Friends For Fullerton's Future

February 8, 2026February 8, 2026About Us

The Money Game

Money is the mother’s milk of politics – the famous phrase shamelessly coined by Jesse Unruh, former California politician and fixer.

And nowhere is this more true than in Orange County, where Supervisorial districts include 600,000 residents and getting people out to vote (for you) requires lots of investment in media of one kind or another. Setting aside independent political action committees, the politician’s own expenditure is critical.

Since our own District 4 Supervisorial job is up for election in 2026 (the senile and corrupt Doug “Bud” Chaffee being termed out) it is timely, on the verge of a primary campaign, to see how much money the various candidates have raised, and how much they have on hand.

The second half of 2025 finance statements for the D4 candidates are now viewable on line. The results of July-December fundraising are interesting.

The big cash leader is Fullerton’s own Mayor, Fred Jung. He raised a whopping $145,000 bucks in the second half of 2025, and had a cash balance of $354,000. He’d have more but spent almost 50K in 2025 mostly on campaign consultants. That’s a lot of money.

Connor Traut the eager office hopper from Buena Park; the carpetbagger who lusts after politcal office, raised $64,000 and has $225,000 in the bank. Of course $100,000 of that was shifted from his existing campaign account, a move he sleazily pretended was a real 24 hour fundraising effort.

Tim Shaw, the only Republican in the race raised $60,000 and has $69,000 on hand.

Rosie addresses the Boys in the Back (of the) Room; Will they hear her?

The final candidate who I am aware of is Rose Espinosa from La Habra. She raised a paltry $14K, but thanks to one of those personal loans politicians make to themselves, in this case $150,000, she’s got a $160,000 total.

The primary election is June 2nd, so a tsunami of political outreach will probably be starting in a month or so. What are the prospects for these free spenders?

Won’t look you in the eye while you’re trashing him…

Fullerton is in the 4th Supervisorial District, in fact, it is the largest city completely within the boundary of the district. Three of the last four D4 Supervisors have been on the Fullerton City Council. This gives Fred Jung a natural edge over candidates from Fullerton’s much smaller neighbors like Buena Park and La Habra. Jung, however has no help from a political party, if in fact that means much anymore. He is now registered NPP – no political party preference. His record of defying the kooks in Fullerton will help, not hurt him with conservatives and independents.

Connor Traut is the nebbish candidate of the Democrat establishment and has all the usual endorsement from the same people endorsing the thief Paulette Chaffee for NOCCCD board. He has a lot of money on hand, but only 63% of what Jung has stockpiled. Being an elected in Buena Park isn’t much of a help since it is historically apathetic in politics and he moved there just to get into a municipal office.

Tim Shaw, the only Republican running, has zero hope of being elected. He came close seven years ago, but the district has become even more Democrat and less Republican. He is a member of the whackadoodle and opaque OC Board of Education. That will get him some charter school lobby money as a sop. He might do well enough to make a run-off in November by coming in second, but he can’t win in a general election. In 2022 two Democrats made the runoff. Shaw has no path to victory.

Rose Espinoza, another Democrat, has no foreseeable path, either. All the Dems are behind Traut, for what that’s worth, and Espinosa has no name ID outside of small La Habra, where getting elected doesn’t seem all that difficult. Still, as the only woman in the election she’s got that going for her. But she hasn’t raised much money. But she is willing to risk her own dough, apparently, and that says something. Something sort of Paulette Chaffee-esque. She has run for Supervisor two or three time previously way out of the money.

The OC 4th District Supervisor election is likely going to be won in the flatlands of Anaheim where none of the above candidates is very well known. There are lots of Latino voters in these precincts and that might help Espinosa. There could be the better part of 25,000 to 30,000 votes there. Large, but not enough to help an Anaheimer do well. At this late date I can’t think of any who could or would try to run.

February 6, 2026February 7, 2026Ahmad Zahra

Weird Attack on Nick Dunlap Surfaces

by The Fullerton Harpoon14 Comments

The FFFF inbox had an interesting communication in it this morning – a copy of an anonymous posting on a Facebook page called “Fullerton Buzz” warning that a Fullerton City Councilmember might be their landlord.

The portentous lead-in:

“It has been found that Montclaire Apartments is owned by Mayor Pro Tem Nicolas (sic) Dunlap.”

Shocking!!!!

Little tidbits of information about companies City Councilman Nick Dunlap is affiliated with are included in the communication to lend verisimilitude.

