A New Era of Responsibility and Accountability
As it streamed into my one-room cabin out on Screech Owl Road, last night’s Fullerton City Council meeting was a joy to watch. After three or four decades of watching nattering imbeciles following the direction of staff like stringed mannequins, we finally got to see a rare treat: a Fullerton council that is decisive, in charge and most importantly – accountable.
Let’s take the meeting itself – a special meeting called by Travis Kiger to address critical issues including the nagging problem of city spokesholes peddling self-serving disinformation; the thirty million dollar housing bond that was being used by the Three Dim Bulbs to hand out millions in patronage to their pals; and the issue of releasing the much-discussed phone call that claimed Kelly Thomas was trying to break into cars, and that led, ultimately to his murder. Doug Chaffee agendized his request that the Council take direct responsibility for the hiring and subsequent activities of the new chief of police – a clear indictment of how your City Manager Joe Felz has mismanaged oversight of the police department during its final descent into the Quagmire of Corruption. The very fact that a council member called this meeting, and not city staff, is revelatory. Former councils simply received their instructions and voted aye every couple of weeks – like clockwork. Not any more.
The Council approved an ordinance to take responsibility for the police department. They did it decisively and courageously. Only Sharon Quirk shied away from taking that authority from the ineffectual Felz.
On the subject of releasing the call from the downtown bar, the council voted unanimously to make redacted versions of the audio and transcript public, demonstrating that to this council, unlike its predecessor, pointless and stupid obfuscation is no longer going to be tolerated by the public’s elected representatives.
For years I’ve been shouting at my computer screen as the puppet-like figureheads of the entrenched, sclerotic regime wasted, stole, diverted, covered up, and insulted. Last night I was audibly cheering in support as the council ushered in a new era of accountability, competence, and intelligent government. No one heard me out on Screech Owl Road except a passing coyote and a sleepy iguana. But I was satisfied.
Well done Fullerton!
This was the point, and result of the RECALL.
ACCOUNTABILITY.
Elsewhere we watch at the county level, electeds trip over their dicks trying to cover up a letter.
Good job Fullerton Council.
You truly define the word: Representitive.
Excellent job for sure! Can we see the video somewhere?
Also, why have a redacted version of the call and/or documents? Don’t we want to hear/see the complete event?
Thanks for making real change! 🙂
The net is a wonderful device for those of us who honestly have long been complacent in community affairs. Great steps toward rebuilding this town on a foundation of transparency. The previous sins are going to be costly and while talk of bankruptcy has been reserved for private discussions, surely the Stanford study is needed to validate what we all already know – cost overruns, generous comp/benefits for our trusted servants have run amok, leaving the bag holders to our children and their children. I truly hope that this city can overcome the challenges that it currently faces.
And yet, come election time, current Council members up for reelection will be slammed by their opponents.
Progress being made on many fronts will be seen as too progressive by some.
The blue hairs up on the hill probably have one thought today, “Oh my”.
“blue hairs on the hill” an arbitrary, division that unreasonably accuses upper middle class, elderly as dumb and damaging to the well-being of our city, Fullerton.
Those who have abused the public trust have grown wealthy at the good people of fullerton’s expense and may afford to live in Fullerton’s wealthier neighborhoods lcaed in the hills.
Yet, as I type, I would not be shocked to see these same persons grooming their spawn to take their place along side of them at the public trough.
the remedy is to turn big government into small government by cutting salaries, pensions, government sponsored enterprises and frivolous public functions that function only for those who could never get more than a minimum wage job in the private sector .
Awesome. Tony rules. Money does make life better. Good work.
It was a thing of beauty!
Two massive examples the current City Council has done, the prior Council would NEVER have done:
1) End the illegal water tax.
2) Initiated the request which ultimately resulted in the redacted call from Slidebar being made public.
You want results in short order from the Recall, there they are. I look forward to more.
I watched. Quirk showed up mid way through the meeting to take over. My guess is that one of handlers told her she’d better show up or look bad.
She proceeded to flail around in a weird, disconnected way. It was like she was scared, resentful and confused. Strange.
She’s always appeared scared, resentful, confused, clueless, (insert your own words of incompetency here).
you mean in over her head when it comes to providing civic leadership, grasping concepts in municipal finances and administration and the basics of American government?
She was out of the area earlier that day. (Previous commitment, set for a day with no scheduled meeting.) My guess is that she had just gotten in from the airport. This is one reason why special meetings are for emergencies. What at this meeting could not have waited until next week?
1. Re: Chaffee – I am (temporarily, time will tell) feeling good
2. I agree re: Quirk’s late arrival, especially because nothing was said at the beginning of the meeting that she would be “delayed”; the term used was “absent”.
3. And yes, she was flailing about to regain control!
PS – when I saw the photo above – my first reaction was that it is a photo of Jan Flory (seriously, that’s what I thought)!
I heard you and echoed your cheers. Mayor Pro Tem Whittaker looked comfortable chairing the council for awhile. He will make a great mayor. Councilmember Kiger and the rest were impressive as well by taking the reins of the city.
