Sucking Hard at the Teat of the Welfare State

Move over Pringle...

The other day I described how Republican Mayor Curt Pringle made some big bucks as a lobbyist for the so-called Children and Families Commission, a by-product of the 1998 liberal feel-good Proposition 10 that placed a new tax on tobacco and redistributed the dough to the Government Kiddie Bureaucracy. I promised to shake the branches of this tree to see what other strange fruits might tumble out. Well, Lo and Behold.

Matthew "it takes a village to raise a child" Cunningham

It turns out that Matthew J. Cunningham who masquerades as a local “conservative” blogger may be the biggest big government gravy slurpers at the Children and Families Commission trough.

As he pontificates about the joys of small government on his blog, Cunningham is making a killing as a PR flack for the ultra-liberal Commission and it’s professional do-gooders. And why not? His buddies Bill Campbell and Hugh Hewitt are/were on the Commission when he started his lucrative shill-meistering and wordsmithery for a government bureaucracy, and it’s hard to conceive that his uberboss, John Lewis wasn’t somehow responsible for directing this huge windfall to its rather unlikely recipient.

Here are the fun facts of the Cunningham contracts with the Commission:

Contract 230   July 6, 2005  $ 25,000

Contract 227   May 2 2007   $100,000

Contract 227A May 7, 2008 $195,000

Contract 264   June 3, 2009  $185,000


Hey you poor hungry kids out there: that’s almost half a million bucks in just three years to a guy who couldn’t even proof read his own website! And let’s not forget the hundreds of thousands of dollars dished out to Pringle and the White House Writers Group.

And if you look at the Exibit B scope of work attachments you’ll come away hard pressed to see how the scope of work amounts to more than a handful of hours a week, flack-wise. No wonder Intrepid Boy Journalist has so much spare time for his blogging and political punditry.

The biggest challenge for Cunningham appears to be to get conservatives to buy the spin on all this hogwash. And naturally a lot of his “scope”  is the usual nebulous “assist the staff” bullshit. Of course we can only wonder at the selection and bidding process at work here.

It’s perfectly clear to me that this opaque and over-funded commission needs complete outside scrutiny with fiscal and performance audits. Maybe Cunningham’s pals at the Grand Jury might want to delve into the doings of this public agency.

And the next time Matthew Cunningham preaches at you that you must believe in the joys of small government and lower taxes, or when he suggests whole village child rearing is Obama socialism, just give him a wink and a nod and try not to stare too hard at the giant scarlet H on his forehead.

57 Replies to “Sucking Hard at the Teat of the Welfare State”

  1. Hypocrite! This is a perfect example of the disease that plagues today’s Republican party in Orange County. We need to purge these slimeballs and take back the party to its’ small government roots.

  2. This makes perfect sense to me. The overlords distribute this taxpayer gravy to the small fry to buy loyalty without any links that can be proven. That’s why Cunningham has been supporting an incompetent Democrat Daly, and now why he supports the perjurer Sidhu.

    What a complete lowlife.

  3. I again thank your website for publicizing these little-known payouts. Is this Commission also entirely appointed by the County Board of Supervisors, like the Cemetery District? Does anyone know what the total annual expenditures budgetary allocation is for this Commission? I am trying to get a handle on what percentage of the annual ‘appropriation’ is spent on this consultancy contract. Best wishes, W. Snow Hume

  4. AMAZING, not that Matt is a hypocrite, we all know that he defends CHILD RAPISTS.

    But that he is well enough conected to make that kind of dough. That borders on criminal.

    I defy Cunningham to defend this. He is a scam artist.

  5. I wonder if the good folks at the Children and Families Commission are aware of the fact that Cunningham victimized Catholic Church sexual abuse victims by outing their names in an attempt to intimidate and scare them. Looks like an email will be coming there way to let them know.

  6. Maybe the white van could drive by Matt’s HOUSE and ask where “Suite C” is?

    Is that a joke? Or does Jubal think it’s funny to scam the County?