But verisimilitude to what? Someone thinks that owning real estate is a crime? Someone thinks having an income is bad? Seriously?

My supposition is that someone wants somebody to think Dunlap is some sort of evil plutocrat, associating rental income with ill intent. This anti-rentier Marxist philosophy underlies so much of the thinking of Fullerton Boohoo that the author could be any number of people, but obviously someone at least active enough to know to use Dunlap’s title “Mayor Pro Tem,” probably someone still pissed off that Ahmad Zahra and Shana Charles were passed over for the mayorship in December, thanks to Dunlap’s votes.

More than than that, this seems to be an invitation for denizens of the aforementioned Montclaire Apartments to engage their landlord in his capacity of a Fullerton Councilman, a troublemaking tactic so common to the Kennedy Observer Sisters and their ilk.

Additionally, it should be noted that the aforementioned Spadra Property Company is a property manager, as indicated here, and not a property owner. So that’s sinks the whole point of the attack.

Could it be our friend, the flowering young sapling Elijah Manassero who is behind this lame effort? Quite possibly. But then Ahmad Zahra has a whole stable of eager young sycophants trying to ascend in the cold, cruel political world.

February 4, 2026February 4, 2026Ahmad Zahra

Bent History Bullshit

by Mr. Peabody33 Comments

Here’s an interesting bit from the “print edition” of the Fullerton Observer, proving that once again the Fullerton Klown Kar has no rearview mirror.

The subject is the reopening of the abandoned UP Park, and all you have to do is look at the photo op result to guess that a history re-write is in the works.

While we were basking in the Spring-like day, most of the USA was under an unrelenting, repressive assault by ice, snow, and freezing rain. All of the speakers took notice of who was in the audience, mainly the Fullerton residents who did not give up on the idea of a local park, rallying support for an incredible 20-plus years. Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk Silva recalled how she was on the City Council in 2004 when the idea of revitalizing Union Pacific Park was discussed. Persistence from Fullerton residents kept the idea alive, so keep that in mind.

There’s a who’s who of Fullerton libs who can’t seem to have their pictures taken often enough, especially over there on the far left – the tarnished antique Pilferin’ Paulette Chaffee, who did less than nothing to have the park reopened. But then again, neither did Vanessa Estrella, or Sharon Quirk, or Jesus Quirk-Silva.

And on the subject of Quirk and Quirk Silva, the reimagining of history is appalling. Quirk got on the City Council at the end of 2004 all right. But at that point the first Union Pacific Park was just completed – brand effing new. Her statement is obviously meant to ignore the long history of bureaucratic failure that led to toxic soil removal and closure of a third of the park, to finally fencing off the whole damn thing because of the hypes, borrachos and homeless campers.

But just as important as hiding ugly truth is promoting your own accomplishment – finally doing what was thought impossible – after a 20-year fight! And let’s not forget the other myth – the popular struggle from la communidad, all of it ginned up, when it existed at all, by patronizing gringos at the Center for Healthy Neighborhoods, etc.

The Big Q probably doesn’t want you to remember that she was on the Council for another 8 years after her mythical park revitalization “discussions” allegedly took place, and so if the park wasn’t “revitalized” under her careful stewardship, why not?

Then there’s her dopey, hare-brained husband, Jesus, who was on the council from 2016 through 2022. What was he doing to revitalize the park after it really was fenced off? Nada. That’s right fish farm fans. He and Ahmad Zahra, also mugging in the picture, were trying to illegally convert the parkland to an intrusive fenced off private event center. So much for “the community.” You couldn’t make this stuff up.

The Fullerton Observer sisters and these political types want us to forget the real history of the UP Park – a poisoned public nuisance created by and for City bureaucrats as a Redevelopment money plaything who’s history would be a civic shame, if anybody in City Hall had any shame.

Now maybe you think that this is all trivial, this whitewash of the past. Not so. The conditions which caused UP Park #1’s failure are still there, even as more millions are thrown at UP Park #2. No one is paying attention because nobody cares.

February 1, 2026February 1, 2026About Us

The Strange Tale of the Missing and Reappearing Bushala “Puff Piece.”

by Mr. Peabody26 Comments

Here’s a strange story reported on the Orange Juice blog last week by Vern Nelson.

