Friends For Fullerton's Future

February 1, 2010February 1, 2010Behind Closed Doors

Anti-Democratic Idea Being Considered By City Council

jones-gone-wild1 — When council members attack...

As reported earlier by Christian, the Fullerton City Council at its meeting tomorrow will discuss moving “Public Comments” to the end of meetings rather than at the beginning – where they are scheduled now. It’s item #6 on the agenda.

Apparently agendizing this concept was the brainchild of the brainless Dick Jones, author of a million malaprops and febrile, southern-fried bozoisms.

Up until about fifteen years ago the Public Comments were indeed held at the end of the meetings – right where the old guard wanted them – at 11:00 pm, or so, by which time all the malcontents and troublemakers had gone home. You see, they really liked the idea of all that wasted time up front handing out their parchments, gold stars and blue ribbons to happy citizens, but didn’t care to have any negativity go on the record.

Not coincidentally, these were the same folks that fought for years to keep the meetings from being televised.

The system finally was reversed ’round about the mid-nineties in an effort to appear more transparent and actually do something that would be convenient for the citizens and taxpayers. It was a good decision.

So now a decade and a half later there is evidently a move to go back to the old method of silencing public input. Why? Is Jones just tired of staying up so late? If so, maybe he ought to just start keeping his big bazoo shut. That alone will get him home 45 minutes earlier.

Let’s remind Jones and the rest of the Council that sometimes democracy is a bit messy, and that they and their staff work for us – not the other way around.

February 1, 2010February 1, 2010Dead heads

Cunningham Just Can’t Get Enough of FFFF!

by admin13 Comments

fartboy — Just in time for Groundhog Day...

Our old pal Matthew J. Cunningham, the editor of the Mauve County blog and noted Tom Daly fan just can’t get enough of our humble blog. Our mole, deep inside the guts of the John Lewis political machine has informed us that Cunningham has been posting comments at FFFF under a whole slew of fake names. We even have the list.

Last night he chimed in on the Daly campaign finance post calling himself “Grover gets an F” to try his old trick of changing the subject. Of course that didn’t work.

But he has also popped up here recently under the aliases “Peabody the Nobody,” a fake “Lou Correa,” “No Tax Hikes,” and “Strider.”

Naughty, naughty boy, Matthew. Report to the principal’s office immediately! Now that you’ve joined the ranks of the Sidhu and Daly campaign workers blogging anonymously (and frequently for your boys), your much bragged about credibility just took a hit wherever it still exists. Of course we were on to you all along so there’s no harm done here at FFFF. Wonder if you’ll keep criticizing all those mean anonymous bloggers.

Why not just stick to those boring posts you do over at that ghost town of yours and quit cluttering our threads? And try getting a real job while you’re at it.

January 31, 2010February 1, 2010OC's Fourth District

Daly Stumbles Over County Campaign Finance Rules

by Grover Cleveland9 Comments

daly-and-lewis — Just keep quiet, stupid. It'll blow over.

The Tom Daly for 4th District Supervisor campaign is not getting off to a great start. You’d think the County’s number one bureaucrat would be able to follow the County’s campaign finance law. Well, you’d have another think coming.

Daly ran afoul of those regulations when he accepted a $200 contribution in December from the Sharon Quirk For Fullerton (#1263645) campaign committee. The law, Sec. 1-6-9 of the County’s Municipal Code clearly states that one campaign can’t contribute to another. Here is the code:

Sec. 1-6-9. – Prohibition on transfers.

(a) No funds may be transferred into any County candidate or elective County officer’s campaign committee from any other campaign committee controlled by a candidate. No contributions shall be accepted by any County candidate or elective County officer or their controlled committees, from any other committee controlled by another federal, state, or local candidate or officeholder.

(b) No County candidate or elective County officer and no committee controlled by a County candidate or elective County officer shall make any contribution to any other County candidate or elective County officer or to any committee supporting or opposing a County candidate for office. This section shall not prohibit a County candidate or elective County officer from making a contribution from his or her own personal funds to his or her own candidacy or to the candidacy of any other candidate for elective County office.

