Friends For Fullerton's Future – Page 321 – FFFF supports causes that promote intelligent, responsible and accountable government in Fullerton and Orange County

October 14, 2009January 4, 201072nd Election

“Loophole” Linda Ackerman Dives Headfirst Into Political “Slush Funds”

Yesterday Rogue Elephant posted this over at the Orange Juice blog. The gist of the post is that a loophole in state campaign finance laws permits politicos like Repuglicans Jim Brulte and Dick Ackerman to cook up “putative” campaign committees for future office in order to transfer existing campaign balances, raise tons of money from lobbyists for these supposed campaigns, and then distribute the proceeds to exert influence in other elections across the State.

Rogue Elephant notes that Loophole Linda’s 72nd Assembly power grab has received $3900 from Brulte’s 2014(!) Board of Equalization Committee. What he doesn’t mention is that she also received the same amount (the limit) from her husband Dick’s similar committee, also for the BoE. Ackerman set up his “2010” BoE committee in as far back as 2006 according an article in the Oakland Tribune that describes the practice.

Why the BoE? Because these useless barnacles have been scraped off the legislature – termed out, but haven’t finished working the system, not by a long shot. They need a plausible office to “run” for, even if they have no intention of actually running. In the meantime Brulte actually works as a lobbyist for an outfit called California Strategies – a collection of former electeds and appointeds working their contacts.So when he gives Mrs. Ackerman money, he can kill two birds with one stone!

Rogue Elephant sums up his take on this pungent mess:

While Linda Ackerman’s campaign funding smells of Sacramento’s bipartisan Culture of Corruption, it also reeks of a Culture of Creepiness. Voters and taxpayers should find it creepy to see former politicians and lobbyists using political slush funds to pull the strings of candidates like Linda Ackerman.

October 13, 2009December 28, 200972nd Election

Ackerman Ventriloquism Animates Brain-dead Puppets in Brea

by Grover Cleveland13 Comments

There's a little stick that works the mouth...

Just as we reported earlier today about Orange, the Linda Ackerman campaign coughed up some more local endorsements, this time in Redevelopment-friendly Brea – where nobody’s property is safe from the City – if they want it.

KNUCKLEHEAD

Here are the two money “quotes”:

“For over 30 years, Linda has served the people of this community,” said Brea Mayor John Beauman. “I support Linda because she is for people, not politics.”

Ho, ho, ho! Mr. Beauman who is known as a bit of a dim bulb supports Linda because she is “for people.” Evidently he is unaware of her Pacific Policy Research Foundation vacation/lobbyist scam; or that she used her husband’s campaign fund as a family cash cow. But Linda is for people. Well, hell! Linda and Dick are “people,” right? So everything’s kosher.

Then there’s this sparkling little jewel:

“I know that Linda will bring a fair, business-minded approach to the state’s budget debacle. The taxpayers of Brea need her in Sacramento to fight for fiscal responsibility and limited government,” said former Mayor of Brea Bev Perry.

More hilarity! We’ve already discounted Ackerman’s so-called business experience so we can dismiss that; what other tools she has in her shed to tackle the state’s “budget debacle” goes unstated by Perry. We’re pretty sure by now that Ackerman will be fair – and give all those Sacramento lobbyists their day at the trough. As far as responsibility and limited government go, we can only say that putting those words in Bev Perry’s mouth attains a new level of political cynicism – even for the Ackermans. Bev Perry was part of the Brea Redevelopment eminent domain machine that ran roughshod all over property owners in what used to be their downtown. Who’s next Lynn “Bulldozer” Daucher?

What a team!

Puppets on a string

October 13, 2009December 28, 200972nd Election

MWD Abandons Pension Spike; Jim Blake Off The Hook

by The Fullerton HarpoonLeave a comment

aqueduct

Yesterday the MWD General Manager abandoned the proposed pension jump for employees that would have raised their retirement formula. Here’s the story. He conceded that the votes weren’t there. Which means, of course, that a vote was held, only not in public. Somehow that seems like it should be illegal – Brown Act-wise, but of course government bureaucracies are legally incapable of committing any sort of crime.

