Front Page  »  

San Luis Obispo County supervisor erupts during radio show

October 2, 2024

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg snapped at callers, interrupted them and yelled during a drama-filled interview with KVEC radio talk show host Dave Congalton on Sept. 30.

On a previous show on Sept. 21, two members of the non-partisan React Alliance, Saro Rizzo and Andrea Lueker, discussed their concerns with wind energy’s impacts on fishing, tourism, property values and wildlife. Ortiz-Legg called in to the show to repeat her primary argument, it is too early in the process to worry about the project.

When Rizzo did not agree, Ortiz-Legg huffed before arguing for carbon free energy and repeatedly interrupting Congalton’s guests.

Wanting equal time to discuss the positive impacts of wind energy and the proposed industrialization, or what Ortiz-Legg refers to as revitalization, of Port San Luis and the Morro Bay waterfront, Ortiz-Legg sought a guest position on Congalton’s show.

Congalton invited Otiz-Legg to join him as a guest during the 4 o’clock hour on Monday

While Ortiz-Legg noted React Alliance’s examination of the proposed project is part of the process, she said she needed to point out the misinformation its members are disseminating.

Ortiz-Legg made the following points:

  • No specifics are yet known as the wind energy project is still eight to 10 years out.
  • There is $9 million in deferred maintenance at Port San Luis.
  • This could be better and allow more enjoyment of the coast.
  • It will not harm fisheries and could actually help.

During the show, Ortiz-Legg told Congalton to block several callers. Congalton reminded her that she called in when they were guests.

“I’m not going to take Mandy’s call,” Ortiz-Legg said.

After Mandy Davis disputed several of the supervisor’s claims, Ortiz-Legg said, “That’s why I don’t want to do this.”

In response to a fisherman’s concerns over dropping catch numbers, she argued her data shows nearly $4 million in countywide fishing revenue. She however did not address the fisherman’s concerns that catch numbers and industry incomes are currently down because of sonar testing.

“We are lucky to have these problems,” Ortiz-Legg said. “I welcome real conversations with real information and not stuff that is hearsay, whatever, this kind of stuff and everything is nefarious.”

Congalton declined CalCoastNews’ request for comment.

 


Loading...
Subjects:         
Related:


21 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Wow. Listening to Ortiz-Legg, it’s almost as if she’s channeling Adam Hill!


68

Just another way for Dawn to exhibit the fact that she has her priorities. And her #1 priority by a long shot, is herself, Dawn Ortiz-Legg. 


First, let’s remember how Dawn even got here in the first place. She had her failed bid against Jordan Cunningham in 2016 for CA 35th district assembly where it was discovered that she had been arrested twice (once for DUI and a second for illegal drug possession).


When she couldn’t get elected to an office based on her own merits, she got appointed to the SLO Planning Commission, by none other than Adam Hill, with whom she’s admitted to having an intimate relationship with. Guess that relationship paid off for her. 


Then, she gets appointed (not elected) to the Board of Supervisors, upon Adam’s death. This at least gave her the ability to run as the incumbent in the next election, giving her an advantage to win that election.


When she was given the job of County Supervisor in 2020, she stated that she was leaving her job at PG&E due to conflict of interest. She also simultaneously announced her divorce to Dan Blandford, also a PG&E employee. If she remained married to him, she would still have a conflict of interest. But…..just like there are “sham marriages” this one was a “sham divorce”  with the intent to appear free of conflict of interest regarding anything that comes before the BOS regarding Diablo/Energy even though she was still in a “relationship” with Dan. She purposefully is trying to deceive the voters and her constituents. 


Now let’s look at what she has done with her power as a supervisor since 2020 that is highly questionable or shows her priorities to herself and not the general public she supposedly serves:


(1)   On September 18, 2021, shortly after their official “divorce”, Dan was able to buy a house in San Luis Ranch, the very first house completed, for at least $40,000 below the advertised starting prices at the time.  He got AT LEAST a $40K discount (possibly more depending on interior upgrades) on his house from Gary Grossman who has had/or will have numerous projects before the BOS to vote on/have influence on.


(2)   It’s been said here once before on comments in another article that construction crews were told to take extra special care of Dan’s house as he was the “husband” of Dawn. So not only did Dan (by means of his lover/ex-wife Dawn) get a significant discount on the price of his house, but he also got extra special treatment on the “quality” of construction of his house too. This house is on the same block that many other everyday homeowners have had significant defects in the construction quality with a lawsuit pending. Why was Dan’s house given special treatment and quality control over any other house on that block?


