Friends For Fullerton's Future

April 30, 2010April 30, 2010Dead heads

Friday Fun: AOCDS Gives Sidhu a Map and A Compass

One of our Friends got this dopey generic flier put out by the Sheriff Deputies’ union promoting the carpetbagging campaign of Hide and Seek Harry Sidhu. Talk of navigation with map and compass makes you think Sidhu’s running for Boat Owner Association President.

They made two errors, apart from the lame nautical metaphor.

The map and compass serve to remind us that Sidhu needs a map and a compass to get around the district he doesn’t live in – our 4th District.

The use of the compass is doubly ironic since Sidhu, who perjured himself on voter registration forms to support his carpetbagging, and who happily sought union IE support (though not their money!), seems to have no moral compass at all.

And somebody forgot to tell the union that they are supposed to play up “Harry” and not “Sidhu.”

April 30, 2010About Us

“OC Watchdog” Gets Award; Pats Self On head

by English Major5 Comments

Hooray! The OC Watchdog of the Orange County Register has been given some sort of “public service” award by some newspaper publishing organization or other. Teri Sforza is crowing about it, here, and sharing some of the important watchdoggin’ they’ve been doing. Well, okay, they’re all in a precarious employment situation over there so a little self-promotion can be forgiven.

On the other hand, when we consider the stories that the Watchdogs have serially ignored, we have to wonder with the Roman poet Juvenal, quis custodiet ipsos custodes? or in English: who guards the guardians?

Here’s a partial list of stories missed, dismissed, or glossed over by the OC Watchdog:

Perjury by Harry Sidhu, candidate for Supervisor.

Janet Nguyen hiring staffers for the 4th District office.

Tom Daly talks Supes (including Nguyen) into buying 2.1 million dollar money pit.

Tom Daly puts do-nothing Sacramento statistic-for-hire on $1700 per month retainer, paying out well over $100,000.

Tom Daly gives $48,000 to campaign contributor Brett Barbre to study sports hall of fame (first reported and then ignored – Jennifer Muir distracted by shoes).

Tom Daly turns Clerk-recorder Department into make work office for relatives of campaign contributors.

Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle paid $72,000 per year to find new graveyard for OC Cemetary District.

Pringle paid $250,000 to lobby for OC Children and Families Commission; Pacific Strategies awarded contracts of half a million dollars in three years to run a blog and write PR pieces for politicians; Commission gives “The White House Writers Group” $150,000 to proclaim the good works of the Commission on a bigger stage.

Etc., etc., etc.

The main problem seems to be lack of curiosity and/or tenacity. Then there’s the rather disturbing possibility that some folks in authority just gets less scrutinized than others.

April 30, 2010April 30, 2010Boohooism

Pacific Strategies – Won’t Someone Please Think of The Children?

by Grover Cleveland16 Comments

Using kids as a front to support your bureaucratic empire is almost something of a cliche. The educrats and teachers unions have been doing it for years. And so naturally the OC Children and Families Commission sings from the same sheet music.

Check out these billing entries from Matthew Cunningham to the Commission.

Okay, on January 15th, 2010 Mr. Republican is ghost writing an op-ed piece for a Democratic politician – the former State Superintendent of Schools, Delaine Eastin. A dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do do it, right? Besides the money is great.

fartboy — The inability to write is not a partisan political issue...

Then we notice that about five weeks later the beaver-like Cunningham is hard at work disseminating the “Eastin op-ed” to literally dozens of readers via “social media tools”

A little digging and we uncovered this Sacramento Bee op-ed “by” Delaine Eastin dated 2/24/2010. Delaine is fighting hard for the dough that fuels the kiducrat machine, and that, parenthetically pays Cunningham $200 an hour. Is this the very same piece he wrote for the otherwise mute Eastin? Check it out and see if the style isn’t 100% Cunningham schmaltz – including the obligatory quotation from Abraham Lincoln. Be sure to read the comments as a reminder of Eastin’s troubled regime as Superintendent of Schools.

