Norberto Santana over at the Voice of OC(EA) has keystroked a post here, in which 4th District Supervsor Shawn Nelson of Fullerton has said he’s in the race for a newly drawn Congressional district that includes most of his supervisorial district.
At last week’s city council meeting, city councilman Bruce Whitaker proved to be a steward of the public’s money. While the other 4 had no regard for what it means to balance a budget, Whitaker did! Remember this the old saying, “when the going gets tough the tough get going”.
POST UPDATE: I JUST SPOKE WITH CHRIS NORBY AND HE’S DEFINITELY NOT RUNNING FOR CONGRESS. FURTHERMORE, HE WOULD ENDORSE SHAWN NELSON OVER GARY MILLER.
Tomorrow the new redistricting lines for Congress will be released by the Citizens Redistricting Commission. If the lines hold and my hunch about Ed Royce moving next door into the 48th District is correct, then those of us in the 40th Congressional District could soon have an opening for a new U.S. Congressman.
I spoke with both State Assemblymen Chris Norby and Supervisor Shawn Nelson about all the “ifs” today and they are both considering that job.
If that happens, then we would have a whole new set of “ifs.” For example, who would run for Supervisor or State Assembly? If Bruce Whitaker ran for State Assembly and won then who would run for Council? And if…well, you see where this thing is going.
According to aroundthecapitol, AB1017 author San Francisco assemblyman Tom Ammiano has this to say; “This sensible change to provide a district attorney with the discretion to charge either a misdemeanor or felony for marijuana cultivation based on local community standards is long overdue. Mandating felony prosecution for every marijuana cultivation charge, regardless of circumstances, uses up precious court resources and state prison beds, and does not differentiate between large-scale illegal grows and mom and pop backyard grows. Nobody will get a free pass, even small backyard growers and trimmers can be charged with a misdemeanor, and some district attorneys may continue prosecuting every cultivation case as a felony. AB 1017 simply provides a district attorney with the discretion to prosecute as either a felony or misdemeanor.”
Now let’s hear from my friend and freedom fighter state assemblyman Chris Norby:
Of course the prison guard union is lobbying for “no” votes. And AB1017 is currently on the assembly floor and deadlocked at 27 aye’s -27 no’s. Things could change either way in the coming weeks, but don’t hold your breath 🙂 for too long.
Word has it that Diamond Bar’s Gary Miller wants to run for Congress in our newly minted 40th Congressional District. Remember Gary? He’s the same guy who endorsed Harry Sidhu the Carpetbagging Crash Test Dummy last year. Here’s Gary:
It’s funny how true the old saying, “birds of a feather flock together” really is. I just received this video clip from a Friend who remembered that Harry Sidhu was recently crowing how he had received the endorsement of Congressman Gary Miller. Watch this video and decide for yourself if you believe Gary Miller is as corrupt as CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) believes he is.
Sound familiar? It should. Harry Sidhu also used to list Municipal Water District Director Brett Barbre and County Treasurer Chriss Street as his proud endorsers. We busted Barbre getting a $48,000 do-nothing payoff from Tom Daly, and then kicking back $1000 to Daly’s campaign; and Street recently got busted by a judge for misusing a bankruptcy trust fund. See a trend?
Both Barbre’s and Street’s names have mysteriously disappeared from Sidhu’s list of “honorable” supporters. How long will it take for Gary Miller’s named to be scratched? And will we soon discover that Sidhu has no ethical followers, at all?
When this blog kicked off several years ago, one of the first subjects of our discontent was the fake McSpanish horrors being constructed at Fullerton College.
Well, Â the buildings are complete and FJC students are submitting their feedback…and boy are things looking ugly. Here’s a hilarious clip of some dudes highlighting a few of the creepier features:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DAVMr9iCdsRemember the hilarious “meandering” sidewalks created by the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency in downtown?
Here’s the encore. Be careful walking down this public sidewalk in front of the city-owned Costco parking lot.
Update: These two murals are about to be put on the schedule as part of the $100,000 taxpayer-funded Lemon Park Mural restoration project, so now it’s time to ask the question again…
There has been some discussion over the past few years about what to do with the aging and in some cases repeatedly defaced murals that adorn the pedestrian bridge over Lemon Street.
