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Black organization accuses SLO mayor of cheap political tricks

June 16, 2020

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon has come under fire from the California Black Chamber of Commerce for attempting to link racism to global warming.

Harmon, who has been a primary proponent of an ordinance supporting all electric building, asked members of the public to support the ordinance in a June 15 Facebook post. In order to battle racism and the pandemic, the community needs to support her clean energy proposal, Harmon wrote.

“As we confront racism and the pandemic, we also confront climate change,” Harmon wrote. “They are interconnected and we do not reach justice until we reach justice on all levels.”

Shortly afterwards, the California Black Chamber of Commerce sent Harmon a letter accusing her of attempting to use the Black Lives Matter movement to promote her political agenda. The letter ends with a request for an apology from Harmon.

“We are stunned and angry about your online post this morning where you in effect make climate change a condition for racial justice in America!” the letter says. “It is clear why. You put a building code ordinance on the agenda tomorrow, one that you have an obvious political interest in passing. Perhaps your reelection in November has shorted-out your judgement.”

“You have combined the moral cry for justice Black Lives Matter with a ban on natural gas as interconnected with racial justice. How dare you?”

“This is a cheap political trick that betrays your values and sensitivities as mayor of the City of San Luis Obispo. And will not go unchallenged.”

The chamber letter then chastises the SLO City Council for holding the meeting at 3 p.m., in a city building that the public is not permitted to attend because of the pandemic.

Jay King, the president of the California Black Chamber of Commerce, said he was concerned that the wording of the letter was harsher than he had wanted, but that he agrees with the concerns listed.

“I stand firm in that they need to stand down,” King said. “You can’t conflate climate change with racial disparity. We trust our public officials will not play politics.”


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And of course, she has no idea where the electricity is going to be generated.


28

“San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon has come under fire from the California Black Chamber of Commerce for attempting to link racism to global warming.”


What a great opening line! Pure comedy!


26

Heidi is biased against gas. She is off on her green tangent and shell game of carbon credits, when clearly she and SLO will have a huge budget shortfall and vacancy rate due to small businesses folding after COVID lockdowns.

No one on the SLO City Council has the qualification, knowledge or experience to make the decision to go all electric, period! I would never go all electric on my house and I have 36 years experience as an operator and a supervisor in electric control centers. Exactly which investigatory board (either local or CPUC) conducted the comprehensive study that there was an urgent problem in SLO that needed a “no gas” intervention? Furthermore, SLO Council is showing bias by collecting more money for a second heating and cooking energy choice (gas). Instead they should be providing a diverse infrastructure rather than demonizing and showing favoritism.

Heidi is self serving herself above the needs of her residents. Basically, Heidi bolsters her green resume against the majority of SLO’s permanent residents, so she can run for state office in the future. When a future tragedy occurs where SLO loses electricity for a couple of days during winter where people get pissed, there is going to be an investigation into why Heidi sold SLO a pig, had a conflict of interest with MBCP and why they acted like sheep following the mandate of a former housekeeper. In Heidi’s flyer is states that ” science and logic behind this program are clear”. Wrong. Water vapor is a bigger problem in the atmosphere than carbon when it comes to GHG. Again, where is the electric system expert’s input in this equation? You know someone like me that kept your lights on for 3 decades.


52

I’m not one to defend Harmon but it is difficult to get in line with a moving target……opinions and demands from the African American community are seemingly changing daily…..


9

Did Harmon win the election after the election, with mail in ballots, like Adam Hill?


37

A Progressive politician using racism as a political tool to push a Socialist agenda, well that’s not nothing new. The banner of ignorance. It fit’s her very well.


27

Man, this is embarrassing. Who voted for this air head!


43

Ahhh come on, you people missed it, Harmon the flower child is a cheap political trick, but the people of SLO voted her in,, we had some one decent running but noooo lets put the flower child back in, you’all notic ewere the only one complaining the ninnys that voted her in don’t say a thing, maybe they are having second thoughts.


47

If it wasn’t for the Cal Poly students, she would have lost. She won by a slim margin.


28

Yes, they vote, graduate, and usually move away. My thought is that this CSU should have a name change to, CSU San Luis Obispo. (USLO) SLO U learn by doing?


3

I love it when liberal politicians overplay their hands.


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