The Fringies® Continue: Creepiest Political Stooge 2011

Normally a non-election year would mean that the pickings for political stoogery would be pretty slim. But 2011 is not a normal non-election year, and the advent of a vigorous Recall campaign has produced that rarest of phenomena: the Off-year Stooge. And so we present the Fringie® nominees in the next category: Creepiest Political Stooge 2011.

The Nominating Committee labored long and hard to come up with the nominees, and we owe them a sincere debt of gratitude. For it could not have been easy pondering the visages and miscreance of these small-town hacks and poltroons. And that may explain the 11 empty bottles of akavit laying around the Editorial Boardroom floor the next morning.

It prefers mealworms.

1. Right out of the chute the Anti-recall forces deployed the limited talents of the unctuous Jim Alexander to attack the character of the Recall leader. Alexander is a reptilian homunculus with a reputation as a small-time bag man for developers who want to grease the City Council.

Celebrate good times: Sizzler Early Bird Special, then lights out at 7:30 PM.

2. Then the same group of uberklowns engaged a four-foot tall gnome-fossil named Bill Gillespie to annoy the FPPC with a hollow complaint drummed up by Dick Ackerman, ironnically the subject of a legitimate FPPC complaint himself for illegal lobbying!

Yo, T! We want our sidewalk back!

3. But they weren’t done. Next they employed the oleaginous services of Anthony “Big Tony” Florentine to lodge yet another empty complaint with the FPPC. You remember this paragon of virtue, right? He’s the guy who built an addition to his bar on a public sidewalk and got the City Council – including Dick Jones and Don Bankhead – to go along with the hijacking.

Otiose and odious. A bad combination.

4. And finally we come to Larry Bennett, the moral bellwether of the anti-recall campaign; a man who earnestly pretends to care about such things as probity and honesty, and yet who lends his name to the worst prevarications cooked up by the amphibio-pus sac, Dave Ellis, and who oversees a website that is nothing more than a pathetic collection of outright lies only made amusing by the unintentional comedic value of the amateur site.

Bennett has distinguished himself by challenging Fullerton water rate payers to find evidence of the hidden illegal 10% tax on their water bills. Of course they can’t find it. It’s hidden, jackass. It’s not on the water bill. And that’s why it’s illegal.

These are your nominees. There will be no winners, only losers. Until we have a Recall, that is.

62 Replies to “The Fringies® Continue: Creepiest Political Stooge 2011”

  1. Since Gillespie appears to be the only stooge in this group of stooges, who doesn’t appear to have a chance at getting his skids greased, he gets my vote.

    My oh my Fullerton, where do you come up with these people? It must be the water!

    1. Good point. Stoogery for the pure, unadulterated pleasure of stoogery.

      His reward? A fond glance from Heehaw? Aw shucks, Dick, just doin’ what’s right.

  2. I think you ought to have included the Fullerton Rotary, whose members lined up like toy robots to sing the praises of their Rotarian brothers Jones, Bankhead, and McKinley twice (some of them were even able to read smoothly) in city council meetings. But, since Larry Bennett is a fellow Rotarian, I guess you sort of included them. Larry distinguishes himself on an almost weekly basis now as the feckless and farcical face of the Anti-Recall campaign, whether it’s through his website’s whoppers or his indefatigable in-person defense of the indefensible. Business ties? Political ambition? Just plain Authoritarian Personality? Who can say? But in scooping up the fallen banner of secrecy and stultification he has revealed three giant slugs who continue to slime everything they touch, including Larry. Yes, it’s a showdown for Larry, who even has the name of a Stooge.

  3. oh, yea-I stand by my nomination of

    Larry “I’ll stand on my head, if you can find the hidden fee on your water bill” Bennett

    and

    his soapbox rantings at last Tuesday’s council meeting that proclaimed the majority of people of Fullerton are against the recall

    what a total twisted dingbat
    where did this douch come from? Did he party in the early 1900’s with Mckinley and Jones?

