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Beware of false claims, read the facts about SLO candidates

October 13, 2020

OPINION by LISA GUY

In response to confusion regarding Cherisse Sweeney for mayor and Abrianna Torres for the San Luis Obispo City Council, here is clarification into the candidates’ non-partisanship positions.

Campaign treasurer Bryan Burch (PFS) works for both Sweeney and Torres. He was highly recommended based on his ability to ensure compliance and professional oversight of the campaigns’ finances.

As committed non-partisan candidates, both Sweeney and Torres continue to focus on issues facing the City of San Luis Obispo.

In addition to joining a number of other groups–of all “beliefs,” Sweeney joined the Facebook group “Take Back SLO” during the shutdown to see what people were saying and what resources were being shared. Joining these groups has enormously helped Sweeney to understand the pulse of what is going on in our city — from all sides.

Running a non-partisan race means reaching out to all members of the community in an effort to unify it. It is Sweeney’s and Torres’ goal to listen to diverse voices — not just one side.

A lifelong resident of SLO County — seven generations strong — Sweeney has had a business storefront in downtown SLO for approximately eight years. Because this election is so important to her, she was willing to uproot her family to move a short distance into the city limits. She currently lives within city limits.

Sweeney has been an active member of our community all her life.

Both Sweeney and Torres advocate for non-partisanship because they clearly see how it is exactly partisanship that divides our world not only at the national level, but also at the local level in our very own home of San Luis Obispo.

Sweeney plans to reinforce San Luis Obispo’s foundation by restoring community trust in public health and safety, implementing balanced environmental and energy policies, and focusing on local economic recovery.

Torres aims to address homelessness, accommodate work-force housing, and support public safety with adequate training, transparency, and accountability.

I personally invite you to see how non-partisanship could benefit the entire community. I’ve worked with Cherisse Sweeney and Abrianna Torres and I know they are available to discuss any of these issues or other concerns you might have. Remember: Vote!


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Ms Sweeney is not a non partisan candidate.To prove it i have a picture of her with Markham Robinson , the chairman of the Independant Party, a extreme right ideologie party. Slo needs to know that , she is a politician with dangerous ideas .


-40

and if she gets in and is as whacky as you say, her one vote will not accomplish much and she’ll fail to get re-elected.


4

Sweeney didnt just join Take Back SLO “along with a number of other groups.” She was a founding member.


Did she really relocate her family? Full sized house in SLO city limits now? Or as two other local publications have claimed, she listed an address at an apartment that certainly would not fit her family?


-28

She moved before she filed to run for mayor. It’s the law and she followed it. The law doesn’t say you have to own a 3B2b unit (you know, the kind of traditional American house with a yard that the Left now calls “white privilege”). It just says you have to live in the city limits.

She isn’t couch-surfing like our current mayor is.


37

Heidi does not even have an residence!


29

To Varian108 and DrOctagon, in slimming these two community-minded women who want to serve our town, you two are part of the problem. If candidates don’t fully buy into everything the “New Progressives” or “Democratic Socialists” believe in, they are branded as “dangerous”. While so unfair, it’s unfortunately part of their schtick. So much for civility in a town that sorely needs it.


Cherisse and Aubrianna, Please stay the course and don’t let this sniping get you down. As for Take Back Our Town, I haven’t heard about it, but that’s what needs to happen. To quote Nike, Just Do It!


13

Your point? SLO city council candidate Kelly Evans also recently moved from out of town to an apartment in SLO so she can run for office. She has very few connections to this county. You will find zero actual information online about Kelly other than her carefully scripted campaign page with lots of vague and generic information. She claims to have founded the “SLO Collective of Organizations and Relief Efforts (CORE)” but there is no information online about that org either, and some have questioned if it even exists.


