Thursday, August 20, 2009

The SewerWatch "Conflict of Interest" Tool Kit

To appreciate the glaring conflict of interest that actually exists today in SLO County government, involving 2nd District County Supervisor, Bruce Gibson, Gibson's appointment to the SLO County Parks Commission, Pandora Nash-Karner, and the County's Public Works Director, Paavo Ogren, you need some essentials.

Good thing you stopped by. I have just the tool kit for you.

First, you need this link.

What that link shows is that Nash-Karner was elected to the initial Los Osos CSD Board in November 1998, and officially started her term in January, 1999.

Then, you need this link:

That link is to a January 2000 Los Osos CSD document -- a document that was developed throughout 1999 -- and it shows two very important things:

1) It shows that Nash-Karner, as LOCSD vice-president in 1999, hired Paavo Ogren as the District's Interim General Manager.

Here's the quote:

"Paavo Ogren, Interim General Manager of the Los Osos Community Services District (CSD), provided assistance in obtaining County mapping and relevant engineering reports..."

and;

2) It shows that the engineering firm Montgomery Watson was retained by the Los Osos CSD.

Here's the quote:

"Wastewater Project Manager Mark Ysusi of Montgomery Watson provided strong leadership in coordinating the Wastewater Project..."

In short, Nash-Karner hired Ogren, and then worked closely with the engineering firm, Montgomery Watson, in 1999.

Now, you're going to need this link:

What that link shows, is two more very important things.

1) It shows that the sewer project that Nash-Karner, Ogren, and Montgomery Watson worked on throughout 1999, had failed by March of 2000.

Here's the quote:

"To remedy this situation (of the 1999 project being 'inadequate for several reasons'), the District hired (the engineering firm) Montgomery, Watson, Harza in March 2000 (to) conduct a comprehensive alternatives analysis."

and;

2) That document also shows that Montgomery, Watson (and now) Harza, continued to be retained by Nash-Karner's Los Osos CSD, for a second attempt at a sewer project, after their first project had failed.

By that time, however, Ogren had been replaced by a full time General Manager, Bruce Buel.

According to a New Times report, "Ogren and MWH, however, do have some history. Ogren was the Los Osos CSD’s interim general manager shortly before MWH was hired in 1999. The contractor began work in September, but the contract wasn’t executed until November. Ogren instructed his replacement, Bruce Buel, to fill in the contract at the district board’s request to accommodate the month of work, according to a memo Buel sent to his replacement in early 2006. Buel declined to comment further. Complaints were raised about the contract “backdating” to the District Attorney and county officials but no charges were filed."

Now, the fun part.

Fast-forward to 2005.

A recall effort was underway to remove the remaining Los Osos CSD Directors that were responsible for 1) the failure of the first project, and 2) the wildly unpopular second project -- an industrial sewer plant in the middle of town.

To prevent that recall from being successful, Nash-Karner, who served just one, two-year term as LOCSD vice-president, ending in December 2000, formed a "Coalition" to raise money, and campaign against the recall effort.

Now, you'll need this link.

What that link shows, among many unfortunate things, is that Nash-Karner was the "Chair" of something called the "Save the Dream Coalition."

Here's the quote:

"SAVE THE DREAM COALITION
Pandora Nash-Karner, Chair"

Now, you'll need this excellent link in your Conflict of Interest tool box.

What that link shows is a Save the Dream Coalition campaign statement that lists a $10,000 donation from Montgomery Watson Harza, to Nash-Karner's Save the Dream Coalition, and it is extremely interesting to note that the donation came one day AFTER the Los Osos CSD recall election -- an election that did not go Nash-Karner's way. In other words, that contribution wasn't to help win an election -- at least not the LOCSD recall election.

It is also extremely interesting to note in that link that, after a smattering of mostly $100 - $200 contributions from individuals before the recall election, in the days immediately AFTER the September 27, 2005 recall election, four businesses -- including another business that was contracted to build the Los Osos sewer project, Barnard Construction -- all with major financial stakes in Nash-Karner's sewer project (from her days as vice-president of the LOCSD), donated nearly $30,000 to Nash-Karner's Save the Dream Coalition.