She knows she is done. evil evil evil
Watching the city council meeting last night with decisive tranpartent action was like good therapy. despite the nauteous feelings evoked by a few disenters brings commentary to the effect, that maby we shouldn’t move so fast,… lets think about this action for a while, but then Travis overules stating the urgency and calles for immeadiate action. Whitiker chimes in with great commentary of wisdom bringing out the obvious that one wonders why everyone can’t see. Seyborn throws out a few checks and balances before the vote. Chaffe seems to speak quietly but with great determination to get things done. Sharon helps bring the whole thing togther graciously though at times being the only desenting vote.
Somebody needs to tell the woman to shit or get off the pot – she’s already becoming Jonesy in her short tenure. Maybe she looked The Dick in the eye and, Medusa-like, is turning to stone. Check her turds – if they’re like fossils she’s a goner fer shure!
http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2012/07/25/supervisors-to-again-consider-axing-county-ceo/159808/
and let us not forget the efforts of this site, FFFF, that exposed the corruption of our city council by Jones, Bankhead, McKinley, Kellar and the yes men and women, like Felz, who agreed with the greed of the old regime. the old regime still contaminates our city, however we, the good people of fullerton, may have a chance to restore our city to decency due to the efforts of Tony Bushala, Travis Kiger,Chris Thompson and Bruce Whitaker .
Thanks to FFFF, the Fullerton Spring may last for many years
Hello all. In these times of growing “CRONYISMS”, and a strong push into Globalization of governments, it is great to see that the PEOPLE ultimately, still can make a difference, and make those in office, either do the right things, or be recalled. My only hope, is that this change can occur nationwide.
Also, it seems that Anaheim has the same problem with their police force that Fullerton has. Those kinds of out-and-out murders, will not be tolerated, and the law enforcement establishment better start looking at what the public will and will not stand for.
Congratulations Fullerton and Friends for making a difference. I salute you.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED
The embarrassment of Don Bankhead slithering back into the Council Chambers is too much. Voters should petition the Secretary of State for an initiative that would prevent a recalled council member from running for that same office again for 10 years after the first recall, and a life ban if recalled a second time. He’s a disgrace to the concept of accountable government.
Time to take the keys away. Bankhead’s family is at fault here. Children of the elderly need to take control sometimes. WHERE ARE HIS CHILDREN?
07/27, C5, 9 AM
PRE-TRIAL
http://orangecountyda.com/docs/162952072012casemanagementlist.pdf
Yup, the two bad miscreants have to go through all these judicial procedures while receiving no pay! Great job guys! Way to support your families! Or maybe your fellow union members are contributing to your families? Then lets see, there are the civil depositions to go through after the trial. Possible Federal charges. Keep up the good work. Its called retirement as practiced by your former police chief!
the whole thing was surreal. Who could imagine? It as beautiful. Finally liberty is back inside the circle of the wagons
The Fullerton Municipal Code should be expanded to include criminal penalties (i.e. misdemeanors) for certain willful misconduct by City employees not otherwise covered by the California Penal Code.
Very little is punishable as it stands now. FMC 2.60 deals with Unlawful Interest in Contracts, but that’s about it…
City Council meetings live and archived,
http://fullerton.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=383
and or, click on 2012
http://www.ci.fullerton.ca.us/depts/mayor_n_city_council/ftv3_online.asp
Davis Barber should find Richard Fritschie, and have him be Public Information “COORDINATOR” for The City of Fullerton and his LYING Website.
Jesus these creeps just keep coming back from the grave. Time for stakes.
“the thirty million dollar housing bond that was being used by the Three Dim Bulbs to hand out millions in patronage to their pals;”
I thought Jones, Bankhead and McKinley and those allowed in their inner circle(the usual municipal level snivel servants with unjustified six figure salaries) personally benefited from these housing bonds.
If I was a local politician with no scruples, I would treat public monies as my personal pot of gold for me, my family and fellow corrupt,civic leaders.
One of these days, someone will show a chart , on this website, that links Jones, Bankhead, McKinley, Quirk-Silva(fete on a yacht by developers) and their ardent supporters who owe their cush, nebulous, public sector jobs to these dubious civic leaders to the profits gained from “affordable”public housing.
Just my conjecture formed from my opinion
I applaud the Council for moving in the right direction. All I ask is that more get done to expose the ‘culture of corruption’ in FPD and ensure those who participate or enable such practices are held accountable. This needs to be done in memory of Kelly Thomas.
Quirk showed her true colors when she was apparently the only dissenting vote that opposed transferring control of FPD from Felz to the Council. That should illustrate to all what Quirk is all about and where her loyalty lies.
Keep the momentum going, new Council members. It’s very refreshing to see a Council that is truly representative of the citizen’s will.
Can anyone here think of any downside generally — not in Fullerton July 2012, but generally — to a police department being directly accountable to a city council? Is there a reason that other cities don’t do this?
Simple. Too much politics. Gets very ugly at times when council members take their personal agendas out directly on the Chief.
Yeah. Getting 5 people to agree on decisive action is next to impossible. It’s why Washington doesn’t work and why this isn’t exactly the best idea.
New council is the laughing-stock of OC.
Now you need to revoke every single permit the Slidebar has so they have to close. They should not be allowed to exist in the city.
Well, let’s be careful with this one. The last thing I want to see is Slidebar getting a nice fat check from Fullerton because someone violated due process with regard to permits.
Any PD events (or events at all) should be cataloged and used as evidence to deny a permit. A defensible case ought to be built first.
Jim Bob go back to Kunfucky.