  7. I can’t say I’m surprised. After my little awakening in bloggoland with the behind-the-monitor and under-the-keyboard money I wonder who else is on the take. Maybe bloggers should list all of their economic interests on their blogs… Or if they just predicate their posts with “The following are the comments of a paid sponsor.”

  8. Wow. I thought this money was supposed to go to the kids? Wasn’t this Meathead’s initiative?

    1. Now I know why Jerbal has tried so hard to discredit FFFF, and he’s used some pretty bad words doing it too, now I know why.

  9. After actually reading the contract, it looks as though the funding is through FIRST 5, the Rob Riener initiave program.

    What does Matt have to say about this? Equally questionable, what do the fools at LOC have to say about this? Or will the continue to “Channel The Right Wing Noise Machine….oops I mean channel……

  10. This blog used to be worth something if you lived in Fullerton. Now it’s all this bullshit about the FFFF crowd’s obsession with a few people.

    Maybe these guys you’re targeting should start digging around and exposing your asses to the public. That would be entertaining.

    1. No one but an exposed party would write this. We in Fullerton have a long history of rooting out waste and intollerance of those that look the other way.

      This is a big story. I for one am glad I learned about this commission and its wasteful spending. Who else was going to uncover this? The Register?

      When and where does this commission meet? Its time the friends go to a meeting and demand some accountability.

    2. crybabie, it appears there’s only a few with enough sack is OC to call bullshit on government waste and they happen to write for 4F, if you were on vacation and you saw a crime occur would you look the other way just because you were on vacation?

      This issue is not just wasteful spending this is criminal. That money (over a half a million tax dollars) has been scammed off the top specifically for the Cunninghams to live a good life, where there’s smoke there’s fire, I smell an investigation.

      I’m sure your buddies will have a hell of a time investigating Grover Cleveland.

  11. Grover, I’m frickin impressed, you are by far the most amazing blogger in OC! Thank you for all your hard work, you have exposed the phony Cunningham, Lewis, Pringle, Keller, Ackerwoman, Sidhu, Galloway, Daly, Barbre, man the list keeps growing.

  12. Suite C isthecommode suite in the Jerbie cave—a place where Mattie boy hangs out with his buddy Urell…they play peek a boo—itstheir version of voyeur

    1. “I am very surprised.”

      Allen, I’m not. My one year old immersion in County politics has taught me that people like John Lewis and Curt Pringle are just in it for what they can get out of it. Always look for the cash nexus.

      And these creeps are Cunningham’s role models. Still, funneling this kind of dough to Cunningham is over the top.

  13. Looks like he writes a press release a couple time a month that nobody reads.

    So what qualified this guy a web designer? Or even a PR flack for that matter? Something stinks here and it’s not the residue of Friends of John Urell.

  14. Are you the self appointed Orange County Pay Czar ?
    I can think of no better place for Rob Reiner’s money to go then Matt. Until we stop theses liberal feel good programs moeny from them going to proven conservatives is good with me

    1. “proven conservatives”??? What planet are you on? Matt’s about as conservative as Jerry Brown, Nancy Pelosi, and the Tom Daly. They all want their piece of the public pie. The right thing for Matt to do was NOT sign the contract and then out the commission for trying to buy a conservative voice. Instead, he has been bought and paid for by Reiner and Company. Matt has had numerous opportunities for redemption but has failed due, I think in large part, to his greed. I wonder if we’ll find out that the OC Catholic Diocese has also paid Matt. Perhaps because Craig Hunter’s brother is in charge of it we will never know. I should go back and edit my rant but I’m pissed off at the constant sell-outs in the OCGOP by self-serving bastards hiding behind their silk-lined conservative coat!

      1. Question: Why’s the GOP loosing people faster than any other party?

        Answer: Read this post again.