Now, you're going to need this link.

What that link shows is that Pandora Nash-Karner is listed as an "endorsement" for the "Bruce Gibson for Supervisor" campaign throughout 2006.

Now, you're going to need this link.

What that link shows is that Pandora Nash-Karner is currently a SLO County Parks Commissioner, and she was (re)appointed by Supervisor Gibson.

Now, you're going to need this link.

That is a link to one of my stories here at SewerWatch. In that story, I show how I went down to the SLO County Clerk-Recorder's office to look at Supervisor Bruce Gibson's campaign contributions to see if Nash-Karner had financially contributed to his campaign.

Not only did she financially contribute, but she did so using sneaky, little $99 increments in order to legally avoid putting her name on Gibson's campaign statements (but, apparently, she screwed up, and donated $100, before she realized her mistake, and so her name ended up on the form anyway. Had she not made that $100 donation, and just stuck with her $99 donations, her name would not have appeared in Gibson's campaign statements. According to official sources, people can donate $99 in cash to a campaign within the span of a statement -- some as little as a few weeks (one of Gibson's statements, according to those official sources, dated from October 1, 2006 - to October 21, 2006) -- and never be identified... and Nash-Karner is heavily networked. Just today, a spokesperson at the Clerk-Recorders office told this reporter that, from July 1, 2006, to that November's election, Gibson had wracked up over $16,000 in donations under $100.

And, you're going to need this link.

What that link shows is that Paavo Ogren (Remember him? The LOCSD General Manager from 1999, that Nash-Karner hired, and then the two of them worked closely with Montgomery, Watson, [Harza]?), is now the current Director of the SLO County Public Works Department. It also shows how Ogren is overseeing the entire Los Osos wastewater project, now that State legislation (AB 2701) gave control of the project to SLO County government beginning in 2007. AB 2701 went into effect in January 2007, the same time Gibson took office.

During his first year in office, Gibson, along with the rest of the Supervisors, promoted Ogren to Public Works Director, AND tasked him to head-up the Los Osos wastewater project (a task that included a fat pay raise, I will add).

Finally, you're going to need this link.

What that link shows is that the SLO County Public Works Department, under the supervision of Paavo Ogren, recently selected the engineering firm... wait for it... Montgomery, Watson, Harza to the short list of contractors that could potentially build the estimated $150+million Los Osos sewer project.

O.K... Now that you have your tool box, you're ready to construct the MASSIVE conflict of interest that currently exists in SLO County government?

Ready? This is great.

The person that was Ogren's boss in 1999 (when they wasted all of that year on a sewer "project" that was never going to work), former Los Osos CSD vice-president, Pandora Nash-Karner, received a $10,000 donation from Montgomery Watson, Harza in late 2005 -- the same firm that Nash-Karner hired to "manage" her and Ogren's failed 1999 project. That donation was "received" one day AFTER a bitter election defeat for Nash-Karner, and then, shortly after she received that $10,000, she began to financially contribute to Bruce Gibson's run for Supervisor throughout 2006.

He won that election, and shortly after he took office, he 1) immediately (re)appointed Pandora Nash-Karner to the SLO County Parks Commission, and then, shortly after that, promoted Nash-Karner's former General Manager to head-up the County's Public Works Department, and then, of course, after Ogren was handed the Los Osos sewer job (that included a fat pay raise), Ogren's Public Works Department eventually selected Montgomery, Watson, Harza to the short list of contractors to build the project -- the same firm that Nash-Karner hired back in 1999, along with Ogren, to fail building their first project, and the same firm that gave Nash-Karner's "Coalition" $10,000 AFTER the Los Osos CSD recall election.

Considering the fact that Bruce Gibson was elected with the help of Montgomery, Watson, Harza's money, via his Parks Commissioner, and now the engineering firm stands to make tens of millions of dollars off of his decisions, via his Parks Commissioner's former employee, Paavo Ogren, Gibson, at the very least, needs to immediately recuse himself from ALL SLO County discussions involving the Los Osos wastewater project, or, more appropriately, immediately resign. Nash-Karner needs to immediately be removed from anything whatsoever that has to do with County government, and Ogren needs to immediately be reassigned.

