Pam Keller Archives - Page 11 of 16 - Friends For Fullerton's Future

August 26, 2009January 5, 2010Fullerton School Board

Keller’s Fullerton Collaborative: A Call for Transparency

Yesterday the Shadow exposed some dubious inner workings at the Fullerton Collaborative. We thought something was up since Pam Keller’s penchant for passing bad development projects while proclaiming that she does not take developer money seems madly disjointed. A little digging revealed that a large piece of her non-profit’s donations go right back to Pam’s pocket as payment for her extensive “collaborating” skills, but only after being carefully funneled through the Fullerton School District.

Next came the anonymous whispers – Pam doesn’t take developer donations, but does the Fullerton Collaborative? If so, things aren’t looking so good for Pam’s claims of honesty and transparency.

In light of these findings and on behalf of the public, we request that Fullerton Councilmember Pam Keller release all donation records for the Fullerton Collaborative dating back to the start of her 2006 campaign.

Many non-profits choose to disclose funding sources as a gesture of accountability. Any foundation being run by an elected official should be even more inclined to disclose financial data. Furthermore, if the elected official is being paid by the non-profit, full disclosure is a necessity. Pam claims to believe in the transparency of government, so let’s see if she has a problem showing the public who signs her paycheck.

Some will jump to Pam’s defense because she is generally well-liked. Being friendly and personable is not a reason to give any politician a complete pass. Put your personal feelings aside for a moment. That’s a difficult thing for many people to do and that’s probably why Pam has made it so far without scrutiny. We are merely investigating the motivations behind a politician’s choices. It’s hard to argue that the public is not better served by more transparency.

August 24, 2009August 15, 2011Pam Keller

Some Information About “The Fullerton Collaborative”

by The Fullerton Shadow44 Comments

Apparently there are many Pam Kellers — Just a few of the many faces of Pam Keller

Pam Keller likes to talk a lot about her role as Executive Director of something called The Fullerton Collaborative. We didn’t use the word “job” because we’re not sure yet how much actual “work” goes into the function.

We do know that the Collaborative seems to be run by, and for the principle benefit of Pam Keller herself.

Here is the first page from the Collaborative’s 2007 tax filing:

Note that the Collaborative’s expenses exceeded its revenue by 13k, covered by a surplus from the year before. Notice also that the corporation’s address is the same as the Fullerton School District’s headquarters on West Valencia Drive. This latter fact is explained on page 4:

The Collaborative has an agreement with the FSD to provide an “executive director” for 44K. That’s Keller. The only explanation for this is that this way Pam gets to remain an FSD employee with salary and benefits thereof, while doing her good works and self-promotion as a professional do-gooder on the taxpayer’s dime. Instead of a telling folks she’s a public employee, she gets to pretend that she’s the employee for a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Notice that the cost of Pam is the Collaborative’s main expense in 2007. The only other significant expense is a $26,000 contract with something called OCCO for “community organizing.” Rusty Kennedy’s do-nothing Human Relation Commission is in on the gravy to the tune of $4400 for “leadership training,” whatever that may consist of.

Since Keller is listed on the Collaborative’s website as a board member, we wonder whether she’s actually negotiating and voting on her own contract with the FSD. The dialog in the room during those discussions might be fairly amusing. And we also wonder if anybody else on the board is auditing that relationship for vendor performance management. Hmm.

We are a bit curious as to why public funds are being sluiced through this rather elaborate piping in the first place. And we wonder, given the fact that FSD Board member Minard Duncan is listed as a “member-at-large,” how closely the FSD negotiates and manages that contract itself. There is something called The Government Accounting Standards Board; are their rules being adhered to regarding accounting and public disclosure of their financial relationship with The Collaborative?

Of course we are also very interested in where The Fullerton Collaborative gets its funds, especially which private donors, if any, are contributing the wherewithal to cover the FSD contract that pays for Fullerton City Council woman Keller’s services. The Collaborative’s website is strangely silent on the identity of its donors; most charities boast about their benefactors, who generally like to be boasted about.

When we find out we’ll be sure to share the information. And if we can’t find out, we’ll let let our Friends know that, too.