        1. I agree. Decline-To-State voters comprise the “new” Republican Party with a libertarian/tea party-like disgust for the BS that the so-called conservative GOP dribbles…
          FYI, the self-serving link under my name takes you to a blurb on DTS…

          1. People like Cunningham create DTS voters out of Republicans.

            after looking at this closely – I see the strong ties between Matt Cunningham, Chip Hanlon, Hugh Hewitt and the OC Cabal.

            I have to tip my cap to Matt for talking Conservative and then taking public money behind the scenes… it seems disengenuous. When you couple it with Cunningham selling out to Democrats for Money – there comes the capitol “W”.

  15. This really is a rip off. It makes everybody look bad, especially the Commission.

    Somebody needs to audit the Commission’s procurement process. It sure looks funny.

  16. Greg,

    I am pretty sure romancatholicblog.typepad was’nt funded by Matts lemonade stand money.

    Of course he was taking the churches money!

  17. I swear I saw a guy who looks just like Jerbil, buying two crosscut shredders at Fry’s behind his house…..Err I mean office, today!

    Can you say Rose Law Firm?

  18. This is what the Jerb does with that huge taxpayer grease job thanks to Campbell and Hewitt.

    2.1 Attend National Children’s Study meetings as requested by ADMINISTRATOR to gather information and assess potential media opportunities.
    2.2 Upon consultation with ADMINISTRATOR, devise and implement media outreach plans developed as a result of meetings attended as described in subparagraph 2.1 above.
    2.3 Regularly consult with ADMINISTRATOR on the progress developments of the National Children’s Study in order to coordinate activities, determine potential media opportunities and update on progress of ongoing media outreach programs.

    Are you freaking kidding me? This needs to be investigated from top down all the way down to parking receipts. If it ain’t a crime it should be.

    1. If this isn’t the most disgusting abuse of taxpayer money to buy favors from a alleged pundit I don’t know what is. We should call out these sleazy career snake politicians like Campbell and straight up ask him how is the Gerbil qualified to handle this with simply a BA while working out of his garage. He started a blog. How impressive! I know a few zit faced kids who have done the same. Then the Gerbil torments victims of abuse by publishing their names. What a guy! What is the Old Coot Campbell up too? What is in it for him? Enquiring minds want to know.

  19. Yeah, uh Matt’s in a little trouble right now. He had to leave RC for a while until this mess blows over. He’s building big muscles so he can wield a large hammer for some serious wordsmithing. Also, the Mrs. thought he was going to a comic book convention for all of those trips. He forgot to tell her about the money…and Vegas

  20. Hey, we need to start a Jerbal Sighting website like where’s Waldo. Where’s Jerbal will be the appropriate suppository…I mean depository in which to report sightings of the rodent every time he pokes is head out of his hole (suite C)! And then we can play Wack-a-Jerbal.

  21. How did this dirt bag go from a $25,000 contract to a $195,000 contract in two years? What a pathetic hipocrite.

  22. Why am I not surprised that LOC, the OCR or the LAT has not picked up on this.

    Matt and Laura’s actions fly in the face of what they proclaim to stand for. They appear to be flat out FRAUDS.

    As for Frauds, Chip Hanlon seems unceramoniously quiet. These guys just got exosed and they are hiding, hoping it blows over.

    KEEP IT UP. MAKE SURE IT DOES’NT

  23. suite C in the Jerbal Cave (Pacific Strategies) in Orange…….Suite C = the Commode Suite that the Jerbal uses with John Urell…..when he is not in his park ranger outfit patrolling Hart Park with his buddy Jonny the FleshMan Fleischman

  24. key question…….
    -how much did the Jerbie and the misses jerbie contribute to the Yes on 8 campaign?

    -how much was Laura paid by the Yes on Prop 8 folks for her sleazy efforts?

    just thinking out loud……
    where is our friend the Jerbal….hanging out at the SRLC in New Orleans hoping to drum up new business for Pacific Strategies?

  25. #50,

    I think you’ll find that Mrs. J took in about $13,198.59 between 10/1 and 12/1 of 2008 working under the heading “accountant/legal”.

