We Get Mail: Fence Sitting Cardboard Candidate?
I found this communication in our in-box yesterday:
An Open Letter to Doug Chaffee
April 23, 2012
Dear Mr. Chaffee:
I support the recall effort and will vote in favor of removing all three councilmen on June 5th. I support the statements made on the Notice of Intent to Recall, and I believe any candidate running to replace a recalled councilman should believe the same.
I saw this on Euclid today. The homeowner seems to be on both sides of the fence. It begs the question: Are you?
The rumor mill is spinning around town. It claims that you’re proud to receive Pat McKinley’s endorsement of your candidacy should the recall succeed; and worse publicly stated as much during a fundraising event at the Pint House several weeks ago. If this is true, this is not compatible with the Notice of Intent to Recall. You have to pick a side and you have to do so definitively.
In fact, I demand you take one of four positions immediately.
1) If you have stated that you’re proud to receive McKinley’s backing, you must withdraw your candidacy from the special election on June 5th. This statement does not meet with the spirit of the recall and is insulting to the electorate. Candidates not supporting the spirit of the recall should not be on the ballot. Just because you had some extra campaign signs sitting around from 2010 doesn’t mean you’re entitled to run.
2) If you find it morally acceptable to be proud of McKinley’s endorsement of your candidacy, state so in bold letters on all your campaign literature, website, Facebook account, and during any public appearances you make. Failure to be transparent on this issue is dishonest.
3) If you’re not proud of McKinley’s endorsement, state loudly and often that you’ve signed the recall petition and outline why Pat McKinley needs to go. Demand that those posting propaganda against the recall remove your name from their lawns. Take a stance and make it clear that no supporter of Pat McKinley is a supporter of yours.
4) Do nothing. If you ignore this open letter and succeed in your candidacy, count on being recalled.
Sincerely,
Ryan Cantor
P.S. Dear Friends, just to show what a small world it is, after all, the property above is the residence of one Beatriz Gregg, mater familias of the Gregg clan that includes our old pal Aaron, whose 2010 campaign was, um, something of a personal embarrassment.
Do we know if he even signed the recall petition?
For anyone needing a reminder, Matt Rowe definitely takes a side on this issue. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9ZUiF_4jHI
Leaders fight for a cause. Duplicitous fence sitters need not apply.
First of all….anyone who gets any kind of endorsement from the devil himself, doesnt get my vote. Mr Chafee again , I will ask- where have you been for a year now? While the city is burning, you decided to show up late to the game with an endorsement from the devil…sounds nice doesnt it? Now Mr Chaffee, again where exactly where you? Hello Nero?
Chaffee has no credibility. Did he even sign the McKinley petition? I mean, what sort of an opportunist is Chaffee?
That’s right, big business with big taxpayer subsidies. Doug Chaffee never saw a taxpayer handout he didn’t want.
Doug Chaffee is financially backed by the same people that backed the three stooges in the last election…including former MWD Director “Diamond” Jim Blake’s wife, Patricia.
http://cityoffullerton.com/Weblink8/DocView.aspx?id=412008&dbid=1
Draftee “Daffy” Chaffee…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draftee_Daffy
I love this post. The citizens of Fullerton rock!
I wonder if Fence Sitting Cardboard Candidate and Gloria Molina ever worked together?
When I asked. Chaffee to sign the recall he refused!!!!!!!
Jeez, what kind of chickenshit would refuse to sign the petition, then run for office?
Oh yeah. The Cruz Bustamante kind. Look how that turned out for him.
It figures that Doug Chaffee would puss out on signing the recall. That’s why he never wins…no backbone and he stands for nothing (unless his wife tells him to.)
Seems to me everything else is moot
if this person is even GETTING an endorsement by McSadistic. Tells me about his (Chaffee’s) thinking and who his friends are.
And since he hasn’t said anything, I would assume he’s okay with this “endorsement”
Scary
BTW. Mrs. Gregg was also featured on that video of the anti-recall fundraiser last fall. She didn’t even know what she was attending, except that her boy the bankrupt told her to go.
conniving, and sadly for us, the good people of fullerton, these people, Chaffee, Jones, Mckinley and Bankhead and their predecessors who set the standard for corrupt municipal government for fullerton, refuse to relinquish any scrap of power from our municipal government. this greed is unmitigated in our town’s provincial liberals who love government sponsored arts events, parks and recreation galas, warm, fuzzy collaboratives and by the radical conservatives who sought and extensively fed on redevelopment funds and other government sponsored enterprises that tore a swath of drunks and violence across our downtown. Our town’s provincial liberals and radical conservatives will or have bankrupted our town for their personal profit and pleasure. I will respect and thus vote for any third party candidate that promotes small government and seeks to end the destructive cycle of government feeding on the populace to maintain its own pleasure and profit
o.k. I found Jan Flory, Pam Keller, Sharon “Darlene” Quirk Silva, and a gaggle of retired teachers looking for favorable treatment from Daffy Chaffee on the campaign contribution forms.
How many names that you recognize here in Fullerton can you find?
http://cityoffullerton.com/weblink8/Browse.aspx?dbid=1
Full disclosure – Ryan Cantor is my campaign manager.
