Just A Matter of Time

IMPORTANT UPDATE: This post was published a little over a year ago. The title, “Just A Matter of Time” was spot on; another example of what happens when city funding for things like trees and such get diverted to things like public employee pensions and the obscene debts that they cause:

And there you have it...

 Original Post, September 8, 2010: 

200 Block of W. Valencia Dr.

In allegedly tree-friendly Fullerton, trees are more a liability than an asset when the city has no funds, or no inclination to prune the trees. Let’s consider the case of Valencia Dr. (Redevelopment area, of course) between Harbor Blvd. and Highland Ave., where the residents of this block, which features 70 year old jacaranda trees have recently witnessed a near fatal accident when a huge limb broke off and almost squashed an innocent woman and her two kids while she was driving down the street.

Unfortunately for barrio residents and motorists, there’s no money in the Redevelopment budget to trim the trees after the Agency blew its wad buying up all the low income apartments just 2 blocks to the west. And similarly, the City blew its wad on its public employee retirement plan that pays guys like Fullerton City Council candidate Pat McKinley and former disastrous Planning Director, F. Paul Dudley, over a hundred thousand bucks per year just to stay at home and watch “As the World Turns” and “ALF” reruns.

It’s only a matter of time before both the jacaranda trees along Valencia and the public employee’s retirement fund comes smashing down causing loss of life, liberty and the of pursuit happiness.

81 Replies to “Just A Matter of Time”

  1. Seriously, now you’re blaming the fire and police for a tree branch falling. Maybe one will fall one of your piece of shit houses you own. If you ever need a side job, you could work as bozo the clown making balloon animals since you know how to twist nothing into something people laugh at. Keep up the good work slumlord.

    1. Well, there’s a reason tree limbs are falling on people. if it isn’t a budget crisis because of cops pay and pensions it must be neglect.

      If you have code enforcement issue I suggest you file a complaint. Otherwise just shut yer overpaid yap.

  2. No, we’re blaming the unions for sucking up a majority of the general fund with your elaborate pay and pensions. But try not to take it so personally.

    1. Hhahahahahahahhahaha you ffffers are so lame!! TREES!! That’s what you have now!! Wow you guys are really reaching for anything!!!! Next it’s going to be overgrown BUSHES cause traffic accidents!!! Great work ffff! Morons! Ha

    2. Note to Travis, and Tony. The City doesn’t use the General Fund for tree trimming. There is a special fund that is used for tree trimming. All trees get trimmed every three to four years, and problem trees like the Ficus get it much more often. You know trees shed branches in 50 plus mile per hour wind gusts, and in dry conditions when the moisture is sucked from the limbs to the trunk. I think that the property owner would be well advised to water this tree more often, as they don’t water themselves, to avoid this in the future.

  3. Mr. Bleed the Freak,

    While I don’t always agree with the posts here, I at least attempt to be civil while in discussion. I’m also curious why you are so active in posting your opinion if you dislike the information that is presented here.

  4. jefferson thomas, its called freedom of speech, your feelings may be hurt but your nose is still intact so don’t get it out of joint over this snivel servant. Bleed the freek cant logically reason that all funds for government services comes from one place, the private sector’s pockets. because bleed the freek still believes the tooth fairy funds outrageous pensions and other good things, I’m not surprised when he is confronted with ugly reality his or her only response is to stick his or her tongue out at it.

  5. Well, there’s one good thing from this post…

    …at least admin is back to posting about things he’s more qualified to talk about, like brick veneer, sidewalk shapes, and street signs.

    Maybe your credibility in the brick veneer department will be better than your credibility (none) in the politics department.

    Oh wait, I don’t remember seeing any comments on this site about the brick veneer at the new Chronic Taco. Hmmmm, I wonder why?

    1. I’m sorry, but government by the people means that WE ALL HAVE EXPERTISE in talking about government. Don’t give me that expertise crap. I am the people, therefore I will say how government is supposed to run.

  6. Tree’s have been around since the beginning of time. If you get hit and killed by a falling branch, you weren’t meant to live.

  7. It’s like watching a group of retards trying to build a human pyramid, you can’t help but stare.

    Can’t wait for more riveting commentary by Fullerton’s silver spoon crowd on sidewalk design.

    1. Like watching a bunch of Fullerton cops at a DUI checkpoint?

      Nothing worse than a cop with a six JC units under his McKinley vest.