6

Thank you Lisa Guy. I know you are not a political hack, an extremist, or frankly anyone that is a seasoned political enthusiast, but rather an honest citizen simply trying to help get other honest citizens elected to offset the absolute horror that has occurred in public office in San Luis Obispo. The arena you are in now is very vicious and sad. I smell sulfur, as the ancient saying goes, with every turn of the opposition.


37

“Abrianna Torres and Cherisse Sweeney did the right thing by hiring an experienced treasurer!”


And then their campaign people started to put Torres & Sweeney signs on construction sawhorses standing on sidewalks, one was kitty corner from the county gov center.


If they can’t follow the simple sign rules for the campaign, I certainly don’t expect them to follow the rules if elected. Pick on Heide all you want, these two are not any better.


-72

You’re comparing someone in their campaign putting signs on a sawhorse to the mayor’s direct, blatant violation of campaign finance laws? Um, okay then.


Sweeney and Torres are not knee-deep in corrupt cannabis money. They are average citizens who care about San Luis Obispo and will focus on the immediate needs of our city. They won’t be spending campaign money to jet off to attend elite left-wing parties with high-profile politicians and won’t be partying with cannabis moguls like Heidi did/does. Sweeney and Torres will focus on the local needs of SLO with integrity and we need that now more than ever.


https://calcoastnews.com/2019/01/san-luis-obispo-mayor-curses-at-progressive-event-gets-quoted-in-rolling-stone/


50

You are confused I was not drawing comparisons, that was you.


I was only speaking about the lack of following the rules, just like Heide, No I m not voting for the current mayor.


The lack of ethical standards of some of these campaign’s is disturbing.


-10

Please show us one that was left after 9 AM. I’ve seen these volunteers everywhere in the city for weeks now, waving signs, but by 9:15 they are gone (probably to work by 10).

With the pandemic and people reluctant to interact closely with strangers, I personally think it’s rather clever. It has certainly raised awareness of them among the working public.


16

“waving signs” No one was there, just a construction saw horse with signs on the sidewalk.


-14

Kettle, what about all the signs of the protesters and agitators who have planted and waved scores of signs for weeks in downtown? Did those signs comply with city rules?


4

“what about all the signs….” My comment was about “signs on construction sawhorses standing on sidewalks” unattended signs, no people at all, placed on the public sidewalk in front of a business.


There seems to be some confusion of the concept of people with signs, a protected activity vs. unattended political or commercial signs placed on the public sidewalks, right of way etc.


Ethics and ethical behavior is a real thing for possible politicians and protesters.


0

Smart move for Sweeney and Torres to hire a treasurer based on his ability to ensure compliance and professional oversight of the campaigns’ finances!


Heidi Harmon’s campaign finances during 2018 were a mess and her treasurer filed three amendments after the initial filing and still didn’t get it right. Multiple people donated $300 of “in-kind” donations AND $300 cash donations, in violation of SLO’s campaign finance law and it was never corrected.


This info was provided to me and can be accessed on the SLO City website under the campaign finances before 2020:


Molly Holland donated $300 twice. $300 “in-kind” donation on 10/27/2018 and $300 money on 10/28/2018;


Chris Vaughn donated $300 twice. $300 “in-kind” donation on 10/27/2018 and $300 money on 10/28/2018;


Daniel DelPorto is the sole proprietor of Acquire Real Estate and donated $300 on 10/28/2018 and his business donated $300 “in-kind” on 10/27/2018;


Damien Mavis owns CoVelop and donated $300 from his business and $300 as an individual. CoVelop donated $300 money on 9/28/2018 and Damien Mavis donated $300 “in-kind” on 11/2.

Maybe the campaign treasurer realized the problem with Mavis because the $300 “in-kind” donation from Damien Mavis disappeared from the final (third) amendment. Not sure how one reverses “in-kind” donations that were already consumed, apparently, according to previous filings a few months earlier?


The party held on 10/28 was the fundraiser by cannabis mogul Helios Dayspring and he also donated to the campaign.


Abrianna Torres and Cherisse Sweeney did the right thing by hiring an experienced treasurer!


62