I just came across this interview on the “Johnson for America Blog” involving OC Sheriff candidate, former Lt. Bill Hunt. Check it out. I am principally interested in this Q & A exchange on the subject of marijuana:
Josiah Schmidt: As an experienced law enforcement official, what is your opinion on the possibility that California might legalize marijuana in the next election?
Bill Hunt: It is the job of the sheriff to support and uphold the laws of the state. As it stands now, medical marijuana is legal in this state by a vote of the people. It is not the job of the sheriff to try to circumvent the will of the people by collaborating with the federal government. If marijuana is legalized I will treat it just like any other legal activity such as the use of alcohol. Responsible alcohol consumption is not a violation of the law. However, use by minors, driving under the influence, etc., are violations of law and they are enforced.
Wow.A comprehensive, straightforward, honest answer. Liberty, state’s rights, common sense, and no bullshit about waging the counterproductive and bank-breaking War on Drugs – or any other empty chest thumping slogans. Hmm.
Well, okay. It’s just talk. But I like what I’m hearing. I like it a lot.
Our old pal Matthew J. Cunningham, the editor of the Mauve County blog and noted Tom Daly fan just can’t get enough of our humble blog. Our mole, deep inside the guts of the John Lewis political machine has informed us that Cunningham has been posting comments at FFFF under a whole slew of fake names. We even have the list.
Last night he chimed in on the Daly campaign finance post calling himself “Grover gets an F” to try his old trick of changing the subject. Of course that didn’t work.
But he has also popped up here recently under the aliases “Peabody the Nobody,” a fake “Lou Correa,” “No Tax Hikes,” and “Strider.”
Naughty, naughty boy, Matthew. Report to the principal’s office immediately! Now that you’ve joined the ranks of the Sidhu and Daly campaign workers blogging anonymously (and frequently for your boys), your much bragged about credibility just took a hit wherever it still exists. Of course we were on to you all along so there’s no harm done here at FFFF. Wonder if you’ll keep criticizing all those mean anonymous bloggers.
Why not just stick to those boring posts you do over at that ghost town of yours and quit cluttering our threads? And try getting a real job while you’re at it.
The day after Harry Sidhu announced the formation of the “team” to run his carpetbagging, fake residency-based campaign for the OC 4th District Supervisor race, a seeming spate of commenters popped up in the local bloggery to promote Sidhu and attack Shawn Nelson’s career choice. Good lord! It was like watching bacteria multiply under a microscope.
They all look the same...
Here at FFFF we had:
Mad Max
Amy Lynn
Grassroots Advocate
Interestingly, Max and Amy presented themselves as innocent, earnest students. Meanwhile, Orange Juice was honored by the presence of:
Mark Redman
FootballDad
When Red County’s Cynthia Ward’s passed along the Sidhu press release announcing Team Sidhu, that thread was favored by a visitation from:
Orson
Anonymous
The only problem with this sudden eruption of teeming pro-Sidhu blog-life was that it all came from the same source and showed up on different blogs at the same time!
Well Harry, at least one friend is better than none at all.
Those boys need to learn about cash for clunkers...
Yup. Those bad boys in the white van were spotted in the Linbrook Bowl Lanes parking lot yesterday. The mescaline and the revolving bowling pin may have provoked some transcendental moments, but apparently the fellas got down to work because they forwarded an audio file. There is a lot of interference on it that sounds like the crashing of bowling pins, so we have had to deploy our expert audio forensic team create a transcript. And here it is:
(sound of phone ringing)
Scott Taylor: Hello?
Harry Sidhu: Uh, Scott. This is Harry.
ST: Where the hell are you?
HS: Well, I am here at the Calabria. I think I was being followed so I came over here. Just to be safe, you know.
ST: Followed? Aw, Hell. Tim Clark is with me. I’ll put you on speaker.
HS: Oh! Hello Tim! How are things going in my campaign.
Tim Clark: Well, we’re trying. I’ll be honest Harry. There’s still a lot of stink on you from that ass-kicking Mimi laid down on you in 08. Geez she won every precinct in Anaheim. Then running so soon after your re-election to the Council – our polls say that people think you’re just desperate for a higher political job.
HS: Yes, jobs.
TC: Huh?
HS: I am a job creator.
TC: Ah, gee Harry. People in our poll weren’t impressed by minimum wage job creation. They didn’t seem impressed no matter how hard we pushed.
HS: Jobs.
ST: Um, focus, Harry.
HS: Jobs. Enterprise zone. Small business.
