Friends For Fullerton's Future – Page 249 – FFFF supports causes that promote intelligent, responsible and accountable government in Fullerton and Orange County

September 12, 2010September 13, 2010Fullerton City Council Candidates

Where Was Roland Chi Three Short Years Ago?

roland-chi-079-200x300 — Proud to call Fullerton home. Said the same thing about Garden Grove two years ago.

Living in Garden Grove, apparently.

Okay, first things first. Never heard of Roland Chi, before? There’s probably a real good reason for that. The Fullerton City Council candidate running to replace Supervisor Shawn Nelson has lived in Fullerton for less than three years. At most. Here’s a snippet from the minutes of the Garden Grove City Council that was thinking about a replacement for Janet Nguyen:

April 16, 2007: It was moved by Mayor Dalton, seconded by Council Member Nguyen, that Roland Chi be appointed to fill the vacancy on the City Council. Council Member Nguyen spoke about Roland Chi’s many achievements at a relatively young age, including the Garden Grove Farmer’s Market. Council Member Broadwater moved a substitute motion to appoint Steve Jones to fill the vacancy on the City Council. Council Member Nguyen seconded the motion. Council Member Rosen commented that Mr. Chi is too young, needing real life experience that comes with age.

As Roland coyly puts it on his own website: During this time, he was appointed to a city planning commission and later chosen by his peers to serve as Chairman.

Well that’s pretty sneaky, not informing his readers that he never served on Fullerton’s Planning Commission. It was in another city, and less than three years ago.

But Roland’s a real climber alright, and has recently joined up in the right Fullerton Rotarian/Chamber crews. But will it make up for no real accomplishment?

Hmm. A candidate pops up out of nowhere looking for a political future.

And who does this remind you of? How about Julie Sa, who popped up like a weed in 1992, bought the election, embarrassed the City for eight years, and who finally pulled out in 2000 when it was discovered that she was actually living in Chino Hills?

Well, Hell, anybody can legally run for office in Fullerton so long as they actually live here; but has the political process become so cynical that some guy with almost no history of residency here is willing to put his name on the ballot alongside people who have served the community for years?

Just some food for thought.

September 12, 2010February 28, 2011Watch Your Wallet

Volunteer Firefighters Account for 1/3 of OC Fire Authority’s First Responders – Fullerton ZERO

by Greg Sebourn21 Comments

The front page of the September 9, 2010 Orange County Register brings to light how a good idea is implemented poorly.

The article discusses a report from an un-named source that shares data on response times from reserve firefighting and medical units in Orange County. According to the article, there are 495 reserve positions with only 291 positions filled. Of the 291 positions, 41 will be laid off or fired.

Let’s put it in perspective. The Orange County Fire Authority employs 841 full-time firefighters/fire management personnel. They have budgeted 495 reserves for FY2009-10. That means that nearly 1/3 of total first responder capabilities rest in the hands of reserves. Fullerton has no reserve firefighters to help shore up minimum staffing requirements and minimize overtime. For a department which was founded as a volunteer fire department I find it ironic that they now have zero reserves on hand to help.

The OC Register article goes into the asset versus liability of having reserve fire units. Essentially, the report finds that several reserve units failed to respond to calls. That in and of itself is problematic but the real question that is missed is where has management been? You would think that management would notice pretty quickly that the reserves are not responding and then take corrective action. Apparently no one noticed.

Amazingly, the solution is quite simple. By integrating reserves with professionals in the same manner as law enforcement agencies, the reserve can be better managed and will have the opportunity to receive peer mentoring.

Why has management allowed reserves to have their own volunteer units and not an integrated approach? My guess is that the OCFA union would not allow it through their MOU or no one cared enough to explore the use and utility of having reserves. For that matter, why do we still have firefighters being paid to sleep in regional firehouses? No other public agency outside of fire service, would allow employees to sleep on the job.