    There is likely more disguised elsewhere.

    There is no (surprise) entry for the Cunninghams, thier companies or thier families contributing penny one to the cause the so “richly believed in”. Rich being the key word.

    Kinda turns the old saying upside down: “you can dish it out but you can’t take it”

  26. So mrs. j took in $13k for 2 months of preaching hate while the Jerb is pulling down 2 months of billing time out of the $195,000 contract with CFC of OC….interesting reading of the scope of work on the four contracts….seems like the Jerb got paid to do spanish media translation and work with Spanish speaking groups regarding OC’s First 5 programs….Since we all know that the Jerb does not speak spanish (afterall mrs Jerb does the translation for the Jerb at family events involving his in-laws since they do not speak english), it looks like this scope of work, aside from the fact that it is make work, was designed to keep the Jerb and the missus in dollars so that they can keep the lights on in the Jerbal Cave in Orange….Tony Serra, many thanks for your research on the new sponge Bob couple of OC… The Jerb and Laura “I love to preach hate until Tom Daly is elected when my hubby assures me that I will be chief of staff for Tom and I continue contribute to my PERS retirement account” Cunningham

  27. BTW, Tony Sierra, I didnt know the missus C had a law degree or an accounting degree? Maybe she got her law degree from that highly regarding institution of higher learning…Western States College of Law? Given the Jerb’s many ramblings on California’s election laws, it does make some sense that the missus is feeding him the interpretations given his level of intellect….Or maybe she has an accounting degree University of Phoenix….afterall that $195,000 may have been used to buy the degree from them…..

    Just thinking outside of the box……

  28. To be honest, I don’t know much about this couple. Other than what I’ve read and found on the CA SOS site.

    There is however a whole underbelly of illicit contracting that goes on in most municipalities/counties. I suspect we are no different.

    If I had more time and energy, I would begin with who Matt and Laura are connected to politically that has the juice to push contracts thier way. Bill Campbell for example, I think Supervisor campbell sits on 8-10 boards (getting a stipend I’m sure) and has the ability to steer contracts to his cronies. Start there.

    Secondly, most obviously, read back through the years of the posts and assume he was paid, then follow the trail. The Catholic Diocease one will be hard to prove, but the crumbs will lead to the truth.

    Lastly is the introduction of the Chip Hanlons of the world. We know this guy took $50K from Whitman already. What grand scheme was going on there? Imagine the pay back he has in mind.

    SIMPLY PUT, THEY ARE ALL FOR SALE!

  29. The ones that are for sale in OC are called repuglicans. They invariably steer government slush their own way. Baugh, Pringle, Lewis, Ackerman, and of course the second tier like Cunningham and Fleishman. Looks like Cunningham’s made a play for the upper echelon with those big bucks.

    That Hanlon is a first class tool. For him it’s all about return on investment.

  30. From todays Sacramento Bee:
    New Agriculture related license plates to be available……

    Agricultural enthusiasts take note – special interest license plates promoting the state’s farms could begin appearing on vehicles by next year.

    The plates feature “California” in script across the top and “AGRICULTURE” on the bottom, along with an image of green field rows and trees beset by vibrant sunshine to the left of the license plate number.

    Orders are being taken for the specialized plates, which initially cost $50 for a sequentially numbered plate, then $40 per year to renew. Personalized plates run $98 initially and $78 per year to renew, according to the state Department of Food and Agriculture’s website.

    Money collected from sales benefits agricultural programs statewide, including youth leadership development, career awareness and training.

    The DMV will begin issuing the plates once 7,500 have been ordered, the California Farm Bureau Federation reports.

    A portion of the agriculture license plate cost and renewal fee is considered a charitable contribution and is tax deductible.

    Jerbie and Mrs Jerbie have already applied for and have been granted the personalized license plates entitled “MrOCPIG” and “MsOCPIG.

    Remember-7 letters only

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