Fullerton “Tea Party” Draws Small But Energetic Crowd

Several hundred people showed up for an “paycheck protection” rally yesterday behind the Slidebar in Fullerton’s Transportation Center. The small but enthusiastic crowd got to hear from several state and local political leaders including Fullerton’s pension spiking spoiler Shawn Nelson, pension crisis watchdog OC Supervisor John Moorlach, Assemblyman Chris Norby, Assemblyman Chuck Devore, gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, and a very energetic Villa Park Councilwoman Deborah Pauly.

The event was sponsored by the Tea Partiers, but the focus was to those in attendance to go out and gather signatures for the paycheck protection initiative that would protect union employees from the union automatically taking dues from the paychecks of their members and use the money to fund political campaigns that might be distasteful the members..

DeVore, who is running to unseat Senator Barbara Boxer, read from old Abe’s famous “four score and seven years ago” speech and then related that to the current cycle of of money and politics that has pushed California and many local governments to the brink of fiscal collapse.

Devore explained the deal works:

  1. Public employee unions take money from their members without consent.
  2. The union then donates money to politicians of both parties.
  3. These politicians enact a pro-union agenda which generally entails richer salaries and benefits and more union members.  The unions increase in wealth and power all at taxpayer expense.

The funnest part of the event was confronting a Harry “Carpetbagging” Sidhu paid staffer who was handing out Harry fliers. I asked him if he knew where Harry lived, at first he gave me a line of baloney about how carpetbagging is a good thing and then admitted that he knows all about carpetbaggers because he worked on Ackerwoman’s scampaign, and that Harry’s probably going to lose, but he needed a job and Harry has deep pockets.

Enjoy some of the highlights of the event:

Norby Endorses Bill Hunt for Sheriff

State Assemblyman Chris Norby just told me that he is endorsing Bill Hunt for Orange County Sheriff.

Apparently Norby was impressed with Hunt’s no-nonsense position on the failed “War on Drugs”. Earlier we noted an interview with Bill Hunt in which he acknowledged that it is wrong for local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with the federal government in arresting lawful users of medical marijuana. Clearly Hunt respects California voters’ assertion that medical marijuana is a state’s rights issue.

Norby also pointed out that Hunt is the only candidate who has ever received more than 3 votes. “That’s all Hutchens ever got, and 2 of those surely regret it now” he said, referring to the current Sheriff’s appointment to the position after Mike Carona was forced to resign in 2008.

Chris also gives Hunt credit for challenging Carona in ’06, back when most of the political establishment (including Norby) still endorsed Sheriff Mike.

Chris decided to make the endorsement after he and his wife met with Bill and Debbie Hunt recently at the Twisted Vine and Continental Room in Downtown Fullerton. “They are such nice people,” he said.

Chris Norby’s Final Obnoxious Vote

What do I care? I'm leaving!

On his way out the door to yet another government job in Sacramento, 4th District County Supervisor Chris Norby paused just long enough to cast a vote at yesterday’s Board of Supervisor’s meeting to support the asinine expenditure of $350,000 on some sort of Viet Nam memorial in a little-known Midway City park.

Forget the fact that there are already two memorials to the war and to the subsequent diaspora in the vicinity; and forget the fact that times are tough and the County is in severe budget cutting mode; but ask: why on the Green Planet Earth should the taxpayers hand over a third of a million bucks to some kind of private “community culture and performing arts society” to design and build what is described as an interactive wall/memorial of some sort. This is the sort of thing that is routinely developed and built with private fund raising.

The whole concoction was the brain-child of Supervisor Janet Nguyen, obviously for political capital. The County Parks Director, some guy named Mark Denny, seems to have gone along without a whimper. We found out that he’s a former staffer to one of the other zeroes that voted for this – Bill Campbell – so no surprise there. The other aye vote on the Board was the clueless septuagenarian Pat Bates who, like Campbell,  is not known for adherence to any conservative principles. To his credit, Supervisor John Moorlach voted no.

Which brings us back to Norby, who, at his last Board meeting, could have reminded people what he has always claimed to stand for – and often has. But he didn’t.

Good bye and good….well, you know.