When I went to take some pictures recently, a new twist on the story occurred to me, and one which the ACLU-types don’t seem to have noticed: the promotion of Christianity on public property. On the east side support an actual Catholic shrine has emerged.
An interesting situation, to say the least, and one in which any artistic statement has obviously morphed into an obviously overt religious expression. Do these murals get a pass as a cultural expression that, say, a Christmas display in front of City Hall wouldn’t?
As always we welcome your thoughts on the subject.
Neighbors around Lemon Park received a letter from the city inviting them to meetings on 5/31 and 6/28 to discuss the old Lemon Park Murals. The Public Art Committee would like feedback from the community…
1. Is there one or more mural out of the group you feel is/are absolutely essential to keep and restore?
2. Is there  one or more mural out of the group that you feel is/are absolutely essential to remove or replace?
3. Please rank the murals in order of importance to the park and the community. A number 1 would indicate the most important, 12 the least.
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| Come Back Again and La Adelita | Fullerton Clasped Hands |
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| Girl with Car | Cross with Crown of Thorns |
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| The Town I Live In and Brown Car | |
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| Virgin de Guadalupe | La Mujer Latina |
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| Zoot Suit Riots | Calle Elm |
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| Los Ninos Del Mundo | |
4. If we are able to produce a new mural in or around Lemon Park, what subjects/themes would you like to see depicted in the mural.
FFFF will be forwarding all comments to the Fullerton Public Art Committee, the Fullerton Museum Board and the Fullerton City Council.
A Public Comment to the General Plan Advisory Committee By Judith Kaluzny
I ask that you remove the reference to a Business Improvement District from your draft of a general plan. I understand the mention is to “encourage” a business improvement district. A business improvement district is a tax on businesses, collected as a property tax by the county tax assessor, in a defined area. It can be based on property ownership–and the owners pass the costs along to their tenants; or on individual businesses in the district.
This is found in the codes of the State of California in the Streets and Highways code. Thing is, a city can assist a BID ONLY AFTER the business people on their own form a group, plan the boundaries, get a petition signed to ask for having a BID. A BID is NOT for paying for regular maintenance of an area, but for improvements. An executive director will be hired, and a board of directors elected–another level of government and taxation for your small downtown businesses in this case.
The redevelopment department, inappropriately, has already tried that for $3,000 paid to a consultant and a balance in the accounts for another $27,000 for that consultant. Four meetings were held; I attended all, as did Cameron Irons and Mr. Terranova. Only at the last meeting did about five other business owners attend. And I had handed out many fliers to alert downtown businesses.
A year or two before that, Cameron Irons sent out a survey to downtown property owners regarding a BID. He gave me copies of the 12 or 14 replies. All were against it, but two said, if you are going to have it, we will participate.
The Nicole Coats had a meeting or two to gin up support for a BID. The two people (me and Henry Jones) who indicated willingness to participate were not invited. Those meeting with Nicole Coats–Cameron Irons, Terranova, Theresa Harvey, and two or three more chose the consultant. Paul Dunlap said he was invited, but declined to participate.
The idea of a BID for downtown arose when Councilmember Quirk asked if there wasn’t some way to get money for paying for the costs of maintaining downtown. Redevelopment Director Zur Schmeide told her that a business improvement district might be a way.
When the consultant was hired, I talked to both the city manager and Councilmember Quirk. Mr Meyer said, “we have an eight block area that is costing us over million and a half dollars a year. We have to do something.” Councilmember Quirk also spoke of a BID paying for the excess costs of maintaining the restaurant overlay district.
This is not the appropriate use or purpose of a BID! And it is by law supposed to arise from the grass roots business people, not top down from the city to get tax money for maintenance.
What I see happening is that if a BID were established for downtown, the only people who would have time or interest to serve on the board of directors will be restaurant/bar owners. Then they will vote to spend the taxes raised for maintenance so the city will not be so burdened by the bar district. (Which burden the city council created by abolishing CUPs for restaurants downtown.)
The Downtown Fullerton Restaurant Association is a non profit listed as c/o Cameron Irons, 118 North State College Boulevard, same address as Vanguard Investment Properties.