Matt Rowe
Right on.
Blogging on county time again? The longer David Zenger/Fullerton Harpoon works for Sup. Nelson, the more time he has for blogging.
I think this takes away a lot from the letter, while it is all true why have him send the letter and not another supporter. Matt, I think this, instead of making Chaffee look bad, makes you look worst. Everyone knows Chaffee is a liberal hack and he is doing the Cruz Bustemantee deal for the Arnold days. There are some issues with it I agree, however Ryan sending a letter just makes it look like it came for you. A supporter, volunteer, old lady down the street, any of these would have been better choices. Thanks for showing your novice inability to run a campaign.
*from not for
I don’t want to invalidate anything you have to say, as your opinion does indeed matter; however, I am very much a supporter, volunteer, and I do live down the street. I’ll work on the old lady bit, but no promises.
Oh be quiet, dude. You’re too loud.
Also, while we’re on full disclosure . . .
Those are my words and I sent the letter. I happen to be volunteering for Matt’s campaign, but I don’t speak for him. If you have criticism of the letter, that should be directed at me.
Now, if you can’t separate my involvement with the campaign and the letter, I suppose I have to accept that as well.
–RC
Fullerton Watcher: have someone else send the letter? Ryan wrote the letter. Having “someone else send it” would be dishonest and disingenuous. That’s not how I operate. Ryan wrote it, and I stand by it. I disclosed that Ryan is volunteering for my campaign to be extra transparent and honest. Get used to that if I’m elected. I will take your comments about me being a political novice as a compliment. Have a sweet afternoon.
Matt
Great answer, dude. That Fullerton Watcher guy is all bent out of shape over nothing.
Right on brah. 🙂
I agree with the watcher
There’s three things in that photo that I would like to pee on.
Hey, wait a minute. I never let my body parts talk for me. And I don’t even have any body parts anymore. I’ve been dead for 25 years.
McKinley is an idiot. His time has come and gone. Time for new leadership and new management
Straight up.
I am reminded of Cruz Bustamante, the hapless Lt. Governor.
From Wiki:
Bustamante’s decision to run in the recall election was controversial, as many supporters of Governor Davis had urged prominent Democrats not to run, in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the event. During the recall election, Bustamante ran on a platform slogan of “No on Recall, Yes on Bustamante,”[1][2] indicating he opposed the recall.
I was about to post the same observation. Good memory there!
This all appears to be so surreptitious and strikingly similar to Bluz Crustedmonte. However if successful, the cardboard fence sitting candidate, like Bluz, will more than likely be handsomely rewarded with a paltry ceremonial presence as Bruce+2=3 and rather soon thereafter Bruce+3=4. Maybe the cardboard fence sitting candidate can make some flash cards with his cardboard and revisit some basic math facts for future endeavors.
Money can NOT buy everything….
Doug Chaffee is from the “good old boys club”
Your money is no good here Doug..
Remember what you say? “Fullerton is not for sale.”
We really mean it….
Doug Chaffee likes to say he doesn’t engage in mudslinging. That’s fine.
He doesn’t have to do that to discuss the issues and be accessible to potential constituents. Chaffee loses in elections because he is consistently AWOL when tough issues need solutions and effective leadership.
He shys away from definitive positions on virtually any topic unless it’s something silly like the hotel tax, and I doubt we would have heard that if the debate wasn’t forced upon him.
Chaffee is seemingly unable to ask tough questions despite his 40+ years experience as an attorney. Major red flag!
I would seriously like to hear what Doug Chaffee’s position was on the conduct of the Fullerton police the night that Kelly Thomas was murdered. What would he do to improve the police department?
I heard someone say that listening to Chaffee or reading his statements on his website is like reading a book report from a student that didn’t read the book. There are words coming out but nothing of substance. Nothing that tells you what is going on.
awesome, Ryan- the fact that Matt, did come on and say who you were is…frankly refreshing…so you have your own mouth and mind and use it, is fine with me. I still support Matt and Barry and Jane all, until the day before the election, I will decide that day, but no one is out, and just sayin no one will ever be out because a sense of humor,or calling out a liar like Chaffee.
Why is Chaffee even running? All he does is litter our town with crap signage.
I always wondered if Doug’s wife sat behind him …sorta like a ventriloquist. Just sayin
Strange but I could swear Aaron Gregg and Doug Chaffee are both in the same rotary club. On second thought I believe Dick Ackerman is part of that rotary club as well. Hmmm, anyone connect the dots?
Of course, none other than Admin Bushala used to be a member of said rotary club so maybe its all just coincidence.
Aw, c’mon Hollis. That was, like, 20 years ago.
Bankhead and McKinley are also Rotary Club members. Not that there is anything wrong with Rotary in general but there is a connection because of membership in the same organization.
I think it is kind of hypocritical of the Rowe campaign to write this letter considering he is an independent. While I might not fight into the party and have considered starting a new party being an independent is often misleading and confusing. We have no idea where Matt stands on taxes (except the illegal water tax) redevelopment, government intrusion, bars in downtown, roads, pension reform, just to name a few. It’s not fair to Bruce to say he will finally have an ally on the city council.
