Dick Jones Archives - Page 36 of 50 - Friends For Fullerton's Future

January 26, 2011January 26, 2011Behind Closed Doors

A Plaintive Wail

And now, back to the letter.

According to commenter Art Brown the plaintive Redevelopment wail signed by Mayor HeeHaw on behalf of all of us was actually scribed by the League of Cities and sent out as a boilerplate template for the incompetent locals who, presumably, couldn’t be trusted to mount their own intellectual and philosophical defense of Redevelopment (think: “we neeeed the muh-nie!”)

Of course there is space at the end of the missive to insert one’s community’s dubious Redevelopment accomplishments. And Fullerton did.

Mr. Brown’s claim certainly has the ring of truth to it. It reminds me of a gang of dope addicts defending their habit.

As to the letter itself, observe the following:

The claims that Redevelopment is a job creator and some sort of economic engine is, of course, utter nonsense. It is indeed a massive boon to subsidized corporations and Redevelopment master planners, consultants and bond salesmen. Redevelopment is simply a zero-sum revenue diversion scheme whose manifest failures are immediately forgotten. The funniest part of the letter may be the way one bent branch of government uses the screw-ups of another (SB 375 and AB 32) to justify itself.

Then there is the hilarious claim that Redevelopment is really poverty-stricken, once the bond holders are paid off!

You would think a letter honestly outlining the effects of Redevelopment in Fullerton would have described just a few of the disastrous quagmires that Redevelopment and it organizers have gotten us into: boondoggles amply illustrated in these pages. But no. No Harbor/Commonwealth; no SRO; no Poisoned Park; no endless succession of useless downtown master plans; no attempt to relocate a McDonald’s 200 feet. Wait. Come to think of it they did: cited as an accomplishment is the idiotic Richman housing project!

Affordable housing. Where poor people are cleared out and replaced by less poor people. And this was never one of the rationales for Redevelopment. The housing set-aside was created to protect the poor from dislocation due to the great Urban Renewal mega projects of the 1950s and 60s.

Well, there you have it. An intellectually and morally bereft letter signed by a clown who cannot grasp anything more complicated than a fried chicken.

Are you surprised?

December 30, 2010December 31, 2010Arts & Architecture

Fullerton SRO Developer Under Federal Investigation; Is It Even Safe?

by admin12 Comments

Ajit Mithaiwala — Some day we will all have a cup of coffee and laugh about it...

Last year we posted a magisterial, five-part history about one of Fullerton’s greatest Redevelopment boondoggles, the so-called “City Lights” single-room occupancy project. Our series started here.

As we related, here, in October 2010, questions were being raised about the financial dealings and records of the developer, Ajit Mithaiwala, and the federal government was investigating.

Once again, according to a recent article in LA Times, here, Mithaiwala and his company ADI, are accused of sticking it to the City of Glendale, but good. More evidence is presented suggesting that ADI defrauded the Glendale housing agency out of millions, possibly building substandard po’ folks housing while receiving millions in public subsidy. To top it off, ADI was greasing the axles of local government real well, too, as demonstrated by contributions and favors to city councilmembers in Glendale.

According to the articles ADI has been involved in 40-50 projects across the Southland, so the enormity of the problem is, well, potentially enormous, if in fact, the Glendale experience proves typical.

Which brings us back to Fullerton. When the SRO was built in the late 90s, peculiar construction techniques and prolonged inspection difficulties had some scratching their heads. And now with stories of possible substandard work in Glendale circulating, we are well within the bounds of reason asking our city officials if, in fact, the building is really safe for occupancy.

Where is Mithaiwala? These articles do not say. Maybe the FBI is looking.

And just for fun backwards salute, here’s a timely quote from our current mayor, Ol’ Doc Heehaw who, when the SRO was being proposed in 1997, shot off his big yapper, got threatened with a personal lawsuit by Mithaiwala’s henchmen, and then cowardly changed his vote:

“The city would be at great, I underline great, financial risk if it did not proceed with this project,” Jones said before casting his vote for the settlement. The threatened lawsuit was “a loaded gun against the head,” Jones said.

Risk. Thanks Mr. All Hat and No Cattle.

December 17, 2010December 17, 2010Dead heads

Jingle Bells

by admin5 Comments

It’s that time of year again. The Fullerton police officers are having their annual get together tonight at the Summit House restaurant. You may remember the controversy surrounding last year’s Christmas party, here. I wonder if anybody ever got to the bottom of that.

