The Shakedown
The Fullerton City Council has addressed outdoor dining. Walk on Wilshire has support from Bruce Whitaker, Jesus Quirk-Silva, and Ahmad Zahra.
What about the other locations on public property? What about the parking lot next to Heroes Bar & Grill? It wasn’t that long ago, its owner Jack Franklyn made the impassionate plea to continue outdoor dining. That isn’t news. Jack will do what makes Jack money.
Doubling the capacity of Heroes with a tented outdoor space when Heroes already has a well seated patio is a slap in the face to the other business owners who need the parking spaces for their respective businesses. One of them is Play Coffee.
Enter self-described Hero Ahmad Zahra to the rescue. Play Coffee and its ownership needs assistance from the City Council grifter and Zahra answers the call.
All would seem fair and square until it is alleged that Zahra solicited a campaign donation from the small business owners of Play Coffee.
Apparently, a $3000 campaign donation is what is required for Zahra to bother to help small businesses in Fullerton.
It is one thing for Zahra to manipulate a disabled Asian resident to say his written words the first and third Tuesday nights of each month. It is another thing to exploit the poor senior citizens of Rancho La Paz to applaud his fake efforts at Council meetings. The choreographed Latino mothers he parades in front of those easily fooled is a low most would be incapable of. But extorting small business owners for an audience with the “amazing” Zahra is a con job that is on par with the Tinder Swindler.
What has happened to the Heroes outdoor dining program? Nothing. Zahra has no juice on that Council. He caucuses with himself most meetings.
Zahra now has an additional $3000 for his reelection campaign. The downtown small business owner has nothing to show for the monetary commitment, not even a crummy shirt or cheap tote bag.
And Fullerton voters have yet another addition to a long, very long list of liars, hatchet men, grifters, and frauds who called themselves members of the City Council.
Beware Fullerton small business owners!
Vote for Johnny
Wrong district.
They all cater to special interests one way or another. Zahra is selling failure. Is that any worse than selling success?
Play Coffee just lost my business.
This dude has no conscious. He is a monster and police need to investigate him.
The word in conscience. And no he doesn’t have any of that, either. It’s not in the brand marketing plan. Just look thoughtful and put your hands to your chest when the Latino Lady Brigade or the Lavender Hill Mob show up.
Or the wheezy script reader.
Go Bruins!
So you accuse Zahra of a corrupt quid pro quo but you straight up acknowledge that Play Coffee didn’t get what they wanted.
So I guess your accusation is really that he demanded a bribe and then dishonorably failed to honor the bribe?
Ugh. Seems even harder to prove than your usual stream of consciousness bullshit. And of course you have no evidence beyond a donation. Which by the way is “speech” so who is against free speech now?
We have a headache so I’m going to go lay down.
I LIKE TO TALK LOUD BECAUSE IT’S EASIER TO HEAR MYSELF.
Yes John you’re correct, it’s either… Zahra is getting support from play coffee because they just like him OR he took a bribe from them AND was not able to commit to the bribe AND play coffee still supports him even after not fulfilling the bribe. AND this is also assuming that Play coffee is dumb and thinks that one city council member can make a difference (you need 3 of them to make a difference). It’s Not believeable, It just seems like this article writer can’t fathom that small businesses like Zahra because they like Zahra. If we want too look at Council members that are bought out look at anyone else on the podium, or who’s running.
He shook them down and couldn’t deliver. They were dumb enough to believe his lie that he had some mojo. So he’s an incompetent crook who’s three grand better off.
That was probably a month’s income for coffee dude – because he just loves him some Zahra. Yeah, right.
P.S. Hooger has never been right about a single thing.
cats suck
Yep.
My experience is FFFF just seems to assume corruption on the part of government officials.
It’s a world-view thing, no proof or convincing argument necessary.
And, it seems they’ve decided they hate Zahra’s guts. They gave him the benefit of the doubt for about 5 minutes, way back when. He can do no right now.
“. . . no proof or convincing argument necessary.”
Physician, heal thy self.
He got the benefit of the doubt for “five minutes” when he supported an election to replace Silva’s empty chair. A few weeks later he voted to put the rancid old sea-hag Flory in it.
His reward was a $4000 a month do-nothing job on the OCWD Board – courtesy of Flory and Fitzgerald.
Now run along and play with yourself.
Exactly. He’s as transactional as they come. Dedicated to promoting his silly little “brand.”
Me thinks Chieffff sees Play Coffee smoke signals…he pissed off at Zahra for hatchet in back. Do not hide crook who speaks with forked tongue. Speak truth to Kemosabe honarable Lion Chief. Throw out Ratman Zahra!