Friends For Fullerton's Future

April 22, 2010April 21, 2010Chris Norby

Battle of the Downtown Chrises

Tonight Fullerton residents have their choice of attending the special Earth Day Fullerton Market and/or attending one of two presentations, one by newly minted Assemblyman Chris Norby and one by the venerable Fullerton City Manager Chris Meyer. Take your pick:

Assemblyman Chris Norby invites citizens to share their thoughts on taxes, education, transportation or any other issue important to them.

7:00 – 9:00 pm, Fullerton Senior Center, 340 W. Commonwealth Ave.

Meanwhile…

City Councilwoman Sharon Quirk-Silva introduces citizens to the people who keep the city running smoothly and efficiently. Guest speaker will be City Manager Chris Meyer.

7:30 pm, Fullerton Museum Center, 301 N. Pomona Ave.

Or you can just drink in the beer garden. But there are so many things to talk about with both of them, so I do hope you will attend one or the other.

April 21, 2010April 21, 2010About Us

President Obama Visits FFFF, Gets the Scoop on OCCCO

by Travis7 Comments

Last Thursday our humble blog had a visit from the Executive Office of the President of the United States. It looks like someone on Barack Obama’s computer was doing a bit of Googling on a organization called OCCCO when he stumbled across our post on The OCCCO Scam.

Maybe the President’s office was researching the Orange County branch of the national Pacific Institute for Community Organization (PICO) non-profit after it had requested another round of taxpayer funding from Obama’s bulging cluster of social welfare programs.

Hopefully FFFF was able to shed a little light on the subject. Glad we could help, Mr. President.

April 21, 2010Downtown Fullerton

From Pawn Shop to Sex Shop in Downtown Fullerton

by The Fullerton Savage70 Comments

How did an empty pawn shop become a sex shop?

For months the 219 W. Commonwealth has stood depressingly empty, but at least the trash was on the outside. Now it seems that Commonwealth will sport its very own lingerie shop just two short city blocks from the Boys and Girls Club and the Senior Center. And that’s if we’re lucky, and they limit their wares to the wearable variety.

The lights went off one by one just as I began to take some snapshots of the buxom mannequins through the iron gated windows. Such class in our fair city–”The Education City”. Well, some kids are going to get quite an education from across the street at the friendly gelato cafe. I guess there will be something skimpy dressing these hotties to keep them from showing off too much, but is this really what was envisioned for our downtown? Where is zoning on this one? How long has this area been a redevelopment zone? Is there any better evidence of redevelopment engendering blight?

April 21, 2010Chris Norby

Nelson vs. Sidhu @ OCGOP; Round 1

by admin1 Comment

As promised, I will be sharing with you the debate between Shawn Nelson, who lives in our district, and Harry Sidhu, who moved into our district twice just to run for yet another office. His first so called “residence” was at the Calabria apartments on W. Lincoln, where we proved Sidhu committed voter fraud here. The other residence is over on Lucky Way.

Both candidates are running in OC’s 4th Supervisorial district special election to replace our current State Assemblyman Chris Norby. I’m going to start off this series of video clips with both candidates’ opening statements. Enjoy the show:

April 21, 2010April 21, 2010Harry Sidhu

Cunningham Talks and Talks and Talks. Anybody Listening?

by The Desert Rat10 Comments

Over at the RedCounty blog, Matthew J. Cunningham’s posts are becoming increasingly dronish and petulant – just like always seems to happen when an election nears.

His latest post about the OCGOP Central Committee endorsement of Shawn Nelson is a case in point. Apparently he wasn’t at this big event (could it be because he’s not yet ready to explain his huge windfall from The Meathead’s Children and Families commission?). So he’s getting his talking points from somebody who was – probably lonely Sidhu supporter and John Lewis partner Matt Holder.

You would think that when your bosses candidate gets wiped out 47-8 you would just keep your mouth shut and say nothing. But not our motormouth buddy – who goes on and on and on about how the thing is unfair and Nelson just won because he did better at the forum, how the questions weren’t good, how it was all due to political whipping and how Sidhu, not Nelson has been fully vetted through the last election cycle (? Nelson’s been through three!).

Not a single word from Cunningham about carpetbagging, perjury and perpetual candidacy! Did it not occur to Cunningham that maybe, just maybe the OCGOP Central Committee members were turned off by Sidhu’s voter registration fraud, and his two bogus addresses on top of his inarticulate, scripted performances.

Well, too bad for Cunningham and Lewis and Sidhu, but that genie is out of the bottle and ain’t going back in. So just accept it and quit yer bitchin’.

Anyhow, congrats from inside the electrified fence of the Desert Rat compound out on beautiful Screech Owl Road to Nelson for an important victory.

April 21, 2010April 21, 2010CSUF

The El Dorado Ranch – Is it Public or Private?

by Greg Sebourn8 Comments

A few weeks ago I gave you a glimpse of the old Chapman property that houses CSUF President Milton Gordon on the public dime up in the hills of Fullerton. I decided to take a spin past the old ranch to see what it looks like.

Clearly this sign warns potential visitors to the El Dorado Ranch that it is “PRIVATE PROPERTY”. However, the sign lies! Or rather the person who placed the sign there is either a liar or is misinformed. The Grant Deed below makes it clear that the property has been granted to a public agency which places the property in the hands of California residents.

So, despite the very official albeit old and faded sign, you and I own the temporary residence of Milton A. Gordon, President of Cal State Fullerton whose salary exceeds $300,000 per year. With all that money he saves living rent free it’s no wonder he left the light on for us.