Election Night Parties For Chris Norby & Jane Rands

Chris Norby would like you to join him, his friends and supporters  tonight for an election night party at Cherch Lounge in downtown Fullerton at 7:00 pm.


If hobnobbing with the Republican establishment isn’t your thing, you may also consider joining the Jane Rands campaign to hear election night results at nearby Frati Gelato, 8:00 pm.

Not sure where John McMurray is having his party tonight, but when we find out we will be sure to let you know.

Chamber Star: Norby Elevates Self to Statesman Status

Friends, we have just received this communication from our old pal Chamber Star, who, although absent of late, has returned to share some breaking news. Although we can’t vouch for it’s reliability, we reproduce the CS e-mail, verbatim:

Dear FFFF,

I have just learned that Chris Norby, the Republican candidate in Tuesday’s 72nd District Special Election has asked for, and has received, the endorsement of his primary opponent Linda Ackerman.

This is great news! It was a rough and tumble election and a lot of negative things were said on both sides; so it is especially gratifying to see old adversaries patch up their differences and move ahead in unity and harmony.

I know some people on this blog will criticize Chris. They will ask how can he possibly want the endorsement of someone who accused him of so many vile things? They will ask how can he possibly want the endorsement of an opponent that he accused of fraudulent residence and profiteering off her husband’s campaigns? They will no doubt argue that Norby won so convincingly that he does not need Linda’s endorsement at all.

To this I respond by saying that it’s politic to let bygones be bygones; to pull together for the common good; to work together! And let’s not forget that Norby has two more elections this year alone. Norby can only benefit from party unity both in gaining votes and fundraising.

It’s obvious that Chris is being guided by wise counsel and the kind of pragmatism that gets real results in Sacramento. He is following the course of the true statesman.

And I for one, say “Bravo!”

Caronies Seek Supervisor Endorsement for the Next Mike Carona

OCCCWS just issued an “Action Alert” asking its members to pester OC Supervisors Chris Norby, Patricia Bates and Bill Campbell to endorse their candidate for OC Sheriff, Craig Hunter. Standard PAC activity, for sure. But this is no ordinary PAC.

If you remember a few posts back, we talked about how OCCCWS is lead by a group of gun guys who wrote letters in support of Mike Carona after he was convicted on felonious corruption charges. Additionally,  OCCCWS leader Greg Block was granted special access inside Carona’s department, which Block used to enrich his firearms training company and torment weapons permit applicants.

Yeah, Mike still has a lot of fans. What's the big deal?

So will the Supes lend an ear to these masters of Caronyism? Or will they be careful to distance themselves from the empire of corruption that left a still-lingering stanky stench on the OCSD and the rest of Orange County government?

And what about the guy who is actually running, Anaheim cop Craig Hunter? Is he worthy of endorsement or will investigations into a dark past expose a potential Carona 2.0? Stick around, this isn’t over yet.

Just wait until you get to know me...

Fullerton Fossils Flog Fabulous Fossils

Recently CSUF President Milton Gordon appeared at the BoS chambers to memorialize the fact CSUF is going to be the custodian of the County’s vast bone collection of long-deceased beasts. Whether this collection includes the remains of such Pleistocene creatures as Harrieticus Weiderisus or Gaddius Vasquezii is unknown.

fossils
Norby and Gordon share pre-Holocene memories...

We note that Dr. Gordon appears a bit bemused. Let’s hope he found his way home.

Just In Case You Wanted Anymore Proof…

…that former State Senator, State Assemblyman, and Fullerton City Councilman Dick Ackerman is a lying sack of canine excrement, we have it.

Hard to do this with any sort of dignity...
Hard to do this with any sort of dignity...

Okay, it’s been a tough fall for good old Dick what with the lil’ lady getting her posterior kicked in the AD 72nd election, and then with Ackerman’s own dubious behavior on behalf of the OC Fair Foundation miscreants coming to light. Some folks might be inclined to think we’re just piling on at this point (we are, of course). But this latest revelation is just so, um, revealing into the stack of prevarication masquerading as a former State Senator that, well, we just had to share it.

(First, thanks to the FFFF political research team, although it would have been useful to get this a couple of months ago – so no Christmas bonuses for you!)