December 9, 2010December 9, 2010Dead heads

Mayor Jones Names New Sister City

by The Fullerton Harpoon9 Comments

PilgurMosque — Thass some mighty purty brickwork!

Well, that didn’t take long. In office as Mayor for a few scant days, Doc Jones issued his first diktat: a new sister city for Fullerton to join the ranks of Fukui and Morelia and Yongin.

Kharakh-Wrestlers2 — The Sister City Welcoming Committee

The new destination for Fullerton international gladhanders is none other than Pilgur, principal metropolis of Kharakhastan. Of course Friends will recall that Jones’s ties to Kharakhastan run deep, and remember his reference in a diatribe against a former Congressman:

Then there was our subsequent research into this exotic corner of Central Asia.

When reached for comment on his unusual decision, Jones minced no words: “As a Airman Basic in the Air Force I oncet had to bail out over that place. And man, I’m telling ya, them gals was friendly! ‘Sides I ain’t partial to no squids and raw tuna ‘n suchlike, ‘n that cabbage slaw done give me some baaaad gas.”

And so for those of you who believed that Good Ol’ Boy Jones was jes’ gonna run out the clock, well, Hell y’all can guess again.

December 7, 2010December 7, 2010Behind Closed Doors

Quirk Screws Silva; La Plus Ca Change…

by The Fullerton Shadow16 Comments

It happened. As predicted. At the behest of the repuglican puppetmasters that helped put him on the Fullerton City Council, ex-police Chief and $215,000 a year pension puller-downer Pat McKinley bypassed Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva for Mayor Pro Tem. Instead Fullerton’s former top cop and election winner by 90 votes went with the feeble octogenarian, Don Bankhead. Gotta keep that winning team intact, right?

Well, goddamit, the ‘pugs weren’t the only people who helped put McKinley on the council. They had help. As noted previously, many of the the Yellowing Fullerton Observers went for McKinley, too, including folks like Molly McClanahan, Jan Flory and….wait for it…Sharon Quirk-Silva! It cost Doug Chaffee the election.

Two years ago these same people helped put the cracker back in the cracker barrel.

Say, guys, hows that strategy working out for ya?

December 7, 2010Dick Jones

Hallelujah For Policy #37, The Holiday Gift That Will Keep Giving All Year Long!

by admin3 Comments

Just in case you missed Crazy Dick (our Mayor to be, per Policy #37) Jones’s battle of wits, here with a local resident the first time around, watch again as the poor guy gets the loop-a-doop brush-off by Dick, courtesy of our inebriated Video Alteration and Welding Department.

What kind of nitwit gets into a shouting match with one of his eccentric constituents who started to unravel a bit? Pea-brained Doc HeeHaw, that’s who. As our next mayor there can be little doubt: a youtube sensation is in the making.

November 22, 2010November 22, 2010Dead heads

Doc Hee Haw For Mayor?

by admin10 Comments

It’s that time of year again when Fullerton council selects one of its own to preside over the crackpot, klutzy and expensive meetings it holds.

We count on the hare-brain, corn pone braying of F. Richard “Dick” Jones to supply us with the material we need to keep our ratings up. And so to the question of whether the hot-headed Jones should take up the gavel and lead us into the teens we say: Hell yes!

donk — The entire genus Equus, approves...

And let’s not forget that like us, Jones, too, received Weekly OC recognition, but not in a good way.

As a teaser we provide this council-clip of a constituent of marginal competence; it culminates in the inevitable ravings (Ahma Colonel) and crazy gesticulations of Dr. Dick, in response. Rather than let the poor bastard have his say and go away, Heehaw leaps into the breach to defend the honor of…well, of something. He ain’t gonna take no shit from some whacked-out dog face, nuh-uh, noooosirree!

And so we say: Go Doc, go!

October 28, 2010October 28, 2010Behind Closed Doors

Mickadeit Already Running Cover For Lame-O DA By Floating Trial Balloons?

by Joe Sipowicz16 Comments

Yesterday, OC Register homunculus and repuglican lackey-chronicler Frank Mickadeit wrote up a story about possible contenders to a Todd Spitzer 3rd District Supervisorial run in 2012 – as a prelude to a Spitzer DA run in 2014.

The big names – outgoing assemblyman Chuck DeVore and Dick Ackerman deserve special attention, and we’ll get back to that in a bit.

But first let’s relish Mickadeit’s effort to stir up anti-Spitzer sentiment for the benefit of our Do Nothing DA who is actually endorsing serial law breaker Roland Chi in Fullerton’s city council race. As is well known, Mickadeit dances to the tunes fifed out by GOP bigwig Michael Schroeder and his wife, DAs spokeshole Susan Kang. In return for providing this entertainment Frank gets to smoke cigars and sip brandy with the Schroeders.

