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February 7, 2011February 7, 2011Fullerton School Board

Will the School Board Support Tax Increases?

One of Chris Thompson’s first challenges on the Fullerton School Board may be to oppose the approval of a resolution by the Fullerton School District to support the extended tax increases in California.

The district typically has supported anti-taxpayer, pro-union resolutions like this forwarded by self-serving organizations like the California School Boards Association. With the highest state taxes and entitlement expenses in the nation, let’s see if this 5 of 5 Republican School Board has nerve to insult our intelligence with this resolution.

View the CSBA measure

January 29, 2011Local Media

Tonight on the Radio: Steven Greenhut and Ron Kaye on Redevelopment

by Travis12 Comments

Here’s the details on tonight’s edition of the Martha Montelongo show. Listen live Saturday night on AM870 at 11PM or online at KRLA870.com.

Steven Greenhut, CalWatchDog.com‘s editor in chief and former deputy editor and columnist for the Orange County Register and author of Abuse of Power: How Government Misuses Eminent Domain, joins Ron Kaye, publisher, editor and columnist for RonKayeLA Blog in a discussion on Redevelopment.

And on Education, a Superior Court Judge ruled this month in favor of the ACLU versus The Los Angeles Unified School District over the district’s last hired first fired layoff policy. It is a landmark decision hailed as such by education reformers, but teacher’s unions denounce it as a step toward dismantling tenure policies.

Larry Sand of the California Teacher’s Empowerment Network joins Martha to talk about this ruling, the firestorm it has caused statewide, and you can be sure nationally as well, and what happens next. He’ll also speak with us about a little known law that was passed by the legislature last year, as part of a move to capitalize on the President’s Race to the Top financial incentives for states to adopt certain education reform measures.

January 13, 2011January 13, 2011Arts & Architecture

The Great ARTIC Melt Down

by Mr. Peabody24 Comments

ARTIC transit center — Pringle's Pipe-n-glass Dream

According to an article in today’s LA Times here, the cloudy jewel in Anaheim’s ex-mayor-for hire, Kurt Pringle’s tarnished crown, ARTIC, may not be eligible for $99 million in special Measure M funding. The money had strings attached. However those strings seem to have come loose. And by loose I mean really loose. You see, “Project T” Measure M funds can only be used to “expand” existing stations to accommodate high-speed rail, not build new ones that don’t.

So far the OCTA has pitched over $40,000,000 bucks into this glorified bus station and at this point nobody can show that the high-speed rail choo-choos can even get to it; or that high-speed rail will ever even come to Anaheim. Of course the City of Anaheim (that isn’t paying for any of this) is now saying ARTIC is a “stand alone” facility, which is great, but it ain’t what the voters approved back in 2006: a stand alone facility doesn’t qualify for the $100,000,000 (yes, you read that right) Project T funding.

The hot light of public scrutiny is bound to have interesting environmental effects. The great ARTIC melt-down begins this morning at an OCTA Transit Committee meeting, where newly re-elected Supervisor Shawn Nelson is going to ask members to start reflecting upon their complete lack of responsibility in funding this Pringledoggle.

January 5, 2011January 5, 2011Bruce Whitaker

Can Coyote Hills Be Saved?

by admin33 Comments

As part of its project mitigation planning, the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Measure M program has sequestered a huge pile ‘o cash, something in the neighborhood of $200,000,000. The purpose of this dough is to procure sensitive habitat from private property owners who might have development plans.

Naturally, the West Coyote Hills property was on the initial list, until removed by its owners last year. Chevron likely thought their plans for development were in the bag in 2010.

It wasn’t, and now it’s 2011. And apparently the OCTA is re-opening consideration of applications for the first funding from the mitigation fund. Chevron has until Jan 13, to file an application to the OCTA if they want to participate in the program.

