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This is an insult to veterans

November 11, 2014

badgeOPINION By TOM SALMON

Each year the President signs a proclamation declaring November Military Family Month.

On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisor’s adopted a resolution proclaiming November “Thank a Veteran Month” in our county. Counties all over the country took similar actions. This annual proclamation marks the month-long celebration and the nation honors the commitment and sacrifices made by the families of the nation’s service members.

As a veteran myself, I take umbrage when I see references to the military misplaced.

Most recently and not surprising in light of all its other blunders, the Los Osos Community Services District has embarked on an outdoor water conservation campaign. The message they have chosen to plaster around the community suggests a brown or dying lawn is a “badge of honor.” A badge of honor is a medal worn signifying an awarded distinction. This public relations campaign is meant to tip a hat to those who are saving water.

When will the LOCSD learn, it is they who are culpable in the most egregious act of water wasting in the history of Los Osos. As the county constructed sewer collection lines, it dumped 150 million gallons of treatable water into Morro Bay. The LOCSD was complacent and let the practice continue when they had the ability to prevent it.

The reason behind the wording, also explains that none of these directors served their country in the military. Self before service is their modus operandi.

The LOCSD’s $18,000 public relations campaign targets all water users in the community; yet are paid for by only those of us who are served by the LOCSD. The campaign goes on to insult those of us who have done our part suggesting water conservation is “not an option anymore.” This is America, millions of servicemen and women have fought and died to give our country freedom and benefit of choice. To conserve water is a good choice. If I chose to use more, I will pay more for it.


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“This is America, millions of servicemen and women have fought and died to give our country freedom and benefit of choice. To conserve water is a good choice. If I chose to use more, I will pay more for it.”


That may be the reason those servicepeople had for fighting, but that is not the reason they were sent to fight. In general the reason they were sent to fight is so that self interested people could steal and manipulate resources from other countries and expand markets. Let’s not forget that WWII, however necessary it may have seemed, was a consequence of the outcome of WWI, which would have have been MUCH different if we had not entered a war that there was no freedom-related reason for us to enter.


But as long as YOU have a choice, well then F everyone else I guess eh? Honor indeed.


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I agree Salmon has gone a step to far. I bet if you asked the CSD Board if there any Vets you would find at least one or two.

We all have a right to our opinion, thanks to Vets, but that right should be used with responsible actions.


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On another note, the San Luis Obispo Republican Women’s Club at their monthly meeting next Wednesday (Nov.19) has a guest speaker who was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and who won the Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery. Anyone who remembers the Vietnam war knows what a dangerous job this was. Now that man may have just been doing his job, butfrom what I know of how he did it, he sure sounds like a hero to me.


Often the bravest are the least likely to talk about their deeds.


shudcuda, I agree – it’s still a somewhat free country, and frankly if someone wants to water his lawn, and can pay the water bill, so be it. “Political correctness” has reached a new low in my mind.


Once this drought breaks, and it will at some point, the nurseries are going to make a killing selling plants!


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Not to put words in Tom’s mouth, but the LOCSD President, Craig Baltimore, just got “Dishonorably Discharged” in last weeks election. As Pres. and an engineer he sat on his laurels and let 150,000,000 gallons (equivalent to 6 months of LOCSD’s supply) of potential drinking water go to the bay. Then he turned around and voted for the ratepayer funded $18,000 public relations campaign to try to recover the water loss.

Couldn’t have helped his reelection campaign.


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Julie wannabe Crier


Beating a dead horse again and throwing the baby out with the bath water to boot.


….again you don’t know the economic big picture or you are belligerently ignoring it so you can make your arguments. I suggest studying our collective current state of affairs with labor market forces & the USD & current CA labor law while considering domestic labor cost v. foreign labor cost with respect to import/exporting is necessary. Why the root cause of the disparity of labor cost of discrete Personal property (cars, clothes, hamburgers, tp…) v. Real property (municipal water treatment plants, state highways, houses, monuments, roads, signs, etc) improvements are outrageously expensive.


This satirical commentary is just one more illustration or your ignorance.


Capitalizing ditch water is not economically feasible. You ignore the cost of logistics and capital investment to rescue this sewer project nuisance.


Imagine Shanghai harbor, perhaps the busiest harbors in the world and you are Captain of the Valdez II, do you pilot your own ship? NO! the harbor master will assign a harbor pilot to navigate the waterway.


Editors serve a similar purpose.


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