By the way it’s kind of disingenuous of Matt’s campaign manager to write a letter to Chaffee attacking him for his position on the recall. The letter was written with malicious intent and not to encourage good relations. Chaffee is clearly seen as the front runner in this race followed by Levinson. Good try to Matt how just comes off rude. Bring it up at a debate, or have someone outside of the amazing attack him.
Hey, there’s only room for one “just a guy” here.
I don’t believe that Matt’s campaign manager was attacking Chaffee, he was merely asking important questions that should have been asked the moment Chaffee pulled papers for McKinleys seat……
To quote Dr. Martin Luther King “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it”
Yes, I truly believe Pat McKinley is a sociopath, an evil man, and any man endorsed by McKinley should
and if you’re worried about a candidate being an independent, perhaps you should brush up on your American history. Try starting with the founding fathers who vehemently opposed a two party system.
Here’s some helpful links for you –
http://www.foundingfathers.info/
http://colonialhall.com/
I don’t find it hypocritical at all. What does being an independent have to do with this? Does it bother you that I don’t have a pre-packaged point of view? We are calling out an opponent for statements he made embracing McKinley’s support if the recall succeeds. Also, some of his supporters seem to support the status quo, which Mr. McKinley seems all to comfortable with. I don’t know what is so malicious or rude, but if you are offended by people having to defend their positions, then perhaps you are okay with the status quo; where I am not.
As for my positions on city issues, you can review my public comments at numerous council meetings, or my campaign video posted on this site, which speaks to several of the issues you raised- notably pension reform, budget, and infrastructure priorities. Or, you can talk to me in person. Email me at matt.rowe@rowe4fullerton.com and we can find a time to chat.
FWIW, I also asked about your independent status earlier today. I think it was in the other thread. Let me paraphrase it here.
You campaigned and volunteered for Republican candidates in the past so I presume you were a registered Republican at that time. Why have you switched to Independent/NPP status? Is it because you are disillusioned with the current state of the Republican Party? Or do you find yourself more liberal / middle of the road than you once were?
-primarily the former. I believe that partisanship is a problem, whether on the Right or the Left. On some issues, I agree more with Republicans; and on other issues, I agree more with Democrats. You don’t need a political party to take a principled position on an issue. There is no upside to thinking within an ideological box. At the city level, I really believe that party affiliation is irrelevant to solving problems. Pension reform- for it. Labor unions- not a fan. Public transit- makes commuting efficient when done properly. Environmentally friendly initiatives such as the city’s clean natural gas terminal- yes. Prosecuting cops who violate peoples’ civil rights- absolutely. Bars in downtown Fullerton- I am a regular at several of them. Patrons should control themselves; if not, that’s what our police are so well-paid to take care of within the law. Water tax- bogus….where do political parties matter in all of this? They don’t, unless the voters allow them to.
political parties matter if the person subscribes to their tenets. From what you have said, it seems you strive for a unique fusion of GOP and Dem. Please answer this question, how would you downsize our bloated municipal government?
To fake “just a guy”:
Please do not steal others’ monikers. It’s not good for business.
I believe Ryan Cantor asked perfectly good questions. He used his own name and Matt disclosed his affiliation for good measure.
If Matt were elected Bruce would have an ally on the Council – a fellow sentient being (for a change) and not an “alien,” either.
Admin: Matt Rowe would not be an ally for Bruce. Bruce needs true conservatives to be with him on city council and Matt is talking just like old man Blankhead. It’s one thing to be disillusioned by the party it another to give up on it.
Now we have two candidates sitting on the fence, lovely. We need a true conservative to replace McPension not a fence sitting liberal like Chaffee and Rowe.
Hey, dude. It’s like waaaay too bad you’re not a fighter FOR truth, man.
sitting on the fence how? I have taken quite a few stands. Sitting on the fence because I won’t choose between two parties that I despise? I’m not on the fence about being a Republican or Democrat: I made a conscious decision to be neither. If you want someone who kisses their way up their party to get endorsements and hides behind a party line versus making intelligent decisions on unique issues, then by all means just check the box next to the guy with the (D) or (R) next to his name at the ballot box. That has served us real well.
But Ryan didn’t come out till later if I am not mistaken. I only say that because I assumed Mr. Cantor wrote under “Rowe4Fullerton” at first. Not that that matters. He makes a good point, but I think everyone was thinking that about Mr. Chaffee.
Oooo, admin, that sounds so close to an endorsement. But even if it isn’t, it is good to know that there are two good men for McKinley’s seat that will change Fullerton for the better.
Van, within my role at work, I am certified in Lean and Six Sigma methods to eliminate waste, defects, and variation in our supply chain. I work with 30 aerospace manufacturing companies and NDT suppliers to make their operations more lean, efficient, and less costly. It’s part of what I do for a living. I have earned two awards within the last year, and am currently under consideration for the highest award at my Fortune 100 employer. I plan to use my knowledge of systems and lean processes on the Fullerton city council.