  8. I love trees, I love flowers and such.
    But it has always pissed me off that the city plants trees that require high maintenance.
    It also puzzles me that they contract with landscape architects or designers who for some unknown reason forget that the “cut” green things grow into large root balls which undermine sewage pipes, sidewalks etc. and tax dollars.
    Another thing which is a piss of is that we have such a tight budget and they neglect the maintenance of the trees and trim the bushes which grow on private property owners who want privacy and more green. These wild out of control shrubs and such grow into the creek, (the one off of Chapman)
    Why doesn’t the city charge these lazy cheap homeowners for neglecting their yards? Why does the city have to do it for free?
    Why don’t they give them fair warning then charge $500-$1000 per lazy household?
    Why neglect the city’s “forced on us trees” and do the creek at everybody’s expense?

    Another thing, who daughter got the city contract to put those silly looking balloon things (artistic? my arse!)
    Why don’t they just dust off the stupid cows Fullerton had displayed years ago, would that not be recycling?
    This is Bullcrap! Ahem! Cowcrap!!! These bonehead looking metal balloons, What the heck! Spending money the city does not have.

  9. wha? my tax dollars paid for metal balloons? this is on par with the Fullerton Library hockey stick. why can’t fullerton ever figure it out? It is not artistic. As a Fullerton lifer(I apologize for having to pull out that fact from time to time) the Norton Simon museum originally was set to be built at the corner of Brookhurst and Commonwealth in the early 1960’s. the civic leaders of fullerton said no way because it would cost the city extra money to maintain the museum’s lawn and trees (sound familiar?). A decade later a women’s group decided to turn our city into the tree city . recently returning from western europe, I noticed fullerton has more trees than France, England and Scotland. Nottingham forest looks like a cow pasture compared to the average street in fullerton.

  10. If these are in the Redevelopment Area, shouldn’t Redevelopment Agency funds be used to trim the blighted city-owned trees?

  11. The real issue in this town is brick veneer. Do you have any old posts about brick veneer laying around?

  12. Great work admin keep it up! Can you update us on the cleaning of the foutains to the front of city hall and lawn mowing at the pd! Haha

      1. Even with the payout idiot they still make more than your dumbass! Haha and most of them only work 3 days a week! So who’s laughing now moron! Haha

    1. What’s the matter? You don’t like stories of everyday Fullerton government failure? You’d prefer somebody get murdered by the cops everyday? Not even the FPOA can keep up with that desire.

  13. This happened to a friend of mine who lives in a neighboring city of Fullerton. He was parked next to the curb at a city park and a HUGE branch from a tree broke off and fell on his hood, crushing it beyond repair. The irony is that, before this happened, the neighbors around the park told the city they needed to trim the trees as branches were starting to break off. It took several meetings with the city, but they finally paid for the damages to his car.

    1. You people are unreal! Did you see that tree that fell in Newport beach and killed a lady in her car! The city cut the trees down and everyone freaked out!!!!! You people are never happy with anything! If Fullerton cut down the trees you ffffers would cry and protest and scream at city council meetings! You idiots just need something to complain about! Now it’s trees! Really????

      1. You must be you-know-who in his baby bonnet and diaper because you’re pissing all over yourself about trees. You need to change your screen name to MANCHILD.

  14. Speaking of sitting home watching soap operas:

    McKinley Soap Opera: “One Life to Give”

    Dick Jones Soap Opera: “The Edge of Blight”

    Don Bankhead Soap Opera: “Hark, Shadows!” (senile utterance)

  15. Hey, if the “government” or “city” is going to plant these “ffffer” trees, bushes, or flowers, and pour cement, then the “government” or “city” needs to maintain all this, its what taxes are paid for, if all this is ignored and the trees/bushes/flowers become overgrown and dangerous to the point of hurting someone as well as cement cracking and becoming dangerous, then the city/government needs to be held responsible, just like you or I would be if the same thing happened on private property, so a little maintenance every once in a while government/city

  16. This has got to be the straw that breaks the camels back. How dare they not send bi-monthly tree inspectors to x-ray every tree for internal cracks.

    1. That’s a really ignorant comment. Those jacaranda trees are sixty or seventy years old and become a hazard. Especially when not trimmed properly.

      1. I’m just saying. I read this blog every day. What the local government’s done with its police uses is despicable. This is a tree falling.

        1. If your sewer line backed up into your living room due to the same municipal neglect, you would have a different viewpoint.

  17. I live on this block and hate these trees. We have some many issues regarding the city NOT trimming the trees before the sap starts to get on our cars and windows..mind you the sap on the pavement and well not even going to start on our tile/wood floors inside our homes. We have made serval calls to the city and nothing; they state that these trees are city treasures and can not be cut down. Well maybe I should state this: Get your cleaning crew and get started on my tile floors and tile to clean up the sap!