It seems that a post was published on the Fullerton Observer site in early January – a letter to the Observer Sisters from Miaad Bushala, niece of Tony Bushala. Her letter was all about how a Fullerton cop stopped her father, Albert, for rolling through a stop sign. Albert rolled down his window with the light of Christmas kindness in his eyes. The policeman, Officer Levin warned him about the dangers of such incautious motoring.

Officer Levin, under the influence of Yuletide kindness, and captivated by the kind quality in Mr. Bushala’s demeanor, did not cite the careless driver. Instead of a ticket, he kindly handed the wayward motorist a $10 gift certificate to a coffee place.

Subsequently, all of Mr. Bushala’s family appeared at police HQ on Christmas Eve with a plate of cookies, and a check for $10,000!

But then Ms. Miaad’s post quickly vanished from the Fullerton Observer blog, only to reappear virtually unchanged a few days later as an attempted news story in the Orange County Register, courtesy of Claire Wang. Most peculiar, no?

And finally, a few days ago, the very same story made its way back into the Observer, this time offered up under the byline of someone named David Spargur, who now cites the Register as a source!

How odd.

Vern Nelson noticed the switcheroo and contacted the Kennedy Sisterhood to find out why the original “letter” from the daughter about her papa’s kind generosity to the Fullerton Police Department was deleted. Nelson tells us that the story was removed at the request of Miaad herself who, upon further reflection, thought the thing appeared a little self-serving. That’s the narrative as told by Sitka Kennedy, anyhow.

And yet somehow the incurious OC Register got the tale, and for some reason decided to treat the donation as unquestionable philanthropy, and hence newsworthy; once the Register ran their bit the Kennedys obviously decided that it was okay to publish a redo. How come?

One observer, FJC teacher Jodi Balma, mentioned the Register article on Facebook. She called it a “strange puff piece” and reminded her friends that “Bushala” has lots of business with the Fullerton government at contentious meetings. This frequent Voice of OC “expert” had obviously mistaken Albert for his brother, Tony!

Jodi Balma knows a lot more than you do…

But Jodi, like the proverbial blind porcine, had unknowingly stumbled upon a truffle! As Vern Nelson reminds us, Albert Bushala owns numerous properties in downtown Fullerton that have nightclubs, and that he and his tenants have lots of business before the City Planning Commission that can use the kind assistance of a friendly police department.

Informed sources tell us that Albert Bushala currently has a Conditional Use Permit submitted to operate an events venue in the 100 block of West Commonwealth that will have a liquor license. Proposed hours of operation? 6am to 2pm.

January 31, 2026February 1, 2026Ahmad Zahra

Doug “Bud” Chaffee Screws Liberal Supervisor; Fullerton Boohoo Ignores Story

by Grover Cleveland15 Comments

The relentlessly corrupt Nguyen spots unattended cash…

A couple weeks ago the Voice of OC did a couple of stories about the succession of the new Chairman of the OC Board of Supervisors. The first story posited the appointment of the incomprehensively corrupt Janet Nguyen as the new chair, over the then current Vice Chair, Katrina Foley. Foley has been passed over several times. The Voice’s reasoning was that Republicans Nguyen and Don Wagner would vote for the former; Democrats Vicente Sarmiento and Foley would vote for the latter. And our own home-grown rodent, Democrat Doug Chaffee? He has already endorsed Foley’s re-election opponent – a Republican – he thinks so little of her.

Brothers in arms: Chaffee and his mentor, the recently imprisoned Andrew Do.

Not one to miss an opportunity to promote himself (and his wife, Pilferin’ Paulette), the octogenarian made a deal to keep the office for himself another year. The little drama was scripted to make it look like Foley was behind the idea, which is pure nonsense. She didn’t have a third vote and was obviously cajoled into voting for Chaffee so she could remain Vice Chair..

After the little Kabuki was done it was stamped by all five of the Supervisors.

Now here’s a fun snippet from the second Voice article:

Chaffee said he was “looking forward to a little more restful year,” but that he looked forward to using his last year in office effectively.

“I would accept the position if so elected.”

What predictably disingenuous bullshit from this decrepit, evil chipmunk.

But here’s the kicker: there has not been a single mention of Chaffee’s screw job of Foley by the Fullerton Observer that spends so much energy bemoaning the poor travails of “Dr.” Ahmad Zahra who also can’t scrape up that necessary third vote for elevation to the lofty title Mayor of Fullerton.