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it. The OC Children and Families Commission is paying hundreds of thousands a year in PR and lobbying expenses that are handed out to the politically well connected like Cunningham, who is good buddies with Commissioner Chair Bill Campbell and Hugh Hewitt. What is the procurement process for these contracts, and what quantifiable metrics are applied to judge the success and ultimately the renewal of these contracts?

It’s time to open the window on this Commission and let some fresh air into the room.

April 29, 2010April 30, 2010Behind Closed Doors

State Auditor Rains on Pringle’s High Speed Rail Parade

by Mr. Peabody2 Comments

PringlePower — Pay no attention to that man in front of the curtain...

In a comprehensive indictment of the High Speed Rail Authority’s procedures and protocols, and its abilities to manage and oversee spending public bond revenue, the California State Auditor has taken a considerable step in derailing the proposed boondoggle. Read the highlights for yourself.

Although this doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t suspect, it does confirm the worst suspicions about poor planning and lax or non-existent oversight, and raises the worst spectre of all: a worthless, duplicative, hyper-expensive and disruptive system – a mere leg – say from Anaheim to downtown Los Angeles.

Tonight Pringle’s PR consultants are coming to town, not to ask our opinion about anything, rest assured. Rather they are coming to soft sell what’s already been decided. But there’s no reason why we can’t go and share our opinions, and maybe even ask Mayor Bankhead (who’s bound to be there) how come he stood up a couple years ago and told people that the City of Fullerton supports this disaster in the making.

They’re going to be at the Senior Center from 5-8 with a propaganda presentation at 6pm.

April 29, 2010April 29, 2010Behind Closed Doors

MORE MONKEY BUSINESS AT THE CLERK-RECORDER’S OFFICE; TOM DALY AND HIS THREE AMIGOS.

by admin21 Comments

It appears that Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly has mastered two skills in his eight years as head of the Clerk-Recorder Department. First, he has become a top-notch spender and waster of our dough. Second, he has mastered the art of creating jobs at tax-payer’s expense while receiving campaign contributions from the relatives of people he has employed.

Last week Daly hired Bruce Matthias, here. We learned from his campaign financial statements that Matthias’s wife Sonja Matthias had contributed to Daly’s now defunct campaign for Supervisor 2010.

Well, we looked deeper into his statements and found even more good old jobs for the boys (and girls) featherbedding. Look at this list.

In 2006, The Oftelie Company, run by former transportation bureaucrat Stan Oftelie, contributed to Tom Daly’s campaign. Could it be a coincidence that Stan’s son was hired shortly after this contribution and while the County was losing jobs. Stan’s son works in the Archives and was brought in as an “extra-help” employee which means that no competitive hiring process was conducted to bring him on board. I wonder what qualifies Stan’s son to work in the Archives.

The Walt Disney Company has been quite generous in its giving to Tom Daly’s campaigns. Since 2002, Disney and people connected to Disney have contributed more than $4000 to Tom. That’s just as much as the OCEA. Chris Lowe is the Government Affairs Manager for Disney in Anaheim. Well, Lo and Behold, Daly hired Chris Lowe’s wife to work in the Archives as an extra-help employee which, again, means that no competitive hiring process was conducted. And again the hiring was done when the County could least afford it.

In 2003 and 2005, James A. Liberio Realty made contributions to Tom Daly. Not surprisingly, Mr. Liberio’s daughter was also hired as an extra-help employee. So no competitive process was conducted to hire her. I’m unsure of her duties or qualifications.

Even during these tough times at the County, Daly has been budgeting at least $200,000 per year for extra-help hires. Despite revenues and workloads being at their lowest levels ever, Daly feels it is more important to keep his friends employed than to protect the interests of the public. Extra-help employees are basically at-will-employees and can be let go at anytime. I think that time has come now!