ST: Yeah. Okay. Okay. This carpetbagging thing is tough. Carol Rudat took it on the chops over this and it just killed Linda Ackerman and they’re gonna keep hammering that one. No way around it. For chrissakes just don’t get caught going home at night, Harry. Jesus, we’ll end up with Dave Lopez at the gate!
HS: Well, you know, those peacocks don’t feed themselves. Somebody has to do it.
TC: Okay focus, guys.
ST: What are we gonna pitch? Harry do you know anything about the County government?
HS: Jobs? I went to Norby’s office all the time. I will tell them I am just like Norby, only richer.
ST: Um, better not do that. We need something, you know, specific. Anything, really.
(prolonged silence)
Well, don’t worry, I guess we can cook up something.
HS: Well my friends that is why I have hired you. Oh! Now look at that would you. What a filthy disgrace! A dirty white van behind the wall spewing fumes.
Ah! And look at the time! I must be going, um, well, you know – home.
(at this point the telecommunication was terminated)
Well you heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.
Tom Daly has and will be beholden to the public employee unions. He tries to put a fig leaf over this ugly fact by describing the unions as his neighbors with a stake in the “quality of life” of his community. Notice how Daly conveniently confuses the individual with the collective? What a hoot!
Well I hate to break the news to you Mr. Daly, but it’s the public unions and their never ending fiscal demands that have pushed our cities, our county, and our state to near-insolvency and dismal credit ratings. And the citizenry has finally gotten wise.
Right on cue, Cynthia Ward AKA “Colony Rabble” the newest blogger at the Purpling County blog tossed a bouquet to her soul mate whom she “just loves to death,” Democrat Tom Daly.
FFFF has previously noted here and here that Ms. Ward’s presence on a supposedly conservative blog was merely to promote the candidacy of Daly – which can’t be done out in the open by Matthew Cunningham, the blog’s editor, who has been indirectly promoting the Daly candidacy on behalf of his boss John Lewis for almost a year. Repuglicanism at its very worst.
Her post is nothing but a big, sloppy wet kiss for Daly – for his supposedly sparkling performance at the 4th Supervisorial District candidate’s forum held in Fullerton last night. Apart from the fact that Daly is a Democrat who proudly announced his pride in accepting union contributions, his perfomance at the forum was anything but superlative.
And that’s the snag in the script. Daly was truly awful. I was there taping the event. He actually seemed like he was underwater. His performance was not engaging and just seemed “phoned in.” He really did appear like somebody just going through the motions, and keeping his employment options open.
He even waffled hard on the High Speed Rail project, Ward’s pet project du jour. But it hardly matters. Her screenplay is already written.
It will be interesting to see whether Red County blog boss Chip Hanlon goes along with this nonsense. Only last week he was reacting enthusiastically to the Scott Baugh Manifesto, that not only denounced public union money but excoriated Democrats.
At last Tuesday’s council meeting our elected representatives were served up a tasty morsel from their attorney Dick Jones. He was peddling a load of BS about it being city policy that Planning Commissioners not consider the economic feasibility of subsidized projects. We’ve already documented Jones’ baloney here.
But Sharon Quirk-Silva, would have none of it. She challenged Jones on the supposed policy, and suggested, correctly, that the project be reconsidered in the light of a full review by the Planning Commission. She had the support of Planning Commissioner Scott Lansburg, who actually showed up to indicate that for him at least, the project would have received different treatment had he been permitted to consider the practical economics of the thing. Good for him.
Attorney Jones of course, pushed back, conjuring up the frightening manitou of “litigation” to chase stray councilmembers back onto their reservation. Now, gee, where have we seen that tactic before?
Meanwhile, Don Bankhead seemed a lot more interested in attending the upcoming ground breaking ceremony (where he can wear a specially painted gold hard hat) than in reining in the Richman/Olson Co. disaster.
In the end nothing came of hearing it except that the Council might have “study sessions” on the matter; which, if it ever happens, will no doubt be steered right back into the direction the city staff wants – at which point Attorney Jones made-up “policy” will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
He droned. And droned. And droned some more. When he was done his crapola lay before the City Council and public like the steaming load of road apples it was.
Well like they say, the road apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Back in November City Attorney (Junior Grade) Tom Duarte had told the Planning Commission that their range of review on the ghastly Richman housing project did not include economic considerations. At Tuesday night’s city council meeting his boss, City Attorney Dick Jones, defended his boy by cooking up a line of nonsense about city “policy” precluding the Planning Commission from considering economic viability factors in its review of projects, even apparently a highly subsidized one like the Richman disaster-in-the-making. As you can see he keeps blathering on about “historic” roles and “prior direction” blah, blah, blah.