August 24, 2009January 5, 2010Pam Keller

When Big Developers Almost Trumped Childhood Obesity Prevention

by The Fullerton Shadow6 Comments

A Happy Meal does wonders for your kids' disposition. — A Happy Meal does wonders for your kid's disposition.

Special Projects

The Fullerton Collaborative addresses the following problems: needs of at-risk youth and families; gang prevention; child safety issues; lack of health care access; childhood obesity and lack of fitness; racial divisiveness and isolation; poor educational performance.

Thus readeth the Fullerton Coollaborative’s website. So it was strange then (or not so strange, given her rather inconsistent adherence to principles), that Pam Keller supported moving a McDonald’s franchise right across the street from Fullerton High School.

Now just about everyone knows that purveyors of “fast food” are one of the prime contributors to adolescent obesity and “lack of fitness,” yet somehow the connection eluded Keller even though she’s paid by the Fullerton Collaborative (through the Fullerton School District) to supposedly do something about it in Fullerton.

Although she changed her vote at the last minute so as not to go down with the rapidly sinking S.S. Redevelopment Boondoggle, she was previously cheering (and voting for) an “upscale” Spanishified MickeyD’s that would “go with” the High School buildings across the street. It was all part of a grand bureaucratic scheme to build another massive apartment block in downtown Fullerton.

Apparently Pam Keller was more concerned about leaving her mark on Downtown Fullerton than on childrens mid-sections!

Bad, girl, Pam, bad, bad girl.

August 23, 2009February 7, 2012Dick Jones

A One-Year Look Back: Pam’s Approval of the Amerige Court Atrocity

by The Fullerton Shadow14 Comments

It must have been pretty hard for Pam to try to convince her supporters how much she “respected” them – right before she went ahead and stuck it to ’em. Keller’s campaign promise of 2006 was to have planning be “driven” by public input, blah, blah, blah etc., but you get the feeling watching this clip that she had already long since made up her mind to go with the dee-veloper, and was just throwing some verbal crusts for her loyal subjects to gnaw on.

Pam’s comments were well-received by the Chamber lackeys and downtown Redevelopment toadies in the audience, but those who opposed the monster project and had voted for Keller’s promises to represent them rather than development interests, must surely felt just a wee bit, um, betrayed.

The “I’m so torn” plaint, the goofy half-grins, the eye lash battings, (all part of the “I’m just a silly girl” routine), are a pretty annoying shtick. But Pam had better be careful with the coquette act because some lonely swains like Dick Jones seem to get off on it. Check out the hand kiss at the end of the clip and Pam’s apparent revulsion – and then her flippant threat to take back her vote. Enjoy:

August 21, 2009August 21, 2009Pam Keller

PLAN, PROTECT, PROVIDE, AND PRESERVE? PATHETIC POLITICAL PROMISES?

by The Fullerton Shadow28 Comments

Not much intellectual nutrition in this can... — No intellectual content in every can...

PLAN, PROTECT, PROVIDE, PRESERVE. Four Ps. How Precious.

Yesterday somebody calling himself/herself “Pam Keller’s Website” came a knockin’ and started spamming Pam’s 2006 campaign slogans all over our Friends. We had some fun with it. But underlying the humor is the very real and important issue of comparing what politicians promise, and what they do. Words are pretty cheap, especially when minted by a campaign for public office. The actual record speaks volumes.

Several comments on the thread raised the issue of large development projects that Keller has voted to approve, that included vast wealth-creating zone changes, corporate subsidies and other entitlements, and that would necessarily dump the negatives – like traffic and infrastructure overuse – onto the rest of us. So how does her approval of the abominable Jefferson Commons and the equally atrocious Amerige Court square with her campaign website promises? How does her support for the development engendering Redevelopment expansion square with that; or the project now unfolding on Euclid Avenue?

Bon Appetit! And don't worry about biting down on anything hard. it's all soft in there! — Hope you're not hungry. Bon Appetit!

We see a big disconnect.

