Shame on the Tribune

August 12, 2018

OPINION by T. KEITH GURNEE

Shame on the Tribune for its latest editorial on the Housing Accountability Act. That our own newspaper would defend the State’s top-down, autocratic act to “build baby build” regardless of the consequences couldn’t be more misplaced.

We came here for the character of this community, its quaintness, its scale, and its heritage. I’m for growth that respects these qualities, not for growth that obliterates them. Equating that attitude to NIMBY-ism is an insult to all who hold this community dear.

The scenic peaks surrounding San Luis Obispo provide us with a frame of reference, a sense of belonging to such a high-quality small town. Yet the photo accompanying the editorial failed to show the view concealed behind the proposed 790 Foothill project: Bishops Peak.

After working very hard for 20 years helping landowners permanently preserve Bishop Peak, I’m incensed at what our community is becoming, thanks to lazy legal advice and misguided city leadership that has caved to state’s Housing Accountability Act.

The American Planning Association recently sent out a 5-minute video to its members featuring Ben Metcalf, Director of the State Department of Housing and Community Development, informing us about these changes to state law in a performance that was veritably dripping with arrogance. He’s clearly thrilled at having been given the state-issued cudgel to bludgeon local communities into submission.

While the state complains about what the federal government is doing to it, the state is turning around and doing the same to us. Should we meekly stand by and obey the state’s dictate? Hell no!

This is what we and our city government should be doing:

  • Form an alliance with “Livable California,, a new nonprofit organization of communities resisting the state’s intrusion into local government, to join with the League of California Cities (LOCC) in fighting back against these laws and repealing or amending them to restore local control and home rule to our local communities and counties.
  • Instead of giving these out-of-town developers a “get-out-of-jail-free-card” from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), use CEQA to gain concessions from them to build projects in character with our community.
  • Reject or require the 790 Foothill project to prepare an EIR focused on traffic, inadequate parking, blocking the scenic views of Bishop Peak, with an alternative analysis for a smaller project rather than one with a “building-on-steroids” design that looks like it belongs in the Soviet Union rather than San Luis Obispo.
  • Reconsider our Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) in light of the state’s intrusion into local control and hold back on approving the new Zoning Regulations Update due to be considered by the City Council on Aug. 21, 2018.

It is sad indeed to see what the Tribune has become. It bears little resemblance to the Telegram Tribune of the 1970s when George Brand was at the editor’s helm. George cared deeply about San Luis Obispo and was a strong advocate for retaining our community character. If he could see what his paper has become today in manipulating public thought, he would be spinning in his grave.

Let’s stop this nonsense. Let’s stop using the new N-word (NIMBY) to label the people who care about this community and defend its character.

It’s time we get together with other cities who care about themselves to push back against our state that has seemingly become an enemy of local government. If not, the San Luis Obispo we have known and loved will be but a distant memory.


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Basic farm knowledge – you can’t put three gallons of milk into a two gallon pail without consequence. Like every other resource, even land is limited. The progressives can jam hundreds even thousands of more people into downtown SLO but not without consequence. More traffic, more trash, more crowds, more strain on services, more of everything until the place becomes a cesspool just like San Francisco, Seattle and any number of other cities the socialist progressives run.

Sorry, the government does not owe you affordable housing and any effort to redistrict, rezone or destroy a community in order to do so should be approached with a fair amount of skepticism. There is nothing wrong with limiting growth. Even the State allows only so many chickens per cage for the health and wellbeing of the hen.


“We came here for the character of this community, its quaintness, its scale, and its heritage. ”

Yeah, and then you refused to allow anyone to come enjoy it while reaping all the property values with none of the taxes (thanks Prop 13).


“I’m for growth that respects these qualities, not for growth that obliterates them.”


My dude, SLO has grown at absolutely tiny percentages since your generation came to power. Classic IGMFU.


You know what happens when you don’t build apartments? You build sprawl. The demand doesn’t just go away, other cities eventually cave to the pressure. Banning apartments is environmentally harmful, and the fact that you can’t see that as a planner of 20 years just speaks to your bubble.


You can’t use LOS as a standard anymore for CEQA. Haha pound sand.


“Let’s stop using the new N-word (NIMBY) to label the people who care about this community and defend its character.”


You’re a NIMBY. The character of a community is defined by its people, and pushing people out by making it unaffordable tells me exactly what community you want.


Once it gets crowded you’ll complain of all the noise, traffic, and crime. No thanks. The only people who cry NIMBY are the ones who can’t afford it. Nothing is stopping you from leaving, so leave if it is so unbearable to you.


I can care less if you think I’m a NIMBY. The places that seem to be “NIMBY” are the places people WANT to live. Earn enough, and you’ll be fine. Don’t earn enough, yeah, you won’t make it.


Folks,


Please tell your friends and family that help is on the way with the Keith Gurnee mayoral candidacy, and we need to stop the failed SLO Progressives dead in their tracks.  As most of you well know, the SLO Progressives have attempted to ruin the historic SLO downtown district and their socialistic values will not solve the problems, these people are whacky kooks.


I only wish Adam Hill, Nick Andree, Heidi Harmon, Aaron Gomez, Carlyn Christianson, Caren Ray, Jimmy Paulding, John Schoals, Kristen Barneich, Andy Pease, and Bruce Gibson would relocate to San Francisco, so they can live with their fellow comrade progressives.


Let’s fight for our beloved SLO life and resist these people and their demented attempt to transform our way of life with their kooky ideas.  The SLO Progressives favor limited freedom, using the government as a club on the private sector and forcing the rest of us to adopt their crazy agenda.


In November, please join me in voting Mr. Keith Gurnee for SLO Mayor.


George