When you say, “bloated municipal government,” do you mean that it is too large by head count, or that it consumes too much money? I definitely agree with the latter, but the former takes more investigation. For example, FPD consumes 50% of the city budget with about 200 employees. Only 140-150 or so FPD employees are actual cops. For a city of 150,000 people, I would not say that Fullerton has too many police. I would say that we spend too much on our police force in comparison to other cities. Looking over the budget, one can see how many personnel are in each department. The head count numbers I saw in March, when I last reviewed it, seemed modest and surprisingly low in some city functions, but adequate in others. The real problem is poor spending prioritization and a misallocation of funds toward one area over another by current council members.
Wow, man, a thoughtful answer and, like, no cliches. Dude, where do I vote?
Impressive answers, Matt Rowe. You’d make a good councilman.
Thanks Surfer Dude and Mimi. Please cast your vote. I would greatly appreciate your support. Sorry if my lack of partisanship is a problem for some people. I don’t believe that I need to belong to a political party to solve a problem.
matthew rowe, it seems there is an inverse relationship between FPD’s budget(high) and its actual police(relatively low) which tells me that FPD intentionally keeps its low number of officers to justify big $$$ overtime for same officers. I’m curious to know what is the overtime rate for FPD officers?
I also see city of Fullerton’s departments duplicate services provided at the county and state level. for example the Richman Community Center offers ESL, parenting, youth classes , mental health, drug and alcohol treatment and you get the point. These same services historically have been given to the public through adult ed, county and state agencies. What qualifies fullerton’s parks and recreation department as social services and its members as social workers? and why is fullerton replicating social services? Joe Felz prior to becoming fullerton’s city manager, was head of Fullerton’s park and recreations and it seems Felz’s loyalty to his old buddies in parks and recs is shown by his funding parks and recreation needless programs.
so far, I am impressed with you due to your astute observations derived from your sincere desire to reform and thus restore our town’s representative government. You need to be on our city council.
I don’t know, what’s the option — more overpaid officers with more retirements? You’d have to run the numbers to know for sure what’s worse.
Is it not “interesting” that we have heard from Matt, but there is a deafening silence from Doug on this story.
Dems are telling each other not to read this blog, at least the Silva dems. Yet somehow they are reading it because they always seem to know what is printed here.
I think it is time for a full candidate forum before the June election to suss out the best candidate for each recall race.
As for candidate, Chaffee, he seems like a nice man but is stuck in some kind of time warp. He lost last time, went into hiding, so he could lick his wounds and when he could have been at the city council meetings he was a no show the past year plus not keeping up with the times makes for a bad candidate.
You had me there until your comments about environmentalism and downtown bars.
1. The City should not be in the environmental business. There’s no evidence that we as humans can do anything to stop climate change. Sacramento peddles enough environmental BS upon residents and businesses as it is.
2. You don’t seem very interested in fixing the problems caused by the downtown bars. I find that very troubling. Patrons do not control themselves and that is the problem. Police are overwhelmed dealing with the alcohol-infused assaults, stabbings, and shootings to keep watch over other parts of the city. Downtown business owners are tired of showing up Monday morning to find urine and vomit all over their storefronts.
Strictly speaking to just the CNG issue . . . (these are facts, not political arguments)
CNG is cheaper (by a lot. Really.) than gasoline or diesel.
CNG burns cleaner (we’re talking carcinogens, not just GHG) than gasoline or diesel.
CNG can be retrofitted to any internal combustion engine.
CNG is plentiful in SoCal and a local natural resource.
Just an FYI . . . your opinion will be what it will be.
Private investors would be building CNG stations as fast as possible if everything you said was true.
I hope Matt realizes that CNG is highly impractical for somebody wishing to take their car out of California, even on a mere road trip.
A) They are. Private investment in CNG infrastructure is booming. There’s actually quite a bit of controversy (i.e. fracking, which isn’t occurring in CA to the best of my knowledge.) You’re probably more familiar with investments in industrial CNG uses (manufacturing, power generation) but private investment in lower tier use is also moving along quite nicely (buses, fleet vehicles including police, heavy equipment, short haul trucking, passenger vehicles, even home generation capacity.) There’s a lot of info out on this. If AB32 and the LCFS (speaking of Sacramento) actually do go forward, investment in CNG infrastructure is significantly more valuable than it is on its own, which is still substantial.
B) Agreed; however, practically is improving. Natural gas used to be only a significant local asset for CA and TX. With expanded production, CNG filling stations are becoming more common in the Mountain West (especially Utah and Colorado), the Mid-West, and most of Appalachia. Personal vehicle range is currently constraining, but improving.
I get your point– really– but don’t stick CNG in the generic pie in the sky GHG wish bin. Big private money is going into it, it has great commercial benefit, and the environmental benefit is pretty snappy, too.
Alright then, if private investment is booming, why does Matt (in his own words) support the City’s CNG terminal?
Let’s quit beating around the bush here. I get the feeling that Matt might be more of an environmentalist than he’s letting on. Does he support AB32? Does he share the belief of Doug Chaffee that Fullerton ought to be installing solar panels on the roofs of city buildings and parking structures? Would he be an environmental activist if elected to the City Council?
