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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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It’s embarrassing of the things that people can look for to whine about. No, really. Was anyone actually butthurt by this, or were the barbershops, hair salons and coffee houses all closed and no one will listen so you had to the local paper to try to outwit the last infant with a keyboard. Being a public servant is a very difficult matter but not seen a lot of answers, just bitching and personally attacking. it’s o.k. we see your collective blabber and laugh.


-9

So if ms loony tunes is so worried about bikes why doesn’t she attempt do something about Madonna rd if its so bad to ride a bike on instead of screwing up a neighborhood. This council has messed up SLO long enough, I understand that there is a play to neck down Marsh street to 2 lanes and make a bike lane there,I don’t believe that is necessary,traffic is heavy enough as it is we don’t need a lane taken away,what we need is these loonies taken away.


10

You people are borderline conspiracy theorists.


3

It’s all Bush’s…. I mean Trump’s fault, yeah that’s right…….


0

Borderline?


I think you’re being rather generous with that descriptor.


2

Just for fun… See the tribune story of Harmon? See the picture of her with the cocky smile and the raised eyebrow? https://www.sanluisobispo.com/opinion/editorials/article217822515.html

If you google, “what does it mean when someone smiles with raised eyebrow?” It responds, “A prolonged eyebrow raise can mean that the person is questioning, expecting something or is seeking approval from another, The sly smile is probably a sign that something naughty, humorous or sarcastic is said or thought.”

Translation: While I await your approval, I am thinking about all of the bribes I can accept.” 

Not just picking on you, Heidi. We all know that specific members of the SLO Progressives are lining their pockets with big developer money and destroying one of the happiest places in America. 


8

Deep breath everyone – it’s not unreasonable to hitch a safe ride home from a council meeting that often lasts well past 10:00 pm (as did last night’s meeting). The Mayor was on her bike early this cold misting morning on her way into downtown – more than I can say for myself as I was making my 2 mile commute to my office in the comfort of my car.


-5

Ms Harmon had accused Keith Gurnee of orchestrating this reporting, but he did not. He was at the city council meeting tonight and reported he was totally unaware of the event until notified later today sometime. 

There seems to be two issues here-is this stalking or news reporting? I think the latter. 

The next issue is Ms Harmon’s response, one of extreme anger and accusing her opponent of causing the news report. Unless she can come up with some proof of this I have to assume she went into orbit instead of being more diplomatic, not good for our chief downtown.


I’m also wondering if it is appropriate for this arrangement between our two top honchos; since the mayor is part of the group that hires the city manager-well, you can see where this is going.


12

Folks,


In fact, Heidi Harmon is a hypocrite.


As this article points out, Ms. Harmon is a hypocrite and, ironically enough, she is very uncivil towards the voters who pay her salary.  Unfortunately for Ms. Harmon, voters are seeing the real Heidi Harmon ahead of election day in November.


As mayor, Harmon has tried to shove ‘bike highways’ down the throats of neighborhoods who have made it clear they do not support them.  Here, we see her ‘big lie’ attempt to act like she commutes on bike, when she is simply getting driven around by the SLO City Manager, Derek Johnson.  Shame on Ms. Harmon for her deceit.


Heidi Harmon, and the other 4 SLO City council members have accepted campaign donations from the very out-of-town developers seeking approval for their projects before the council.  Often, these developers ‘donate’ money to Harmon & Co. after they exempt the same developers for paying infrastructure fees to mitigate the untoward effects of their projects.  The result?  The streets of SLO are way overcrowded, infrastructure is in disrepair and the outsized development is an eyesore on our once-fair city.  But, alas, Harmon & Co. quietly receive campaign money.  Corruption.


Perhaps most disturbing, these five ‘progressive’ council members  are in ideological unison, and refuse to listen to other voices.  They have given themselves raises, but refuse to set aside money to solve the unfunded city worker pension crisis, and they govern like impetuous spoiled children.  At a recent candidates forum, Harmon (who claims to promote civility) threw a temper tantrum, yelled at her opponent, threw down a microphone and abandoned the candidates forum.  Civil?  At the forum, there was speculation that perhaps she was under the influence of drugs, and voters never have gotten an explanation from Ms. Harmon.  We deserve better.


In November, FIRE Heidi Harmon and Carlyn Christianson and elect a city council and mayor who will be committed to listening and representing ALL VOICES.  


Elect Mr. Keith Gurnee to SLO Mayor

Elect Mr. James Lopes to SLO City Council.


7

” At the forum, there was speculation that perhaps she was under the influence of drugs, and voters never have gotten an explanation from Ms. Harmon.”

So, you expect an explanation based solely on speculation? That’s convenient, I guess? Did a voter, any voter, ask for an explanation or is that just “speculation” on your part? Did those speculating voters ask that question at the time, and if not, why not? Is there anything on the record of this speculation? Is there any proof, what-so-ever in your overt unfounded and political biased comment that isn’t anything but pure unadulterated speculation?

If I was either candidate that you endorse, I’d run as far as I could from the likes of you, as you represent the current “guilt by implication and speculation” conservatives that find fear as the only way they can obtain office, and the majority of Americans are getting very, very, very tired of that BS…

I just hope November doesn’t cause you so much discomfort that you abandon this sight, ’cause I like you (and your unprovable and speculative rhetoric)!


-14

Really, who could fault a woman for using a car to get home from a meeting at night? While SLO seems safe, we do have our crimes including rape (recently) and murder (think Rex Krebs, 20 years ago). Also,


I don’t think you should have posted where she lives.


14

While trying to take away other people’s street parking, and claiming she rides a bike to council meetings, Harmon drives a car.


Under the color of authority.she accused reporters of the crime of stalking in a press release.


When is it stalking for a reporter to check on claims made by a public official?


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