That's the case that the SewerWatch "conflict of interest tool kit" builds.

###

31 Comments:

  • Paavo "If there is a technology that is significantly less expensive, then that technology becomes the new standard and all others fall away" Ogren never lived up to the claim he made about looking at affordable technology to the BOS in mid August 2007.

    Your tools make it easy to see why.
    Saying one thing and then doing another by an employee elected or not is grounds for dismissal.

    By Blogger Watershed Mark, at 7:32 AM, August 21, 2009  

  • You allege that the Karner’s are taking money from the SLO / LO taxpayers.

    You stated that you have evidence that shows taxpayer moneys being paid directly to the
    Karners. I asked to see evidence, which you provided.

    The evidence provided is the Form Cal 460 that Save the Dream filed with the State; which shows all monetary donations to and expenses from the Save the Dream Campaign.

    In the 460, there are three payments to Pandora & Company, listed as $2,397.75 (LIT), $185.67(FND) and $3869.04 (LIT).

    You state that this is evidence that Pandora is being paid taxpayer’s funds.

    I do not see how your evidence support your allegations.

    First, Save the Dream was a private organization that did not received one cent of taxpayer funds. Form 460 verifies this.
    ALL the funds were donated by private citizens and organization, which is perfectly legal and a right vested under our Constitution.

    Second, Save the Dream filed all forms as required by law, listing the financials of the organization.
    Form 460 clearly shows that the money paid to Pandora and Company was REIMBURSEMENT for money that Pandora & Company had SPENT to pay for fundraising events (FND) and for the printing and mailing of campaign literature (LIT).

    REIMBURSEMENT FOR ‘OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES’ IS AN ‘EXPENSE’ AND ARE NOT ‘EARNINGS’ FOR SERVICES RENDERED TO Save the Dream.

    Pandora had personally SPENT +$5,000 funding Save the Dream outreach efforts; hence Save the Dream REIMBURSED her for her costs. SHE DID NOT EARN ONE DIME for any services she provided to Save the Dream she provided Pro Bono.

    IF Pandora had indeed received PAYMENT for professional services, it would show up on form 460 as code CNS; which is a PAYMENT for professional/consulting services rendered to STD. This is not the case.

    Again, I ask where is your evidence that shows that Pandora or Gary have defrauded the taxpayers and received PUBLIC / TAXPAYER FUNDS?

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Lastly, the Karners did not ‘form the LOCSD’…..85% of the voters in 1998 did.
    Pandora may have supported the formation, but so did over 8000 other folks. In hindsight the Karner’s, as one of MANY authors of the Solution Group Plan, were mistaken in their confidence in the ‘plan’. The Karner’s, along with many other folks, did not believe the many indicators that their plan was unworkable. Being mistaken is not a crime, Ron; nor is it a crime to continue to espouse an unworkable plan. You can call it silly, stupid, dishonest, flim-flammery, whatever; but a crime, no.

    By Blogger Gadfly, at 9:02 AM, August 21, 2009  

  • Wow, Gadflea, more defending of Pandora... you do realize that you're the only one that does that, right? Well, you and about two other anonymous, of course, blog commenters.

    And, you sure seem to know a lot about the details involving Pandora's finances.

    For example, in your post you wrote:

    "Pandora had personally SPENT +$5,000 funding Save the Dream outreach efforts"

    How could you possibly know that?

    And, you even sound a lot like her.

    In an e-mail to me, for my story where I show how, after the Karners created the LOCSD in 1998 with their fake project, they immediately started cashing in on their District -- Pandora wrote:

    "I was never paid by the LOCSD. I believed the District needed to have a strong outreach program to the community and I volunteered to do a great deal of work for the District."

    Gadflea, you and P. sound A LOT alike. (And, she sure does give a lot of work away for free... and all of that free work involves influencing public opinion on Los Osos politics. How generous.)