We’re disappointed because a public vote would have put our MWD Board Appointee-for-life, Jim Blake on the spot.

The time was not ripe... — There to make the tough decisions, right?

All of his public employee lovin’ instincts would have pointed Blake in the direction of approval; under normal circumstances his pension-spiking Council overlords (and ladies) Bankhead, Quirk-Silva, Keller, and Jones would no doubt have backed him up. Who cares if water rates go up, right?

But these are not normal times, what with militant Republicans agitating for tax revolt and special elections putting the spotlight on people like MWD Boardmember Linda Ackerman – who also gets to dodge the responsibility of the vote. Very convenient!

Back in August it looked like a real good idea...

And the union members will never have the opportunity to know how their buddies would have voted.

With the light of public scrutiny shining on the usually opaque doings of the MWD, the whole thing has collapsed like a house of cards.

October 13, 2009January 4, 201072nd Election

Shame, Shame, Shame – in The City of Orange

by Grover Cleveland5 Comments

The Linda Ackerman campaign issued one of those out-of-a-can press releases the other day bragging about her endorsement by three City of Orange councilmembers – Cavecche, Murphy, and Dumitru.

We thought we would have some fun with this, reciting the baloney that was assigned to a couple of these worthies, meant to appear as genuine quotations.

“Linda Ackerman has always done what is right for the sake of the community, not political gain,” said Mayor Carolyn Cavecche. “She is a proven leader who will help solve California’s budget crisis and bring Orange County values to the State Assembly.”

Well that’s a tissue of lies. C’mon Carolyn, haven’t you heard about the Pacific Policy Research Foundation? And Carolyn, didn’t you know Linda was paid $76,000 by her husband’s own political campaign – as a “consultant”? How selfless!

So Linda’s a “proven leader?” Leading what, pray tell? The Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League? And she’s going to bring Orange County values to Sacramento? Like skirting the intent of the State Constitution? Like milking lobbyists? Like supporting the pervo Mike Duvall? Weak. Really weak.

Well Cavecche, at least, has proven herself a leader – a leader in Orange pension spiking right out of the OC GOP RINO playbook. Here’s her colleague Murphy:

Citing Ackerman’s fiscal conservative credentials as a businesswoman who has spent years balancing budgets, Councilmember Mark A. Murphy said: “Linda is a fiscal watchdog who will help solve the budget debacle.”

More prime grade bullshit. We’ve already documented that Mrs. Ackerman appears to have no business experience at all. Years “balancing budgets”?!! What budgets would those be, Murph? Her own? Her only “experience” appears to be that she’s a board member for a debt collector. Ya know, Mark, those warm people who take away your house because you can’t pay for your cancer treatment anymore. She’s a fiscal watchdog? How would we ever know? She has no record of watching anything – except maybe the Maui sunsets and the lobbyists across the table at Spataro. Murphy – another zero.

At least the bozo Jon Dumitru was lucky enough to avoid having the Ackerman campaign stuff lies into his mouth – although he probably would have enjoyed it. Another public employee union member on a City Council. Another cypher.

“I am honored to receive the support of so many members of my community,” said Ackerman. “I believe this home-grown support will be instrumental in waging a successful campaign in the weeks ahead.”

We include this wrap up by Loophole Linda so that our readers can relish the irony of Linda bragging about her “home-grown support” in an Assembly district in which she doesn’t even live. Her “community”? That’s priceless. Her community is Irvine!

October 12, 2009December 28, 2009About Us

Sharon Kennedy Attempts to Dump on FFFF; Instead Soils Self Badly

by The Fullerton Harpoon7 Comments

Yellowing Sub torpedoes self. Again. Still no bottom in sight.

In the latest dreary edition of her yellowing Fullerton Observer, editor and almost entirely irrelevant City Hall shill, Sharon Kennedy, tries to smear FFFF and our law suit against the City’s fraudulent redevelopment expansion.

Once again we are “discredited;” why? Oh that’s right: we are sick of idiots like Dick Jones getting re-elected with the complicity of Sharon Kennedy, and we attempted to do something about it by using the donkey’s own braying.

You are very repulsive. And discredited, too.