(Ord. No. 3862, § 9, 6-23-92; Ord. No. 02-012, § 4, 12-17-02)

Now this doesn’t look very good, does it? The County’s Chief Paper Pusher seems to have gotten his ream in wringer.

Good Grief! What’s next for the Daly Cavalcade of Campaign Comedy?

January 31, 2010January 31, 2010Fullerton City Council

On the Agenda – February 2nd, 2010

by Christian10 Comments

At first glance the agenda looks a little short, like someone forgot to add a few items to it, however, don’t be fooled!

Let’s take a look at the list of issues on the table.

In closed session, council will be negotiating with the employee associations (or unions, if you prefer). Item 2 of the closed session is labeled as “PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT” and is regarding the Director of Community Development as well as the Director of Administrative Services.

When they finally let us in for the meeting, the good-ol boy’s will be presented with their favorite and most difficult duty – Miss Fullerton Contestants. Let’s see if the guys can keep their hands to themselves.

North Orange County Community College District and FAST (Ne Elite Level Swimmers and Coach) will also be presenting.

After everyone gives Council a piece of their mind in the Public Comments, we hop right into the Consent Calendar which includes last meeting’s minutes, acceptance of donations to the police department, and grant funding for tree planting at Laguna Lake.

Next , item 4 addresses the Richman Court Relocation Assistance Program. If anyone has any experience with relocation plans from either prospective, please jump in. I would imagine that this program will get equally screwed up as most government programs, but that is just another useless opinion. This will use $118,000 from the federal HOME Investment Partnership Program funds

The appointment of representatives to advisory bodies comes in on item 5. I’m not sure who can be appointed but this looks like an opportunity for some crony to get their hands into another honey pot

Coming in as item 6 on the agenda is a discussion of moving the Public Comments to the END of the meetings. I guess they want to make their decisions prior to hearing from us. This has BAD IDEA written all over it. I think council should be well aware of the community’s sentiments regarding an agenda item BEFORE they discuss and vote on anything

If you felt jaded by Bankhead’s self appointment as Mayor (with help from his old friend Doc Jones and Shawn “I must recues myself” Nelson), you need not worry. The topic will come up again as item 7 and we will get to hear again about how the mayor get’s the job. It seems pointless to have the debate when the same people who were on the council when Bankhead was made mayor –again- are still on it. Why would they feel differently now about how the mayor is chosen?

There is a “comprehensive” list of projects that the City would like to get funded through federal sources. Item 8 is a list of capital projects that are submitted to Fullerton ’s federal representatives for funding consideration as part of the annual federal appropriation cycle. Here is the kicker: staff recommends that Council ask Ed Royce for federal money specifically for the Boy’s and Girl’s Club/Senior Center. Maybe the Club and the Senior Center should be relocated to make room for the Orange County Fliers and their new stadium. The other item on the list (that’s right, there are just these two items) is the slope stabilization on Harbor Boulevard . But why does the slope need stabilization you ask? It would appear that someone at City Hall allowed the slope to be graded as it currently is when Harbor Boulevard was realigned and reconstructed twenty-plus years ago. I’m not sure when it was done, but I am quite certain that a 1:1 slope with no sidewalks, trails, channels, or retaining walls was a bad idea in anyone’s book. At one time Harbor Boulevard was Highway 101 and received funding from state and federal sources. Maybe the city can blame the state or feds for the slopes. Maybe the U.S. Army Corps (USACE), which operates the damn, can chip in. I know USACE has done collaborative work with other local agencies, why not Fullerton . Hey Royce! Can you call someone at the L.A. District to get some help? Or maybe FEMA… Maybe not.

Sorry for the rant.

Item 9 is concerned with tow services provided to the City. Local businesses and homeowner associations may be impacted by new municipal codes covering impounds made on private property.

Lastly, item 10 is a resolution of support for the City of Placentia . This has to do with OCTA’s bright idea to get all of the grade separations going at the same time for fear they might loose federal funding. As legitimate as that fear might be, tying up several miles of north-south routes is a terrible idea. There are several possible solutions which I haven’t heard considered yet. Let’s see if OCTA can figure this one out.