    Of course that was last story. What do you think of this story -- how MWH donated $10,000 to her "Coalition" AFTER the recall election, and then, shortly after she received that donation, she started to financially donate to Gibson's campaign (with those sneaky, of course, $99 increments), and then MWH ended up on the short list of contractors... after Gibson tapped Ogren to head-up the sewer project?

    What do you think of that, Gad-P.?

    Finally, Gad-P., since you seem to be such good friends with Pandora, could you do me a favor? Track down Maria Singleton for me, and tell her that SewerWatch has a couple of questions for her.

    By Blogger Ron, at 9:33 AM, August 21, 2009  

  • Ron,

    If I remember correctly, Save the Dream raised more than $100,000 to fight the recall. According to you, contractors donated $30,000. That leaves more than $70,000 from home owners and other supporters. You call that "a smattering" of $100 contributions? Then you imply that the $10,000 donated by MWH was used to fund Gibson's campaign. Doesn't the campaign statement detail how that $10,000 was spent? How do you figure it ended up in Gibson's campaign?

    By Blogger Realistic1, at 10:17 AM, August 21, 2009  

  • R1 wrote:

    "You call that "a smattering" of $100 contributions?"

    Well, had you downloaded and read that document that I cite in my piece... In THAT document -- "a smattering" of "MOSTLY $100 - $200 contributions" from individuals just BEFORE the recall, and then, BAM!, nearly $30-large immediately AFTER the recall... from only four business that stood to make lots of cash off of Nash-Karner's Tri-W project.

    "Doesn't the campaign statement detail how that $10,000 was spent?"

    No. It really doesn't, UNLESS you call Pandora paying herself "details on how it was spent."

    THAT's how I "figure it ended up in Gibson's campaign?"

    MWH gave her cash, then she gave herself cash from the MWH cash, and then she gave Gibson cash.

    I mean, c'mon!

    How can I make it any clearer? (Of course, then Gibson immediately (re)appointed her part of SLO County government the moment he took office, and now MWH, naturally, is on the short list to, AGAIN, get paid lots of cash to build the project. Nice.)

    What I love about that campaign statement is its CLASSIC Nash-Karner sneakiness -- nowhere in it does it mention that Nash-Karner is the "Chair" of STD, but there her biz is, of course, in the "payee" section," for developing "literature," of course, and paying herself nearly $4k for the gig... that she gave herself. And that was just in that ONE statement.

    Nice work if you can manufacture it.

    R1, I'll ask you the same question I asked Warren Jensen, with no reply. (He replied to my first e-mail, and that was the quote that ended up in New Times, but when I responded to that quote with the material that I present in my main post... he never replied, of course):

    Are you o.k. with that arrangement? The MWH/LOCSD/Nash-Karner/Gibson/Ogren arrangement?

    You don't have a problem with that?

    That sounds all on the up-and-up to you?

    By Blogger Ron, at 12:56 PM, August 21, 2009  

  • Wait a sec... I just thought of something.

    I wrote:

    "MWH gave her cash, then she gave herself cash from the MWH cash, and then she gave Gibson cash."

    Upon further review, considering Los Osos taxpayers, over the previous six years, gave MWH cash, THIS is tighter:

    Los Osos taxpayers gave MWH cash, then MWH gave her cash, then she gave herself cash from the MWH cash, and then she gave Gibson cash.

    MUCH tighter.

    By Blogger Ron, at 1:34 PM, August 21, 2009  

  • Well thanks for the handy tool kit, should be a snap to fix this broken system pronto eh?
    Bwa ha ha ha ha!
    Think again!
    All the fasteners have a custom design! none of your wrenches fit!
    The designers are in cahoots with the tool suppliers and all the old tools based on what we've been told is right don't fit anymore.
    Who, in SLO county, in some capacity to have any torque in the sewer saga is going to do ANYTHING about this even if everything you have told us is true?
    There is a reason SLO county is the laughingstock of California, it'll take more time to fix what's basically wrong than Los Osos has. (or had)
    My only hope at this point is that the County has to pony up more buckos than they thought.