April 20, 2010April 20, 2010Behind Closed Doors

Did Bankhead Shoot Self in Foot? Or have The People Really Spoken?

by Mr. Peabody4 Comments

A Friend just passed along the minutes from a California High Speed Rail meeting back in May 2008. The city of Fullerton “strongly supports the HSR project” per Councilman Don Bankhead. Hey, wait a minute. Did the City Council of Fullerton adopt a formal position on the HSR , and did they appoint Bankhead to be it’s official spokesman on the subject?

And if the Council really and truly already decided that we’re on board the HSR, then why bother with one of those idiotic “work shops” at tonight’s council meeting, and why have another one on April 26th at the Senior Center?

Anyway check this out:

CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY/ MEETING MINUTES / MAY 14, 2008

The meeting of the California High-Speed Rail Authority was called to order on May 14, 2008 at 9:30AM at Anaheim City Hall, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd in Anaheim, CA.

Mr. Bankhead stated the City of Fullerton strongly supports the HSR Project. To date the City, CalTrans and OCTA has invested millions of dollars in public transit services at the Fullerton Transportation Center. Mr. Bankhead stated Fullerton has the busiest rail station between Los Angeles and San Diego along the LOSSAN corridor. In addition, the City of Fullerton is working with CalTrans and OCTA to construct a new parking structure to accommodate up to 1000 rail passengers. There would be a platform adjacent to the parking structure that could accommodate high-speed rail. Mr. Bankhead stated the City of Fullerton supports the Authority’s budget request for $103M towards the development of high-speed rail. Mr. Bankhead stated on behalf of the City of Fullerton that the Authority consider a stop in Fullerton which would serve the region and build upon a previous transportation investment.

April 20, 2010Harry Sidhu

The GOP Central Committee Speaks: Nelson 47, Sidhu 8

by admin19 Comments

Shawn Nelson won the Orange County GOP Central Committee endorsement over Harry Sidhu by 47-8 votes last night at the Irvine Hyatt. That’s 85% for Nelson if you like numbers.

The room was designed to fit 200 people, and was standing room only. Besides Sidhu, who voted for himself (Sidhu got sworn in as an alternative to the OCGOP just prior to the vote), Matt Holder of (John) Lewis Consulting Services and Thomas Gordon went down in flames voting for their own interests instead of the better candidate. knowing that his client was going to lose Holder tried to forestall a vote, avoid a vote, but it was not to be.

To those in attendance it was painfully obvious that the more qualified candidate was Shawn Nelson. As usual Sidhu read his answers from a script prepared for him while Nelson’s answers were direct, forthright, and informed.

Nelson, the OCGOP’s 2009 elected official of the year won the Daily Double. It will be hard for Sidhu’s paid apologists to cast this in any other light than a resounding rejection of their candidate. You can expect the negative Sidhu mail to start coming furiously from here on out – and that won’t endear Sidhu to the party faithful, either.

For Nelson this victory provides important momentum heading into the final seven weeks of the campaign and can be used in mailings to fellow Republicans.

In short: Nelson kicked ass. I’ve got some good video and will be uploading choice nuggets for the benefit and amusement of the Friends.

April 19, 2010April 19, 2010Redevelopment

Will Redevelopment Borrow $50 Million for Affordable Housing?

by Christian11 Comments

Have you ever been robbed? Some robberies are violent and involve weapons or threats of force. Others are of a white-collar nature. Don’t be fooled, you are robbed either way. One robber let’s you know he is taking your money while the other is much more insidious and calculating. Our Redevelopment Agency is the latter.

Item 10 on this week’s council agenda deserves some attention.

According to the staff recommendation signed by Ramona Castaneda, for our illustrious Land Czar Rob Zur Schmiede and Charles Kovac, these fine public employees would like to sell a bond. They say that their autonomous agency could net between $26,900,000 and $32,000,000 in proceeds. That sounds like a great idea if you like to squander public money. The Staff report states that the debt service payments over a 17-year term would be approximately $2,900,000 per year starting September 20100 and ending September 2027. Okay, so check my math: $2,900,000 x 17 years = $49,300,000.

That’s a cost of nearly $50 MILLION! We are cutting staff hours, cutting services and rethinking the way we do business… at least everyone else is. Our Land Czar wants the money so he can build MORE affordable housing. That’s laughable since his agency has single-handedly destroyed and displaced more homes than any other in Fullerton. Oh, but wait! What’s that Doc? Oh, he says it’s that law, we just gotta do it! No we don’t.

Of course missing from the discussion about this venture seems to be the little matter of the lawsuit that Friends for Fullerton’s Future has filed against the Redevelopment Agency’s expansion plan. Is Zur Schmiede counting on tax increment from the proposed expansion area to pay off his bonds? Better hope not.

April 19, 2010April 19, 2010Dead heads

The Lorri Galloway Residency Comedy Rolls Along

by admin23 Comments

At the WAND candidate forum the other day Lorri Galloway asserted that she has lived in our district for seven months.

Not quite right. According to her voter registration she only started carpetbaggin’ the 4th District a mere 5 months ago. So who cares? She’s a politician and they just love to fuzz up the facts.

GallowayatDoor — Hi, I'm your new neighbor. I know I haven't been around much.

But wait. The really fun fact is that she began her so called 4th District residency by “living” in Anaheim’s O-P zone – on the corner of Lincoln Avenue And East Street. And even if she did actually reside there, which is extremely doubtful, that residency was illegal per Anaheim’s zone code; she was busted (by us) in January and she had to “move.” So even if the most credulous person believes that she is now actually living in the “5 Points” area, she’s only been a legal resident of the 4th District for a couple of months.