Of course Kennedy drags in the hated Chris Norby, who is not even a party to the law suit. She tries to dismiss our attorney Robert Ferguson (“serial anti-redevelopment lawyer”- you know like serial murderer, serial rapist, etc.) and even drags in Howard Ahmanson, whom none of us have ever even talked to, and even Ahmanson’s dead father! She left out Idi Amin, Adolf Hitler, Father Coughlin, Howard Jarvis, and the Ku Klux Klan, but just give her time. There was only one factual statement in the whole embarrassing plop: FFFF is suing the City.

At the end of her screed Kennedy extrudes this priceless string of turds:

Unfortunately, though the city is expected to win the suit, the action will set back plans for needed improvements and cost the city money to litigate.

Really Sharon? How about a little reporting instead of your usual brainless editorializing? Who says the city is expected to win? Are you aware of Ferguson’s record? Who says “plans” will be set back? What plans? Where are they? Of what do they consist? Who says it will cost the city money to litigate? They’re “expected to win,” right?

Sharon, is it too much to hope that you will ever extract your cranium from its lodging place?

The hole may be shallower than anyone suspected — The hole may be a lot shallower than anyone ever suspected

October 12, 2009Dick Jones

You Want Blight? We Got Blight! Part 2

by admin3 Comments

Dear Friends, a few weeks back we wrote a post about the issue of blight relative to the proposed Redevelopment expansion. So we have decided to collect some more images of blight to help you get the picture. Again, to be fair, and consistent, we have tried to stick to the City’s own standard (or worse) as we collected pictures not in the proposed area, but in the existing Redevelopment Project Area – to let you also see what a bang-up job the city is doing to eradicate blight already!

October 12, 2009December 28, 200972nd Election

Apparently Linda Ackerman Never Took Carpetbagging 101

by The Fullerton Harpoon2 Comments

If there were such a course for ambitious district hopping politicians, one of the basic lessons taught would surely be to learn the boundaries of your would-be district. It’s only polite, after all.

Okay. Linda Ackerman is a political socialite carpetbagger from Irvine, and can’t be expected to know the exact boundaries of the 72nd State Assembly District – the one she doesn’t live in. But, still, this has got to take the cake:

Ackerman Screw Up

An Ackerman sign in Santa Ana’s City Place? News flash, Linda – Santa Ana is not in the 72nd District! Next time you run for office in a district in which you do not live, at least take the time to learn the cities in the district.

And thanks to Art Pedroza over at the Orange Juice blog who posted on this and helpfully provided the image.

October 12, 2009December 28, 200972nd Election

“Loophole Linda” Ackerman Knows How to Game the System

by Grover Cleveland2 Comments

Rules are made to bent. As far as possible. Unenforceable laws aren't really laws at all. — Rules are made to bend. As far as possible. Unenforceable laws aren't really laws at all.

We’ll say one thing for Mrs. Ackerman. In her years as her husband’s Sacramento helpmeet, Linda has learned well how to game the system to make money by skirting the intent of campaign financing laws.

We have already recounted the Pacific Policy Research Foundation scam – a phony non-profit whose only purpose to to get legislators to Hawaii – and into the clutches of waiting lobbyists posing as “expert” seminar speakers. Because the fraud is made to look like an educational endeavor, the politicians get to use their excess campaign funds to make trip – funds that would be otherwise off limits for personal use. Sweet.

stackocash

Now, according to a Chris Norby mailer, it emerges that Mrs. Ackerman was on her own husband’s campaign payroll as a “consultant,” and raked in $76,000 for her efforts – whatever they were. Another brazen evasion of laws that are meant to keep politicians from pocketing campaign funds. It seems rules are simply there to be evaded. Art Pedroza at the Orange Juice blog has a post on the mailer here. Mrs. Ackerman is dubbed, appropriately enough, “Loophole Linda.”

Well, Mrs. Ackerman has pretty obviously gotten used to finding the angles and exploiting them for her and hubby Dick’s personal gain. That’s the way things are done in Sacramento; and that, Friends, is really her true experience – gaming government. The rest is just smoke and mirrors – like her phony residency and her fake “self-applied “businesswoman” label.

