OPINION by T. KEITH GURNEE
An open letter to the to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors: As you all know by now, I have recently been the target of a series of slanderous emails from Supervisor Adam Hill directly sent to me courtesy of San Luis Obispo County’s very own website.
Through his county emails, Mr. Hill has alleged that I am a homosexual in a smear campaign designed to harm me and my business. He also used his Facebook account and other web sites to get his sycophants to parrot his spreading of such malicious falsehoods.
In doing so, Mr. Hill has offended not only me, but my wife of 47 years as well. He and his henchmen should be held accountable for propagating these libelous, untrue comments.
While these allegations remain utterly false, Hill’s words say less about me than they do about him. I’ve got thick skin. Stuff like this just rolls off my back. But I have to ask: How can this board tolerate this type of behavior and sending it out for all to see on the county’s own website?
As a self-avowed “liberal progressive” who says he supports gay rights, what do Hill’s words really mean to those who actually are gay? Calling me a homosexual in an effort to stigmatize and demean me should be viewed as a direct slam to those in the gay community.
T. Keith Gurnee
Mr. Hill may claim that all this is a joke. Some twisted joke! It’s part and parcel of his well-known bully tactics. Just read his posts on the county’s email and other websites. It may be a joke to Hill, but it’s not to me. It is nothing less than defamation of both my character and that of the gay community to boot.
Because of this episode, I have contacted a law firm with expertise in defamation litigation to look into this potential case. Stay tuned…
Certainly Mr. Hill needs to apologize, not so much to me, but to his fellow board members for abusing his county email privileges, for embarrassing this Board, and for his studied and constant insults of the board majority. But most of all, he needs to apologize to the gay community for demeaning their sexual orientation.
While I am only the latest target of Hill’s intimidation tactics, there are far too many who have preceded me as the victims of his wrath. It’s got to stop.
Given Hill’s legacy of unacceptable behavior, his constant bullying, and his well-known pay-to-play schemes, Adam Hill is beyond redemption. An apology or even his censure by the board may not be enough.
If ever there was a public official who is more deserving of being recalled and removed from office, it is Adam Hill. But rather than putting District 3 voters through an effort that can tear a community apart, its high time for him to do the right thing and resign from his position immediately.
He might consider professional psychiatric help as he appears to be demonstrating signs of great stress
Is he well?
Adam Hill is a vile, disgusting embarrassment to SLO County.
The honeymoon for Adam Hill needs to come to an end. It’s now time for his divorce from our local politics. The real apology needs to come from the BOS. Action by them needs to start immediately by censoring him and relieving him of any representation for SLO County. If the BOS does not take any action we must then believe that they believe in him. Now is the time to do what has to be done. Pop the cork and drain this slime from the swamp.
Troubling on many levels, but the most disturbing is that a county official made this attack via the county web site. I smell a lawsuit!
Well said, Keith. You speak to the ethical and legal issues very well –
1. Attacks from a government office involving a protected group.
2. Malicious attacks on a private citizen from a government office.
3. Violations of the values held by his political party.
Adam Hill sends a voice message pretending to be his opponent, and then lies about it, but later says it was just a joke.
Hill attacks COLAB claiming a well know comedian is racist. Hill later apologizes saying he was being too sensitive.
Hill attacked Bill Thoma for having a different view, and later apologized.
Hill’s family contacted and harassed the adult daughter of journalist Dick Mason, retaliation for critically covering a board meeting.
Hill threatened his opponent Dan Carpenter and then his troll harassed Carpenter’s daughter.
Hill is an embarrassment and needs to be recalled!
Not to mention locking Mayor Peterson in the county government building on a public holiday and saying he had a gun, after which Peterson was ridiculed by the Tribune when she went public about the incident.
Hill started attacking Peterson because she ran against him. Both the Tribune and the New Times would rather produce fake news than cover Hill antics.
It still boggles my mind how any intelligent person could vote this bully in. He does not seem intelligent, he badger’s those he does not agree with, and he sets a bad example overall. I hope other “victims” of this creep join you in the potential lawsuit. The BOS should consider how to silence him, too!