What’s wrong with installing solar panels on the roofs of City buildings? Am I missing something?
Support for AB32 is a legit question.
Really, Tony? You’re in favor of the City spending money on solar panels whose yield doesn’t justify the cost and maintenance?
No. 1, I’m not Tony. #2 I have no idea what the amortized cost for solar panels is versus the savings and credits from Edison.
Please share the info if you have it.
If it’s a loss there’s no point in doing it. Duh.
The solar panel statement is relevant to see how different the candidates are, also who is paying for the solar panels? The technology is nowhere near where it needs to be, and we don’t need a wacko leader like Antonio Villaraigosa.
I am so not a green “sanitized for your protection” party member. Yet, I have read pros and cons and spoke with a friend who is an engineer and an environemntal attorney for Los Alamos laboratory in NM on fracking. Fracking west of the Rockies will wreck havoc on us. The fracking process contaminates the aquifers in this region and lets be real, due to rising population, agriculture and manufacturing demands for water in an area that gets relatively little rainfall will quickly run dry as fracking will contaminate the precious water reserves of this region . The loss of these water reserves will ruin the economy of the Mountain West region.
I have to admit that my enthusiasm for a candidate like Matthew Rowe who has enough cajones to run without party affiliation or butt-kissing endorsements, greatly waned when I saw his tepid response to the enormous elephant in the middle of the room, aka as the downtown bar region, where 70% of our police resources are allocated to babysitting out of towners.
Exactly.
His admission that he frequents “several” downtown bars suggests that either he, or his friends, contribute to the drunken circus.
No, it doesn’t. It suggests that Matt buys his beer locally. Let’s not jump off the deep end and turn that into a vomit-induced binge.
There’s a legitimate concern/question here– is this as significant as accountability and reform on the council? Budget woes? Infrastructure? Probably not. Is it substantially related? Yes.
It sounds like you (the electorate) want more information on the downtown scene. Matt’s comment was in response to how he qualities himself as an Independent and not on what we should be doing to arrest people who puke on welcome mats of business owners downtown. Great. It’s on the list.
You’ll note in another post, Matt provided his e-mail address. You’re welcome to submit a question there.
Let me ask this another way.
1. Has Matt ever gotten drunk at downtown Fullerton bars?
2. How does Matt react when he sees his friends vomiting, urinating, or worse, engaging in drunken violence?
3. If elected, would Matt continue to frequent those downtown bars to consume alcohol? I would like my elected leaders to see problems for what they really are, in a sober state of mind, not under the influence of alcohol.
Thanks in advance.
Oh, Vernon, stop it.
Vernon. The fact that someone frequents a bar or restaurant with a bar does not suggest that they contribute to “the drunken circus” as you put it. I find it hard to believe that you have never gone to a restaurant with a bar or even to a stand alone bar. If you have, does this make you responsible for the drunk at the other table that just left and caused an accident? I don’t drink but I have been in plenty of restaurants with bars and stand alone bars. I don’t feel that I am responsible for others actions. I am only responsible for my own but I have called a cab for someone on more than one occasion. To say that Mr. Rowe is part of “the drunken circus” is really a stretch and quite frankly an insult to probably at least 90% of residents in any city.
I guess what I’m driving at here is whether Matt would be more inclined to protect fellow bar patrons and the bars he frequents, or do what is best for the city.
His first comments implies he isn’t real interested in changing anything because the police are paid well to handle the misbehaving. That concerns me.
Vernon makes a great point! The “over-paid” cops in Fullerton and their ideals help to bring voters attentions to the problems with our city. Kelly Thomas wasn’t the sole reason for the recall it outlined a major symptom of the problems in our department. Vernon might go over the top with some of his questions. Matt’s answer does show he does not want to change anything with the police department or the weekend circus in downtown.
I don’t believe the bad apples at Fullerton PD became thugs on their own, rather it developed over many years from handling the drunks downtown. These thugs lack self-restraint so when a drunk is punching and kicking, they respond in kind.
You’re right, I do go over the top with what I say sometimes. It is intentional in most cases. Much can be learned from the way people react.
Really Vernon? I really don’t think you’re that clever.
And our city council persons, jones and bankhead responded to downtown’s bacchanal fests punctuated with violence by bringing in a LAPD SWAT man,ex-Fullerton PD Chief McKinley, who quickly became our very own bedroom city commando and further corrupted our police force into his grotesque image. And it is this event that explains why Fullerton police officers bragged and laughed after beating to death a 130 pd homeless man with mental illness.
“Matt’s answer does show he does not want to change anything with the police department or the weekend circus in downtown.”
Is that you Mr. Diamond? I haven’t seen anyone else jump to a conclusion that quickly.
That’s not what Matt’s answer says.
I doubt it since he agreed with something I said. No chance in hell Greg Diamond would have done that. LOL
I agree with that, Vernon.
(No, that wasn’t me.)
Clearly you are not “watching” Fullerton too closely. I have been one of, if not the most, vocal critics of the police department.
Come on now, let’s focus.