October 11, 2009December 28, 200972nd Election

Is Linda Ackerman Hiring Precinct Walkers?

by Grover Cleveland6 Comments

My paid volunteers fanned out across Fullerton!

Yesterday over at the Orange Juice blog on our post about Linda Ackerman’s phony “businesswoman” label, a commenter named “baxter” related how somebody from the Ackerman for Assembly came a knockin’ on his door.

baxter says:

October 10, 2009 at 5:58 pm

An woman canvassing for Ackerman came to our door this morning. I asked a few questions and she was pro. Knew what she was doing, quick with answers and not shy about slamming Norby. She implied that Norby might have psychological problems Since I’m voting for a Democrat it was all wasted on me.

Hmm. Doesn’t sound like your typical volunteer precinct walker, now does it? Did Mrs. Ackerman hire people to do her walking? That would square with what seems to have been a scripted character assassination of Norby, which is perfectly congruent with the Ackerman campaign strategy.

It could be that baxter just happened to get an experienced volunteer who was really on the ball. But somehow we have trouble believing that. Linda Ackerman has zero “grassroots” support in the 72nd, where she does not live, and except for a few die-hard Republican Women Federated types and a few of Dick’s old Rotarian buddies, she would have trouble scrounging up volunteers to hit the streets.

Why this operative wasted time going to the door of an evident Democrat is a bit puzzling, but maybe they figure they need every voter that they can bamboozle.

October 10, 2009December 28, 200972nd Election

“Experienced Businesswoman”: More Unadulterated Bull Shit from Linda Ackerman

by Grover Cleveland9 Comments

If by business you mean monkey business, thaen yes, I am a business woman. — If by business you mean monkey business, then yes, I am a business woman.

In the world of politics it is believed that if you just keep saying the same thing over and over again, eventually people will believe it.

Let’s consider Linda Ackerman’s repeated assertion (and the claim in many of her endorser’s statements that were obviously written for them) that she is an “experienced businesswoman.” Well, we would like to know just what that experience entails. Let’s let Linda’s campaign website help us out with a description of her vast business experience:

An experienced businesswoman, Linda serves as the Vice President of Financial Development for the Marian Bergeson Excellence in Public Service Series and a corporate board member of USCB, Inc., a California receivable and management company.

That’s it. No history, no resume. You’d think if there were any real accomplishments she’d be only too happy to share it with her would-be constituents. Hmm.

The Marian Bergeson blah-blah-blah isn’t a business. It’s a training program to promote female Republican politicians by having them learn the ins and outs of Repuglicanism. According to the Bergeson website, Ackerman is a member of an executive committee (it says nothing about her being a “Vice President” of anything). And in any case, “Development” is a polite way of saying “fundraising from corporate donors.” No prizes offered for guessing who the targets of any fundraising are: corporate lobbyists!

USCB is a sort of glorified “Check into Cash” for corporations who have extended credit to people like Ackerman’s would-be constituents. It’s a real business, all right, but being on its board hardly qualifies her as a businesswoman. And of course she got that part-time gig based entirely on who her husband was. The links on the USCB site take you to major health care trade associations, etc. Hmm. More lobbyists.

Of course we have already shared another of Mrs. Ackerman’s board positions, on The Pacific Policy Research Foundation, a completely bogus 501(c)(3), whose sole reason for existing is to get state legislators and lobbyists holed up together in a five- star Maui hotel for a week. Funny, the Pacific Policy Research Foundation fails to appear in her biography. Come on, Linda, are you suddenly ashamed of the noble goals of the “public purpose” Foundation you created? What’s that? You’re afraid the public might not understand? Bet you’re right!

What is it about Linda Ackerman and lobbyists?

Finally, we have to ask:

Mrs. Ackerman do you have any real business experience at all? Have you ever run your own business? Have you ever signed the front of a paycheck? Have you ever paid business taxes or fees, or worker’s comp?

Or could it be your claim to be a “businesswoman” is as hollow as your empty claim to live in the 72nd? Is this claim just more campaign pabulum meant to be sucked up by a careless electorate?