    By Blogger Mike Green, at 3:33 PM, August 21, 2009  

  • Ron,

    You gave me the alledged evidence.

    I commented that the evidence appears not to support your allegations; and why.

    ....and your response to my prior comments was to question who I am?; or that I must be/sound like Pandora? Say what?

    Who I am is not the issue; your allegations and supporting evidence is.

    How about responding DIRECTLY to my comments? Tell me, how exactly does the Form 460 support our claims? Did I miss something on the form?

    Meanwhile, I hope you post all your evidence. Without evidence, how can I or anyone support your allegations?

    Make a believer of me.

    By Blogger Gadfly, at 4:16 PM, August 21, 2009  

  • This comment has been removed by the author.

    By Blogger Realistic1, at 2:34 PM, August 22, 2009  

  • I suppose it's out of the question for you that Pandora was paid for graphic design and printing services rendered to the no recall campaign, like all the other vendors who produced materials for the campaign.

    As for the donation by MWH after the election - just because you don't like the look of it, as far as I know there is nothing unusual or illegal about it. But I am guessing that Bruce Gibson would be interested in your totally unfounded implication that he was somehow paid off by MWH, using Pandora (and the no recall campaign) as a conduit.

    By Blogger Realistic1, at 2:43 PM, August 22, 2009  

  • Tightly written Ron
    Personally and for the last couple of years I have preferred to bring my old tools to the act of fence mending. ( Ann Calhouns link to this posting is in a "Fence" theme) While I rely on the trusted old fence pliers, the Toolbox does always contain a few Bangalore torpedoes for the difficult jobs.
    I do reminisce back to ’05 when a WWTP was just a few months away and the fence was up there was a Graphic prepared by PNK and Co that was mentioned as having been at the time as a contribution.
    Two white people and a golden retriever in a lush field of green. I’m not saying there was anything wrong with it, but I’ve been waiting for 4 years and haven’t had a chance to write "Two white people and a golden retriever in a lush field of green.” In a blog before. Speaking of fences with signs on them, I included a picture of the fence as it currently stands with a “pool” sign on it, in the LOWWP EIR.

    By Blogger Alon Perlman, at 8:50 PM, August 22, 2009  

  • Well, today is the 24th, and as always, when challenged - Gadfly has asked: "Tell me, how exactly does the Form 460 support our claims?" Ron remains silent.

    By Blogger Sewertoons AKA Lynette Tornatzky, at 12:56 PM, August 24, 2009  

  • I'm willing to wait a tad longer.

    I assume that the time delay for Ron to respond to my last post is because he is gathering all the evidence so he can post it here for all to see.

    By Blogger Gadfly, at 4:43 PM, August 24, 2009  

  • I guess that is possible -- we'll just have to wait and see. He has left questions like yours Gadfly, dangling in the past and has never responded. Which is why many of us have lost respect - for that reason and his creepy obsession with Pandora.

    By Blogger Sewertoons AKA Lynette Tornatzky, at 8:45 PM, August 24, 2009  

  • Or perhaps he realized he just accused a well respected Corporation of bribing a public official and has decided to refrain from further embarrassing himself.

    By Blogger Realistic1, at 8:57 AM, August 25, 2009  

  • I am still waiting.

    If he does not post something soon I will have to assume the following:

    1. Ron is out traveling, hence he does not have access to a computer to post a response.

    2. Ron is physically ill, hence could not make it to the computer to post a response.

    3. Ron is deceased; in which case RIP; and we are not going to get a response.

    4. Ron is not going to post the evidence as he has other plans for it and; and wants to suprise us.

    5. Ron is not going to post a response because he thinks Gadfly is nasty old Pandora.

    6. Ron does not have any hard, undeniable evidence to share.

    Occum's Razor, baby! Take your pick.

    By Blogger Gadfly, at 11:37 AM, August 25, 2009  

  • 7. Ron thinks you guys are a bunch of creepy, agenda-driven anonalosers, that lurk around SewerWatch, and really doesn't care what you things think... or want. (However, I do notice that WHEN I write, you tell me to "get a f-ing life," and when I DON'T write, you whine about it.)