  4. The choice here is pretty clear. Gillespie and Alexander have just not worked hard enough for this award and Florentine is a one trick pony. The guy can’t rely on stealing a city sidewalk forever. It was impressive, but carries finite juice.

    In the true spirit “Creepy”, you have to get behind the guy who ate his lunch alone in high school, the inequitable Larry Bennett. While I’m sure Larry is driven to some degree by his desire to sell over-priced term life insurance to ancient city councilman and has-been boo-hoos , it is clear that his greater motivation is to simply buy friendship. His monotonous, droning ramblings in defense of the indefensible belie his demonstrated intelligence (all droning aside) as one who grasps common sense political principles from the Planning Commission dais. Arguments like, “everybody was doing it” and “I defy you to find the illegal tax on your bill” are clear hail Mary’s at qualifying to be the sole outward cheerleader for a team that is losing on every front, most notably in the area of moral authority. When you are clearly blessed with enough intelligence to not be a fool but choose to publicly act a fool, you have placed yourself as the lead dog for the Creepiest Stooge of 2011.

  5. If it was based on a glance at these pics alone, I’d hand it right over to Jim, with Bill a close 2nd. But if you take a moment to look into their eyes.. Larry is waaay out in front for this title. ;P

  6. The Fullerton Savage :
    I think you ought to have included the Fullerton Rotary, whose members lined up like toy robots to sing the praises of their Rotarian brothers Jones, Bankhead, and McKinley twice (some of them were even able to read smoothly) in city council meetings. But, since Larry Bennett is a fellow Rotarian, I guess you sort of included them. Larry distinguishes himself on an almost weekly basis now as the feckless and farcical face of the Anti-Recall campaign, whether it’s through his website’s whoppers or his indefatigable in-person defense of the indefensible. Business ties? Political ambition? Just plain Authoritarian Personality? Who can say? But in scooping up the fallen banner of secrecy and stultification he has revealed three giant slugs who continue to slime everything they touch, including Larry. Yes, it’s a showdown for Larry, who even has the name of a Stooge.

    Well said Fullerton Savage! I can only add that Laurie, I mean Larry, also tried to accost me with his lame anti-recall schtick, while I was gathering signatures for the recall campaign. When I beat him like a borrowed mule in this instantaneous public debate, Larry went in sobbing like a schoolgirl to the grocery store manager that I was being mean to him and that he would like to request that I be removed from the front of the store.
    I have to question Little Laurie Bennett’s integrity when he is the one who accosts me, and starts a verbal exchange with me until he senses he’s getting his ass kicked, why he never identified himself to me or the Store Manager as the leader of the Anti-Recall, F. Dick Jones and Pat McKinley’s Campaign Manager from the 2010 City Council election?
    I should add that if you want to see the most smarmy and condescending congratulations ever insincerely offered to another human being, please watch last week’s City Council meeting at the 1:25 mark where this eunuch congratulates Sharon Quirk-Silva for becoming our new Mayor.

    1. as smarmy as Ron Thomas’ congratulation response? Heck, he spoke for us all…without permission, no less.

      Why in the heck people fall all over themselves to put SQS on a pedestal is beyond me. Bah Ram Ewe

  7. Silva has done nothing to change the tone in Fullerton. In fact I think with her nazi like performance last week we are in for more of the same. If Silva wants to lead differently the time is upon her. Fire the city manager and find a new one.

    Larry Bennett win this award. It’s clear after his no hidden water fee oh wait just try and find it.

  8. karma :
    as smarmy as Ron Thomas’ congratulation response? Heck, he spoke for us all…without permission, no less.
    Why in the heck people fall all over themselves to put SQS on a pedestal is beyond me. Bah Ram Ewe

    …my own personal observation regarding Silva and Whittaker around town, is that they listen to ALL of our residents. The other three councilman only listen to their friends who BS them to line their own greedy pockets with our money.