Chevron may believe they now have 3 secure votes to approve what the Council denied last June. And they may still prefer to face long years of entitlement, inevitable lawsuits, and two or three embarrassing economic cycles in order to make a big profit. Or perhaps upon further reflection, they might come to realize that selling part or all of their property for a big payday up front without mitigation cost and without dragged out development issues, is preferable.

The Fullerton City Council might want to consider this too, and help persuade Chevron to take this alternate path. Bruce Whitaker, for one, has an excellent opportunity to make this overture.

October 27, 2010October 27, 2010Fullerton 2010

2010 Fullerton Voter Guide

by Travis50 Comments

The generally non-partisan bloggers here at Friends for Fullerton’s Future have come up with a handy election guide for Fullerton voters. Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or independent voter, everyone hates to see public resources mismanaged and squandered by political opportunists, bureaucratic excuse-makers and drowsy incumbents.

These recommendations are based on a preference for candidates who represent the principles of limited government, personal freedom and courage to stand alone when necessary.

Fullerton City Council – 2 Year Seat

Bruce Whitaker

Bruce has always been independent and principle-driven, and he has proven himself to be a real tax-fighter. His past victories have already saved Fullerton residents over $150 million in unnecessary utility taxes.

Fullerton City Council – 4 Year Seat

Greg Sebourn

Greg’s platform centers around cleaning up waste in local government and bringing fiscal sanity back to Fullerton. He has already called out several wasteful projects and agencies on our blog and his own while proposing very reasonable alternatives.

Barry Levinson

Barry has shown courage in publicly denouncing Redevelopment boondoggles and he promises to rein in ridiculous public employee pensions. His background as an auditor may come in handy, too.

Fullerton School Board

Chris Thompson

Chris has courageously challenged the school bureaucracy on behalf of children more than any parent in the history of Fullerton. He will truly be a voice for children and taxpayers on the Fullerton school board.

Beverly Berryman

Beverly is easily the best of the current school board members, and has voted against bad policies and tax increases when necessary in the past.

Measure M – Term Limits

Yes on Measure M

Term limits are on the ballot as a response to Don Bankhead’s 22 years of representing city staff instead of Fullerton taxpayers. Measure M will help counter the often overpowering advantage of incumbency.

Orange County Supervisor – 4th District

Shawn Nelson

His opponent is a perjuring carpetbagger who sold out to the public employee unions.

47th Congressional District – South Fullerton

No Recommendation

Both Loretta Sanchez and Van Tran have way too many core faults to make them even mildly acceptable. One of our bloggers suggested a write-in vote for himself, but he is a dog. Consider choosing an alternative candidate.

October 9, 2010October 9, 2010Fullerton 2010

Barry Speaks: Redevelopment Loans and the Lack of Public Input

by Travis13 Comments

This just came in from council candidate Barry Levinson:

Last Tuesday night was the vote on the issuance of housing bonds by the RDA in the amount not to exceed $29 million. The Mayor spoke and indicated that there will be no public comments on this issue.

The city attorney right before the vote was to begin, rightly reminded Mayor Bankhead that since the people cannot vote on whether or not to approve the bond issue, we should at least be allowed to voice our non-binding opinions.

Here are some of my comments I presented to the council:

Mayor and council shame on all of you for almost forfeiting our right as Fullertonians to speak out on this housing bond issuance.

We need better oversight over the RDA projects. The city council and the rest of the RDA should not be the ones policing themselves.

The RDA is the only taxing authority that requires no voter approval. We as taxpayers, S/B given more information and more time to review these bond measures before it comes to a vote by council.

Since there will be 2 possibly 3 new council members as of November 2, I suggested that this item be postponed to after the next election.

The council’s answers largely were defensive. No one touched on the third rail issue of no voter participation! Mayor Bankhead remained conspicuously quiet throughout the council’s responses to our objections.

And there you go; another council meeting where our rights as citizens were eroded and $29 million was obligated by the city council without a single vote cast by the people!