I realize the thought of working an 8- or 12-hour shift might terrorize some firefighters but it would certainly make better sense than having dozens of high-paid public servants sleeping on the job. Other communities have already implemented 8-hour shifts. It would also address the argument that firefighters deserve their high pay and pension because they are away from their family more than other public employees. With that argument one would think our soldiers are millionaires considering the time they spend away from their families.

Firefighting has its own culture based largely on tradition. When those traditions negatively affect taxpayers, it is time to think if we want to continue down this costly “traditional” road or cut a brave new path that leads to improved services and lower costs.

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:

September 10, 2010September 10, 2010Fullerton City Council

What’s Another $30 Million? Charge It.

by Travis14 Comments

What happens when you run up a credit card but only make the minimum payment? It never works out very well. But that’s how Fullerton is handling $30,000,000 in retiree health care commitments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntIaUiv9seU

Jack Dean passed along this unfortunate piece from the OC Register which exposes over $1 billion in unfunded retiree health commitments for Orange County and its cities. Fullerton’s spending problem is summarized here:

City	Fullerton
Population	138,610
Unfunded costs	$29,986,735
Unfunded cost per capita	$216
Maximum benefit (per year)	$9,744
Paid in 2009	$1,927,528
Does the agency pay only the minimum cost?	Yes
Is a lifetime benefit offered?	Fire employees
Source: Retiree health costs and other retiree data from local cities and the county; population statistics from the California Department of Finance

Retiree health benefits are negotiated between our city council and the public employee unions during contract renewals. Supervisor John Moorlach says they are an easy squeeze for unions because boosting benefits for employees requires no up-front cost to the city.

Much like exorbitant pensions, these benefits are a long-term commitment where the future costs are impossible to calculate at the time the entitlements are given. Ultimately, taxpayers are responsible if costs “unexpectedly” spiral out of control. And of course, they always do.

September 10, 2010September 10, 201072nd Election

Green Party to Hold State Convention in Fullerton

by admin9 Comments

The Green Party, which declares independence from influence of special interest money, will unveil a slate of candidates at State Convention in Fullerton this weekend.

FULLERTON – Billing itself as the most “independent” political party in the state – in stark contrast to Democrats and Republicans, who voters are increasingly shunning – the Green Party of California will hold a pre-election state convention here Saturday and Sunday.

A PRESS CONFERENCE featuring many of the party’s state and congressional candidates will be held at 12:30 p.m. SATURDAY at the Fullerton Dancesport Center/Imperial Ballroom (114 E. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton).

Thirty-four Greens are on the ballot throughout California Nov. 2, including seven up for state offices from the Governor to State Treasurer. One Green is running for U.S. Senator, five for the House of Representatives, five for State Assembly (all in Southern California) and the remainder for school boards, rent boards and other local offices.

About 40 Greens hold elected office in the state, including five mayors (Gayle McLaughlin is running for re-election in Richmond, a city of more than 100,000), and Greens dominate several city councils in the northern part of the state, including Fairfax and Sonoma.

“The Green Party is truly different. It’s independent of special interests. The two ‘Titanic’ parties are mired in big money influence, and govern according to those special interests, and not in the best interests of the people,” said Laura Wells, the Green candidate for Governor.

“Real issues like healthcare, campaign finance reform, renewable energy and our failing economy need to be solved without the corrupting influence of corporate and big union money,” said Jane Rands, Green Party candidate for the 72nd Assembly District, which includes Fullerton.

The Green Party of California General Assembly will address proposed platform revisions, announce positions on state ballot initiatives, and hold a strategy session entitled “2011 & Beyond”. The meeting is being hosted by the Green Party of Orange County.

The Green Party’s platform is guided by the principals of Grassroots Democracy, Environmental Wisdom, Social Justice, and Nonviolence. For more information visit www.cagreens.org.

September 10, 2010March 3, 2011Harry Sidhu

“Quit Lying, Sidhu!” Says OCTAX

by admin28 Comments

Looks like Hide and Seek Sidhu has been claiming he has the endorsement of the OCTAXPAC. Well, not anymore as the boss of the operation points out. Has Hairball been misleading folks again? Bad boy!