  9. Why do you attack Larry Bennett?

    Tony Bushala regarded his so highly, he encouraged him to run for city council. Here is Tony Bushala’s quote: “A long (and I mean a long) while ago I met a guy named Larry Bennett; years later we were both appointed by the city council to the Citizens Interview Committee. Our task was to interview folks who wanted to be on a city commission or a committee and Larry was the perfect guy for the job – full of common sense and honest as the day.

    Larry actually realized that the interview committee was in fact a burden – duplicating the selection process, and wasting tax payers time and resources. Larry had the intelligence to see that and the courage to stand up to the city council and say just that. From time to time I’d encouraged Larry to run for city council, but he’d always say that he had young kids to raise and he did just that.”

    See Tony Bushala’s entire post of April 15, 2011 -http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2011/04/fullertons-newest-planning-commissioner-larry-bennett/

    This was also posted on your website and the author was Admin.

    Now you slander him as a “stooge” because he disagrees with you and your tactics?

    City council material, “full of common sense and honest as the day” one week, stooge the next?

    I do agree with Tony Bushala regarding Larry Bennett, Larry Bennett is full of common sense and honest as the day.

    I post my real name and encourage those who post to have the courage and courtesy to put their real name behind (or in front of) their opinions / comments.

    1. Tony did not post this entry, Jan Flory’s dog did and they are two different bloggers. They are not all homogeneous in their opinions as bloggers…which is what I was told a few days ago by Travis.

      So basically, Tony may like LArry Bennett for all we know.

      Just saying….

      1. All the more tragic when someone who has shown some common sense in the past (though not always) chooses to throw his weight behind an unworthy cause. Tony may very well admire Larry for his past actions, but JFD and the rest of us certainly aren’t going to let it stand in the way of well deserved recognition for stoogery.

    2. April 15th was not “one week ago” and in any case admin did not write this post.

      Hey, if you want to talk about slander why don’t you call up Bennett and tell him to get rid of all the deliberate falsehoods on his website.

      BTW, sharing an opinion of somebody is not slander.

    3. BTW, Mr. Harnett, why don’t you explain Bennett’s challenge for citizens to detect the illegal water tax on their water bill when he knows damn well it’s hidden from the public.

      Real chickenshit, that. Bennett’s a wanker.

    4. Patrick Harnett- I take great offense as you banty about the words “tactics” and “slander” negatively and accusatory

      I just finished reading and looking at the video from that april story in orange juice and I say to you, that story was written 8 months ago and perhaps at that time Larry was liked for something he happen to do right-maybe thats how he was thought of at the time, That was before, “honest Larry”, thought nothing of condoning an illegal hidden tax on peoples water bills- in fact, stuck out his chest like he was that Chicken Hawk on looney tunes on that ridiculous childish website and windbagged that he would “pay anyone’s water bill if they could find a 10% tax on their bill” (what does the word HIDDEN mean to you? to me it means HIDDEN, CANT SEE IT, NOT THERE IN THE OPEN), then proceeds to libel and slander Tony Bushala with cock and bull made up crap on that stupid website and other means, that are intent on harming the mans reputation in the community and his business and for all to see- so if you want to use the word, slander, that would be an appropriate usage in regards to Larry the car salesman.
      As far as poor Larr just disagreeing with “tactics”- the definition of a tactic is a a maneuver or trick-no one is “tricking” anyone over here -as most things, excluding opinions, are the truth and can be proved in writing.
      Oh, and here’s another piece of info to pass to the honorable Mr Bennett, The majority of Fullerton is not against the recall, the majority is for the recall. And tell him- SNAP

    5. My opinion of people varies on what they say and do. I praised Larry when he stood up for a man’s property rights.

      Now he’s standing up for 3 senile councilmen who were involved in the cover up of a murder, who were involved in a tax scheme to steal money from Fullerton residents, and who were involved in an illegal redevelopment expansion. That’s where I’ve drawn the line in the sand. You know a man by the company he keeps.

