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District 3 Supervisors debate drug testing, oil and taxes

April 30, 2016

AG Forum

Two San Luis Obispo Supervisor candidates said they would take a drug test if asked, while the third said he was opposed to drug testing because of privacy reasons, during a debate Thursday at the South County Regional Center in Arroyo Grande.

“As a San Luis Obispo County employee, I am required to take a random drug test,” the question read. “Would you be willing as a supervisorial candidate to submit to random drug tests.”

Hill responded first with surprise at the question and then objected to employee drug testing, aside from public safety staffers, because of privacy issues. He failed to answer whether or not he would agree to take a drug test.

Former Grover Beach mayor Debbie Peterson said she would take one that night. Peterson said the county considers supervisors to be first responders.

San Luis Obispo City Vice Mayor Dan Carpenter said he would take a random test anytime. He also noted that while working at the Diablo power plant he was subject to random drug testing.

All three candidates said they were opposed to the proposed Phillip’s 66 rail spur. Nevertheless, Carpenter and Hill sparred over Hill’s ads claiming Carpenter is in favor of the rail spur.

Carpenter said that on Feb. 19, 2015, he voted along with the rest of the San Luis Obispo City Council to copy a letter to the SLO County Board of Supervisors voicing their opposition to the rail spur.

“The supervisor continues to run ads that says I am in favor of it,” Carpenter said. “That is the caliber of this individual who will do anything to get reelected.”

Hill responded by saying Carpenter was trying to bait him.

“Dan’s going to try to bait me all the time,” Hill said. “We know that depending on where he is on any day, we don’t know what he stands for.”

Hill and Peterson both said they are in favor of a proposed half cent sales tax to pay for road work. Both discussed traffic congestion and noted that tourists would end up paying about half of the tax.

Carpenter said that state legislators have squandered gas tax monies that they have an obligation to send back to local agencies. He said that passing the tax would be rewarding the state’s bad behavior and that the county should demand it gets its portion of the gas tax monies back.


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Well on this ONE issue I have to agree with Hill. Drug testing has been proven to not work and IS an invasion of a persons privacy that completely goes against the idea of innocent until proven guilty.

NO ONE should be required to take a drug test unless they show up for work inebriated or cause another person harm.


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While we are at it stop DUI check points and having officers from pulling over people swerving all over the road thinking they might be drunk, just wait until they have an accident and kill someone before checking them for DUI.


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DUI checkpoints are also against our constitution and serve almost no purpose.


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How true, how true, the 50 something unlicensed and uninsured illegals bagged in SM last year were upstanding law abiding citizens of course.Plenty of things this day in age are likely against what was meant to be. Unfortunately when you have 30% of the population unable to control their drinking, their mouths, emotions, finances, and in some cases their trigger fingers we all lose. If you have nothing to hide who gives a rats arse. Frankly, these days I look at drug testing in the work place as something that sets one above and apart from the other 90% of the losers in the work place going nowhere fast.


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Prove it, show me one instance where not hiring someone because of refusing a drug test has resulted in a better workforce


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It would be inappropriate to name specific people, however I can name more than one employee who lost their jobs due to failed drug/booze testing.


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No they are not, check your facts. They were deemed constitutional as long as they are properly advertised, had signs placed in advance of the checkpoint, and had a route to take to avoid the checkpoint. If you get caught in a checkpoint you are a moron and probably ARE drunk.


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Pulling over people swerving is exactly what the police should be doing, not sitting in one spot and needlessly harassing innocent people


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“against our constitution” care to point out where, Oh yeah that’s right in the section where our founding fathers talked about drivers licenses and what can an can not be done……….


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Unreasonable search and seizure The Bill of Rights in the National Archives. The Fourth Amendment (Amendment IV) to the United States Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and requires any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause.


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I don’t recall the constitution mentioning anything about it when dealing with vehicles and with a person who knowingly accepts the regulations when applying and accepting their drivers license.