Vernon. As Americans we are all stewards of the envirinment. We can be good stewards and take care of the environment or poor stewards and destroy it. I believe also that many city councils get involved in things that are none of their business but promoting good ecological practices is not necessarily being in the “environmental business”. As far as your statement #2, there are already laws in place that should be enforced. While I don’t speak for Mr. Rowe (It looks as though he will have my support and vote) I could envision a city council that works with restaurant and bar owners as well as law enforcement to satisfy the needs of both entities. All this takes is work and a little co-operation. I think Mr. Rowe is the candidate that can do this. At least he does not have a problem with giving a straight forward answer on issues placed before him.
What do you mean by satisfying the needs of both entities? We have too many bars downtown – that’s our problem.
Don’t you see the conflict with Matt frequenting several of the downtown bars? If he isn’t already friends with them, you can bet the bartenders, managers, and owners of these bars will seek to get nice and cozy with Matt if he is elected.
Whoa whoa whoa. Take a breather here. Again, legitimate issue, but let’s not jump off the deep end. A short sentence in response to a question on Matt’s independence does not– in any way– Matt’s cozy with bar owners.
Same goes for Doug Chaffee holding a fundraiser at the Pint House, Barack Obama holding a beer summit, or Kyle Busch driving a race car.
This isn’t about anything that was said. It’s naive to think downtown bar owners wouldn’t get cozy with Matt if he were elected.
I wasn’t going to bring this up but the other day I realized Matt and I have a couple mutual friends on Facebook. Both are regular drunks at DTF bars. This alone shouldn’t reflect poorly on Matt. After all, I would be insulting myself if it did. Rather, I am combining that knowledge with his earlier nonchalant reply about the downtown bar situation. I can’t vote for a candidate that denies the gravity of the DTF problem. So that’s my dilemma unless Matt can clear that up for me.
1) I love the environment. The city saves money with CNG, and in some cases, makes money by selling CNG. It’s a win-win.
2) I enjoy drinking responsibly. It is my right. If you don’t like it; vote for someone who lives your lifestyle. I don’t intend to change mine for your vote.
Again full disclosure about Ryan Cantor: in addition to volunteering as my campaign manager, he is a strategic planner at a major oil and gas company, proud husband and father, and brews his own beer- quite a few issues close to our hearts here.
I like the environment too but oppose knee-jerk “solutions” that don’t really accomplish anything. And it’s too early to make conclusions on the City’s CNG facility.
What does drinking responsibly mean to you? Not driving drunk? Not getting drunk at all?
How do you propose to crack down on the drunken-fueled violence and vandalism downtown?
You brought up enforcement and business owners. The fact that Mr.Rowe patronizes Fullerton establishments is his business. Where do you go to shop or dine out? If your from Fullerton you too probably frequent local business. As a council member you are suggesting he should take his business to another city?????????
The question wasn’t about patronizing it was about supporting “the wild west” Doc Jones created. Matt has so far failed to explain his answer.
I have seen Mr. Rowe several times at a few local, low-key establishments and may I be the first to say that never have I seen him conduct himself in the most respectable manner – and I can assure you a man of his stature would never patronize establishments that cater to ‘out of towners’ such as Jeremy Popoff’s backwoods, broville calcified fetus of a bar, AKA the Slidebar
Correction* never have I seen him conduct himself in anything but the most respectable manner*
Matt is a man of great integrity and respect. The businesses he supports should have no bearing whatsoever on his campaign, but rest assured they are the few that cater to Fullerton locals such as Mr. Rowe, myself, and many other respectable community members
That’s cool and it’s what I want to hear.
Please realize, there’s no way for me to make that assessment on my own since I don’t frequent any of the downtown bars or know him personally.
Some of you are offended by my questions, but I believe there’s value in what Matt has to say.
Questioning officials is what every single voter should do Vernon, don’t feel bad about doing so. After all, if more had questioned the ethics and values of Pat McKinley perhaps we wouldn’t be in the current mess we are now.
I invite all to ask Mr. Rowe any questions you have, no matter how obscure, and I promise you he will answer honestly in every instance.
Though young, he possesses the most important quality any politician could ever have – honesty, integrity, and courage to do the right thing. I’d bet my farm on that.
May I also add, for clarities sake, that I am in no way involved with Mr. Rowe’s campaign directly, just an everyday citizen who has had a chance to get to know him on a personal level.
I hope Matt and Ryan take my questioning as a compliment.
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not spending any time questioning the character and virtues of candidates who stand no chance of being elected.
So yeah, I’m asking these provocative questions because Matt is a worthy candidate, and I applaud his willingness to respond. This is so refreshing because I’m accustomed to politicians not giving a shit what I think…
Thanks Vernon. I am glad that you care enough to ask the questions and engage in debate even if we don’t agree on everything.
Matt
Ditto.
Here is a list of bars I frequent in Fullerton:
1) Mulberry St. Ristorante – I’m not too familiar with the owner, but please see the bartenders and waiters for testimonials: John, Kevin, Eusebio, Rene, and Ivan. My favorite is the Linguine with Clams (red sauce), followed by the steak Caesar salad, or Cioppino.