    And, when will you things ever learn? Whenever I go "silent," that is NEVER a good thing for you creepy, agenda-driven anonalosers. And this time is no exception.

    Alon wrote:

    "...but I’ve been waiting for 4 years and haven’t had a chance to write 'Two white people and a golden retriever in a lush field of green.'"

    Funny, and a great example of behavior-based marketing.

    By Blogger Ron, at 2:23 PM, August 25, 2009  

  • Say what?....

    .....you are refusing to post your alleged hard evidence of Pandora's alleged profiteering from the Los Osos Sewer
    BECAUSE:

    1. YOU THINK WE ARE CREEPY?
    2. YOU THINK YOUR GUESTS ARE
    ANONALOSERS?
    3. YOU DO NOT CARE WHAT 'YOU
    THINGS THINK?
    4. YOU THINK WE 'WHINE' REGARDLESS
    OF WHAT YOU POST.

    You should care about what your readers think!
    After all, you told us clearly and repeatedly that you had irrefutable evidence that shows that Pandora has (as continues to) profit financially on the Los Osos sewer project.

    No Ron, you cannot wiggle or segway yourself from answering my perfectly reasonable request by saying we Anons are not worthy of your spot-on, tight investigative journalism because you complain we 'whine' whether you post or not.
    You made serious allegations, prove it with hard evidence!

    IF YOU DO NOT POST YOUR HARD, IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE NOW, YOU WILL HAVE EXPOSED YOURSELF TO BE A LIAR WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR ALLEGATIONS.

    By Blogger Gadfly, at 4:25 PM, August 25, 2009  

  • Ron, When you write your book on the Los Osos Sewer Wars I suggest for title:
    PANDORA'S sandBOX

    By Blogger ososgrande, at 8:20 PM, August 25, 2009  

  • E-gad-flea wrote:

    "You made serious allegations, prove it with hard evidence!"

    I did... about four times, and I'm not going to keep doing it over and over and over again, just because you can't (or refuse) to read.

    Look, just because you can't (or refuse) to read, doesn't make me a "liar," that makes you stupid... not my problem.

    For god's sake, mix in a logic class.

    Although, stay tuned, Gadflea, I'll soon have some more excellent stuff for you to not comprehend.

    OG wrote:

    "Ron, When you write your book on the Los Osos Sewer Wars I suggest for title:
    PANDORA'S sandBOX
    "

    Isn't that whole Pandora/Pandora's Box thing weird? It's such a close analogy, and the names are the same!

    What I find funny, is how when a member of some Board that's dealing with the LO sewer situation, will, without knowing Pandora's involvement in the story, make that "Pandora's Box" analogy, and then everyone in the audience starts snickering, and then the Board member, startled by that reaction, looks around and wonders what he/she said that's so funny.

    I've seen that happen at least twice, and it's hilarious.

    By Blogger Ron, at 2:35 PM, August 26, 2009  

  • I excel at reading; and excel at understanding what I read too.

    You have never posted any evidence; let lone posting it 'four times'. You have post many allegations based upon self-referential 'proof', but never, ever any proof.

    You have made it very clear, Ron, that you are not honest with your readers. That you do not realize you are dishonest or 'care' is your problem, not mine.

    By Blogger Gadfly, at 3:38 PM, August 26, 2009  

  • What "proof" have you posted that the money Pandora personally contributed to Bruce Gibson's campaign came from MWH?

    MWH contributed to Save the Dream and Pandora was reimbursed by Save the Dream for fronting the money for printing brochures/mailings and buying appetizers and cookies & coffee and afterward Pandora personally contributed to Bruce Gibson's campaign at some point therefore MWH paid off Bruce Gibson?

    That's your proof? Sounds like faulty deductive reasoning to me...

    Following your logic any local vendor, who was paid for services by Save the Dream who then also happened to contribute to Bruce Gibson's campaign, was a conduit for payoffs to Gibson from MWH.

    Is that what you are saying, Ron? Are you really accusing MWH of bribing Bruce Gibson?