And I’d like to know why these these campaign contributors don’t hire their own relatives. Perhaps these people are not employable. Who knows?

Somebody needs to flush out this swamp of cronyism. Isn’t that why we have County Supervisors?

April 29, 2010April 29, 2010Boohooism

Pacific Strategies Critical Task #1 – “Daily Media Review”

by Grover Cleveland28 Comments

One of the critical tasks assigned to Matthew Cunningham by the PR fixated and obviously rudderless OC Children and Families Commission is to “review” media, i.e. read newspapers and blogs, which is convenient for Cunningham because that’s what he does anyway – for free. Now he’s a pro at 200 bucks an hour.

Yes, Friends, you read rightly. He’s paid to read blogs.

meathead — This is exactly what I had in mind...only they were supposed to be Democrats!

January 25, 2010 was another banner day for Pacific Strategies. $700 for a few hours noodling around on the computer. Plus time for 18 holes in the afternoon after the siesta!

Oh, and look. A phone call to newly minted Assemblyman Chris Norby made from Suite C. Probably to assure Chris that Cunningham really wanted him to win all along and how much he really, really hates carpetbaggers and perjurers.

April 28, 2010Hidden Government Agencies

High-Speed Rail Circus Comes to Fullerton

by Travis6 Comments

The High-Speed Rail Authority is bringing the show to our own Fullerton Senior Center on Thursday evening.

Considered by many to be the greatest boondoggle in the history of California, high speed rail will waste billions of dollars, threaten homes and businesses throughout the state while claiming to solve an inter-state transit problem that doesn’t exist.

Be sure to get informed before you attend.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) will host a public open house in the City of Fullerton to provide the community with a project update, information about the proposed alternative alignments, design options, and station locations being considered, as well as details pertaining to the environmental process. Residents will be able to see which areas might be needed for right-of way acquisition.

Fullerton is being considered for a station, in competition with Norwalk for the only other station between Anaheim and Los Angeles.

CHSRA is planning high-speed train service for travel between major metropolitan areas of California. The high-speed train is proposed to connect Anaheim to San Francisco in less than three hours. The Los Angeles to Anaheim high-speed train section proposes to travel adjacent to the existing Los Angeles to San Diego Rail Corridor from LA Union Station to the future Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), although OCTA and Metro are now proposing a shared-track agreement.

Thursday, April 29, 2010, 5 to 8 p.m., presentation at 6 p.m.
Fullerton Senior Center, 340 W. Commonwealth Ave.
For more information, call (877) 724-5422

April 28, 2010Shawn Nelson

Nelson Picks Up California GOP Endorsement

by Travis8 Comments

The state GOP has just endorsed Shawn Nelson for Orange County Supervisor. Here is the press release:

——-

SACRAMENTO, CA – This morning the Board of Directors of the California Republican Party voted to convey the official endorsement of the California Republican Party to Orange County Supervisor candidate Shawn Nelson. Last week, Nelson was overwhelmingly endorsed by the Orange County Republican Party, and the state organization followed suit, at the request of Scott Baugh, Chairman of the Orange County GOP.

“Republican voters in North Orange County should know that Shawn Nelson is official candidate of the local and state Republican parties,” said California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring. “With the unions already spending big bucks, and the presence of a viable Democrat in the race, it is critical that Republicans rally behind Nelson’s candidacy.”

California Republican Party Vice Chairman — South Jon Fleischman, who made the motion to endorse Nelson, had this to say about the vote, “It is critical that we elect Republicans to local office who understand the challenges presented by the insidious influence of public employee unions, and their insatiable appetite for unsustainable taxpayer-funded benefits. Shawn Nelson is clearly the candidate who is prepared to deal aggressively to curb the influence of public employee unions.”

Former Supervisor Norby is endorsing Nelson, as is U.S. Representative Ed Royce and many other Republican leaders, including Senator Mimi Walters, Supervisor Pat Bates and Supervisor John Moorlach. Last week the Orange County Republican Party officially endorsed Nelson.

