Flyer of hobo themed fundraiser for Lynn Compton's political campaign

Lynn Compton, candidate of San Luis Obispo County’s fourth District Supervisor, has been receiving mixed reactions from the community to a hobo themed fundraiser she organized on Oct. 5. 

According to the event page on Compton’s campaign website, the fundraiser was held at Oceano Train Depot. The event featured “hobo stew” and an introduction of hobo history. It was reported that a previous version of the flyer encouraged people to dress in “hobo attire.” 

Linda Austin, president of the Oceano Depot Association, attended the fundraiser. According to Austin, “everyone had a very good time” and “nobody dressed up as a hobo.” 

This isn’t the first time the Oceano Train Depot held the hobo-themed event. In 2012, the Oceano Train Depot also held a "Hobo Bash."

Kathie Matsuyama, treasurer for Compton’s opponent, supervisor Caren Ray, reportedly sent an email criticizing the campaign event. She said in the email that the campaign event was a “disgusting lack of compassion for a segment of our county’s population.”

Austin disagreed, saying there wasn’t any coalition between the plan of this event and homeless people.

“This [event] is something that originated in the train station. If we were doing it somewhere else, I don’t think it would be proper. But to do it in a train station, it’s a part of the history,” said Austin.

The treasurer’s accusation also got disagreement from another supervisor, Debbie Arnold, who said that she would never associate homeless issues with the fundraiser and Oceano Depot Association. Arnold said she saw the hobo-themed fundraiser as one featuring historical and cultural aspects of the train culture over the past century. 

Supervisor Arnold said Compton would never intentionally make fun of the homeless. “When you are doing a campaign, sometimes you receive a lot of criticism.” Arnold added Compton is an “intelligent and warm” businesswoman.

Lynn Compton is reported to have responded to the negative reaction by saying that she “hasn’t talked to anybody who thinks that’s an issue.”

But some residents in the county said that opposite voices can easily be found. Rachael Rosvald, a physical therapist at San Luis Obispo, said she spoke to many people who were "shocked and mad" because of the large homeless population in San Luis Obispo County.

“I was surprised that they were on the opposite, making fun of the homeless population,” she said.

In 2013, there were an estimated 3,497 homeless people in San Luis Obispo County, which represents more than one percent of the overall population of 271,969 people in San Luis Obispo County, according to statistics released by the Homeless Services Oversight Council (HSOC).

Supervisor Arnold is also the chairman of the HSOC and has been working on homeless issues. Arnold believes they have been successful in helping the homeless population. “But because [the fundraiser] was connected to the Oceano Depot Association and was more of a cultural and historical thing, I never associate it with the homeless.”

Austin said the media and opposing candidates are trying to make Compton look like she was insensitive.

“In that same depot we do a lot of fundraisers and benefits that help the homeless. People are making something out of it that is not.”

The president of the association was disappointed at the attention brought to the Depot in an unfavorable way. She said she didn’t appreciate the people that were taking it negatively.

“Nobody came that day to complain or protest anything. It will die down because everybody around here knows this is ridiculous,” Austin said.

With all the shock and madness Rosvald found in people from her community, she thought the candidate had a great PR team.

“They did a very good job of making sure that this becomes not a hobo homelessness issue but a hobo historical fundraiser.”

Lynn Compton and her political campaign declined to comment. 

Contact Staff Writer Shuang Li here and follow her on Twitter here.