In the meantime it will be very interesting to see if the same people who were bamboozled into supporting the newly minted Democrat-hugging Sidhu will be persuaded by the Pringle types to screw up again.

September 9, 2010Fullerton 2010

Riddle: Which Fullerton Candidate Wears the Biggest Hat?

by Jan Florys Dog8 Comments

September 8, 2010September 8, 2010Repuglicanism

The Two Faces of Matthew J. Cunningham

by Grover Cleveland7 Comments

Yesterday our favorite repuglican hypocrite, Matthew J. Cunningham, put up a post whining about the hypocrisy of Loretta Sanchez who apparently had a fundraiser at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion and who subsequently applauded Craigslist for “censoring” adult services.

Here’s the quote from Loretta that offends the sensibilities of the tender Cunningham the most:

By shutting down the adult services section, Craigslist is showing that it truly values people over its own profits.

Hmm.The fact that Playboy preys upon nobody seems to have escaped the authoritarian pea brain Cunningham, but Hell, we’ll let that pass.

What’s really funny is that not so very long ago FFFF exposed the self-described small gummint conservative Cunningham as the recipient of huge windfall largess from Rob Reiner’s tax and redistribute Prop 10 that put bread on Mr. Conservative’s table for over four years. Almost all of the bread, as it turns out.

Here’s a hypothetical quotation to ponder:

By advocating to shut down the socialist Children and Families Commission, Matthew J. Cunningham is showing that he truly values conservative principles over his own profits.

As long as Mr. Cunningham keeps trying to pretend that he’s anything other than the biggest hypocrite in Orange County, we’ll be right there to remind folks the truth.

September 7, 2010September 7, 2010About Us

Another Reason to Be Glad You Don’t Live in the Bible Belt

by Jan Florys Dog14 Comments

Okay, this isn’t about Fullerton, per se, although I have no doubt that there are a few Fullertonian authoritarian Republicans who would subscribe to the ravings of this brain-dead cracker fucktard:

Even up here in dog heaven I thank my lucky stars I didn’t live in Orlando, Florida, and y’all know my life in Fullerton was no bed of roses.

Do yourselves a favor. Next time you run into one of these moronic “neo-con” assholes, make sure to slap ’em up alongside their empty melons. And remember 9/11 by listening to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

NAZIs burn books. Free men and women and canines celebrate freedom.

September 7, 2010September 8, 2010Marijuana

Freedom vs. Oppression – Judge Jim Gray vs. Dick Ackerman. Topic: Prop 19

by admin16 Comments

On September 11th, the Orange County Lincoln Club will be hosting a debate on the initiatives that are on the November ballot, including Prop 19, the “legalize marijuana” initiative. The debate host is Clare Venegas.

The debate is open to Lincoln Club members who are in good standing, whatever that means. The event will feature a pro/con speaker for each side. On the Prop 19 pro side is probably the most knowledgeable man in the United States when it comes to drug policy – retired Judge Jim Gray. Judge Gray recently wrote a book titled Why our drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It.

On the con (pun intended) side is Mr. Dick Ackerman who’s wife recently ran for the state assembly in the 72nd district while claiming she lived in a rented room at a friend’s house even though everyone knew she (and Dick) were living in a “top secret” gated community in Irvine. Carpetbaggin’ and lying to the public is just fine; smoking a joint is the devil’s work.

At the end of the debate, the club’s Legislative Committee will present their recommendations and any general member in good standing will be able to cast a vote on the Club’s position for each initiative on our ballot.

The Lincoln Club’s commitment to acting on shared principles of limiting government and expanding economic and personal freedoms is a breath of fresh air, if you can really believe it. Personal freedom means adults being able to do what they want so long as they aren’t bothering anybody. That means having a beer or taking a hit of some of California’s Gold. Or both.

Let’s hope the voting members who have committed to such principles don’t get cold feet on such a hot topic when it comes time to vote.