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Common sense, our elected officials and you

December 24, 2013

url-1OPINION By LAURA MORDAUNT

Our elected officials are usually ordinary people who decided to care about our county and its residents…blah, blah, blah. I think that is the way it use to be with some exceptions. Today what I see traveling around from city council to city council (Grover Beach, Atascadero, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo) and the Board of Supervisors, APCD, SLOCOG and IWMA is astounding.

What I have learned is that there are good people in our local government, but far too few. It takes 12 months to three years to know for yourself what is happening in these governmental meetings. Is the public being served? Are all the facts presented in writing before the meetings and at the meetings? Are tricks being played and strategic alliances being formed to override the facts?

Because our local news outlets, in general, are one sided, we the people, are left out in the cold when it comes to the truth. If you are like me and you spend your whole life going to these meetings and reading both sides and speaking out, you will know the facts. But my neighbors do not go to these meetings because they are raising families and working at jobs to be responsible for the cost of their lives.

So why do I tell you this? This information has been said so many times by so many. The reason is that we need government watchdogs. There is no free ride. You must care and educate yourself. It is the silent majority’s fault when lies are told. If we are too busy to check them out, and the news media supports the lies, as they are doing right now, then lies win. Truth does not matter if there are no public watchdogs like the media use to be. How many times have you or others said, “that could never happen” or why would they do that since it would be against themselves and their family?” Way too many times. So most of our citizens tell themselves I am at this point in time going to believe in the good nature of man and give them a pass, otherwise I would have to do something. They pretend that the sick feeling in their gut is something they ate and turn away.

I recommend that each resident take at least two days off a year and sit in a board of supervisor’s meeting when a controversial issue is happening. You can watch the board of supervisor’s meetings in real time or download them the next day at http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/bos/BOSagenda.htm (click on the meeting of interest). Additionally, go to a city council meeting four times a year (these meetings are at night) when issues are begin discussed. See for yourself and ask your local political group what is happening. Get local, get involved and learn about what each authoritative board or council has planned for you and your loved ones. I know, and I am extremely concerned for my family and yours.

I do not care what political group you are with. If truth and facts are of value to you, I would be happy to dialogue and welcome your efforts to provide and protect our beloved Central Coast and San Luis Obispo County.

Merry Christmas and a happy new and aware year!

Laura Morduant is a retired systems engineer and math teacher and is a member of the San Luis Obispo County Republican Central Committee.


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Everything is overlapping within our governmental system. When an issue is too sticky or the fix is unpopular our constantly campaigning politicians form a committee or a counsel to handle the problem. So what we end up with is appointed rather than elected folks running our county, state and country. This also creates a huge unaccountable government that can not be reigned in. When you have a news media that for whatever reason thinks big government is a good thing then you may as well pack it in until things get so bad that we stop believing the main stream media. I hope one day people will see what a failure big government is but I’m not expecting that any time soon.


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Contact info.


http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/


24th District:

Rep. Lois Capps (D)

Website

Facebook

DC: 202-225-3601

Santa Barbara: 805-730-1710

San Luis Obispo: 805-546-8348

Santa Maria: 805-349-3832


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Thank you for the opinion. I do and will have to put this on my agenda. You are 100% right and I do appreciate your reminder to us all.


This will be happening in my household to attend to. I have been negligent in my civil duties and am rectifying this in the new year.


Thank you again for the website and reminder. Planning on attending meetings of SLO supervisors.


Wonderful comment.


Happy New Year.


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watchdogs are very important , of course, we can’t know what is going on inside the closed sessions, but we can get a gut feeling for what’s going on.


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Yes


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If you really want to see an example of people running the government who don’t care about the citizens in the community check out the City Council majority in Morro Bay, especially Mayor Irons. The taxpayers are going to be digging out of the hole they’ve created in 12 months for years to come.


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Many feel it is the current council and Mayor Irons that is having to dig out of the mess created over the past years/decade by the former mayor and council, and it likely will take time


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Can you elaborate on the “mess” that the current council majority is digging out.of So far from my count they – irons, c. johnson and smuckler have spent upwards of 500,000 on severance payments, attorneys and other as well as made no progress in the last 12 months on a waste water treatment facility. In addition they have alienated the city work force and caused a substantial divide in the community. In my 25 years of paying attention to the City government in Morro Bay I have not seen such a mess – clearly created by these 3.


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Kayaknut,, you are in danger of adopting my moniker “lame” when you say “many feel it is the current council and Irons that is have to dig out of the mess”. Mayor Irons has led the way to stupendous future CASH losses by the Morro Bay resident public. Iron’s incredible damage to the wastewater finances of MB and Cay overrides ANY possible positive directions he might intend.


Re-read and re-read Keene’s count of half million money spent by the tyrannical Irons cabal. Those were FABULOUS well-respected public servants which Irons washed out on his tyrannical whim, which can only be described as arrogance in public office.


Then, re-read and re-read the LOS OSO EXPERIENCE until you grasp that NO competent engineering analysis thinks buying land and demolishing and MOVING a WWTP out of area will BE anything less than a disaster for the ratepayers, in terms of comparison with a sensible downslope REWORK of the existing facility. That is just the reality of such plants.


Piles of us owners from LOS OSOS think Irons is unwise, an arrogant and petulant idiot in terms of his conduct of Morro Bay’s future. SIGN THE RECALL. If I lived in MB, I would. Thankfully, my family last owned tax-paying rate-paying property there decades ago.


I’ve already received my lumps and bumps in Los Osos. The jewel city of Morro Bay did NOT have to receive similar inflated huge costs, but for Irons’ mayoral moves.


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Overall a good article.


I submit years ago we didn’t have as much government and therefore it was much easier to get things done. With so many boards, and state mandates, it’s easy to pass the buck and for elected officials to claim “it’s out of my hands.” Staff controls the flow of information and for the most part the goal is to get through a task, not analyze it to see if it is really necessary or good.


The answer is less government.


Too often the local media does not have the resources to check things out, so they simply publish the press releases from government agencies and officials without calling around for a second view of an action. There are not a lot of local reporters any more covering local news.


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