Category: Bruce Whitaker

Bruce Whitaker is signatory of the Great Fullerton Recall of 1994. He was elected to the Fullerton City Council in 2010.

Posted onBruce Whitaker

SHELTER FALLOUT

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The County of Orange’s attempt to cram a permanent homeless shelter in east Fullerton across the street from single-family homes and an elementary school have taught us four things, so far.

First, it is very clear that no Fullerton elected representatives were told anything about this high-handed plan. Second, the County can do it with or without the City’s agreement. Third, nobody at the County gives a damn that they will be paying $3.15 million for a broken down old building that nobody knows the cost to make habitable. Four, the media will never report any of this.

As to the first point, here is a report about a meet and greet event by Fullerton Mayor Bruce Whitaker, who asked the County for a few weeks’ delay so that the City Council could learn just what the County has in store for us. Request denied.

And here is an e-mail we received from some local resident who says he has just started a petition to seek redress:

Subject: Homeless shelter

Hello!I’ve started the petition “Fullerton city council: Stop the County from opening a 24/7 homeless shelter at 301 S St College Bl” and need your help to get it off the ground.Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now? Here’s the link:

http://www.change.org/petitions/fullerton-city-council-stop-the-county-from-opening-a-24-7-homeless-shelter-at-301-s-st-college-bl

Here’s why it’s important:

This is a 29,000 square foot building that is located near an elementary school, park and houses. This homeless shelter will make Fullerton the dumping ground for homeless. Crime will increase and spread to the whole area. This deal is being done without much awareness from the public. A life long friend of County Supervisor Nelson stands to make nearly 100k from the deal. This is bad for North OC. This shelter will end up looking like skid row in downtown LA where crime and drug use is rampant. Fullerton is not LA.

You can sign my petition by clicking here.

Thanks!

Well, good luck with that! Apparently the County can do whatever it likes and your County Supervisor isn’t interested in your opinion.
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Posted onBruce Whitaker

Fullerton: Vote Kiger and Whitaker

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Written by Cynthia Ward

Fullerton Councilman Travis Kiger has a new campaign video worth watching, which shows him to be the non-politician everyday guy he really is. He is running to hold the seat gained after the recall  of Council members Jones, Bankhead, and McKinley. 66% of the vote put Kiger into the seat of Dick Jones, whose term ended months later, and Travis  now needs to run as the incumbent to remain on the Council. I do not think he is going to have a problem with challengers, his is an easy win.

The other easy seat is incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Whitaker, who was elected to City Council in 2010, and was the only Fullerton leader to take an immediate role in trying to get information about the Kelly Thomas beating. His efforts were blocked at every turn by staff in what can only be called insubordination. Whitaker is extremely well liked, and together with his formidable partnership with wife Linda, the couple is a fixture in Fullerton.

Read the rest of Fullerton: Vote Kiger and Whitaker on ThinkForYourselfOC.com

 

 

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Posted onA Step in the Right Direction

OC GOP Endorses Whitaker, Kiger

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Last night the OC GOP Central Committee endorsed incumbent Fullerton City Councilmembers Bruce Whitaker and Travis Kiger for re-election in November.

From a practical standpoint that’s good news for Whitaker and Kiger. The party still carries a lot of weight in Fullerton elections as demonstrated by leland Wilson’s blow-out of Jan Flory in 2002, and even Pat McKinley’s razor-thin victory over Doug Chaffee in 2010.

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Posted onA Step in the Right Direction

Thanks to Kelly Thomas, Fullerton’s Future Is Now

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By 4F Friend and Beverly Hills Vice Mayor John Mirisch

Kelly Thomas changed everything.

As someone who believes that local government is the best form of democracy — after all, it’s the closest to the people — I recognize that it can be among the most frustrating forms of government when it fails us. We almost have come to expect government for and by special interests from our state and federal legislative bodies, but when the system doesn’t work locally, when it doesn’t listen, when it doesn’t put the residents first, it’s almost as if it’s a betrayal at the hands of our own neighbors. Those are the times when local government represents the antithesis of what Community (with a capital “C”) should be all about.

When the system doesn’t work locally, the response is often for people to throw up their figurative arms and figuratively sigh that old adage: “You can’t fight City Hall.”

