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Advocacy or news, what is the San Luis Obispo Tribune?

June 12, 2024

OPINION by ERIK GORHAM

It’s a shame San Luis Obispo County’s oldest news source repeatedly attacks people for having views that differ from its one-sided editorial board, especially during election years.

SLO Tribune Opinion Editor Stephanie Finucane regularly calls Republicans to ask if they voted for Donald Trump or if they support Trump, before degrading them for their answers. In her latest hit piece, Finucane refers to the answers of District Attorney Dan Dow and SLO County Republican Party Chairman Randall Jordan as “both jaw-droppingly audacious and obtuse.”

There are Republicans who both respect and plan to vote for Trump, others who do not respect him but plan to vote for him because our country performed better with him in office, and also those who do not respect or plan to vote for Trump. While we can debate passionately about the issue, demeaning those who have different views than our own sows discord.

During these hectic times, tolerance and community are very important.

And while focused on Trump, the Tribune has not called local Democrats to ask if they voted for former SLO County Supervisor Adam Hill – a drug addict with a cocaine addiction, a serial cheater, a corrupt politician who demanded bribes, and the focus of a multi-year FBI investigation – nor should they. People should not be chastised for voting for Hill or any other candidate.

But looking into those tightly aligned with SLO County’s most notorious politician is a different story. Two of Hill’s closest friends, his longtime drinking buddies Tom Fulks and Tom Jones, were well aware of the allegations of criminality against Hill. Rather than cutting ties or supporting his victims, Fulks and Jones attacked Hill’s critics.

How did the Tribune respond after the FBI raided Hill’s home and office? It provided Fulks, an on-and-off Tribune columnist, an avenue to bully Hill’s critics.

If I was the editor of the Tribune, I would promote the watchdog function of the media. I would focus on covering local issues such as assertions from developers that their projects are moved to the top of the planning department list if they donate to Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg (Hill’s former girlfriend) and pay planner Jamie Jones (Tom Jones’ wife and the owner of Kirk Consulting).

Meanwhile, it can take a non-connected local years to get a permit to build a shed or a pool house. It is unclear why, but definitely worth a close examination.

But I am not the editor of the Tribune, I am a proud member of the Republican Party and a life-long San Luis Obispo County resident. I care about my neighbors, our community and justice for all.

 


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Republicans who both respect and plan to vote for Trump, others who do not respect him but plan to vote for him?


So the law and order family value party, wants people to vote for a felon and all his felon friends who don’t pay proper taxes and lie all day long, are upset people don’t like the BS and no longer respect their opinion because choosing Trump shows bad judgment. Lol


“During these hectic times, tolerance and community are very important.”


Wtf The party of trump is anything but tolerant, do as I say not as we do everyday…


Also Colin Cowherd wants a word>


-62

Thanks for the Cowherd bit. He’s always good at going to the core of an argument.


-35

Don’t you love how they downvote us but offer no logical argument against us? Maybe that is becuase FauxNews doesn’t provide them any details, just salacious and baseless accusations and conspiracy theories?


-20

Lest we forget, Trump’s vice president refuses to endores him, as do 40 of his 44 cabinet members. These are people he chose. They saw him work for 4 years, and all think he is a danger to the country and democracy. But go ahead and believe the networks like Fox and OAN who have paid nearly a billion dollars and been forced to admit they knowingly lied to their viewers. Idiots.


-37

Hey everyone downvoting this, why? Is what I said untrue? Or do you just not like facts getting in the way of your delusions?


-13

The country performed better under Trump? By what metric? The stock market is up. Crime is down. We stopped the largest, by a long shot, increase in the national debt in history due to unbelievably flagrant give-aways to the ultra wealthy.

If you still support Trump, you are either a billionare looking for more giveaways, a religious fascist who wants to turn the U.S. into Gilead, or an unbelievable gullible moron.

Bring the downvotes from your Boomer readers.


-59

Lots of downvotes. No arguments though. No pointing out where I might be wrong. Just ignore everything you don’t like, I guess.


-16

Except for being laughably wrong about everything you wrote, we won’t argue.


Instead, here’s a few facts~


https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/trump-administration-accomplishments/


3

“Advocacy or News” Hmmm… In all fairness, at times, I think the same headline can be said about CalCoast News.


-4

There is no bias free media, never was.


2

It is so sad to say , but the current Tribune is NOT the same paper as that led by editors Fairbanks or Aguilar. Even though the paper has always leaned left, the recent shrill, hyper partisan bias just is bad journalism ( if I call it that). I left subscription long ago. They will collapse soon. And we will be better for it.


64

Who knew they were even still around?


47

Years ago the Tribune was a reliable source for SLO news, today it is a left wing advocate of all things wrong with our country. I stopped reading their propaganda years ago. It is obvious why the Tribune has lost its readership, lost their advertisers, and is on their way to becoming a thing-of-the-past. When they close the doors for good, they will not be missed.


59

Hummm — the nation was better under Trump? LOL! What a crock, based on extremely flawed and cockeyed views. It is time that you look outside the grotesquely contaminated, facist box of the “Republican Party”. Truth be told, the Republican Party ceased to exist after 2016 when Trump took office. As always with the “Republicans” today, “I want want is good for ME!”, not “I want what is good for my nation’s and world’s children’s future.” You can’t see beyond your nose (or seeing anything from your head’s position buried in the sand) at what is important in our nation and world and its rapidly deteriorating future, all because of humans. Fact is, humans (from Day One) are undesirable parasites on this beautiful planet, consuming everything and doing very little if anything to sustain our planet and it’s living organisms. The human civilization is far from being anywhere close to being “intelligent”, as was clearly demonstrated by the brutal attacked on our nation’s capital and by the actions by the vast majority of so-called “Republicans”. You grossly tarnish the Republican name, as TRUE Republicans would be doing everything possible to support our nation and its current Biden Administration. It is far easier, and brainless, for Republicans to fight the current administration than it is demonstrating true intelligence by working with our government to streamline and enhance its operation for the benefit of current and long-term future of our nation. Man up, get a real life, and get with the program of working with our nation and world, not against it.


-72

Or, you could live with facts and reality, like we do…


https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/trump-administration-accomplishments/


2

Any they wonder why their readership is in the toilet? We un-subscribed years ago and don’t miss the Tribune for a minute!


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