What a great issue, June 25, with the cover headline “Posted.” It was chock-full of items that interested me, three in particular where I saw a recurring theme: lack of care or attention to rules from elected officials and city employees.
First, the state of California threatening to sue the Trump administration over wind lease cancellations. This is actually one of the few good things I believe Trump has done, as I don’t believe offshore wind energy farms are good for our California Coast. Did the state ask us about this? We have lots of empty land for wind farms without destroying our beautiful coastline.
Second is Michael Loew, a former city building official who was ignored by upper management and the council, even retaliated against in petty ways. I sincerely hope he gets his day in court and wins. City employees do not deserve to be treated in this manner.
The winner and biggest disappointment to me and probably other voters is Mayor Erica Stewart, who clearly broke the law and yet showed no remorse. She is our top elected official for the city; she would have taken an oath to protect the city and abide by all laws, rules, and procedures. What type of example is she setting?
Her actions show absolutely no respect for the members of the grand jury, their research, their time, their report, and their oath to keep what they are researching confidential.
The mayor and all members of the council now receive a salary and benefits, not just a piddling little stipend, and this council can even raise its own salary. If a regular city employee had done what Erica Stewart did, they would have been severely reprimanded and possibly fired. Her actions show a total lack of respect for the city and its policies.
At the very least, she should step down. Why was it so important for Cal Poly to know the grand jury’s findings prior to other members of the public? Clearly, Erica Stewart’s loyalty is to Cal Poly, not the city or grand jury members.
Sharon Roberts
San Luis Obispo
This article appears in July 2-9, 2026.
Let me correct a falsehood in Ms. Roberts letter. She claims Californians were never asked about offshore wind. To the contrary, in a 60%-40% vote margin in 2024, the state’s voters passed Prop 4, the climate bond, which approved $475 million in funds specifically for offshore wind port infrastructure. I believe the majority of Californians are in favor of offshore wind projects. In fact, recent polling shows that 76% of Californians would like to see offshore wind deployed off our coast.