2) The Continental Room- except on Friday and Saturday nights when it is a zoo. See Zack or Casey for references. They make a good Old-Fashioned.
3) Rarely- Stubriks (Top Sirloin and a pint of New Castle), Heroe’s (food is terrible, but they have the best beer selection), or Commonwealth Lounge (good deals on prime rib).
Please contact me further if you would like a more extensive list of my dining habits and
recreational activities.
Transparency is cool. I dig it.
You said you drink responsibly. Can you clarify what that means to you? Not driving drunk, not being drunk at all? Look, I don’t care what you do within the confines of your own home. This is about conduct in public. So let’s say you get elected and I run into you downtown.
1. Would you be sober enough at any given time to discuss issues affecting the City?
2. If you left a bar in DTF and encountered Fullerton PD misconduct right in front of you, would you be sober enough to remember what you saw?
Thanks in advance.
Wow, now we’ve really gone down the rabbit hole.
Also Matt, please tell us about your sex life in horrifying detail. Thanks in advance.
Thanks for that list of eateries Matthew.
As a Brea resident, I was not aware of some of those.
Credits from Edison are transfer payments from rate payers and tax
Whoops. Hit submit too fast.
Credits from Edison are transfer payments from ratepayers and taxpayers. So it comes at somebody else’s loss.
From what I understand, it is costly to keep solar panels clean because of our hard water, it has to be treated with something and the panels most likely need to be scrubbed down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2UjZJZQIJg
Published: April 25, 2012 Updated: 1:08 p.m.
Text: Next Article »
Yorba Linda ends 42-year policing deal with Brea
City Council chooses Orange County Sheriff’s Department for police services.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-350940-brea-department.html
Friends for Fullerton’s Future Facebook
“This move was all about the unfunded pension liabilities. As a contracting city, Yorba Linda has a life raft and they just used it. Most other cities will go down with the ship. 3 at 50. So stupid.”
Great post!
I favor aligning FPD with neighboring PDs, and I have 2 major concerns with contracting with the OC Sherriff’s department:
1) Fullerton would lose control of its own law enforcement. We would no longer have direct oversight over the force and its personnel, policies, and procedures. We would just be customers, even if it comes at a cheaper price.
2) It is much easier to disband an organization than to build one. If we determine that the OC Sherriff is no better at policing our streets, and protecting citizens’ rights, we will be left without an alternative, but to start from scratch. It’s not easy to build a police force overnight. I am not convinced that we will have better service with the OC Sherriff.
We can achieve cost savings by aligning FPD with neighboring cities and pooling our resources to reduce costs, while maintaining direct oversight of our own law enforcement. We can save money without resorting to the OCSD. Even if the OC Sherriff is somewhat cheaper, I think it would be a mistake for the city to give up control over the safety of its citizens. That is something I would never go for, if elected to city council.
Respectfully,
Matt Rowe
again, FPD is duplication of services if the OCSD renders same service and at cheaper rate . LASD services many communities in L.A County .Initially it may be costly to disband FPD. but after seeing all the documents that show the numerous lawsuits and settlements brought against our town due to the FPD’s abuses upon our community, I don’t see continuing with even a reformed FPD will offset the damage done by this police department. The culture of corruption runs deep in the FPD. City council hopefuls may win more votes if showed actual stats that compare and contrast the value of contracting with OCSD compared with staying with FPD.
All the cities in So,. County use the OCSD. None of them believe they don’t have control over their police force. OCSD probably wouldn’t be much better patrolling our streets (debatable). The cost could be millions less. You will discover that the margin is not “somewhat” cheaper.
So far “local control” has meant the FPOA placing incompetent assholes in office to support a corrupt, top-heavy organization.
That’s a great point which is not brought up nearly enough; no FPD means a lot less self-serving police meddling in Fullerton government.
Matthew Rowe, the only thing that should have control over a police force are the laws of our land. A select group of persons in municiapl power did take control of FPD and corrupted it into a bedroom city commando force that persecuted the economic undesirables(homeless) and wrought its peculiar brand of justice upon drunk patrons of fullerton’s downtown like molesting drunk women in the back of squad cars. We don’t need to align the malign, get rid of FPD.
Ive been dying to know…..are you a knee high sox wearer, or do you wear those ankle sox? …lol
What is a Rabid Police Department, is now cornered and scared, sufficient action is very important!
I posted this yesterday in a couple of places. Don’t know if Matt missed it, or if this reflects a skeleton in the closet.
Still, I would like to see a response. Thanks.
Hi Vernon,
Matt is in Washington DC this weekend for a charity event. I wouldn’t expect a response to your question in the near term. As this is a personal question, I don’t think you want the campaign involved in the reply.
Just thought you’d like a heads up.
–Rowe4Fullerton
No problem, Ryan. I’m sure my line of questioning makes me seem like an intrusive, irrelevant dick with an axe to grind. I believe it would be best to re-state my questions in the proper context.
Matt said he drinks responsibly. I respect his right to drink, but I’m curious what that means to him. Does it imply not being drunk at any time? Does it mean not driving drunk?