By the time of Tuesday’s meeting, even the city planning staff had admitted that there was nothing to preclude economic consideration by the commission. To the contrary, a detailed staff memo by city planner Al Zelinka documented the many instances where such review was not only appropriate, but required. As expected, staff started waffling again at the meeting, but we already have it from them, in writing! We shared it with you here. Since the legal jig was up, Jones fell back on his lame-ass “policy” response.
And we challenge attorney Jones to point out exactly which council resolution(s) puts that alleged “policy” into effect. hell, go ahead and point out a single vote that established this policy. Go ahead, Mr. Jones. Do it. Enlighten us. Prove to us that you are not merely protecting the ill-advised action of your employee.
As an odd footnote, Jones noted that Planning Commissions do review and advise on development disposition agreements. Which begs the question: on this highly subsidized housing project, why didn’t they?
Dear Friends, we just received this fun post from a mutual Friend and I believe you will agree that it’s funny and pretty accurate. So enjoy.
Admin
Several years ago Morris Feinberg penned a biography about his late brother Larry Fein entitled “Larry, The Stooge in the Middle”. This clever and memorable title suggests a parallel to our own Fullerton City Council.
I always prefer the middle
Twice a month first term Mayor Pro Tem Pam Keller takes her seat at the council dais between Dick “Moe” Jones and Don “Curley” Bankhead. In recent months she has become the crucial third vote to approve some dubious Redevelopment projects. No stranger to giving her stamp of approval to terrible developments like Amerige Court and Jefferson Commons, she is always careful to pepper the city staff with a few probing questions before throwing her support firmly behind it (“I got it Moe!”). Lately, though, with Sharon Quirk-Silva withdrawing her support for boondoggles like the recently approved low income housing on Richman and the illegal Redevelopment expansion, and Shawn Nelson voting likewise against them or taking a powder entirely, Pam Keller has cast the deciding “yes”, taking her place as The Stooge in the Middle.
The middle here I come
Larry Fein had a long stretch as a Stooge, but Pam Keller is up for re-election this year. One has to assume that challenger Marty Burbank has come to boot Pam aside to claim the mantle of middle Stooge for himself. He has already signaled his worthiness of the title by shilling for the Chamber of Commerce in support of the aforementioned expansion of Fullerton’s Merged Redevelopment Area. Of course, we don’t know what else Marty stands for, since the “Issues” page on his website is completely empty, but we don’t suppose he means to bump aside fellow Rotarian Bankhead, who will undoubtedly endorse the new would-be Larry.
There are some wild cards in play, however. What if Shawn Nelson is elected as 4th District County Supervisor? What if the rumors are true that Dick Jones plans to step down sometime this year? There may be room for Shemp, and even Curley Joe to fill out the second half of as many as two council terms. Then who will be The Stooge in the Middle?
Last year just before Christmas the Fullerton City Council voted 3-1 to approve the idiotic Richman housing project, a staff-driven boondoggle that makes zero planning, housing, or economic sense. We wrote about it here.
We also wrote about the review of the same fiasco-in-the-making by the Planning Commission here, in which we lauded Commissioner Bruce Whitaker for his solitary stance in opposing it. As the YouTube clip shows, Whitaker objected on economic grounds citing the project’s dubious fiscal foundation.
This position was immediately questioned by Commissioner Lansburg who inquired about it of the city attorney, Tom Duarte:
Commissioner Lansburg: is it within the Commission’s purview to look at this from a financial standpoint or are we only to look at this from a planning standpoint?
The city attorney Mr. Duarte answered: In the commissions purview its a land use issue, the city council will look at the financial impact.
Well, the project was passed by a Commission majority, with only Whitaker dissenting.
Subsequently Commission Chairman Dexter Savage addressed the following communication to staff, seeking clarification of the issue.
And now, Lo and Behold, the issue has been agendized by the City Council; and just look at staff’s response: economic considerations are indeed within the purview of a planning commission in many respects, and are nowhere prohibited.
This response begs several questions. Why did the city’s attorney misinform the commission? Is he incompetent, or was he motivated to press the approval of a project near and dear to the hearts of the city staff, without any reference to the law.
Why did the staff present like (John Godlewski) not correct him? He countersigned the above memorandum contradicting Duarte, yet was at the meeting and said nothing.
The facts can really only be interpreted in one way. Both the attorney and staff were more interested in the approval of the project, no matter how bad, than in the service of the public interest, or the truth, or the law.
Now the entire matter has been brought to the City Council for its enlightenment as agenda item #16 at the January 19, meeting. But it’s really to late for the Richman project – a Redevelopment/housing staff concocted project that has all the tell-tale signs of a disaster in the making.