Let’s let our old friend Matthew J. Cunningham do the wordsmithing. Here’s an excerpt from a Cunningham blog post away back in ’06 when Norby was running for re-election as a County supervisor. Cunningham is describing a Norby campaign mailer. Too bad the links don’t work anymore but, you’ll get the gist all right:

But the most noteworthy aspect of this mailer: a big sloppy endorsement from Sen. Dick Ackerman! Norby and Ackerman have been mortal foes for years. They must have smoked a seriously potent peace pipe.

I never said that, did I?
I never said that, did I?

So let’s get this straight. Ackerman warmly endorses Norby in 2006, after the Pam Mokler phony lawsuit jury verdict! But by 2009 he remembers that poor Pam Mokler is just a poor victim; and he conveniently remembers that the man he endorsed in 2006 is actually a serial sexual harasser from way back in the 80’s – as passed along and dutifully repeated by the Register toady Frank Mickadeit. What a guy!

Odd that Norby and his ace team of political consultants had forgotten what would have been an acutely embarrassing situation for their arch enemy Ackerman. Of course we couldn’t expect Cunningham to recall it either; or if he did to publish it. 

Anyway, Friends, there you have the sum and substance of a completely worthless individual, Dick Ackerman, whose gastropodic slime-sheen reflects back on all the scum-suckers who endorsed his wife’s completely fraudulent campaign.

High degree of reflectivity...
High degree of reflectivity...

But rest assured, Friends. We’re not done with Dick and his lackeys. Not by a long shot.

The Ed Royce Endorsement

On a very recent post commenter “Umbrella Alert” notes that Chris Norby’s use of the very very recent Ed Royce endorsement in his ballot statement is something of a “kick in the teeth” to folks who supported Norby when it counted. Now Norby doesn’t even need Royce’s bendable and character-free endorsement, but there it is.

Ackerwoman? Never heard of her...
Ackerwoman? Never heard of her...

Hard to disagree. This smells a lot like a “let’s all get together and forget the near past” orchestration – a past that included Royce’s warm endorsement of an unqualified carpetbagger who lied to the voters claiming to be a “businesswoman” and who spent two months slandering Norby’s reputation in just about the worst possible way. Remember that Ed?

No doubt Norby’s campaign consultants and lobbyists are telling Norby to climb into the Repuglican Clown Car. That’s where the money is. What’s next? A glowing testimonial to Dick and Linda Ackerman as life-long dedicated public servants?

Excuse me. I may just barf up my breakfast.

Marty Burbank Hopes Norby Has Short Memory

Well, you’ve gotta give Marty Burbank credit for unmitigated gall; or as my friend Jeffrey Goldfarb’s Nana used to say in Yiddish: chutzpah.

This Chamber of Commerce/Repuglican/Rotarian/Redevelopment cheerleader-type zero (think Dick Jones and you have the model) who wants to be on the Fullerton City Council, recently sent this supplicating letter to 4th District Supervisor Chris Norby. One of our fearless white van investigators got a hold of it.

Marty the One Man Party
Marty The One Man Party...

Marty wants Norby’s endorsement, and tries to grease up Chris a little bit about how much Norby loves his town and ergo should consider giving Burbank his endorsement.

But wait! Only two weeks before he sent his letter to Norby, Burbank was supporting Linda Ackerwoman in the 72ndSpecial Election primary; he made a contribution to her carpetbagging, lying, smear-filled campaign against Norby on October 9th. Burbank’s contribution went to fund the slime Ackerwoman threw at Norby.Oy vey!

It’s pretty clear that Burbank was following along with of many other Fullerton drones who were swayed by Dick Ackerman’s promises of easy victory lubricated by a big ol’ sack o’ Sacto lobbyist cash. Too bad Marty chose to participate personally in contributing to the defamation of Norby, as well as being a willing participant in the Ackerman, Inc scampaign, of course.

Now, we know Chris, and we know him to be a very forgiving kind of guy. But really, you’d think ol’ Marty could have waited more than a couple of weeks to come a knockin’ at Norby’s door.

Hopefully Norby won’t forget. We won’t. And that’s a promise.