Yup, Don Bankhead Was At that Ritzy Hotel, Too!
Here’s a really fun post I did about 20 months ago making sure people knew that it wasn’t just a spendthrift Democrat who blew over a grand at a fancy hotel at a useless League of Cities meeting. Turns out the RINOs Bankhead and Jones did, too. The way they see it, it’s their money, not yours.
– The Desert Rat
Okay, like I said the other day, I’m a fair guy. Fullerton Mayor Don Bankhead attended that fall of 2008 League of Cities Meeting in Long Beach right along side Pam Keller. Like Keller, Bankhead also put in for a double occupancy room for three nights. Here’s the smoking gun.
Over $1100 for a swank hotel room barely 25 miles from Bankhead’s house. And this during the vast economic melt-down of late 2008. Bad judgment? Sure, to you or me. But not to a guy who has likely spent twenty years going to these schmoozefests on our dime.
A juicy side-irony is the fact that this is the same piece o’ manpower that Doc Jones seems to think is the right guy to lead Fullerton through tough economic times. Which pretty much tells you all you need to know about the dimwit Jones. Hell, Jones was at the no-tell hotel, too!
Well, anyway, Don Bankhead, like Pam Keller, is up for re-election this year, if in fact he decides to run, which of course he will. So you can bet the desert acreage that both of them are going to be targets because of their willingness – no, eagerness – to waste, public money.
Been there, done that… sort of. Once, I had to attend three days of meetings at a Garbage Grove hotel for the Dept. of Ed. Since we had several meetings from 7AM to 11PM, I opted for the room at tax-payer’s expense. I don’t know if the League had meetings all night but if they didn’t, maybe they all got drunk and took a few pictures??? Maybe that white van should follow them around at these “meetings”…
Was your room in Garden Grove $400 a night?
keller, bankhead and jones must be voted out of their positions of public trust and service as they service only their own pleasure and appetites. the diagram, in the prior post, exposes keller’s and her cronies corruption of fullerton. the era of big daddy government knows best will come to an end in 2010 when “We the people. . . ” vote out these three little pigs from our city council and replace them with persons who truly represent the interests of the people of fullerton
Taxpayers in every California city should be angry about this. Here’s how it works – the Hyatt Regency gives the League a smokin’ deal on conference space. In return, member cities fill up the rooms at the fully bloated rate of $400 per night, no questions asked.
We’ve been raped.
You’re right. I just priced a 4 star hotel in prime Long Beach for $86 per night.
I guess the joke is on Keller and Bankhead. The Hyatt Regency is only 3.5 stars. They could have had a better hotel for a quarter of the price. Or they could have just driven from home. Either way, there is nothing “fiscally conservative” about these bozos.
Over the course of years and years I’ve attended innumerable meetings in Long Beach for every type of business activity and business-social activity, with and/or without spouses, and never stayed at a hotel ( I would decline the perfunctory offer of “free” hotel room accomodations to avoid the embarrassment of appearing as a guy who wastes money on hotels in his own neighborhood, i.e. 25 miles away ).
It is only government guys ( or folks working for sloppy corporations who think of it as “other people’s money” and they are not part of the profitability picture ) who waste resources pretending-acting “like big shots” on someone else’s tab.
Govenment rate is about $109. at this place most of the year.
This was/is a scam. Most Fullerton residents drive that far to work everyday (especially since they’ve chased out all the jobs!)
Here’s a Register story about Fullerton with some substance…
http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-226837-employee-management.html
“City employee pay cuts up for discussion”
HEY FULLERTON CITY EMPLOYEES, YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE YOUR JOBS AND GET MAJOR PAY CUTS THANKS TO ALL OF THE SETTLEMENTS COMING OUT OF THE FPD AND THE 3 STOOGES IN OFFICE.
RECALL AND DISBAND!
RECALL AND DISBAND!
did bankhead take his wife?? the conf says 2 adults king bed??
maybe he and Jones shared?
He shared the room with his android clone: http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/2011/don-bankhead-working-just-fine-says-manufacturer/
that’s a scary thought!! TWO of HIM???
Or a lady of equal distinction.
Maybe Art the “pirate” joined him…
Love that story, except I hate that story. Maybe he’s afraid to drive at night. A chauffeured limo or a cab for them back and forth to “Fuhllerton” would’ve been cheaper for us all than the hotel.
