The Coalition of Labor Agriculture and Business April 2015 COLAB San Luis Obispo County Newsletter Inside the April CHANGE HAS AREADY COME Issue: We're no longer putting up with bullies on the left Change Has 1 BY MICHAEL F. BROWN Already Come Ben Shapiro — 3 This article is in response to former San Luis Obispo Tribune reporter Bob COLAB Keynote Cuddy’s March 26, 2015 New Times Commentary, “A Change is Coming.” Cud- Speaker dy’s insulting polemic is a foretaste of a protracted attack on COLAB, several County Supervisors, and citizens who speak at public comment periods before the Board of Supervisors and other public bodies. The attack, as Cuddy has A Marriage Of 5 promised, will be launched against so-called local “reactionaries” by the coun- Convenience ty’s left apparatchiks, who are unhappy with some recent election results and the growing criticism of local and State land use, tax, regulatory, and water po- California Dreamin’ 8 lices. They are even more upset because they can no longer monopolize public Of A Legacy policy and civic activism. The article itself, and separately from the threat, is akin to a drive-by shooting Join COLAB SLO 10 using a machine gun on a crowded street. The bullets fly indiscriminately. Not Application that Cuddy didn’t have targets. He includes the Tea Party, County Supervisors Debbie Arnold and Lynn Compton, unnamed people who are allegedly “buying the county government,” unnamed citizens who speak at public meetings (whom he vilifies as demagogues, malcontents, and fellow travelers), unnamed bullies, unnamed troglodytes, unnamed ill-mannered big money folks, minions , his former employer and editors at the Tribune, the Coalition Of Labor Agricul- COLAB ture And Business of San Luis Obispo County (COLAB), and of course myself San Luis Obispo as its Government Affairs Director and government watchdog. County This variety of personal attack is characteristic of those who have no valid sub- stantive position or argument. Hypocritically, he supports a “local government “Your Property—Your Taxes scene” that he says could be “returning to civility, discourse, and thoughtful- Our Future” ness.” Presumably, all the listed groups lack civility and the other characteristics PO Box 13601 which he purports to support. San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 Obviously the guy is a graduate of the Joseph Goebbels School of Journalism, 805-548-0340 using unsubstantiated broad-brush innuendo, double speak, and invective to Email: [email protected] characterize some groups in the hope of destroying them. Would Cuddy send Tea Party members, COLAB members, and people who contributed to Lynn Compton to a prison camp? After all, some are anti-socialist (including anti- Page 2 COLAB San Luis Obispo Volume 5 Issue 4 CHANGE HAS AREADY COME cont. National Socialist). To label the civic-minded folks shutdown of the Diablo Nuclear Power Plant, the who come to speak on agenda items as Phillips 66 Refinery, dunes recreation, and the ban- “demagogues,” “malcontents,” and “fellow travelers” ning of traditional subdivisions of freestanding is despicable. Several years ago there were a few homes in the name of climate change are praised people who got personal after news of Gibson’s 4th as “ordinary, decent, citizens with manners”? Is this floor County affair broke, but they came and went. Cuddy’s version of “civility, discourse, and thought- fulness?” Cuddy’s bias is clearly evident. He ignores the key fact that it is Supervisor Adam Hill, aided by Super- Cuddy objects to the interruption of the good old visor Bruce Gibson, who is the poster child for insti- boy annual Board Chair rotation at the APCD sever- gating and maintaining a contentious and impolite al years ago and at the Board of Supervisors this atmosphere. He has gone out of his way to chill le- past February. It happened because people are dis- gitimate public speakers – not to mention news re- gusted with Hill and object to his being the chief porters, radio show hosts, some of his colleagues, elected official of the County and highest local elect- and others. ed official representing the county as a geographic entity generally. Similarly, people do not trust Gib- Why doesn’t Cuddy chastise Hill for his bullying son, who is dictatorial as Board Chair and who trav- and, in my opinion, illegal behavior as a public offi- els to Sacramento and places the County on record cial? Why is censoring Hill, barring him from honor- with the Legislature as supporting the Proposition able positions, denying him the ability to preside 30 tax hikes even though the Board never consid- over public bodies, or better yet removing him from ered the matter, let alone held a noticed public public office altogether, not just as “dandy” as it can hearing. As noted above, his trustworthiness is also be? Actually