      Larry Bennett’s a class A stooge and deserves a Fringie!

      1. If we were forced to support someone forever, I doubt I’d ever support anyone! Sadly, this seems to be part of the mindset of politicians, “support me now and I can do whatever I like and never lose your support”. Granted, Larry Bennett isn’t a politician per se but you get my drift.

  10. Listen and then do what exactly?

    smile and wave, smile and wave. it’s all PR BS.

    I want to see someone unselfishly lead this city and put the train back on the rails. So far none of them have done so, and that includes the baby kissers SQS and Whitaker.

  11. Patrick Hartnett :
    Why do you attack Larry Bennett?
    Tony Bushala regarded his so highly, he encouraged him to run for city council. Here is Tony Bushala’s quote: “A long (and I mean a long) while ago I met a guy named Larry Bennett; years later we were both appointed by the city council to the Citizens Interview Committee. Our task was to interview folks who wanted to be on a city commission or a committee and Larry was the perfect guy for the job – full of common sense and honest as the day.
    Larry actually realized that the interview committee was in fact a burden – duplicating the selection process, and wasting tax payers time and resources. Larry had the intelligence to see that and the courage to stand up to the city council and say just that. From time to time I’d encouraged Larry to run for city council, but he’d always say that he had young kids to raise and he did just that.”
    See Tony Bushala’s entire post of April 15, 2011 -http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2011/04/fullertons-newest-planning-commissioner-larry-bennett/
    This was also posted on your website and the author was Admin.
    Now you slander him as a “stooge” because he disagrees with you and your tactics?
    City council material, “full of common sense and honest as the day” one week, stooge the next?
    I do agree with Tony Bushala regarding Larry Bennett, Larry Bennett is full of common sense and honest as the day.
    I post my real name and encourage those who post to have the courage and courtesy to put their real name behind (or in front of) their opinions / comments.

    Exactly! Tony Bushala doesn’t form anyones opinion for them on this blog. We do that on an individual basis based on our own honest assessment of tha particular individuals actions and statements.

  12. karma :
    Listen and then do what exactly?
    smile and wave, smile and wave. it’s all PR BS.
    I want to see someone unselfishly lead this city and put the train back on the rails. So far none of them have done so, and that includes the baby kissers SQS and Whitaker.

    You can’t put a house back together overnight. It must be done painstakingly brick by brick so that the big bad wolf can’t come around and blow it down again singlehandedly.

    1. I agree, and it’s a damn shame not one of them is Practical Pig

      They ALL collectively drove this train off the tracks over a period of many many years. Why would I trust any of them to put it back together? Sorry but I don’t want the Stooge nomination this year, TYVM.

  13. Patrick Hartnett :
    Why do you attack Larry Bennett?
    Tony Bushala regarded his so highly, he encouraged him to run for city council. Here is Tony Bushala’s quote: “A long (and I mean a long) while ago I met a guy named Larry Bennett; years later we were both appointed by the city council to the Citizens Interview Committee. Our task was to interview folks who wanted to be on a city commission or a committee and Larry was the perfect guy for the job – full of common sense and honest as the day.
    Larry actually realized that the interview committee was in fact a burden – duplicating the selection process, and wasting tax payers time and resources. Larry had the intelligence to see that and the courage to stand up to the city council and say just that. From time to time I’d encouraged Larry to run for city council, but he’d always say that he had young kids to raise and he did just that.”
    See Tony Bushala’s entire post of April 15, 2011 -http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2011/04/fullertons-newest-planning-commissioner-larry-bennett/
    This was also posted on your website and the author was Admin.
    Now you slander him as a “stooge” because he disagrees with you and your tactics?
    City council material, “full of common sense and honest as the day” one week, stooge the next?
    I do agree with Tony Bushala regarding Larry Bennett, Larry Bennett is full of common sense and honest as the day.
    I post my real name and encourage those who post to have the courage and courtesy to put their real name behind (or in front of) their opinions / comments.