Whether or not Pam thinks her 2006 slogans will still work in 2010 remains to be seen, even among her usually unreflecting, left-leaning adherents. If she does think so, she may have another think coming. Below we share a comment from a new Friend – “Disillusioned Ex-hippie” – who voted for Keller last time, is affronted by her voting record, and who won’t make the same mistake again:

“I sure hope Pam doesn’t think that garbage is going to fly anymore. Notice how nobody has explained or defended her unforgivable support for Amerige Court and The Jefferson Commons monsters? Come on, Pam, let’s hear it.

Okay, I’ll help define the campaign slogan:

PLAN (on more massive development), PROTECT (incompetent redevelopment staff), PROVIDE (for developers profits), and PRESERVE (my council seat).

Okay. Got it!”

Now that’s PLENTY PITHY – if we do say so ourselves!

August 20, 2009December 30, 2009Dick Jones

Bankhead & Keller Go A Callin’ For Bogus Redevelopment Expansion

by admin13 Comments

According to our well-placed sources, Fullerton Mayor Don Bankhead and council member Pam Keller (hereafter referred to as Pam’nDon) made the rounds of the County Supervisors’ offices last week to try to strike a deal with the County not to sue the city on its illegal redevelopment expansion.

PamnDon

We can’t think of two less informed advocates of an issue, but they would never have been sent out if they hadn’t memorized their talking points as presented by Redevelopment legal promoter Jeff Oderman of the notorious Rutan & Tucker. Or maybe Jeff just wrote a figure on a piece of paper and sent them off with it.

Since the County and its attorneys have already gone on record opposing the expansion, we reckon than Pam’nDon went with checkbook in hand. The County objects to the loss of property tax revenue, especially when the whole scam is based on non-existent blight and the phony findings thereof. And so the County pot needs to be sweetened. A lot. Enter Pam’nDon. Of course it’s supposed to be all hush hush, but you know, these things have way of getting out, especially when the old slushola is being divvied up. Transparency is such a bitch.

We have an indication that the County will take the bait, and that, Friends is a story for another day.

August 20, 2009August 20, 2009Pam Keller

Yikes! How Dumb Does “Pam Keller’s Website” Think We Are?

by The Fullerton Shadow19 Comments

Very, apparently. This morning The Harpoon published this funny post on Council woman Pam Keller’s upcoming fundraiser featuring a “Woodstock” theme here.

Not long after we got a comment from a someone calling him/herself “Pam Keller’s Website,” which was another source of merriment for some of our commenters. We assume this actually was from Pam’s campaign; not because the cyber-world isn’t full of impostors, but because the drivel was so inane that well, it just had the ring of truth to it.

The possibility of a developer contributing to Pam’s campaign fund caused “Website” to come a bit unglued. Here is the fun excerpt:

“I will PROTECT Fullerton from special interest developers that want to influence our future. I have not and will not accept developer contributions to get elected. I support vision and growth that is driven by the residents of Fullerton.”

Ah! The Vision thing! Won’t take money from developers? What, is she just selling out for free?

When confronted with direct questions about how Pam’s approval of “Jefferson Commons” and “Amerige Court” squared with the comment above, and asked just which Fullerton citizens “drove” those monstrosities forward, Website became even more ludicrous:

“The only ’special interest’ I intend to represent is you, your family and your neighbors. You can count on me to PLAN, PROTECT, PROVIDE and PRESERVE Fullerton!”

PLAN, PROTECT, PROVIDE, AND PRESERVE. Exclamation point! Empty verbal pabulum, especially given Keller’s track record of approving massive new development projects in Fullerton, and her support of Redevelopment expansion that is no doubt calculated to bring even more large development to the east and west sides of town. She just okayed negotiations to embark upon a big new housing project on Euclid, between Orangethorpe and Valencia!

What in the world is there in her actual record to support the notion that we can count on her to be anything but a guaranteed “yes” vote for any new massive development projects the City staff is promoting?

August 20, 2009December 28, 2009Pam Keller

Keller Fundraiser Targets Ex-hippies

by The Fullerton Harpoon20 Comments

Too intense, man — Oh, too intense, man. Turn it off, turn it off.