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Well the constitution didn’t mention semi automatic weapons either. And the Constitution clearly states that movement by citizens within the US shall not be impeded.The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.” As far back as the circuit court ruling in Corfield v. Coryell, 6 Fed. Cas. 546 (1823), the Supreme Court recognized freedom of movement as a fundamental Constitutional right.


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Just how is someone’s movement being impeded? Once a person accepts the privilege of a drivers licenses, that’s right it’s a privilege not a right, certain guidelines apply, but many people think a drivers license is a right with no strings attached, and they would be wrong.


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You need to take a deep breath and step back. It mentioned “bear arms” which were the basic military weapons of the foot soldier of the day. Same thing applies today.


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If you get stuck in a checkpoint you are not very bright.


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Drug testing can be a violation of one’s privacy — a reality accepted by that portion of our society that must necessarily remain sober while working, like law enforcement, prosecutors, first responders, deep sea divers. For those who voluntarily choose work requiring such testing, there really is no invasion of their personal privacy. My contention is that since lower-level county employees are now tested, it is not unreasonable to expect the county’s top level decison-makers be similarly tested. I’ve known stoners all my life and all can articulate the “privacy” argument with skill. If Adam Hill wants to maintain his privacy he should get back into the private sector and take his chances there, where his decisions are not damaging this county’s residents.


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My position is that drug testing will in no way insure better low level or upper level workers.


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but you also fail to prove where it does hurt, name one instance?????


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Those who freely give up their rights for the sake of safety will get neither rights or safety. Please show me where the stupid war on drugs has won.


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invade personal privacy but you can steal the water rights from overliers!!


Call everyone racists


now when it is time for you to anti up and be drug tested you cry foul.


Adam Hills rants and raves in the middle of the night is a drug test in itself.


Get real and vote Adam Hill out and discussion over.


Dan Carpenter is the one to sit on the BoS dias!


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People think Dan Carpenter is wrong to call out Adam Hill on his BS, at least he tells it the way it is all the time unlike Debbie Peterson. In public she wants to be all nice and get along with everyone, but then behind the scenes gets in her nasty remarks.


And why does it matter if you are Republican or Democrat, and if you have any of your own money in ‘the game’ as she calls it. And then you even stoop so low as to go after his volunteers, no class Debbie!


LETTER FROM DEBBIE PETERSON TO HER SUPPORTERS


Hi all,


I need your help again if we are going to beat Dan Carpenter in the Primary on June 7th. Coming in first or second in the Primary will give us a good chance to beat Adam Hill in November.


The financial reports are out for the last quarter. Dan caught up with me on fundraising, and we are neck and neck on cash in to the campaign and on expenditure. There is one major difference. Dan has no skin in the game. He is retired. He has received $24,000 more in donations than I have, but has committed no money of his own. I am working full time and have invested $24,000 of my personal funds.


Dan’s campaign pulled a fast one to make his numbers higher by counting volunteer hours as non-monetary contributions of $17,000. We have not done that. Had we done so, our figures would look better than his.


Ironically, Dan claims to be independent, however, his support base is strongly Republican. I am a registered Democrat, but my support comes from my track record and is evenly balanced between Republicans, Democrats and independents, in the same ratio as the voter base.


We are winning in the debates and we are winning in the press and media.Dan and his volunteers are winning in the dirty tricks – nasty little digs and comments and counting volunteer hours as non-monetary contributions. Let’s keep with the positive energy and win the votes and the hearts of the community.


If we can raise the same $24,000 in donations we can fully fund our direct mail campaign and do some powerful radio and TV advertising in this last 5 weeks before the primary and I think we can beat Dan in the primary, and Adam Hill in November.


I am asking you, together, to match my personal contribution of $24,000. You can donate by mailing a check payable to Debbie Peterson Supervisor 2016 to my campaign office at 214 W. Grand Ave. Grover Beach, CA 93433 by clicking DONATE to contribute online.


There is something else you can do right now to help: keep up the positive comments and thumbs up for me with thumbs down for Dan on the articles linked below as soon and as often as possible.


http://calcoastnews.com/2016/04/district-3-supervisors-debate-drug-testing-oil-taxes/#


http://calcoastnews.com/2016/04/arnold-hill-peschong-lead-campaign-contribution-battles/


Many of you have previously donated funds, time, energy, so this comes to you as an additional request. Thank you so much for your support. I am touched an honored by your friendship and by your dedication to running a clean campaign.