(3)   Dan and Dawn’s lives are still very much intertwined to make it impossible for her to be free from “conflict of interest” regarding PG&E or other energy projects. The fact that she is willing to vote on these issues is disrespectful to the residents of SLO considering her conflict of interest. Shortly AFTER Dan purchased his below market value house at SLO Ranch in Sept of 2021, he and Dawn were vacationing together and spending the holidays together in December of 2021. 


Fast forward to March 2024, Dawn had zero issues voting on a plan to keep Diablo operating for up to two more decades.  Diablo, where Dan still works. There are many signs that Dawn and Dan are still very much a couple. Dawn should have NEVER voted and she should have recused herself based on her relationship with Dan.


(4)   Let’s not forget that Dawn has always proclaimed herself to be a champion for the homeless.   She states that in order to address the homeless, we need affordable housing. So, two things to note here: First, in order to have affordable housing, we must have affordable developments. She is all for affordable developments as long as she (Dan) gets first bid at the houses to make a huge profit. Second, let’s not forget that on Monday, June 3, 2024, the County Board of Supervisors voted on a budget that had to address their $15.6 million deficit. In order to do this, they ended up cutting $1.7 million from the homeless resulting in a 26% reduction in funding from previous year.  Part of the reason for the $15,6 million deficit was because the board of supervisors approved a 26% pay raise for themselves. Dawn has no problem taking funds from the homeless, if it means padding her own pockets!


103

She’s showing she absorbed some of Adam Hill’s DNA


73

LOL at her statement that “ this could be better and allow more enjoyment of the coast”. In what sort of fantasy world would anybody believe that an industrial operations and maintenance port could add more enjoyment to a place for instance, like dog beach at Port San Luis? Seems like Ortiz Legg is coming a bit unhinged at the thought that offshore wind might just not be a slam dunk and perhaps not everybody in the county is in love with this project! Does she have some sort of other interest in offshore wind? Seems odd?


118

That would be 400 square miles that cannot be fished, Dawn.


With the ‘spiderweb” of anchor lines from each platform, there would be no logical way for commercial fishing to be done there. Trawlers would have no idea exactly where the myriad anchors and cables will be, while dealing with currents and surge. Long line boats could not fish anywhere near all that junk in the water, the platform junk would simply snag every multi-mile long line put out. Drift fishing would be in the same boat as the long liners, as the current and tides would wrap the lines around all that same junk.


So, yeah, Dawn. Commercial fishing would be severely handicapped, if not prohibited anywhere near the platforms.


82

Wow. Sometimes even you can be right!


-17

Dear, I am always right. Ever since voting Reagan…


8

So how does Dawn know that it won’t harm fisheries? And will in fact help?? in what way could it possibly help? far fetched?

Also, how can she state it will be better and increase enjoyment of the coast, when we would all be stuck in traffic with the trucks bringing in all that will be needed? And with the possible death of Wildlife washing up up on our shores? Sounds like “Misinformation” to me!

I am Not against wind power. I just think it is irresponsible to use our waters as a “Testing ground”, for (especially foreign) entities to make $$. At our expense and more so, our Oceans’ wildlife. We have plenty of open land for windmills. Leave our Ocean alone.


102

Just another typical politician who doesn’t think they need to listen to the people they represent when they have a different perspective on something. If Dawn Ortizz Legg stated she didn’t want to do this after listening to what Mandy had to say just because she didn’t agree with it. Then Dawn Ortizz Legg should step down and resign immediately because she clearly doesn’t understand that she also represents the people that don’t agree with her or vote for her.


112

bb I so agree with your statement. She has forgotten she doesn’t just represent herself. Dawn Ortiz Legg told me everything I needed to know about how she serves as Supervisor when she wasn’t willing to take Mandy’s call. By the way I don’t even know Mandy but she is a constituent I’m sure! Bye Bye Dawn Ortiz Legg!


68

Ortiz-Legg’s resume consists of being a PR person and fixer for solar companies, she did not create any jobs, and sleeping with Adam Hill.


62

Sort of the female version of the late angry Adam Hill huh?

Who’d a guessed.


71

Well, she was his girlfriend, ya know


12
1 2