Readers weigh in on SLO County supervisor candidates Debbie Arnold and Ellen Beraud
Ellen Beraud has my vote
Mailboxes, newspapers, and airwaves continue to deliver the District 5 incumbent supervisor’s campaign ads accusing her opponent of dishonoring veterans. It would appear a choice has been made to dismiss the fact that this ongoing claim has been proven false by the minutes of record for the March 27, 2007 Atascadero City Council meeting.
It’s unfortunate that the undignified strategy of fear-mongering and deception is being employed. Such malicious tactics would not appear to align with any qualities we might associate with leadership. Fortunately, District 5 residents have the choice to elect a genuine leader that is actually willing to represent the county’s best interests with respect, dignity and integrity.
Our vote is our voice and 5th District residents deserve good faith representation that values objectivity, truth, and policies that support the future livability of our county. That’s why I’m supporting Ellen Beraud for 5th District supervisor on March 3rd. Looking at Ellen Beraud’s past experiences as planning commissioner, city councilwoman and mayor of Atascadero, it’s readily apparent that she’s honest, competent and will rely on verifiably accurate information to represent all of us, not just a few special interests.
Charles Kleemann, Santa Margarita
Debbie Arnold and homelessness
Debbie Arnold has championed maintaining and improving our county road system. Our roads are a critical piece of backbone infrastructure for our county. They provide access to our homes, our jobs, and our parks and they are critical to commerce and our first responders. Letting our roads fall apart is not an option.
Yet Debbie is taking heat from her opponent Ellen Beraud who says that Debbie isn’t doing enough about homelessness. Ironically, it was Debbie Arnold who spearheaded the successful “50 Now” program to house the most vulnerable and chronically homeless. What has Beraud done about homelessness?
That Beraud would join Hill and Gibson in emulating San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle in throwing millions of dollars at homelessness with little to no success is a frightening prospect.
We clearly need to solve this growing problem. But it needs to be done in a way that doesn’t attract more homelessness or that allows our road infrastructure to fall apart. Debbie is committed to doing just that.
Juanita McDaniel, Atascadero
‘Shameful’ mailer
As the daughter of a veteran, I am appalled at the deceitful way Debbie Arnold smeared Ellen Beraud in mailers this past week. Portraying Ellen’s vote as anti-veteran is a disingenuous attempt to exploit voters’ support for those who’ve served in uniform for her own political gain. It’s shameful and low and I hope my fellow citizens will consider what it reveals about Debbie Arnold’s character and integrity.
Barbara Torrey Workman, Atascadero
Vets for Ellen
Recently, we each received campaign mailers from a mysterious Sacramento-based political action committee that fraudulently claimed 5th District supervisor candidate Ellen Beraud has dishonored veterans.
We have both known and associated with Ellen for many years. We both know that she has nothing but respect for America’s vets.
Further, we are not surprised that Ellen’s opponent, Debbie Arnold, would seek the support of a Sacramento-based PAC that implies a connection to veterans in our community when no such connection exists.
We are both longtime residents of SLO’s 5th District. We both fully support the election of Ellen Beraud as our next supervisor.
Ken Haggard, Capt., USAR ret., Jay Salter, Private, 3rd Armored Division, 1955
Beraud ‘slandered’ vets
Your endorsement of Ellen Beraud for 5th District supervisor giving cover for her opposition to building of the Faces of Freedom Veterans Memorial in Atascadero is not surprising but is wrong in its conclusion. I was present at the March 27, 2007, City Council meeting when Beraud cast the lone “no” vote against building the memorial. You cite the minutes, I cite the archived video of the meeting and her verbatim comments.
Beraud and her supporters vehemently opposed building the memorial, repeatedly calling it a “war memorial” and tied it to their opposition to the Iraq War. Her supporters continuously slandered veterans and during council comments at the end of the meeting, Beraud slandered the Veterans Foundation for using “intimidation tactics” during the hearing process. That was a lie as the only people referring to “intimidation” were Beraud and her supporters who even claimed the presence of uniformed soldiers recently returned from overseas deployments sitting quietly in the audience was “intimidating.” Beraud didn’t show up for the dedication ceremony (all other council members did) and never attended any ceremonies over the next nine years until she declared her candidacy for 5th District Supervisor in 2019.
Beraud is no friend of veterans and it’s shameful that your paper is giving her cover on this issue.
Al Fonzi, Atascadero
Where was Ellen?
Ellen Beraud’s mailer criticizes Debbie Arnold’s failed leadership regarding rapid rent rises and home affordability in SLO County. Ms. Beraud should know that county supervisors have very little control over housing costs since onerous state financial and regulatory requirements are the primary cost drivers.
Additionally, the popularity of airbnbs and so many tourists attracted to our area have caused further pressure on housing affordability. The only immediate counter to this situation would be to deny homeowners the right to manage their own property.
Ms. Beraud’s mailer also claims people should look at the “facts” and “after all, actions speak louder than words.” I agree.
Here are some facts: Ms. Beraud failed to attend two of the debate forums vs. Debbie Arnold that were held on Jan. 23 and Jan. 29 and did not respond to questions submitted to her by the Central Coast Taxpayers Association.
Bob Martz, Atascadero
Elect Ellen Beraud
It’s so exciting Ellen Beraud is running for county supervisor, especially since she got the Sunrise Youth Movement endorsement. Ellen has an electric car already! People who have known her for years admire her values, integrity, and work ethic.
Did anyone count the times Debbie Arnold used the word “balance” at the forum the other night? That’s her mantra. But “balance as usual” is not going to meet today’s challenges.
Bold plans for transitioning to renewable energy are needed. With our sunny skies, accessible open spaces, rooftops, and parking lots yet to be covered in solar panels, we can build much more solar energy.
As for wind energy from off the coast, we already have valuable transmission lines connecting to the grid from Morro Bay and Diablo Canyon.
Many living wage jobs would be created in renewable energy, more than offsetting losses from the closure of Diablo.
We are yearning to hear our elected officials say that an unprecedented increase in renewable energy is the key to a prosperous future.
By electing Ellen we can start the process.
Kate Montgomery, Atascadero
Support for Beraud
When I retired from my department head position in San Luis Obispo County in 2016, I was the county’s senior official, having served longer than any department head or board member. In my lengthy experience I’d had the opportunity to work with board members of every political stripe and temperament.
Shirley Bianchi, for example, was tough: She did her homework, listened carefully to her constituents and voted her conscience. She brought great passion and intelligence to the job, and I respected her decisions even when they did not go my way.
By contrast, Debbie Arnold took cues for the questions she asked and the decisions she made from her high-dollar corporate donors. We knew whom she represented, and we knew how she would vote: If it helped the oil, gas and big ag industries, she was there for them. She prioritized gravel over people, oil pipelines over families. She’d feign interest in policies concerning homelessness and child welfare, and then vote against measures that would help the working families in our community.
The residents of the 5th District can return integrity to the seat. Ellen Beraud will be nobody’s puppet: She has earned our trust and our vote.
Lee Collins, Atascadero
Editor’s note: Between now and March 3, we will regularly update this file as new letters are received. If you would like to submit a letter, please email it to letters@thetribunenews.com. Letters should be 200 words or less.
This story was originally published February 10, 2020 at 4:37 PM.