Really? Trib columnist, Tom Fulks, is giving up tens of thousands of dollars of "political consulting" work, just to continue to write his "unpaid" column? I mean, Huh?

Hello Stephanie,

I'm researching a story, and I just have a quick question for Tom Fulks, but I don't see a contact email for him in the tag line of his columns, so, I'm hoping that you would be so kind to forward this email to him.

Thank you! : -)

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Hello Tom,

I'm researching a story, and I just have a quick question regarding one of your recent columns, at this link:

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/tom-fulks/article101129877.html

... where you write:

"The last time I was paid by (Supervisor) Gibson for campaign consulting work was June 2014."

I'm just curious: 2014 was the last time Supervisor Gibson ran for office, and, if he decides to run again, he'll likely be firing up his 2018 campaign sometime in 2017.

Now, as I've shown in my past reporting, for example, at this link:

http://sewerwatch.blogspot.com/2014/08/san-luis-obispo-county-supervisor-bruce.html

... when Supervisor Gibson campaigns, his campaign pays you tens of thousands of dollars to be his "evil genius in the back room" (his phrase)/"political consultant."

Additionally, in his latest campaign filing, Supervisor Hill, in just the past few months, paid his "consultant," and your friend/colleague, Paul Hughes, of poliARC, more than $40,000 -- almost twice the amount of all contributions the Hill campaign received for that statement ["Monetary Contributions: $28,434.98"] -- with tens of thousands more from previous Hill statements going to your counterpart, Paul Hughes.

So, with all those huge stacks of cash in mind, I'm a little confused: When you write, "The last time I was paid by (Supervisor) Gibson for campaign consulting work was June 2014," are you saying that you have now somehow retired from your job as a "political consultant," and will now, for future elections, be giving up those huge stacks of cash that you are paid for your "political consulting" work, in order to continue to write your "unpaid" column for the Trib, or, when/IF Supervisor Gibson fires up his campaign next year, will you be giving up the Trib column in order to get paid the tens of thousands of dollars again by the Gibson campaign?

Trib Opinion page editor, Stephanie Finucane has hinted to me that you can't do both, understandably.

So, again, just curious: Next year, IF Supervisor Gibson fires up his campaign, will you be giving up the tens of thousands of dollars that he normally pays you for campaign "consulting" work, in order to continue to write your "unpaid" column for the Trib?

As always, much thanks,

Ron

Oh, and P.S: As usual, this email posted to my blog, SewerWatch, at this link:

http://sewerwatch.blogspot.com/

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[Thanks again, Steph!]

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