Santa Margarita residents saw Supervisor Debbie Arnold’s partisanship firsthand

What do residents of Santa Margarita know about the District 5 supervisory race that you may not? They’ve witnessed firsthand how the incumbent’s extreme partisan ideology and loyalty to a few monied interests prevent her from objectively representing them.

When Margaritans packed the Board of Supervisors chambers this past May, they figured the applicant for a large-scale industrial rock quarry would aggressively pitch their well funded campaign of misinformation.

But they hadn’t expected their supervisor to simply parrot that misinformation, or a pre-prepared PowerPoint presentation to help deliver her “decision.” Debbie Arnold’s awkward attempt to justify her vote in favor of a project that extensive environmental review had determined would irreversibly compromise health, safety, and character of the small town left a lasting impression. Most importantly, it provided a preview for what others countywide can expect from Ms. Arnold when important land-use decisions affecting their communities come before the board.

A good supervisor objectively bases decisions on facts and the needs of our communities. Eric Michielssen offers a refreshing alternative that will do just that.

This story was originally published May 14, 2016 at 9:17 PM with the headline "Santa Margarita residents saw Supervisor Debbie Arnold’s partisanship firsthand."