    He had the “courage” to stand up to the City Council. Maybe that’s because Larry Bennett was two of the City Councilman’s Campaign Treasurer in the last City Council election. Not exactly like Dorothy getting into the Emerald City and standing there facing the Wizard of Oz for the first time.

  14. I guess what the cops did to Kelly and to Veth and to the others is worthy of the defense of all the reptilian blood that is coming out of the abyss these days. Abbadon can you hear them? Poor souls. To defend the indefensible is indefensible and reprensible unless of course you are one of them.

  15. You no longer have my vote. I once considered the recall to have a good honest and reasonable voice. Now after reading this site at the behest of a hired signature collector for the recall campaign, I have decided that the writers, editors and commenting members are just as awful and or worse than the individuals they seek to replace. The mentality that needed changing is the crony, buddy-buddy, negativity that pervaded our city. You mock the mayor for sounding like a clown, and to an extent I would agree. But at least he is not using terms like “gas bag”, “Stoogery”, “reptilian homunculus”, “uberklowns”, “amphibio-pus sac”. Yet this site has proven that all involved with the recall are but the same people whom you seek to replace. Yes you have different opinions on political fodder but when it really gets down to it, you people seem vindictive and childish. Whether I agree with your politics or not doesn’t really matter. Why would I want a bunch of name calling immature sounding individuals leading myself and my city? Your group needs to grow up if you want my vote.

      1. I don’t work for any political organization. I’m simply offering you an opinion of someone your group seeks to sway. Why does voicing my opinion on the site your group told me to go visit automatically put me in the anti-recall employee list. It’s exactly this attitude that caused me to question you in the first place. It’s childish. Instead of being concerned with how a potential voter feels, you tell me to leave, and accuse me of working for someone I have no affiliation with. So you obviously don’t care how myself as a voter feels and hence you are as bad or worse than the other group. They are disconnected from the needs of their people and you seek to replace them for that. Yet you could care less as well. A friend I greatly respect once told me to seek change in yourself and watch the world change around you. Perhaps you too should consider this.

    1. This is not the Recall site. This is FFFF. You seem to be mistaken. Hit the red button at the top of the page. It will take you to the Recall site.

      And quit crying.

      1. Well it might be a good idea to better inform your workers. And thank you for continuing to prove my point.

      2. Exactly. Along with what I just posted, I also tell people this is a site about Fullerton with a lot of focus lately on the Recall. At the same time, I also give them FullertonRecall.com site.

    2. I always tell people to read this blog but I also tell them they have to sift through a lot of rhetoric from both sides. If you actually count the number of commenters, especially the ones whose comments you don’t like, you will find a very small amount. And so far, none of the people you don’t like are considering replacing the three. The idea is to recall these three. Period. The reason I point people to the blog is to gather information so they be informed. If comments or even entries are juvenile, reprehensible, etc to someone, what does that have to do with the fact that these three need to be recalled? Such comments certainly don’t lessen what they’ve done.

  16. I’d trust this Hartnett guy representing me about as far as I could kick his office building.
    These kind of liars, er I mean lawyers will take your up front retainer money and run.

  17. no longer have my vote :You no longer have my vote. I once considered the recall to have a good honest and reasonable voice. Now after reading this site at the behest of a hired signature collector for the recall campaign, I have decided that the writers, editors and commenting members are just as awful and or worse than the individuals they seek to replace. The mentality that needed changing is the crony, buddy-buddy, negativity that pervaded our city. You mock the mayor for sounding like a clown, and to an extent I would agree. But at least he is not using terms like “gas bag”, “Stoogery”, “reptilian homunculus”, “uberklowns”, “amphibio-pus sac”. Yet this site has proven that all involved with the recall are but the same people whom you seek to replace. Yes you have different opinions on political fodder but when it really gets down to it, you people seem vindictive and childish. Whether I agree with your politics or not doesn’t really matter. Why would I want a bunch of name calling immature sounding individuals leading myself and my city? Your group needs to grow up if you want my vote.

