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Bicycle advocate, leader or hypocrite?

September 3, 2018

City manager Derek Johnson driving Mayor Heidi Harmon and her bike home from a council meeting.

San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon appears to want everyone to bike – except her. [Cal Coast Times]

While Harmon attempts to push city residents towards a “driver-less future,” she does not regularly ride her bicycle to city meetings. On Facebook, Harmon has expressed a goal of reducing car travel in the city by 60 percent.

During a speech she gave late last year on climate change, Harmon promoted leading by example.

“I really like that picture on the top, it is the entire city council riding their bikes to council,” Heidi said. “So that is another thing that climate champions do right, lead by doing. We really try to set a good example.”

SLO City Council standing near bike rack outside City Hall: Andy Pease, Heidi Harmon, Dan Rivorie, Carlyn Christianson and Aaron Gomez.

On four occasions, reporters watched Harmon leave city meetings in gas fueled vehicles, including evening and afternoon meetings. Harmon either drove a car or hitched a ride for her and her bicycle from the city manager.

On May 15, Harmon left the City Council meeting, walked out to the bike rack and chatted to several council members for about 15 minutes. Harmon then walked her bike around to the back of the building, where City Manager Derek Johnson was waiting.

Johnson attached Harmon’s bicycle to the back of his truck, and drove the mayor to her home in Laguna Lake Mobile Estates.

Harmon did not return requests for comment.

Update: This story was updated to include that Harmon was watched leaving meetings both in the daytime and in the evening.


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Close your eyes and picture San Luis Obispo in your mind, crisscrossed by the 101 , Higuera, Marsh, Santa Rosa, Broad Street, California Blvd, Amtrak, now picture riding a bike every freakin’ day through that. No thank you.


18

The problem with the bike group is that they have failed to realize that the AGING population will find bike riding increasingly difficult to accomplish activities of daily living. It’s heathy to cycle, but DANGEROUS at night. I give the Trumpster-mayor a pass here unless she is playing to the camera’s pretending to be something she’s not.


4

“Bicycle Advocate, Leader or Hypocrite?” No contest, I vote Hypocrite. May I add selfie taking narcissist ? Don’t get between the mayor and her mirror!


She’s also a self-promoting fake environmentalist and a behind the scenes uncivil bully if one dares to politely disagree with her. I regret voting for her and supporting her. The good news is that even though she’s been campaigning since the last election, I have it on good authority that she’s losing in November.


Remember she only beat Jan Marx by 47 votes.


32

It was 46 votes.


13

Hmmm … am betting Harmon wins.


-5

I remember running into them at a public coffee shop while scumbag Adam was supposed to be at an APCD meeting. These are PUBLIC OFFICIALS. So fuck off, basically.


9

Bill Roalman was the real deal. Heidi is a phony.


20

Ha! Just another small piece of the puzzle when it comes to Heidi “Self-Promoting” Harmon. She should take that Socialist Rose of hers (Google it!) and leave our town. I heard on the radio she wants to turn SLO into San Francisco! 


24

Do as i say, not as i do. average politician. vote her out but not if she pedals to the bay area for her conference. maybe she would do something to get re-elected.


23

It’s common for those elected and in power to pass rules and laws that only the little people need to adhere to. Those passing the rules and laws are too important to bother with not breaking the law or doing what they say we all should do.


25

OMG! Scandal! Mayor catches ride home with co-worker after late night at work rather than pedal across town! Hypocrisy! Next thing you know she’ll turn on the light rather than go outdoors to read her papers even though she calls herself an environmentalist.


-21

Lay off the Starbucks coffee, Twinkie.


19

Why don’t you lay off the bullying insults, Twiddle Dee!


-9

Insult … block this dude.


-8

She doesn’t call herself an environmentalist. She’s into sustainability which is different.


-13
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