Author: Travis

Posted onBig Brother

Botched Raid Now Under Internal Investigation

by 21 Comments on Botched Raid Now Under Internal Investigation

A few months ago we told you about a narcotics raid executed on the wrong home, resulting in a pastor and his family being held at gunpoint by the Fullerton police.

Today we bring you an important update from the family: Robyn Nordell says that their persistence has finally led to a formal internal investigation of the Fullerton Police Department.

Brother, I've got some questions.

That’s good news I suppose…if we forget for a moment that the cops get to investigate themselves. And it did take about six months of rigorous prodding and a public spectacle from the courageous victims just to get this far. Furthermore, the public has no idea what an internal investigation actually entails, or how well it will be executed. Nor is it likely that the public will ever be privy to the outcome. And finally, the whole process is guaranteed to be about as transparent as a brick wall.

But let’s look at the bright side: some cop somewhere is finally tasked with figuring out how it all went wrong, and why. If that’s the best Fullerton can hope for, I guess we’ll take it.

Meanwhile, we’ll do our best to find out what constitutes an internal investigation.

Read More
Posted onEducation Uber Alles

Correction: Only 555 Teachers and Admins Making Over $90,000

by 18 Comments on Correction: Only 555 Teachers and Admins Making Over $90,000

Oops, it turns out that there were a couple of duplications in the source data provided by the FJUHSD payroll system. Corrections have reduced my calculation of the number of $90k+ educators by about 5%.

The data on the FJUHSD salary post has been updated. Most of the corrections applied to non-certificated staff. The data from Fullerton School District has not changed.

Of course, none of this affects the original premise: there sure are a heck of a lot of well paid educators in this town, and their unions are pushing very hard to raise taxes on the rest of us.

Read More
Posted onEducation Uber Alles

Dealing with Denial: A Test for Teachers

by 85 Comments on Dealing with Denial: A Test for Teachers

We fielded all sorts of bitter accusations from teachers when FFFF handed out our list of teacher and administrator pay at this week’s teacher rallies. Responses ranged from the simple “the list is garbage” and “my brother does not make that kind of money” all the way to “the District distorted the figures because they’re against us.”

Yes, we explained that the numbers came straight from district HQ (Here are details, in case you’ve missed it: FJUHSD Salaries over $90,000 and FSD Salaries over $90,000.) But some of the chanting unioneers could not be swayed.


Teachers of the list, here is your challenge:

Show us your pay stubs from the 2009-2010 school year! If you can prove that your salary was overstated in our flier, we’ll go back to district HQ and take them to task on your behalf.

Otherwise, we’ll just go with what we already know: this list is 100% true and correct.

 

Read More
Posted onEducation Uber Alles

Tax-Cheering Teachers Get Mad

by 17 Comments on Tax-Cheering Teachers Get Mad

In the midst of a teachers’ union protest for higher taxes the other day, we handed out a list of 585 Fullerton teachers and administrators who make over $90,000. Our camera captured their reaction:

This afternoon the teachers’ union will be at it again, this time on Harbor Blvd. in Downtown Fullerton. John and Ken will be there too, and so will FFFF.

I also heard that the teachers’ unions are planning some kind of “surprise” in response to the conservative radio duo. Come on down, it might be fun.

Read More
Posted onDowntown Fullerton

John and Ken Returning to Fullerton to Protest Teachers’ Union Tax Hikes

by 58 Comments on John and Ken Returning to Fullerton to Protest Teachers’ Union Tax Hikes

Political talk radio hosts John and Ken announced that they will be coming to Fullerton on Thursday to counter the demonstration for higher taxes put on by the Fullerton teachers’ unions.

Apparently they were egged on by the receipt of a flyer listing five hundred and eighty five Fullerton teachers and administrators who make a lot of money.

We have here a copy of that flyer:

View the teacher/administrator salaries

Update:

The raw data supporting this flyer is located here: Fullerton School District Salary Data and Fullerton Joint Union High School District Salary Data.

Read More
Posted onEducation Uber Alles

Cirque du FSD

by 49 Comments on Cirque du FSD

What kind of circus is FSD Ringmaster Lynn Thornley running? One that promotes kiddie antics and award ceremonies over legitimate board business.

The hyper-analytical Chris Thompson put together this chart of FSD meeting time spent wallowing in tomfoolery vs. legitimate school board business:

Now with 50% more fluff.

In Tuesday’s meeting, Thompson was fighting to bring an end to former Superintendent Cameron McCune’s laptop extortion scheme (thousands of dollars taken from parents by pressuring them to buy expensive Apple laptops.) But Lynn Thornley did everything she could to cut off debate and move to a quick vote HERE.

This haste occurred in meeting of which over an hour was dedicated to Cub Scout flag ceremonies, awards, various glad-handing, and a lady dancing around with a quilt over her head.

No joke:

The end result? Watch here as Thompson makes his case to end this boondoggle, debate is cut short and Trustee Berryman is run over, abstaining on an issue because she wasn’t given a chance to ask questions. The decision was rammed through anyway, leaving individual families to spend about $174,000 of their own money to keep this sinking technology program temporarily afloat.

Total time spent on legitimate discussion: 18 minutes.

Read More
Posted onCoyote Hills

Coyote Hills: New Group Opposes the Opposition

by 25 Comments on Coyote Hills: New Group Opposes the Opposition

A reader sent in this image taken last week on a hillside somewhere in Fullerton.

Check out the deftly-named Open Coyote Hills website that was listed on the sign.  The website was put up by a group of residents who support the proposed Coyote Hills project, it’s associated parks and the opening of the 72-acre Robert E. Ward Nature Preserve that would come with it.

The “About” page lists an interesting cross-section of Fullerton’s politically inclined.

Read More