    By Blogger Realistic1, at 4:45 PM, August 26, 2009  

  • I think a fair question is why would you contribute to a failed political action committee after the election?
    If it was to pay Pandora for her contributions, why not pay directly to her as a gift?

    It don't seem right.

    By Blogger Mike Green, at 10:00 PM, August 26, 2009  

  • You know what I find very interesting about you creepy, agenda-driven anonalosers? You seem to know an AWFUL lot about the details of Pandora's finances.

    For (ANOTHER) example, R1 wrote:

    "MWH contributed to Save the Dream and Pandora was reimbursed by Save the Dream for fronting the money for printing brochures/mailings and buying appetizers and cookies & coffee..."

    How in world would you know details like this: "buying appetizers and cookies & coffee"?

    Uh, Holmes? I got some news for you, that's not mentioned in that Form 460.

    So, you're either her, or her close friends, because those are the only people that would know details like that. Which means you are in here spinning away, trying to protect either your, or your friend's ass. Nice.

    Also, that fact that you incessantly defend her DISASTROUS 19-years-and-counting of behavior-based marketing in Los Osos, just doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

    Step back for a moment and think about what you're defending... incessantly. It makes no sense.

    I mean, who would do that, OTHER than the tiny handful of people responsible for wasting $25 million, and six years on the Tri-W embarrassment, and with A LOT to lose?

    THAT, to me, makes perfect sense.

    Do you creepy, agenda-driven anonalosers really think that you're coming across as some ordinary, concerned citizen, with no ties to Nash-Karner?

    Uh, not so much.

    And then there's this:

    "MWH contributed to Save the Dream and Pandora was reimbursed by Save the Dream for fronting the money for printing brochures/mailings..."

    First, yes, I'm going to put the word "reimbursed" in finger quotes.

    Second, the word "reimbursement" is nowhere to be seen next to that nearly $4,000 payment to herself for "literature," in that Form 460 (and, nowhere in that form does it mention that Nash-Karner, the owner of Pandora & Co., was the "Chair" of that "Coalition," of course.).

    So she manufactured herself "work," and then paid herself, in part, with MWH money, and then, shortly thereafter, donated money to Gibson's campaign. Boom! Done. Fin.

    So, thank you, creepy agenda-driven anonalosers, for deliberately, and repeatedly posting inaccurate information on my blog... 'ppreciate it.

    I'm sure there will be much more to come.

    "Is that what you are saying, Ron? Are you really accusing MWH of bribing Bruce Gibson?"

    Are you guys really THAT stupid, or do you write stuff like that on purpose just to confuse things?

    I'm guessin' both.

    By Blogger Ron, at 11:08 AM, August 27, 2009  

  • This comment has been removed by the author.

    By Blogger Realistic1, at 12:04 PM, August 27, 2009  

  • From Gadflys posting on 8/21 @ 9:02am:

    "In the 460, there are three payments to Pandora & Company, listed as $2,397.75 (LIT), $185.67(FND) and $3869.04 (LIT)."

    So, reading comments on your blog is "creepy"? I don't know a whit about Pandora's finances. I was referring to Gadfly's comments, who has apparently read the form 460. I used the phrase "cookies & coffee" because one could reasonably sumise that expenses for a fundraiser (FND) usually involve food & beverage.

    Ron, the form 460 is not the only form ballot committees have to file. Did you check to see if the other forms have Pandora's name on them?

    I seem to remember getting a flurry of mailings in the final weeks leading up to the recall. Pandora is a graphic designer. It's not possible in your mind that she designed and had printed those mailings? Why is that so implausible to you?