I don’t remember using the word. It questioned because he has had romantic turmoil, sounds a little embarrassingly delicate for me. (I which spilled into the workplace – a work place would probably say nice work, or totally bitchin, or which actually has rules against such behavior. all debts must be paid) but will accept credit here. Consider the double standard. Just a few years ago Why is it “insulting”? a long term County Administrative Officer was fired Cuddy ought to take a breath and watch the public for consensually discussing dating and apparel is- broadcasts of the British Parliament when the Prime sues with his female deputy. The Board apparently Minister is giving his reports. The British have mas- considered this sexual harassment. In Gibson’s tered “insulting” political debate. Not only are the case County officials placidly shrugged their shoul- jabs hard, but the opposition rudely boos, claps, ders. Cuddy terms citizens who questioned the dou- groans, and rustles papers. In San Luis Obispo ble standard as ill mannered. County the public is actually barred from booing and Furthermore and according to Cuddy, the other Su- clapping in our Board meetings and will be removed pervisors and the public have no right to question by an armed Sheriff’s Deputy if they do. Since the the Chair rotation because each Supervisor is elect- Supervisors don’t have real “no holds barred” de- ed from a district and presumably represents the bates, what is the public to do? voters who voted for him or her. He makes a huge Why is it that members of the public are demonized leap of false logic here. Once elected, the Supervi- as “demagogues, malcontents, and fellow travelers” sors are sworn to govern the entire County legally if they oppose current County policies such as and in the public interest. They don’t just govern “smart-growth,” draconian limitations on agriculture, their own district. The fact that a particular supervi- government expropriation of private property rights, sor was elected by a particular district does not ex- and the oil industry, as well the endless expansion cuse, let alone prohibit, the other Supervisors or the of fees, taxes, and exactions? people from questioning his actions and taking ac- Conversely, why is it that those who demand the tion themselves if they disagree. Cuddy’s position is an unethical slippery slope because, in the end, he Page 3 COLAB San Luis Obispo Volume 5 Issue 4 CHANGE HAS AREADY COME cont. gence. Cuddy’s article says a “A Change is Com- is advocating for the suppression of speech of those ing.” with whom he disagrees. Moreover he is advocating for the perpetuation of a live-and-let-live, mutual No, Mr. Cuddy, the change has already come. backscratching culture among the Supervisors By the way, Cuddy’s statement that COLAB put which has existed for decades. money into the supervisorial campaigns of Arnold There is a deeper issue here. It is in one which and Compton is absolutely false. COLAB does not Cuddy, Gibson, Hill, Fulks, and their ilk now under- provide campaign contributions or candidate en- stand, despise, and fear. It is that the people will no dorsements. This is not a matter of opinion. There longer allow the left to monopolize public activism. are no campaign reporting forms showing contribu- COLAB and other indigenous voluntary organiza- tions by COLAB to candidates or payments for ser- tions, which have arisen and which are growing, vices to COLAB by candidates. Cuddy should cor- constitute a form of civic insurgence that will not be rect and apologize in the same space. bullied or marginalized by the left. COLAB is a Mike Brown is the Government Affairs Director for broad coalition of farmers, ranchers, businesses of the Coalition of Labor Agriculture and Business of all types, professionals, realtors, and civic-minded San Luis Obispo County (COLAB). Brown has 42 individuals, and seeks fundamental policy change. years of local government experience, much of it as The recent attacks by Cuddy and Fulks are testimo- CEO of large complex jurisdictions. ny to the success, visibility, and power of that insur- BEN SHAPIRO COLAB KEYNOTE SPEAKER cousin of actress Mara en Shapiro was this year’s COLAB Dinner/ B Wilson. Skipping two Fundraiser key note speaker. Please enjoy the fol- grades, Shapiro graduated lowing article which details this remarkable and bril- from Yeshiva University liant young man’s amazing career, so far. The fol- High School of Los Ange- lowing article comes courtesy of the digital encyclo- les in 2000 at age 16. He pedia, Wikipedia. then enrolled at Benjamin Aaron Shapiro, known as Ben Shapiro The university of Califor- (born in 1984), is an American conservative political nia, Los Angeles commentator, bestselling author, radio talk show (UCLA) and graduated host, attorney, and media consultant.