On February 16^th in the Police Department’s Mural Room at 5:00 PM their will be a study session on the Housing Policy Review followed by the regular meeting at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers.

If I missed or glossed over something, please let us know. If I’m wrong, let me know. Otherwise, stay tuned for any breaking developments…

January 30, 2010January 30, 2010Dead heads

Scott Baugh is Coming To Town

by Mr. Peabody5 Comments

Scott-Baugh-2 — Would you buy a used revolution from this man?

At the Orange Juice blog Art Pedroza is passing along a missive from OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh, here.

Seems Baugh has chosen downtown Fullerton’s Slidebar Cafe as the site of some sort of “Citizen Power Rally” to promote the Paycheck Protection Initiative that also dovetails with his newly-developed manifesto to punish Republicans that take public employee union money. We wrote about that here. The event is planned for February 13th at 10:00 a.m.

The Slidebar is a logical site for Baugh who is clearly trying to exploit the populist anger of the so-called “Tea Party” movement. Last year the Slidebar hosted the John and Ken Tax Revolt/Smash Arnold’s Videos Party, although the Slidebar is also known for its ecumenical tastes when it comes to an event-hosting venue.

Baugh is likening his new mission to the nobility of the Minute Men at Lexington and Concord, but it’s really hard to see him getting involved in something unless there’s a Main Chance angle. He may believe that harnessing the T.P. energy is necessary to keep his party a going concern, but given the number of local GOP electeds who have taken public union money, it’s a safe bet that the ‘Pug gentry will avoid being seen on a dais with Baugh.

And let’s not forget that just a few short months ago Baugh was supporting the totally fraudulent Ackerwoman campaign for State Assembly so it’s pretty hard to take anything this guy says about reform as being serious. Wonder if Baugh can be persuaded now to condemn the fraud of carpetbaggery and fake residence. Hmm. Scott?

Anyway, our ever-vigilant crew will be on hand to chronicle the fun and games.

January 29, 2010January 29, 2010Harry Sidhu

As The Colony Turns: Galloway On The Move Again

by The Fullerton Shadow6 Comments

lorrisfortune — You will soon be moving. Again.

Well I guess technically you have to have moved a first time to be able to move again, by why get all semantical ‘n stuff?

According to “Colony Rabble” at the Red County blog, Lorri Galloway is moving. Again. That makes three times if you are one of the tiny, gullible subset of 4th District citizens who ever thought she moved out of her 3rd District house in the hills to begin with.

Apparently she has selected yet another address – out of the Colony District and into to a place called “Five Points” that is farther west along Lincoln Avenue and is, in fact, halfway to Harry Sidhu’s phoney address at the beautiful Calabria Apartments behind the Linbrook Bowl. The property? Another Bill Taormina special. Gotta assume this one is actually zoned residential. Could it be that the City Planning Department actually did its job?

Anyhoo, Lorri can be serenaded to sleep by the white noise hum of Interstate 5 that passes nearby; and now Harry and Lorri can both ride the number 42 bus in the same direction from City Hall to get “home”! Which of course suggests a money saving strategy for both campaigns: co-habitation at the Calabria!

January 28, 2010January 29, 2010Dead heads

Harry Has A New Friend

by admin19 Comments

Harry'sFriend — One is the loneliest number...

The day after Harry Sidhu announced the formation of the “team” to run his carpetbagging, fake residency-based campaign for the OC 4th District Supervisor race, a seeming spate of commenters popped up in the local bloggery to promote Sidhu and attack Shawn Nelson’s career choice. Good lord! It was like watching bacteria multiply under a microscope.

Here at FFFF we had:

Mad Max
Amy Lynn
Grassroots Advocate

Interestingly, Max and Amy presented themselves as innocent, earnest students. Meanwhile, Orange Juice was honored by the presence of:

Mark Redman
FootballDad

When Red County’s Cynthia Ward’s passed along the Sidhu press release announcing Team Sidhu, that thread was favored by a visitation from:

Orson
Anonymous

The only problem with this sudden eruption of teeming pro-Sidhu blog-life was that it all came from the same source and showed up on different blogs at the same time!