Debbie Peterson

214 W Grand Ave

Grover Beach, CA 93433

Tel/Text 805-550-4490

PetersonTeam@charter.net

Paid for by Debbie Peterson Supervisor 2016

Campaign ID 1376510


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“And why does it matter if you are Republican or Democrat ”


Because anybody not voting for Sanders is a flat out subhuman IDIOT. :) .

I would not even trust them to flip burgers if not; let alone be a Politician; hahaha!


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Dogeatdog, I’m a bit confused how you got that private letter from debbie Peterson when you are obviously not one of her supporters. I am sure that each candidate is sending out similar campaign letters. Personally I did not see anything unusual with her information and request.


How about fair time…now post one of Dan Carpenter’s campaign letters. You apparently don’t know much about how to run a campaign


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Have you ever heard of a mole?


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Adam….tell us all why you REALLY wouldn’t take a drug test. Not that we all know.

Privacy my ass.


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There is only one reason why Hill will not take a drug test. His behavior shows that.


Anyone who supports the proposed 1/2 cent sales tax needs to become aware of what the money is really for. Only a portion of it goes towards road repairs while close to 50% is directed towards other projects like bike paths, hiking trails, other enhancements and of course fill the pockets of SLOCOG since they are losing a good portion of their funds from the state.

This 1/2 cent increase is being sold as a critical need to fix roads when in fact half of the funds will be used to support staff and meet the political needs of the politicians. Don’t get suckered into this one or else there will be another one right behind it. This is the “free money” that the politicians keep talking about. Yes their free money that comes right out of our pockets.


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Petersen supported it also.


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Let me see if I understand this.


1. Carpenter has long been on record as opposing the rail spur and has even voted against it.


2. Hill has flat out lied about Carpenter’s position on the rail spur and continues to repeat that lie frequently.


3. When Carpenter points out that Hill’s allegation is a demonstrable lie Hill accuses Carpenter of baiting him.


This sort of reasoning is like something Alice confronted down the rabbit hole. Lying is honorable and truth-telling is baiting. I’m thinking anyone with that kind of thought process really should be drug tested.


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Government employees are subject to a live scan, drug testing from the DOT and the municipality they work for and some investigate your banking habits, account balances etc. If you have a commercial CDL which most municipalities require you are subject to higher insurance costs and arrested for a DUI in your own vehicle at half the rate of BAC anybody else is.Yet people like who are sworn first responder’s in a crisis such as our local politicians on up who are our leaders are they not? Perhaps they are sworn to nothing but self servitude and will put their tails between their legs and run away and need not be sober at any given time. If ever a law was needed to be passed, it is that ANY person working for a municipality be subject to random drug testing, from the low level maint persons on up to the city manager.


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Hill’s opening statement included that he will do anything to “get the job done” in defense of his disgraceful, bullying behavior pattern.


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I’m confused. If a county employee is drug tested, why isn’t a county supervisor?


If Supervisor Hill is that concerned, why not get rid of drug testing for county employees?


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Based on the answer to the proposed sales tax increase alone, Carpenter is the ONLY candidate we should be voting for. Ditto for Peschong in District 1, he was the ONLY candidate against it, with Hamon even saying a 1/2 cent increase was no big deal because people “didn’t even notice the last 1/2 cent increase.”


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Agree with you Perspicacious! The only candidates who have taken a position AGAINST the 1/2 cent sales tax proposal scam are:

State Assembly/Jordan Cunningham

First District Supervisor/John Peschong

Third District Supervisor/Dan Carpenter

Fifth District Supervisor/Debbie Arnold

The above candidates deserve our votes!


The candidates who have taken a position IN SUPPORT of the 1/2 cent sales tax proposal are:

First District/John Hamon

First District/Steve Martin

Third District/Adam Hill

Third District/Debbie Peterson

Say NO to the above! Enough!


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