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SLO County supervisors violate campaign disclosure laws

March 28, 2014
Adam Hill

Adam Hill

By KAREN VELIE

Two members of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors violated the Political Reform Act this year, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).

Developer Gary Grossman donated $1,000 to Adam Hill  the same week the supervisor attended a groundbreaking for one of Grossman’s Pismo Beach developments. Even so, on Hill’s campaign disclosure form Grossman is listed as retired.

Because of the misstatement, Hill is required to return Grossman’s $1,000 donation.

On Tuesday, the FPPC sent warning letters to Hill and Supervisor Caren Ray. Ray violated campaign disclosure rules by failing to provide addresses for some of her donors, including Grossman who has donated more than $14,000 to Ray’s campaign.

During the last reporting period, Hill received $22,899 in donations, primarily from developers with projects in front of the county and business owners with contracts with the county. Contributors include Grossman — seeking to develop the former Dalidio Ranch, Postcard Properties — which is working to build a hotel in Avila Beach, developer Andy Mangano, Ryan Comerford – has the golf course management contract for several county courses and Frank Kelton who contracts for ambulance services.

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Isn’t it embarrassing for KSBY that this kind of crap goes on. and we have put up with infomercials like “There’s no place like home”?


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Agreed.


If KSBY was going to be truthful they would say “There’s no place like home…except for the City of Bell.”


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Ray is just about as sleazy as they come. several years ago when she was a member of the Arroyo Grande City Council, she was informed (numerous times) of the misdealings and mismanagement of public funds that was occurring under the Mayors watch as he sat on the San Dist BOD.

She failed to make ANY effort to bring the criminals to justice. As a result, we taxpayers are footing the million dollar bill for her turning a blind eye.

Did you really think Big Tony was pulling the wool over everyones eyes, or was Ms. Ray just “turning a blind eye” to the ongoing GOB network?


Inquiring minds (like the State Attorney General’s Office of Public Funds Mismanagment) are looking into this.


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Well you can see the difference it how the two people handled the situation. Ray had form errors and set out to provide an amended return when she became aware of the issue. In fact the amended return submission date is prior to the date of the FPPC letter referenced. Hill on the other hand has not addressed the issue.

The reality it that mistakes happen, it’s how those are dealt with that set some apart.

Clearly Ray and Hill are not cut from the same cloth.


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“WHEN SHE BECAME AWARE” is the key phrase. Caren Ray failed to read the instructions and pay attention to detail. Not outright surprising as she has no experience running for office. Her amended filing came AFTER the FPPC contacted her, not before.


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Having someone inform you is the very definition of becoming aware.

You take some grand leaps considering she put in PO boxes, just not street addresses.


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My point exactly. She didn’t amend until the FPPC contact her.


Second: Experience running for office bequeaths experience filling out a 460 form. Not much of a leap.


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Except that she does have proven experience actually in office and the biggest argument against her is that a form had an error. Guess that’s part of the issue, a candidate with experience doing the job who runs a grass roots campaign while doing the job, and the errors that accompany as opposed to a candidate who has all the time in the world and can pay a company $3000 to fill out a form and will have to learn the job instead of have people do it for her.


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I will admit we have a proven bad experience with her in office. Out with the appointed, in with the elected!


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If she cannot follow the guidelines for contributions, which is something that is relatively simple compared to the very complex legalities on the issues she faces as a County supervisor, how in the heII can we expect she will be able to handle an elected position on the BOS?


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The challenge is adam believes that this is “just how business is done”! He is appalled that anyone would take it personally…..it is just business. Our county has been run this way so long that, I hate to say it……I see his point; NO, I don’t agree with it and No, it is not OK! Now is the time to let these people know we have those rules in place for good reason…..as if they don’t know! Sounds like there are a few investigations going on…..that is a good thing! It is time that our decisions are made based on what works best for everyone…..not just the big $$$ developers and bankers!


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Adam, it’s over. The FPPC dropped the big one. You’re no longer on double secret probation. My suggestion…TOGA PARTY!


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All I can say is I hope that the people in both South county and North coast pull their collective heads out of the sand and get rid of these clowns,I would say any of the other contenders is better than Ms Ray,it doesn’t look like they seem to be tied to Hill so that would work, and in North coast Muril has been pretty quiet,I would hope that he starts to get out and about, Gibson needs to go.


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I believe the Tribune is the biggest hurdle we have to make in getting the SLO County voters informed on the reality of what is going on in the county.


As it is, the Tribune is the only paper-published news source to SLO County folks, who read it and assume what they are reading is the truth and the entire truth.


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No surprise. We just have to ask ourselves how many loads Karen Ray got in private, who dropped those loads and etc? With Adam Hill, the easy question is how does he support that lifestyle on the salary of a Supervisor – are his parent’s extremely rich, did a rich uncle, like the developer give or leave him money every time he has a development project up for approval.


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I couldn’t agree more. I am sick of these phonies whether they are on the left or the right. The behavior of politicians clearly indicates that they think we are a bunch of rubes and maybe we are; we keep returning these ass clowns to office to make more stupid laws and get rich with insider deals.


Just look at the two state senators who are facing criminal charges. Last year those bozos were riding high, acting important and contributing nothing to the betterment of our nation. Now thanks to the FBI they will be facing a jury of “rubes” who hopefully will hold them accountable.


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Let us not forget Senator Wright who has already been convicted of his multiply felons for voter fraud, living in a district and claiming residency in another, etc. who is still drawing his pay, who wants to submit bill that says if you don’t do prison time for your felony it should be reduced to a misdemeanor, etc. etc. etc.


Politicians just don’t get it. They are still part of our society, they are still accountable, and they will have to deal with their wrongdoing. The problem, like Adam Hills and Bruce Gibson, is getting all the protection they receive from those around them, to break. Notice how in Sacramento this was done by outside agencies. Local agencies will never deal with these local issues. it is just a fact. called “good old boys and girls”. They are all bedfellows.


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I don’t mind environmentally conscious people making us aware of our fragile environment and spearheading efforts to preserve our environment, even if I don’t personally agree with them.


But I mind like hell when somebody wraps themselves in the cloak of environmentalism and then cuddles up with developers when election time. I don’t want to see this county turned

into another Orange County and that is exactly what will happen if developers are allowed to

operate unchecked.


Politicians who take money from the very people they excoriate when they are at cocktail parties with their liberal friends are two faced sneaks.


The old terms swimming pool communists and limousine liberals fit these kind of people.


People need to take notice of who is donating to their candidate and if they have an option to vote for another candidate who shares their views, but who isn’t morally compromised they

should do so. Maybe if a few of these folks lost in the primary race and then had to sit out

the rest of their terms as lame ducks that would send a message to the rest of them..


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