Councilmember Shawn Nelson is a fiscal conservative who was elected to the Fullerton City Council in November 2002. He served as Mayor in 2004-05 and 2006-07. Nelson is a California native who was raised in Fullerton. The Sunny Hills High School graduate holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from USC, and a Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law. He was named the “Local Elected Official for 2009” by the Orange County Republican Party. Active in the community, Councilmember Nelson is a member of the Fullerton Elks Lodge and the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce. He is actively involved as a member of Zion Lutheran Church, is a sponsor and “Soccer Dad” for the Fullerton Rangers youth soccer club, and is head coach and a parent sponsor for Fullerton Pop Warner Football’s Junior Peewee Team.

April 28, 2010April 29, 2010Behind Closed Doors

Pacific Strategies Jackpot – The $1680 Day

by Grover Cleveland37 Comments

UPDATE: as one of our commenters pointed out, you can click on the billing fragment, below to get the picture of what happened for the month of July 2009. Enjoy, but try not to retch.

August 17th, 2009 was a great day to be Matthew Cunningham. See, the Red County Blog editor and pretended conservative pulled down $1680 wordsmith pimping for the liberal welfare state via his lucrative deal with the OC Children and Families Commission.

Why this Commission, that was created to help little children, is dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars each year into opinion swaying of dubious value is exasperating. The fact that this money is going into the coffers of well-connected repuglicans also gives off quite an aroma – influence peddling-wise.

How and why these contracts are awarded is certainly a topic that should be addressed by the Commission and their Executive Director Michael Ruane, as well as by the Board of Supervisors, who appoint Commission members.

One thing is crystal clear. This Commission is more interested in PR and lobbying for their revenue than they are actually accomplishing anything.

Here is the billing statement for that day that put a happy face on all the Cunninghams in Suite C. Who knew that revising vanilla versions of op-eds could be so rewarding?

Maybe Cunningham really does believe in the good works of the Commission, although I’ve got to wonder what other tax and spend schemes he will be promoting next.

April 27, 2010Redevelopment

The Missing Conversation with the Redevelopment Department

by The Fullerton Savage4 Comments

Last Thursday marked the second in a five part series of presentations at the Fullerton Museum Center entitled “Conversations with your City”. Organized by Fullerton City Council member Sharon Quirk-Silva, each evening features managers and directors of some of our city’s most prominent departments, including Police Chief Michael Sellers and City Manager Chris Meyer. June 24 brings Parks and Recreation Director Joe Felz, followed by August 26 with Fire Chief Wolfgang Knabe, and ends with an October 28 double header with Engineering Director Don Hoppe and Maintenance Services Director Bob Savage. Just about everyone you’d want to talk to as an active member of your community, right?

Conspicuously missing are the Community Development and Redevelopment Department directors. As it happens, Community Development (aka Planning Dept.) Director John Godlewski will finish his contract with Fullerton very soon. Who knows when his successor will be hired, so perhaps it was just awkward to try to schedule someone to speak with the public about that department.

But Redevelopment is something of a puzzling omission. Why was Redevelopment Director Robert Zur Schmiede not included in this series of conversations with our city? After all, his department’s current fiscal year budget is over $ 13 million, about twice that of the Parks and Rec. Dept., and nearly twice the budget of Community Development (see them all here.) Redevelopment does big things. You’d think they would be proud to talk to us about their past accomplishments and how they can be more responsive to all of us (because you know that’s what everyone else will say is the goal of their departments).

Did no one invite Mr. Zur Schmiede to the party? Or does it go without saying that the Redevelopment Department simply isn’t thought of as being accountable to the people of Fullerton? Mr. Zur Schmiede answers directly to the Redevelopment Agency, better known as your city council. Wouldn’t you like to have an hour or to ask Robert Zur Schmiede a few questions about how his agency operates?