Personally, I couldn’t care less how the Chairman of the OC Board of Supervisors gets three votes; ditto for the Mayor of Fullerton. Three is three and that’s all that matters. Got your feelings hurt? Stay out of politics. But I have to admit my annoyance (not surprise) by the hypocrisy of the Kennedy Sisters’ refusal to even mention the story of how a liberal woman was kept from her “turn” in their precious uber-liberal rag.

January 28, 2026January 28, 2026Ahmad Zahra

Zahra Gets Tongue Bath From Sitskia Kennedy

by Mr. Peabody29 Comments

Figuratively, of course.

A Fullerton Observer post ostensibly about money going to improve Independence Park became a saccharine tribute to “Dr.” Ahmad Zahra wherein his name is mention nine times in a few disjointed paragraphs. It’s all about how the good doctor from Damascus has worked soooo hard to secure funding for stuff in the underserved 5th District. There is even a link to one of his long-winded speechifications.

Pathetic.

As usual, Skitsa folds one of her imagined grievances into the Zahra encomium, in this case it’s a completely fictional threat to “privatize” part of Independence Park – for soccer programs, apparently – an unsolicited proposal having been mentioned by a City bureaucrat at a Parks Commission meeting.

No, Skakia, is not pleased by a fright of her own creation, but she has a champion, doncha know. And of course his name is Zahra. To wit:

“Zahra has been a strong advocate for public parks, opposing the privatization of these community spaces, which he believes prioritizes profit over local needs.”

Hmm. Poor Stiksa has a very poor, or a very selective memory. It was Ahmad Zahra who voted to convert the Union Pacific Park site into a private events center with a hedge and a fence around it – and a locked gate. That’s right – a possibly illegal move to take public park space into which the City had previously poured millions of dollars into and privatize it.

Fortunately, FFFF’s memory is better that Skitia’s. No matter how many scatterbrained tributes she can cook up for the lame duck Zahra, facts remain facts outside the precincts of Fullerton Boohoo.

January 27, 2026January 27, 2026Boohooism

Pilferin’ Paulette: Busted Thief Running for North Orange County Community College Board

by The Fullerton Harpoon25 Comments

Paulette discussing critical education issues with a bunch of helium-filled balloons.

And that would be Paulette Chaffee, disgraced wife of our senile and corrupt County Supervisor Doug “Bud” Chaffee. It had been rumored last summer that this perennial candidate was again looking for an elected job, and that this seat might be it.

Mrs. Chaffee is desperate to be elected something. Her strategy has been to cling like a barnacle to the hope of something education related, that being the easiest sort of thing to be elected to. She has run and failed twice to be on the opaque Orange County Board of Education spending who knows how much of her kids’ inheritance in the process.

Before those BoE runs, Mrs. Chaffee bought a condo in the newly formed 5th District, and faux carpetbagged into it to try to get on the Fullerton City Council, even though she really lived in a posh house up on a hill. That election saw her get into trouble with the long arm of the law.

Paulette Stolen Sign — Crime doesn’t always pay in Fullerton…

Chaffee was caught on video – twice – stealing campaign signs. She pleaded guilty and paid a fine and quit that race. But she wasn’t done self-promoting for future political advantage.

And that’s where I put the sign in the back of the car…

Her community service, it was said, provided education related photo content for her future OC Board of Education attempts.

This unelected’s strategy has been to photobomb just about every political event imaginable, always haunting the background like the chorus in a Greek tragedy. You name it, there she is. Her husband anointed her OC 4th District Ambassador, whatever the Hell that was supposed to be.

Even the most cynical political creatures might be understood for withholding their endorsement of Pilferin’ Paulette. However some seem not to be even bothered by her checkered past. Here are some of the endorsements from her website:

The future is getting shorter all the time…

But Mrs. Chaffee has a problem and it isn’t callow youth. She is at least 76 years old and time is running out. Moreover, the seat she is running for has two rivals.

One is the dim bulb Jesus Quirk-Silva, former Fullerton councilmember, who has his own set of endorsements, several the same as Chaffee’s. Even his wife endorses him. Could he be bought off to go away? Not likely.

And then there’s the 24 year incumbent, Jeffrey Brown, who isn’t going anywhere and will enjoy the title NOCCCD Board Member as his job title on the ballot.

The only thing we can be sure of in this election is that the potential for merriment, FFFF style.

