Flattered? and Howe!

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As my dear Mother often tells me, "Jimmy, pay attention and you might learn something."

I suppose that one might say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I suppose one might be correct.

Most readers don't comment on my posts, and that's fine with me; I just hope they think about what they've read. A reader who signed his name "Rick" left a comment on the below post and pointed out that he'd sent a link to the New Times (and uncoveredslo.com) about my post regarding Councilman Allen Settle and where he lives and that he thought that New Times had taken my work as their own ("imitated" me). My post was titled "Where did Allen Settle?" and was published on January 10, 2008.

Following "Rick's" suggestion, I searched past copies of New Times that I hadn't yet read since getting home and found an article by Patrick Howe titled "Where has Allen Settle(d)" that was published on about March 5, 2008. Mighty nice imitation, I'd say.

Amazingly, Howe discovered the same public records that I did (he's a reporter after all) and even found the same Zillow listing that I did (he's a thorough reporter). And even more amazingly, he followed Settle home from a Council Meeting and photographed the house (can't say I didn't warn you, Allen).

As he's a real reporter, I suppose Howe felt obligated to talk with the city's attorney (my sympathies go out to Howe for having to do that) who found the whole concept of residency very complicated (he's an attorney after all, and they live and die by weasel words).

And, as a real reporter, Howe apparently talked with Settle, and "Settle said he imagines those who raised questions about his residence are motivated by politics. "If you vote against their interests, they try to smear you," he [Settle] said. "That's what you get for entering public service." "

No, Mr. Settle, a lot of people are interested in ethical behavior on the part of politicians, and it is not as complicated as you and the city's attorney would like us to believe. You either live in the city or you don't. You may have a vacation home in another city (or county or state) that you visit, but you don't rent your "home" out and live in another house a few miles outside the city limits and call yourself a resident of the city where your "home" is located.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, "Shame on you Allen Settle." You are setting a bad example for your students and the real residents of San Luis Obispo. If you want to run for City Council in Arroyo Grande since you live there, that's fine, but don't pretend to be a resident of our town. And for you, Mr. Howe, I just like to give credit where credit is due (apparently unlike New Times). Nice job of following-up though.