It seems not unlikely that besides the congenital name-dropping instinct, Frank is throwing out these big names as a counter to Spitzer’s own vaulting ambition, as in: not so fast Todd, boy.

chuck-devore — Will nail down the Eagle Scout vote.

DeVore wouldn’t be a bad supervisor and might actually bring some refreshing relief to a County operation dedicated to doling out medical and social services compliments of the federal government. But he needs a job. Now.

Dick Ackerman? Well he does live in a “top secret, gated community” in the 3rd District which s a far cry from his claim to have moved to Fullerton last year so his old lady could run for the State Assembly. Apart from that he’s got some explaining to do. Such as the Pacific Policy Research Foundation scam we reported about here, years of RINO accommodating votes, his dubious behavior vis-a-vis the OC Fair sale. He’s also 70 and we sure have seen enough geriatric retirees at the County over the years.

tricky dick — My top-secret gated estate is in the right district. Now if only that white van would quit following me around.

Worst of all, is Ackerman’s perpetual backing of the worst kind of liberal, staff-stooge candidates here in Fullerton.Pro-Redevelopment, big government chuckleheads like Don Bankhead, Doc HeeHaw Jones, Pat McKinley, Aaron Gregg, and a long list of similar tools, simply selected to keep the scary Dems out – Democrats whose political philosophy is practically indistinguishable from Ackerman’s RINO herd.

The fun part of this is that either one of these worthies running would put a serious crimp in Der Pringle’s master plan of putting Orange’s dreary RINO Carolyn Cavecche into that seat.

September 10, 2010September 10, 2010Dead heads

Hide and Seek Sidhu Discovers Bottom of Barrel

by Mr. Peabody11 Comments

Over at the Red County blog, repuglican scribe, Matthew J. Cunningham, has once again gratuitously passed along a new and typically comical Hide and Seek Harry Sidhu press release touting new endorsements for his waterlogged campaign for county supervisor.

One is none other than Fullerton’s own cracker barrel nutsy-cuckoo philosopher F. Richard Jones. No surprise there. Old Doc HeeHaw endorsed Sidhu last time around, too – for all the good it did either one of them. Having the kook Jones brag about you is, well, not exactly a badge of honor.

jones-gone-wild1 — I voted for Sidhu! Have you voted yet?

The really fun new addition to Hairball’s stable of endorsers is none other than Fullerton Collaborative scammer, and soon to be forgotten ex-councilwoman, Pam Keller, whose image, in a fervent embrace with the overly deodorized #2, was recently shared on this blog.

Pam’s contribution to the Fullerton political scene has been a string of comical performances and embarrassing ditzy routines.

Ah, the poor Hairball, relying on the semi-lucid and mentally challenged. Last week it was the deranged creep Richard Faher; this week it’s Jones and Keller. The next seven weeks are going to seem like an eternity for the almost pathetic Sidhu.

And speaking of semi-lucid and mentally challenged:

August 15, 2010August 15, 2010Dick Jones

It’s Your Choice

by Christian14 Comments

Here’s a repeat of a post we ran late last year, a public service announcement, you might call it. See, Fullerton’s jurassic councilman, Don Bankhead is running for for yet another interminable term in office. He’s already been sitting there for 22 years, but apparently that’s just not enough for the good old boy. Well, watch this dismal performance and see if you think this is someone you believe ought to be making million dollar decisions on your behalf.

– The Desert Rat

If anyone watched the council meeting to the bitter end, which I just did, you would see an incredible meltdown by the good ol’ boys club.

This clip begins the discussion on the appointment of the member at larger for all commissions. Mr. Mayor says he wants to be in charge of the interviews and Nelson corrects him. Bankhead repeatedly interjects “Mayor” into the new ordinance while Nelson repeatedly tells the Mayor that the word “Mayor” is not included in the ordinance. Then Bankhead starts laughing at Nelson and ranting that its the way they done it for time in memoriam and it works. Then the good Dr. Jones steps in it. The City Attorney tries to save the meltdown but he nor Nelson could keep Bankhead and Dr. Jones in check. Bankhead with his maniacal giggling, chuckling and Jones rambling on about God only knows what… Glad they saved the best for last.

Oh yeah, and a little nugget after the meltdown…Keller wants to hold a study session for right-of-way encroachments to deal with issues on the trails and bike paths.