January 26, 2026January 26, 2026A Step in the Right Direction

Fullerton Women Hurl Abuse At ICE Goons

by Joe Sipowicz54 Comments

Over at the Orange Juice Blog, the estimable Vern Nelson shares, among many ICE-related issues, a video of ICE thugs being escorted out of an apartment complex in Fullerton. Their exit was not accompanied by heartfelt thanks for keeping the nation safe.

Open Thread: Fullerton Chingonas Chase ICE away, rail at FPD! (And more. In progress.)

Apparently the immigration cops were chasing some dude who they allege had a gun.

The Fullerton cops got involved in some unclear way and have been accused of assisting ICE – a no-no in Fullerton, I guess. The FPD chief denies his men were assisting ICE. The eye witnesses disagree. More on that, later.

January 23, 2026January 23, 2026A Step in the Right Direction

Santa Fe Loading Dock Project Submitted

by Mr. Peabody50 Comments

Bushala Brothers, Inc. has submitted an Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application to Fullerton’s Planning Department for the development of a restaurant on the unused Santa Fe Depot loading dock.

The loading dock has been empty for decades. It was the object of an earlier City history of property acquisition. The western half the space was leased to BBI in the early 1990s, when the eastern portion was not yet owned by the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency. After the City acquired the portion east of Pomona Avenue, they declined to consolidate the lease of the entire loading dock until the past few years under City Manager Eric Levitt.

Friends will recall that the revised depot lease that now included the loading dock adjacent to the Bushala leasehold was the subject of a cooked-up controversy last summer by “Dr.” Ahmad Zahra and the Kennedy Sisters of the Fullerton Observer, a “controversy” brushed aside by the council majority who recognized the potential for this unused structure.

So the loading dock is on its way to becoming a new downtown Fullerton venue that will enliven the depot area within the Transportation Center.

After review by City staff the application will ultimately be submitted to the Planning Commission for approval.

January 19, 2026January 19, 2026Ahmad Zahra

Observing or Stirring Up Controversy?

by The Fullerton Harpoon45 Comments

A Friend just sent over this snippet from a Fullerton Observer “article” about tomorrow’s Fullerton City Council meeting.

“Despite the limited agenda, the meeting is expected to draw public comments regarding the recent selection of the Mayor, the treatment of public commentary, issues surrounding ICE, and the City’s response to violations related to CalPERS.”

Why write about news when you can try to make your own! (Photo by Julie Leopo/Voice of OC)

Once again Skitka Kennedy and her sister Sharon seem intent on generating news rather than just reporting it. Of course this totally unethical stab at troublemaking is nothing new for these people. They love certain intangible abstractions, and if some proposal seems to scratch that itch, then so be it, no matter how fucking stupid it is.

Just tell me what to say and I’ll say it…

First, let’s examine the first sentence. The meeting is “expected to draw public comments…” Says who? Says somebody hoping that somebody will read this and maybe go; either that or remind the usual disagreeable claque that their presence is needed to disrupt the business of the city.

And then there’s the script

First, selection of Mayor, an issue decided a month ago and that has no relevance to anything anymore. The treatment of public commentary is really funny.

Treatment of public commentary? For some reason these fools seem to believe that they actually deserve respect as they berate members of the City Council. Look me in the eye, the Canadian green card holder demands! Sure these nincompoops have a right to speak; but there’s no requirement on the part of the City Council to give them a nickel’s worth of attention, or to adjourn meetings in honor of them.

And the ICE issue: giving $200,000 to undocumented persons for legal and living expenses, money taken from everybody to salve the moral sensibilities of a few. The decision not to fund this irresponsible idea was taken in November and isn’t going to change. Still, hope springs eternal in the cross-wired world of Fullerton Boohoo.

Finally the CalPERS “response” issue, yeah, an issue nobody has even talked about except for one opinion screed written by the the sweet young Elijah Manassero, soi-disant “investigative reporter” for the Kennedy Sisters.

FFFF, however, did publish a post about a possible Closed Session leak by “Dr.” Ahmad Zahra to the tender Elijah, and how the potentially illegal matter had been referred to the District Attorney. Will anybody from the balcony step up to the podium chatter about this, besides the delicate fleur Manassero? I doubt it.

I don’t spark up doobs any more, but back in the. Hey that explains a lot about my career trajectory.

The Fullerton Observer and its proprietors will never change. When you are on a messianic mission of goodness and light, you are unable to draw a distinction between objectivity and fantasy so long as the fantasy rings your bell. It’s an all too common trait in the less educated, and is a complete disqualifier for someone calling himself a journalist.