Undoubtedly Don was afraid of being pulled over for a DUI by Fullerton cops on his way home. Particularly since he and his fellow city council miscreants had authorized them to arrest people who AREN’T drunk, though only after knocking them to the ground and stomping on their heads first. Given Bankhead’s love of his radioactive canteloupe sized noggin, he figured he’d just book a room in the hotel with the best call girls.
Most private employers would not pay for a hotel room when the event in question was less than 50 miles from home.
However, even if Bankhead and Jones did not like to drive, they could have stayed at a nearby hotel/motel for 60% – 75% less money.
In addition, we have not even talked about the cost of all the meals.
They just feel entitled to spend our tax dollars. They have absolutely no shame!!!!!!!!!
More dirt! Does it ever end????
I bet you I could have scored the same room through Priceline for $50/night.
I see you have again resorted to rehashing old stories. Nice job.
To Mr. Levinson,
Looks like your looking for an endorsement from Bushala and his sheep for the next election. Don’t think your long winded, say nothing fat ass hasn’t been noticed at the city council meetings. I hope everyone is listening to you, because if they do they will realize you say absolutely nothing. You’re nothing but an opportunist looking for friends. Shame on you!
Why so desperate and cranky? Job prospects not so hot?
#19 -old news–lay off the porn pal-it is really getting to you and it shows
What’s up Officer? Using the internet on your day’s 8th coffee break?
Old story? Maybe, yet oh, so topical. Bankhead has been sucking of the public teat his whole life – stipends for doing nothing, free hotel rooms, bogus disability claims.
Yep. it really is getting old!
Did Sellers give you a “reach around” officer “old news”? Cause he sure enough F’ed you guys.
Something is not right there. Check the website for Hyatt Regency Long Beach. Their Government rate for Regency Club King (Regency is Hyatt’s name for their Concierge level rooms) with 2 adults is only $159 per night. Perhaps the fees for the conference are bundled in that amount?
http://longbeach.hyatt.com/hyatt/reservations/flow6/propSelectedHotelRates.jsp?xactionid=1334271802d&_requestid=291247
Did anyone notice the two tickets to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach? Sound like a great time!
I got something different.
Federal Gov Rate
Daily Rates from 125.00 (USD)
Room Type Average Daily Rate (USD) Total Per Room (USD)
1 King Bed
Room Details | Rate Details View Room
125.00 | 250.00
2 Double Beds
Room Details | Rate Details View Room
125.00 | 250.00
Harbor View 1 King Bed
Room Details | Rate Details View Room
145.00 | 290.00
Harbor View 2 Double Beds
Room Details | Rate Details View Room
145.00 | 290.00
Business Plan 1 King Bed
Room Details | Rate Details View Room
155.00 | 310.00
Business Plan 2 Double Beds
Room Details | Rate Details
155.00 | 310.00
Regency Club 1 King Bed
Room Details | Rate Details View Room
165.00 | 330.00
Regency Club 2 Double Beds
Room Details | Rate Details View Room
165.00 | 330.00
I wonder if this guy’s grand kids ever google ol’ Grandpa Don only to find out that he is a complete fraud.
Jane,
Looks like the first prices are for the room and amenities, and the second price is for their male hookers.
That gave me a chuckle.
nice one…. Captain Art the pirate would rent his boat for less… and be the entertainment.
I recently drove from here to DC to help a friend (dept of commerce) re-locate and I can verify that there is a government rate at most hotels. I had no idea beforehand, but WOW do they get the perks.
I just googled it, Gov gets special rates for car rentals ; airfare (ck out these fares http://www.fedtravel.com/flight-search.html)
The taxpayers really paid for them to go to The Aquarium of the Pacific? Really? Fiscally conservative, my ass!
Back in 1978 I lost my job as a result of the passage of Proposition 13. I took a job with a finance company in a desperate attempt to keep my fiance and her two young kids from a previous marriage.
Within a few weeks, they had me attend a weekend company orientation. I was put up in a hotel at company expense and shared a room with an employee from a different city in a “bonding” situation.
True, some of the employees
came from 100 miles away. I was 8 miles from my girlfriend’s home, where I had moved in to try to help her with her hyperactive son and her younger daughter. I wanted to be part of the team and do a good job for the company, but my only reason for the job was to try to support the family. I excused myself to my roommate, went home, and returned the next morning to continue the training seminars.
Nine months later I left the company. A couple of years after that, both the California and US governments came down on the company for fraud. At this moment, my girlfriend, now my wife of 32 years, is in the next room taking a nap.
My prejudice, but I think that most of these junkets, near or far, that the politicians take do not serve the people that they first promised their commitment to.
another bottom feeder!