Fullerton Council member Pam Keller is having a fund raiser with a “Woodstock” theme. You may not remember Woodstock, and that is forgivable since many of the people who were there can’t remember it either. Or you may be too young. So we’ll help out a little: musicians bombed out of their minds, mud wrestling in the rain, and a whole lot of LSD making it bearable, and totally, you know, psychedelic, man.

A fitting end to the irresponsible 60s many up-tight squares would say.

Since Pam is 46 or so, she must have been seven years old when Woodstock went down so it’s sort of an odd theme – unless one stops to consider her target audience – hippies turned multiple-Volvo liberals who are now pushing or have pushed the 60-year mark and can afford to be Jimi Hendrix Fan Club members at $1000 a pop.

We do wonder how many dee-velopers of the sort that foisted Jefferson Commons and Amerige Court on Fullerton will just mail their checks in. We’ll find out when financial reports are made and let you know.

Well, anyway we like Pam okay, and so we pass along this free plug for her fundraiser. It probably won’t be as much fun as the real Woodstock, but who knows? Just keep your eye on the punch bowl. Mr. Peabody may be there.

Outta sight, man. I always wanted to drop acid with the Honorable Minard Duncan. What a blast!

August 19, 2009January 4, 2010Arts & Architecture

The City is Violating Its Own Law in Hillcrest Park

by Fred L. Olmsted7 Comments

If you’ve driven along Brea Boulevard lately you will have noticed that the north hill side of Hillcrest Park has been completely scraped as part of the so-called Lions Field improvements. Well, the hillside was suffering from total (and I mean complete) negligence on the part of the City for decades. What is being built, are large retaining structures to “stabilize” the slope. The only problem is that what the slope needed to stabilize it was appropriate landscaping – a solution that the parks Department ignored for years.

The addition of retaining structures in the park is inappropriate. More than that, it’s illegal. Hillcrest Park is a designated Fullerton Landmark (#6) and as such the types of alteration being proposed should have been reviewed in a public hearing by the Landmarks Commission. This never happened. It’s true that Hillcrest Park doesn’t fit into any of the categories included in the watered-down version of the Landmarks Ordinance passed by the City about 12 years ago. But adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards is one key. Another issue is that of demolition and replacement of historic elements. Even the watered down code has a spirit that has not been observed.

Once again the City has ignored its own laws, laws that you or I would be expected to follow. It has specifically ignored the Landmark Ordinance once again, a part of the Zoning Code that the City has habitually and serially abused over the years (if you want I’ll make a list).

For years the City has turned over the park to pervs and low-lifes while ignoring the historic built environment. And now it seems they are embarked on another form of abuse of an historic resource.

August 18, 2009August 19, 2009Fullerton City Council

County Deploys Certified Helmet Fitters

by Travis13 Comments

There’s an item on tonight’s council agenda that highlights the ridiculous overhead that government do-gooders can add to otherwise trivial tasks. In this case, the Orange County Health Care Agency wants to give out 300 helmets to poor kids in Fullerton. Sounds like a simple task, right? Buy 300 helmets and give them out, hoping that kids will smash their melons a bit less frequently.

But that’s not how government operates – in this case, the county hires Helmet Fitting trainers to train Helmet Fitters to fit helmets on juvenile fittee’s. Before that can happen, Helmet Fitter trainee’s must be Helmet Fitter certified, presumably by some kind of Helmet Fitting certification authority.

But we can’t have certified Helmet Fitters running around without releasing the city from Helmet Fitting risk. And we can’t have Helmet Fitters fitting helmets without filling out a Helmet Consent Form. In case you think I’m making this up, here is the text from the grant request:

This grant provides 300 helmets for distribution to low income children under age 18 living in Fullerton. Parks and Recreation staff and volunteers will be trained and certified as Helmet Fitters by the County of Orange Health Care Agency. Prior to receiving a helmet, each recipient and/or parent of recipient will receive helmet safety education by the certified Helmet Fitter, complete the Voluntary Release Assumption of Risk and Indemnity Agreement form and the Helmet Consent Form

This obvious make-work project would be comical if it wasn’t a complete waste of city and county resources. If this task must be done, please give the helmets to some non-profit who can tackle it without all of the overhead.