Read the rest of “Thanks to Kelly Thomas, Fullerton’s Future Is Now”

 

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Posted onA Step in the Right Direction

STAND & DEMAND

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Stand with Kelly’s Army and demand answers! From Ron Thomas:

Now that everyone knows the truth that I have been carrying inside of me for many months, please join me at the Fullerton City Council meeting Tuesday night May 15th at 6:30pm. The city council, and Cpt. Dan Hughes (the acting Chief) need to finally come clean and give us, the people, the answers that we have been asking for. First, how did Cicinelli get hired as a full time patrol officer with only one eye? With this knowledge, how come they let him endanger the public by letting him drive Code-3 for ten years without any left side vision? Why, after seeing the city video many times did the police department including Capt. Dan Hughes allow all six officers to remain on duty for six weeks until Kelly’s Army pressured them to take them off of the streets (Bruce Whitaker also made this happen)? Why is it that Capt. Dan Hughes STILL after seeing the City Video over 400 times (his admission) has not fired Joe Wolfe? No matter where you live, come out and demand the answers. Become part of Kelly’s Army and help us get justice for Kelly.

Even if you can’t physically attend, please show your support by accepting the invite. That way it will post to your page and others will become aware. We’ll also be posting links to the council meeting so you can watch it live.

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Posted onA Step in the Right Direction

Time For Real Justice. At Long Last.

by 174 Comments on Time For Real Justice. At Long Last.

If you’ve watched the now infamous video of six overfed Fullerton cops beating the life out of Kelly Thomas and then standing around joking as he gasped for his last breaths in the street, a few feet away, you will have probably felt some pretty raw feelings. Disgust, anger, fear, pity, and sorrow are what we have all experienced.

Upon calmer reflection we can use the video to start piecing together what really happened and what motivated our “officers.” The behavior of Joe Wolfe stands out as the most egregious and makes me wonder how in the world he escaped charges by the District Attorney. Many have already stated the obvious: that DA Tony Rackaukas’ supposition that Wolfe could not know what was happening right in front of him, a mere 15 feet away is patently ridiculous. But even if we accept the unlikely plausibility of this convenient surmise, one unalterable fact remains: Joe Wolfe assaulted Kelly Thomas. We have all watched Wolfe emerge into the video frame when Kelly raises his arms, palms outward in a submissive gesture. At this point it would have still been possible for the bloated, oafish cops to de-escalate this situation. But instead Joe Wolfe for some as yet disclosed reason attacked Kelly with his baton, and Manuel Ramos joined in the fun. The murder had begun. And Kelly Thomas, accused of nothing, cited for nothing, guilty of  nothing was entering his last ten minutes of his life.

I don’t know about you Friends, but the fact that Officer Joe Wolfe is not only walking free, but actually still getting a Fullerton paycheck makes me nauseous. The fact that my tax dollars are paying this thug’s salary makes me feel even sicker, and somewhat accountable, especially if I don’t do something about it. I’m sure I’m not alone.

Hell, if anyone were caught beating an animal in such manner as the way those goons treated a human being, they would be in prison.

So what do we do? Provide helpful suggestion in the comments thread.

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Posted onBehind Closed Doors

Gennaco Delivers Report Part Deux

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According to The OC Register, here, the outside “independent” investigative company hired by the City to look into the actions of the cops that beat Kelly Thomas to death last July has delivered its report on the incident. Unfortunately, nobody gets to see the report authored by Mr. Michael Gennaco except Acting Chief Dan Hughes – because it relates to police personnel matters. And, as everybody knows, those matters are shrouded in a veil of impenetrable secrecy. Just the way the police unions like it.

So we are left to guess at the contents of the report and left to guess whether or not our elected officials will be able to see it. Speaking of guesses, my guess would be no, except for Pat McKinley, of course, who seems to get special privileges when it comes to sticking his nose into personnel matters regarding the dubious characters he hired as former Police Chief.

The issues here are particularly interesting given the fact of the impending trial of Mssrs. Cicinelli and Ramos for manslaughter and murder, respectively. Negative findings could have an impact on that case. If, as many anticipate,  Mr. Gennaco tends to whitewash the case we can expect a comparatively speedy release of the report with some exculpitory headlines by Lou Ponsi.  Gennaco’s undernourished first report was more interesting for what it left out than for what it said,

Also lurking in the back of the room is the potentially costly civil trial and possible Civil Rights charges by the Feds. So if the report indicates that the cops acted way outside policy and procedure look for a protracted release of minimal information, or no release at all.

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