Well Harry, at least one friend is better than none at all.

January 28, 2010January 28, 2010Fullerton School Board

Teachers’ Pension Fund $42 Billion in the Hole

by Travis34 Comments

Last month we warned you that CalSTRS (California teachers’ pension fund) was in a bad spot and they were hoping that nobody would notice.

Yesterday CalSTRS announced that investment losses have left the fund with a $42.6 billion dollar shortfall.

Even more worrisome: the fund will be completely wiped out shortly after today’s young teachers enter retirement. To counteract that problem, the fund will need to start sucking in major contribution increases almost immediately.

Naturally the pension system wants to resolve the situation by sending more Sacramento lobbyists to persuade legislators to “take action”. And by “take action” they mean increase contributions to the fund. Since a majority of teachers’ pension contributions come from taxpayers… Well you know what that means.

January 28, 2010January 28, 2010Harry Sidhu

They’re Baaaack!

by admin17 Comments

Those boys need to learn about cash for clunkers...

Yup. Those bad boys in the white van were spotted in the Linbrook Bowl Lanes parking lot yesterday. The mescaline and the revolving bowling pin may have provoked some transcendental moments, but apparently the fellas got down to work because they forwarded an audio file. There is a lot of interference on it that sounds like the crashing of bowling pins, so we have had to deploy our expert audio forensic team create a transcript. And here it is:

(sound of phone ringing)

Scott Taylor: Hello?

Harry Sidhu: Uh, Scott. This is Harry.

ST: Where the hell are you?

HS: Well, I am here at the Calabria. I think I was being followed so I came over here. Just to be safe, you know.

ST: Followed? Aw, Hell. Tim Clark is with me. I’ll put you on speaker.

HS: Oh! Hello Tim! How are things going in my campaign.

Tim Clark: Well, we’re trying. I’ll be honest Harry. There’s still a lot of stink on you from that ass-kicking Mimi laid down on you in 08. Geez she won every precinct in Anaheim. Then running so soon after your re-election to the Council – our polls say that people think you’re just desperate for a higher political job.

HS: Yes, jobs.

TC: Huh?

HS: I am a job creator.

TC: Ah, gee Harry. People in our poll weren’t impressed by minimum wage job creation. They didn’t seem impressed no matter how hard we pushed.

HS: Jobs.

ST: Um, focus, Harry.

HS: Jobs. Enterprise zone. Small business.

ST: Yeah. Okay. Okay. This carpetbagging thing is tough. Carol Rudat took it on the chops over this and it just killed Linda Ackerman and they’re gonna keep hammering that one. No way around it. For chrissakes just don’t get caught going home at night, Harry. Jesus, we’ll end up with Dave Lopez at the gate!

HS: Well, you know, those peacocks don’t feed themselves. Somebody has to do it.

TC: Okay focus, guys.

ST: What are we gonna pitch? Harry do you know anything about the County government?

HS: Jobs? I went to Norby’s office all the time. I will tell them I am just like Norby, only richer.

ST: Um, better not do that. We need something, you know, specific. Anything, really.

(prolonged silence)

Well, don’t worry, I guess we can cook up something.

HS: Well my friends that is why I have hired you. Oh! Now look at that would you. What a filthy disgrace! A dirty white van behind the wall spewing fumes.

Ah! And look at the time! I must be going, um, well, you know – home.

(at this point the telecommunication was terminated)

January 27, 2010OC's Fourth District

Tom Daly: Career Politician Who Wears the Union Label

by admin16 Comments

Well you heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.

Tom Daly has and will be beholden to the public employee unions. He tries to put a fig leaf over this ugly fact by describing the unions as his neighbors with a stake in the “quality of life” of his community. Notice how Daly conveniently confuses the individual with the collective? What a hoot!

Well I hate to break the news to you Mr. Daly, but it’s the public unions and their never ending fiscal demands that have pushed our cities, our county, and our state to near-insolvency and dismal credit ratings. And the citizenry has finally gotten wise.

Say good night, Tom.