    Well Hoi Paloi!

  18. Until this morning, I was undecided between Bennett and Florentine, leaning toward Bennett. I’ve now decided to go with Bennett for this award. Thanks for the reminder of their anti-recall website where they’ve posted nothing but smears, irrelevance and outright lies with no opportunity for rebuttal.

    @Fullerton Lover: Now I know who you are! Larry Bennett and I also debated at my Recall table for 20-30 minutes outside a grocery store around 3 ago. I actually enjoyed, often referring to it as a sparring match. I was able to shoot holes in everything he said. When he brought up Tony’s transportation center deal, I mentioned the the article in the Observer by Norby and acknowledged that it was accurate. He was speechless (literally) when I asked if he realized the article made everything he just said nonsense. I also joked with him after the council meeting, telling him he was soooo wrong in what he had said.

    I can’t help but make note that Bennett has debated with us (signature gatherers) but not Chris Thompson. Even though he told me he’d accept Chris; offer to debate, I haven’t heard anymore about it. Could it be after not doing so well with us, he realizes a debate with Chris would be a huge mistake for the anti-recall campaign?

  19. People will toss their hats out once it makes the ballot, be patient. Of the ones I’ve heard mention interest, none are influenced by Tony.

    Everyone is so worried about Tony becoming king of the city. They really need to more worried about the ones who really do have power right now.

  20. Inappropriate touching of Larry Bennett isn’t a good thing, but it ain’t a dangerous thing thing.

    Oh, wait. It’s damn creepy thing.

  21. no longer have my vote :
    You no longer have my vote. I once considered the recall to have a good honest and reasonable voice. Now after reading this site at the behest of a hired signature collector for the recall campaign, I have decided that the writers, editors and commenting members are just as awful and or worse than the individuals they seek to replace. The mentality that needed changing is the crony, buddy-buddy, negativity that pervaded our city. You mock the mayor for sounding like a clown, and to an extent I would agree. But at least he is not using terms like “gas bag”, “Stoogery”, “reptilian homunculus”, “uberklowns”, “amphibio-pus sac”. Yet this site has proven that all involved with the recall are but the same people whom you seek to replace. Yes you have different opinions on political fodder but when it really gets down to it, you people seem vindictive and childish. Whether I agree with your politics or not doesn’t really matter. Why would I want a bunch of name calling immature sounding individuals leading myself and my city? Your group needs to grow up if you want my vote.

    How do you know the signature gatherer was hired? Did you ask them?

    1. I do have to wonder why so many are concerned about signature gatherers that are hired or paid. I’ve signed many petitions over the years knowing or at least believing that that gatherers were paid. What makes state or county measures different than local measures other than the simple fact that the Recall is local and more personal since we live here. Sign or don’t sign, that’s up to you. But don’t sign petitions you favor that are most likely there because of a paid signature gatherer and then cry foul because some are paid to do the same for the Recall petition. That’s just hypocrisy.

  22. Isn’t Larry Bennet on the Fullerton Planning Commission? And, is he the Planning Commissioner? If so, shouldn’t he stay away from the Microphone 3 Minute public voice at the council meetings, speaking of his support of the (3) council members being recalled?

  23. Yes Larry Bennett is on the Planning Commission, and yes it does seem improper to me also for Larry to be pandering to the City Council with his unabashed support of these crooks….ESPECIALLY when Larry Bennet is disingenuous enough to fail to mention that he recently served as two of the seated city councilman’s campaign treasurer in their most recent elections, and that he is the de facto leader and spokesman of the Anti-Recall campaign.

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