    1. Several years ago the city removed and replaced all the trees on our block via a signed petition from ALL of the neighbors stating it was damaging personal property. Call the city and find out how you go about doing this, I believe the petition form came from the city, but I don’t recall for certain, we could have put one together ourselves. But I do know we operated under the direction of the city about how to get all of the the trees removed. Maybe they don’t want to tell you this or maybe they don’t do this anymore. good luck.

  18. The city will not replaces an elderly man’s fence due to a tree branch falling on it….He just gave up…the city doesn’t care for it’s citizens.

    1. He should definitely not go break a bunch of windows at city hall equal to the cost of the damage to his fence, because that would be wrong.

    2. He needs to file a claim on his home insurance and maybe they will sue the city. — that’s how the system works. If he doesn’t have home insurance he is SOL.

  19. no one is saying “xray every tree” and you know it, inspector clueso, detective over- eggsagerate, just freaking trimming them would be nice- isnt that what im paying taxes for?

  20. Pensions are mandated by contract. Trees, unfortunately, have no rights because they don’t have strong collective bargaining. They get overgrown, fall down in the wind, and cause property and bodily injury — and death (like in Newport Beach, recently). I think Greenpeace needs to start trying to get these trees to sign petitions to be represented by a strong union and then have them duke it out with police and fire unions. Power to the trees!

  21. I would rather give ex police chief McKinley a pension to STAY HOME than have to put up with that Jackass on city council.
    I asked for Redevelopment money to put the blues band back together and he said there was no more money even for the Civic Light Opera!
    Just another example of good planning Pat!
    Hey, when is Fullerton gonna be named a Tree City USA like Ron Thomas home town, Cypress? See, one city spends and spends, and the other plants and trims trees.

  22. What do I know, I am a blues master. But, Jacaranda trees are great to have when trimmed properly, otherwise they are a hazard. Fullerton wants those type of trees, then you have to have money in the budget at least every 3 years to properly trim the trees.
    When they get too old, they have to be removed if near hazards as they will split.
    Say, how many of the 130 officers on Fullerton PD payroll are African American? Not many bluesmeisters over there!

  23. THE TREES

    There is unrest in the forest,
    There is trouble with the trees,
    For the maples want more sunlight
    And the oaks ignore their please.

    The trouble with the maples,
    (And they’re quite convinced they’re right)
    They say the oaks are just too lofty
    And they grab up all the light.
    But the oaks can’t help their feelings
    If they like the way they’re made.
    And they wonder why the maples
    Can’t be happy in their shade.

    There is trouble in the forest,
    And the creatures all have fled,
    As the maples scream “Oppression!”
    And the oaks just shake their heads

    So the maples formed a union
    And demanded equal rights.
    “The oaks are just too greedy;
    We will make them give us light.”
    Now there’s no more oak oppression,
    For they passed a noble law,
    And the trees are all kept equal
    By hatchet, axe, and saw.

    just sayin’

  24. Meanwhile, on the east coast, tens of thousands of tree limbs were broken off in a freak snow storm and not one word of whining and blame. Are Fullerton residents the biggest bunch of whiners in existence, or is it just the whiny admistrator here?

  25. Well seems to me that if city trees are breaking off and killing people or doing property damage in good weather that should be a good reason, to any empty headed scarecrow, that whining is necessary to get something done about that, sure would hate to hear that a 3 year old playing in the yard was hit in the head by one of those broken tree limbs

  26. Well I can’t complain about tree trimming in my neighborhood. Every year WCA come around in Sept. or Oct.. They were just here a week ago.. This is about the only thing we get done in our little neglected area of Foolerton..

  27. This time you will have to pay if you want me to comment.

    Steve Brow
    International Society of Arboriculture
    Certified Arborist WE-2171.

  28. If a tree fell on a FPD attack car, the whole force would show up and beat the thing into pulp while screaming “stop resisting, stop resisting!”

  29. Anonymous :Hey, the FPOA is on blog duty today. Enjoy the pay cut, assholes! You’ve earned every cent of it.

    Actually Fullerton is doing good even with the pay cut. There is worst cities out there. Look at Santa Ana Pd. They will be bankrupt in 3 months. They wont be able to pay their employees.

  30. YORBA LINDA – A woman and her children escaped injuries when a large tree limb fell into their Yorba Linda home Wednesday morning.
    It was about 10:05 a.m. when Melissa Slezak and her two daughters and son heard a loud crack from the front of their house on Casa Loma Avenue. Two giant limbs from an elm tree had fallen onto the street, Slezak said.

    Look those bastards are knocking down trees in Yorba Linda now. They also are responsible for it being dark at night and for causing rain.

  31. Dark? Rain? Your misplaced outrage falls on the shoulders of Al Gore. But this is a local fight so your opinion doesn’t really matter. Please drive through.

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