Fullerton has more than 135,000 people. Matt wants to be one of five people looking out for our best interests. I suppose it’s comparable to being a parent. Setting a good example with good and proper conduct is important because councilmembers are responsible for the welfare of the city 24/7/365. After all, elected office isn’t exactly convenient; sacrifice is necessary.
This leads to the crux of the matter. Matt is running on a platform to reform the police department. As we’ve seen, much of the police misconduct occurs in the night hours, when people are most likely to consume alcohol. Matt also admits to frequenting several downtown bars. I see no problem with that unless he becomes intoxicated either downtown or at home.
Consider the following if the conflict of interest is not readily apparent. It’s July 5, 2011 and Matt is one of Fullerton’s city councilmembers. Joe Felz calls at 11:00pm to say the police just beat the crap out of a homeless man.
Can Matt say with absolute certainty that he would have been sober enough to understand the magnitude of what Joe Felz just told him, and if necessary, been able to drive himself to the transportation center?
Matt says he drinks responsibly and will not change his lifestyle to get my vote. I don’t know what the first part means to determine if the second part is of any concern.
My personal feeling is that habitual intoxication is incompatible with a platform to reform the police department. If a councilmember is going to be present in the downtown area where police behave the worst, they need to be completely sober and able to interpret things as they really are – and be able to remember it the next day.
So just to be clear, I’m not calling Matt a drunk. I’m ASKING if he would be prone to intoxication if he were elected.
When he has the time, I’d love to hear Matt’s response. Thank you.
Just let it alone, will you?
Its a fair question. Personally, I’d like confirmation that Matt won’t be tripping on acid late at night and if the phone rings he won’t mistake it for an alien messenger robot and blast it with his laser gun. You know, like Bankhead.
Vernon,
Everyone has their own way of coming to a decision on someone’s character. It may not be popular, but it’s always personal. If you get nothing else from this exchange, I hope that you take away that so far Matt is going the extra mile to be transparent. This is something we’re going to do better than anyone else over the next month. 30 days is a very short window to get to know a candidate.
My two cents:
Matt takes responsibility seriously. He had 40 troopers in Iraq under his command 24/7, several artillery batteries in Korea, public relations responsibilities in Germany, and maintains his top secret clearance today. He’s also one of the very few people that I trust my 16 month old with.
You’ve got a lot of passion behind your question, and I certainly respect that. Matt has three C’s as the foundation for his platform. The first, character, is the reason I’ve maintained ties with him over 11 years. I know you want a specific answer, but hopefully this little post gets you to Monday.
–Rowe4Fullerton
Yes answer this probing question!
Matt Rowe to unknown blogger: Yes, I admit that I am a rowdy drunk and I will continue to subsidize bars and will personally barf on the first cop I see.
There is silence from Duff Chaggee because his wife and Greg Zirconium haven’t told him what to say yet. He is also waiting for them to give him his opinion.
Why are you so protective of Matt?
He’s not being protective, you’re being a kook.
indeed nipsey.
but one last question in the interest of full disclosure…
shaken or stirred?
Vernon. They are not that protective. You need to land on our planet for awhile. Your scenarios are a bit “out there”. Please show us your posts where you have asked the other candidates the same questions. I don’t recall you asking Travis Kriger these same questions. Didn’t he have a fund raiser at one of the downtown establishments? Were his friends and supporters “puking in the entry’s of businesses? Of course not. By coming up with the scenarios that you have you are insinuating certain things that could not be further from the truth.
Yes I was at the Matador, too. Never touched a drop!
Travis is a good guy. My point was to show that the insinuations of Vernon are off base. He was trying to make it sound as if you go to one of the downtown establishments than you and your friends are drunks. No insult intended against Travis. Did Vernon ask Travis the same questions?
The reason this came up is because “Just a Guy” asked Matt what his position was on the downtown bar mess. Matt came back and admitted he was a regular at several of them. That’s when I entered the picture and started asking questions.
I don’t know what you expect. The reason we have McKinley is because nobody asked probing questions about his character. Should we stop asking questions because, like McKinley, they seem like decent people on the surface?
Also, why are you so defensive about downtown bar patrons?
It is not about being over defensive. Your statements were insinuating all downtown patrons of bars and therefore restaurants w/ bars were part of the “downtown circus” and Mr Rowe’s friends were “vomiting, urinating or worse, engaging in drunken violence.” These were your words in #76 above. You stated this in question form but as though it was something that was actually happening. That is what I am defensive about. You are drawing conclusions about people you know nothing about. Yes ,ask questions, but don’t try to insinuate something you have no proof of or reason to believe true. What I see of Mr. Rowe
is that he will give you an honest answer. Give him an honest question wiyhout trying to infer something else.
“without” trying to infer something else.
Sigh. That is a debate tactic I learned many years ago using presumption of fact. You make a statement with deliberate exaggeration to see how a person responds. You can learn a lot based on whether the person denies the exaggeration or attempts to justify it. This was one example of that. I don’t do it very often.
and a stellar tactic it is. (note sarcasm)
You crack me up. 🙂