    And why am I "stupid" for asking if you're accusing MWH of bribing a public official when you said:

    "What that link shows is a Save the Dream Coalition campaign statement that lists a $10,000 donation from Montgomery Watson Harza, to Nash-Karner's Save the Dream Coalition, and it is extremely interesting to note that the donation came one day AFTER the Los Osos CSD recall election -- an election that did not go Nash-Karner's way. In other words, that contribution wasn't to help win an election -- at least not the LOCSD recall election."

    and this:

    The person that was Ogren's boss in 1999 (when they wasted all of that year on a sewer "project" that was never going to work), former Los Osos CSD vice-president, Pandora Nash-Karner, received a $10,000 donation from Montgomery Watson, Harza in late 2005 -- the same firm that Nash-Karner hired to "manage" her and Ogren's failed 1999 project. That donation was "received" one day AFTER a bitter election defeat for Nash-Karner, and then, shortly after she received that $10,000, she began to financially contribute to Bruce Gibson's run for Supervisor throughout 2006.

    Geez, dude. Maybe you should read your own postings.

    By Blogger Realistic1, at 1:51 PM, August 27, 2009  

  • R1 wrote:

    "... you said:

    "What that link shows is a Save the Dream Coalition campaign statement that lists a $10,000 donation from Montgomery Watson Harza, to Nash-Karner's Save the Dream Coalition, and it is extremely interesting to note that the donation came one day AFTER the Los Osos CSD recall election -- an election that did not go Nash-Karner's way. In other words, that contribution wasn't to help win an election -- at least not the LOCSD recall election."

    and this:

    The person that was Ogren's boss in 1999 (when they wasted all of that year on a sewer "project" that was never going to work), former Los Osos CSD vice-president, Pandora Nash-Karner, received a $10,000 donation from Montgomery Watson, Harza in late 2005 -- the same firm that Nash-Karner hired to "manage" her and Ogren's failed 1999 project. That donation was "received" one day AFTER a bitter election defeat for Nash-Karner, and then, shortly after she received that $10,000, she began to financially contribute to Bruce Gibson's run for Supervisor throughout 2006.
    "

    Damn, I'm good.

    By Blogger Ron, at 10:24 AM, August 28, 2009  

  • Not really.

    Why didn't you answer my question? Why am I "stupid" for asking if you were accusing MWH of bribing Bruce Gibson? And why won't you entertain the idea that Pandora performed a service for Save the Dream, that justified her being paid for her services?

    See if you can answer a question without referring to yourself as a source.

    By Blogger Realistic1, at 9:55 PM, August 29, 2009  

  • Well, there's ron, at it again. If he doesn't like the question, denigrate the questioner. Then refer back to his self-references to "prove" his point.

    ron thinks we are "creepy, agenda-driven anonalosers."

    Well, we all know who ron is, but "agenda-driven" describes ron himself. A one-person vendetta against Pandora. Creepy, real creepy.

    By Blogger Sewertoons AKA Lynette Tornatzky, at 3:42 PM, August 30, 2009  

  • Quite frankly, I'm more creeped out about an agenda based political action committee that accepts donations after it's only stated purpose to existence has been defeated.
    What was that donor thinking? What? what?
    I know! "Damn! too late! oh well, it's only chump change."
    No?
    Then what?
    What the heck was MWH thinking????
    This is where bad morphing happens.
    Happened again with PZLDF, morphing into something weird.
    The parallel failure tracks are creepy for sure in L.O.

    There should be some sorta basic epiphany here, I don't get it.

    By Blogger Mike Green, at 11:24 PM, August 30, 2009  

  • Yep Mike; Bad Morphing, is still going on, and in several organizations and multiple parallel failure tracks. (Can I use that?)
    You do get it, It's the others that haven't got the epiphany, Everything complained about is duplicated in some way by those who depose.

    But sorry for the late post
    I lost my tool to fence post.
    In my previous posting, The Old fence pliers may have been sold,
    and what will appear there cannot be told, Currently a wood plane is on board. but they may shuffle the tool box again. So this is a disclaimer- If something shows up that is from the part of the Sears catalogue that doesn't get ripped off used and thrown in the hole in the outhouse. (Bloomers or knickers)
    Disclaimer
    Mr. Perlman is not responsible for the specific pictures linked to "old Fence Pliers", after 8:50 PM, August 22, 2009 Posting on SewerWatch, or for the content of the internet in general

    By Blogger Alon Perlman, at 11:43 AM, October 13, 2009  

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