It’s Your Choice
Here’s a repeat of a post we ran late last year, a public service announcement, you might call it. See, Fullerton’s jurassic councilman, Don Bankhead is running for for yet another interminable term in office. He’s already been sitting there for 22 years, but apparently that’s just not enough for the good old boy. Well, watch this dismal performance and see if you think this is someone you believe ought to be making million dollar decisions on your behalf.
– The Desert Rat
If anyone watched the council meeting to the bitter end, which I just did, you would see an incredible meltdown by the good ol’ boys club.
This clip begins the discussion on the appointment of the member at larger for all commissions. Mr. Mayor says he wants to be in charge of the interviews and Nelson corrects him. Bankhead repeatedly interjects “Mayor” into the new ordinance while Nelson repeatedly tells the Mayor that the word “Mayor” is not included in the ordinance. Then Bankhead starts laughing at Nelson and ranting that its the way they done it for time in memoriam and it works. Then the good Dr. Jones steps in it. The City Attorney tries to save the meltdown but he nor Nelson could keep Bankhead and Dr. Jones in check. Bankhead with his maniacal giggling, chuckling and Jones rambling on about God only knows what… Glad they saved the best for last.
Oh yeah, and a little nugget after the meltdown…Keller wants to hold a study session for right-of-way encroachments to deal with issues on the trails and bike paths.
I propose that Nelson’s tag line become, “It’s not that hard” for all future campaigns.
You bastards have just stolen nine minutes of my life. Just kidding. I should have quit after a couple of minutes but I just had to keep watching – like watching an accident slowly unfold.
1. Bankhead has lost it. Completely. Someone near and dear needs to tell him it’s way past time to go.
2. Jones has lost it. Completely. Someone near and dear needs to tell him it’s way past time to go.
3. Keller is a bona fide idiot.
4. Quirk is smart enough to keep her mouth shut.
5. Shawn Nelson is worthy of everyone’s sympathy.
Since this clip was posted after the Fringies came out I suggest it be nomination-eligible for 2010.
why the struggle for power? Nelson makes a logical argument, so why does Mayor Bankhead insist he be in charge of appointing someone to a commission(I couldn’t clearly hear what was being said in this clip)? I have the sinking our city council is indulging itself in more financial kick-back antics .
I think it is simply Bankhead’s refusal to give up his strangle hold on any perceived power he might have as mayor. The real power is in the votes cast by each member of council. It is clear that the only person who read the ordinance before the meeting was Nelson. Bankhead figured he could just make it up as he went along but Nelson at least pointed out that he couldn’t do that.
With Nelson looking to the Supervisor’s seat, he doesn’t seam to care much about these antics or their potential lasting effects. He didn’t wage much of a debate on Bankhead obtaining MORE control, only that Bankhead couldn’t get that control by making up ordinances.
Imagine Bankhead and Jones on the interview panel for a member-at-large commissioner. Now imagine them picking one of their good-ol’-boys.
Perhaps worthy of its own segment is when Jones is seriously confused about the encroachment issue on the trail earlier that night. You can’t pay for entertainment of this caliber…but we do anyway with our votes and taxes!
At this point it was four and a half hours into the meeting… well past Dick and Don’s bedtime.
Seriously, that council has all the makings of an Emmy award winning comedy hit. I challenge the actual council members here to tell us who should play them…c’mon Pam, Sharon…! BTW, where the heck is Ralph Baker? He absolutely needs to be in the show. Jeny threw out Shelly Long for Pam. I think that’s a good one. Sharon needs somebody with spectacular hair that actually drapes over the front of the dais. I’m thinking Catherine Zeta Jones (your welcome Sharon…recent votes bring warm feelings.)
Dick’s easy. Roy Clark. Don…that’s a tough one. Shawn I’m thinking Jack Nicholson in his Nathan Jessep persona. He’s need to get the persistent throat clearing thing down. I’ve got it. Fred Thompson for Don. Don will like that one. Tony and Travis can write the show. Travis really needs to be a TV writer anyway. Merry Christmas everybody!
This display was very, very painful to watch. We’re not talking about competent people here. The issue was so goddamn simple. Bankhead and Jones should be institutionalized for their own safety – not being put up on a dais like a carnival sideshow act.
Keller is thirty years younger than these two clowns. I’m afraid her only excuse is being not 2 brite. This will sound harsh to the boohoos, but it’s true. Some competent family member needs to end the public humiliation that we all suffer.
The issue itself only becomes necessary because of the institutional pressure to have more than 5 members on a board. This was always a desire of city staff and the liberals, esp. in regards the planning commission. These people know that the more members a committee has the easier it is to be manipulated by staff to get the desired results.
When this whole issue pops up my former mistress is always in the front row.
She’s also there along with the rest of the bobbin heads to make sure that staff-stooges like Don Bankhead, Jones, and a yes-man committee chairman choose as many committee members as possible – all of them if possible. This way the make-up of the groups is as safe, compliant, and predictable as possible. And those are the good old days Bankhead keeps talking about. And the system did work the way they wanted it to.
Unfortunately the parks suffered, the PC was incompetent, and the design review committee was stuffed with incompetents and sycophants.
I’ve been looking down on this behavior for 25 years and it never changes.
This post is mislabeled. Nobody lost their tempers. Instead they all seemed to lose their marbles – except for Nelson who tried patiently to inject some sanity into the proceedings, and Quirk who didn’t say anything at all.
10 minutes of embarrassing gibberish! Every voter in Fullerton should be forced to watch this civic humiliation and total failure of representative government.
You think Roatarian fool Bankhead has lost it here? You should see him at the OC Water Dist. God, these old guys need to just learn to tuck their pride and leave. He is so disconnected, he has no idea what is really going on. WHY would anyone vote for this guy for another 4 years in 2010? Out with the OLD!
It just get funnier and funnier until you remember that they are in charge. Even if some voters supported these guys before, they should now recognize that they are no longer sufficiently interested in serving the city, or are simply too tired to stay focused in meetings.
Clear the decks! There should be three new people in those seats after the election in November.
Embarassing!
Bankhead needs help packin’ and find him a nice beach with a pina colada in his hand to enjoy!
Jack Daniels.
This was amazing when I first read/watched it but it has so much more relevance of late. I saw Bankhead, Ol Doc, and Pat “How-Do-You-Like-My-New-Vest” Mc Kinnley last week. They are all prime to check into Morningside.