last minute attack against an opponenet when there is not enough time to investigate claims or rebut them.


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Interesting how some posters here had no problem with the numerous hit pieces from Bob Cuddy chastising Waage and Arnold very recently. They had no problem with the Ian Parkinson article when he ran for Sheriff that carried the exact same “phony mailer” headline as that against Adam Hill. But they object when their guy gets hit with negativity. Do they expect the “other” side to turn a blind eye to candidates’ flaws? I’m still wondering what “lies” have been told about Hill or Patterson. And, using logic, should candidates running against incumbants not point to why they think they’d be a better representative…..or do we expect them to rubber-stamp and applaud their opponents? Get real, please.


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You know…it’s pretty low to allow this Mccarthyite hit piece to come out on election day. Most periodicals have a cut off date for election diatribes and even civil endorsements a week in advance.


Freedom of speech ? Yeah, the freedom to protest and call out insipid invective, too.


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So you must have the same problem with The Tribune of June3.


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If you were comparing one of those “voter guides” with this “opinion” piece, I’d agree, but comparing a Tribune editorial endorsement with this trash is comparing apples to oranges.


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I would agree with you, R.Hodin, except that Slow used “civil endorsements” in his argument. And that’s why I referenced both the June 3 and today’s late endorsements.


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Oh, you would disagree with Russ or myself, whatever we said.

You’re Disgusted…a professional complainer. That’s all .

A little man looking in one of those Fun House mirrors and thinking he’s really as big as King Kong !


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Actually today’s Tribune lists their endorsements for the 3rd time. Guess no cut-off date for that newspaper either. Oh, but since they endorse your guy, no problem, eh?


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What a garbage editorial, laced with Teabagger jargon. Commisars ? Diktat ?


CCN: Police yourself. . This entire junk mail is a complete ad-hominem missive….and this jerk is shouting in your coffee house.


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If you don’t agree, use your real name, write a rebuttal, and submit it to CCN.

It’s great living in a country with Freedom of Speech, don’t you agree?


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Whoa, there!, pasoparent! If we don’t agree, what’s the matter with making our opinion known right here in the comment section?


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CCN does not do editorials. This is an opinion piece from a member of the community. If you want to promote another side, send in an opinion piece.


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Karen, this piece which you published does not rise to the level of “opinion.” At least the level we’ve come to expect from CCN opinion pieces, which have actually been pretty good, where the writer presents evidence for his/her opinion.


On election day, why not print something that inspires citizens to vote in a positive way!


This is more on the level of those “voter guides” which don’t bother to present a case. It’s unfortunate that you decided to let this one see print. It’s negative. It lowers the dialog.


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Hodin,


In the past, we have posted all but a few opinions submitted. The few we have not, were because the same person was sending in several a week. We also do not, other than minor copy editing, change opinion submissions. If I had received a positive get out the vote I would have posted it. We do not do editorials at CCN. I am hoping as we grow we get more opinions offering a larger cross section of the community


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You nailed it, Russ. A last minute hit piece like this is similar to editorialising on the front page where it should only be straight news . As Joe Friday said, “Just the facts, Ma’am !”.


This rises to the level of a Donald Segretti dirty trick by the timing.

I would have been fine it it had appeared two-three weeks ago, where the merits of the positions could have been gone over….and disputed.


This drive-by article was more of a whisper campaign done through a megaphone.

Walter Lippmann would have never allowed this, not on election day….maybe not ever.


That this trash was allowed to be published is highly disappointing.


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Hey Karen…you give me an idea. I can go down to the Mission and round up several people that have opinions about dogs that talk to them or hidden message in clouds.

Oh, aliens talk to them too. Not the bugaboo ‘illegal’ aliens versus the insane aliens like Matt Kookoonuts, but REAL aliens from the planet Zircon !

They’re ‘members of the community’ too !


This could be FUN, reading absolute nonsense from clinically insane people…to balance the verbal vomit from criminally insane fascist Republicans.


How novel ! What a business plan !


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Let me clarify something that may be confusing in my recent posting. Hill and Patterson have promoted cost-effective consolidation of expensive infrastructure development, while their opponents look to be promoting the inefficient spread of infrastructure that tends to favor the wealthy by having taxpayers subsidize the cost of infrastructure for urban sprawl.


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Well, I’ve been subsidizing renters for years by paying property taxes that provide schools, fire stations, police depts., etc. and I’m not whining about it.


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Congratulations. You just did.


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Not whining, just responding to WG’s argument. If I wasn’t okay with subsidizing renters, I’d become one.


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Why don’t you go the full monty and become a street person, since you dislike civilization so much?

It would be so much more befitting to your character and personality.


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Been there, done that. Don’t like it. How about you?


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Oh yeah, same. Except I did not turn into an arsehole, though other opinions may vary.


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Please,Wiseguy, clarify away. Can you back this up at all? Uhhh, are those near the stockyard in Templeton somehow wealthier than property owners in Pismo? Are you actually saying there is more infrastructure in Templeton than Pismo? More water? Room for more traffic on our two-lane main street, two traffic light village?

Nope. Your boys force the crap into the laps of the least powerful and ruin the diverse character of our communities in the process. There is no grand vision. No true representation. No nobility.


Yes, by all means, clarify.


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Notice that the author of the above attack piece has NOTHING good to say about the candidates he is urging us to vote for. Instead, we are offered the typical cliche mudslinging that offers NOTHING positive.


Who is James C. Wood? He certainly knows how to complain and attack people, but is there ANYTHING that suggests he has ANY wisdom about which he rants?


Mr. Wood seriously does not seem to know what he is talking about. He rails against plans to restrict high density growth and cost-effective consolidation of infrastructure.


He spreads irrational fear and misleading information, telling us that the candidates he opposes are going to “mandate’ that we can’t drive our cars. What a bunch of BS!


And what about all that he doesn’t tell us? What will his preferred candidates do that will please him? How does he expect to profit?


Ask yourselves why Mr. Woods preferred candidates have run some of the nastiest, most misleading campaigns that SLO County has experienced this century, fueled by irrational, angry, misleading, fear-mongering supporters like Mr. Woods who have NOTHING positive to contribute to our community.


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You were invited to write an article of your own, but evidently didn’t feel strong enough about your position or revealing your identity to accept. Mr. Wood spoke his mind and I applaud him for doing so, whether I agree with him or not. Most people have already voted, or at least have made their choices. Did anyone change your mind here in the last few weeks/months? I thought not.


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Why do I need to write “an article” of my own? This comment section is good enough for me. You have a problem with that?


Nobody changes anyone’s mind here. But what the rational among us can do is provide a context and words that can prove inspiring or useful to the like-minded in the process of changing people’s hearts.


Logic rarely, if ever, changes people’s hearts.


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“You have a problem with that? ”

Yeah. You ask who is James C. Woods, yet write under WiseGuy. And when did you ever say anything good about Arnold or Waage? Talk about the kettle/black. At least Woods was willing to put his name to his opinion, something most of the rest of us haven’t done. You think with your incessant rants you change people’s hearts? I contend your approach makes them stand firmer, as they should. Logic is more useful and inspiring, except to your like-thinkers.


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