August 14, 2010August 14, 2010Behind Closed Doors

Bankhead Forgot to Submit an Argument Against Term Limits

by The Desert Rat13 Comments

brontosaurus — Weather's gettin' colder...

Measure M will be on the ballot in November, but the arguments presented in the official voter materials will be a bit one-sided.

Nobody submitted an argument against the measure to enact term limits against Fullerton city council members.

Was anti-term limit incumbent Dinosaur Don Bankhead asleep at the switch, or was he actaully smart enough to disassociate him self with that position during an election campaign? Who knows?

Sharon Quirk-Silva authored the opinion in support of the measure, which summarizes them as:

Term limits increase the number of competitive elections
Term limits bring in more opportunities to serve in public office
Term limits disfavor seniority
Term limits promote fresh ideas

Of course, she missed the most important purpose of term limits: they will end the seemingly endless political careers of staff yes-men: folks like Don Bankhead and Dick Jones, who have tormented taxpayers for decades by voting for almost every single boondoggle and corporate welfare project put in front of them.

Sharon_Quirk_190px — Whadya know. A promise was kept...

And for that we thank SQS for sticking by the promise she made way back in January of 2009.

August 11, 2010August 15, 2010Don Bankhead

Term Limits Are On The Ballot

by Travis15 Comments

Fullerton voters will soon be deciding if they’ve had enough of the jurassic councilmen Don Bankhead and Dick Jones. Sharon Quirk-Silva has championed Measure M, which puts the enactment of term limits up to voters.

Term limits are a practical countermeasure against the momentum of dimly lit incumbencies and perpetual perpetrators of barely-passable mediocrity.

In other words, Bankhead and Jones have been on this boat for far too long. We’ve shown you video after video of incoherent ramblings, procedural blunders and pharma-induced outbursts as these two men bask in the early stages of senility. Decades on the dais have made them callous to the concerns of Fullerton residents, proven by their constant bullying and dismissiveness during public meetings. And while we’re watching this sideshow, they have been cluelessly steering our city directly into boondoggle after boondoggle, at our expense.

Enough already.

June 14, 2010Fullerton City Council

On the Agenda – June 15th, 2010

by Christian7 Comments

With the Primary Election over and candidates licking their wounds we jump into Tuesday’s Council Meeting to see what STAFF has in store for our elected representatives. View the full agenda

In closed session there appears to be some labor negotiations going on. First is a discussion regarding Chris Meyer’s position which I hear will be vacated soon. Second, Fullerton Municipal Employees Federation (FMEF) is meeting with Council to determine what they will meet and discuss in the future regarding lay-offs. At least that is what the agenda says. Actually, it says, “Discuss meet-and-confer topics related to layoffs”. Amazing! A meeting to talk about a future meeting! That’s government bureaucracy and waste for you. Why can’t these be public? I don’t think they are talking about a specific person or maybe they are. Either way, I would like to see just how spineless the council can be when it comes to the public employee unions.

There is a plethora of presentations planned which will probably draw the usual hapless attempts at wit from our mayor and perhaps Texas colloquialism which won’t make sense to anyone but the person saying it.

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May 15, 2010May 15, 2010Orange County Government

Q&A with Hugh Nguyen

by Greg Sebourn15 Comments

A few days ago I decided to email Hieu “Hugh” Nguyen some questions about his plans for the Orange County Clerk-Recorder’s Office.

1. What is the first order of business, should you win the election?

Response:
I will complete a management audit within the first 90 days to review the organizations structure, authorized positions, workload statistics, systems performance, customer service, communications with Title/Mortgage Industry, fee schedule and operations of Clerk, Recorder and Vital Records functions. This will be the basis of preparing a long-term plan supported by short-term deliverables. I want to improve services to customers, improve department morale and productivity and reduce operating costs. This effort will be coordinated with the Board of Supervisors and CEO and Human Resources Department.

2. What are the top three issues facing the Clerk-Recorder’s Office in the coming years?

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