Fitzgerald Targeted Restaurant D’Vine
While it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody paying attention that the government, at all levels, only works for those who are well connected and make the correct donations. Usually proving this truism is often difficult but we came across an example here in Fullerton that seemed noteworthy.
It appears that Mayor Pro-Tem, and Curt Pringle & Associates VP, Jennifer Fitzgerald decided to weaponize our city government to go after the business “D/Vine” for “word on the street” indicating that they had a promoter in violation of the municipal code.
That seems innocuous and even reasonable from a law and order and agency perspective. After all, what’s the problem with a council member & Mayor Pro-Tem being worried about a business running afoul of local law?
Nothing if the local laws were applied equally and in a just manner. But we know that to not be the case.
While Fitzgerald is super worried about public safety over who promotes what music at D’Vine she gleefully ignores other violators of our municipal code when it benefits her. As an example of such would be when she holds events and parties at The Slidebar.
The Slidebar which for years has violated local amplified sound ordinances while operating without so much as a Condition Use Permit or even an Administrative Restaurant Use Permit (ARUP).
For those new to these issues – in this city you cannot operate a restaurant without an ARUP and you can’t sell alcohol and have live entertainment with a CUP and a Live Entertainment Permit. The following screenshot is from the City Staff’s own presentation to City Council on April 16th, 2019:
The Slidebar only has the Live Entertainment Permit despite not legally qualified to have one thanks to their just ignoring the law regarding the ARUP/CUP. Nearly every other business is required to have these permits and for 7 years Fitzgerald has said bupkss about it.
Fitzgerald, like so many others on the dais before and still, has no problem holding fundraisers and heaping praise on some businesses in clear violation of the most basic of rules required to run a bar in downtown but when the wrong promoter plans the wrong type of music – now there’s a need for a call to action. Rally the troops! Tally-Ho! The scourge of banda music must be stopped… because Banda music is… bad?
Let’s look at that. Banda music is what exactly? From Wikipedia:
“Banda is a term to designate a style of Mexican music and the musical ensemble in which wind instruments, mostly of brass and percussion, are performed.”
This is something Fullertonians have complained about before it seems but I didn’t realize it was such a problem. I sort of expect to hear this music at places like Revolucion Cantina and in fact they have a “Banda Wednesday”. This negates the idea that the music itself is a problem.
The shooting is a cause for concern if you’re worried about what CAUSED the shooting… but if it isn’t the music causing people to be shot (because the shooting happened during a “Purge” themed Halloween party playing Hip-Hop) then Fitzgerald must blame the promoter?
Can a promoter rationally be blamed for the wrong people showing up to a show? Fullerton doens’t seem to blame the local bars for bringing in undesirables who urinate, vomit, fight and graffiti all over downtown. Hell, Fitzgerald herself recently blamed “Pre-Gaming” in the parking lots for much of the mayhem and DUIs around town.
Thus using Fitzgerald’s own local logic let us dispense with the idea that the promoter caused the shooting in Riverside. After all, it might have been “pre-gaming” in a parking structure that led to the shooting. To do otherwise would be an especially comical problem when we have a fire & life safety issue in downtown related to a business owner whose family is alleged to have burned one of their own previous businesses to the ground.
Because city staff works at the behest of the City Manager and the City Manager works at the whim of the City Council, when the council says “Jump!” or “Look Away!” that’s exactly what happens. No need to apply the law evenly or justly – just do what the bought and paid for council demands.
It’s sickening that the city can look into D’Vine for their banda/promoter problem while simultaneously Community Development Director Ted White was exchanging text messages with Joe Florentine and emails with Jeremy Popoff, local bar owners, in the build up to municipal code changes of how Florentine’s & Popoff’s businesses, and all bars, would be regulated despite their own flaunting of the laws.
While Ted White was looking into the ARUP/CUP status of D’Vine he was ignoring the very real problems regarding Florentine being, for over a decade, in violation of life safety requirements. To recap – Florentine has refused to follow his own Conditional Use Permit (CUP) requiring fire sprinklers and the city has refused to enforce that CUP up to and including the Chief of Police rubber stamping Florentine’s Live Entertainment Permits year in and year out despite those permits also requiring adherence to the CUP.
“The C.U.P. (if applicable) shall be strictly enforced.”
It’s nice to have a clear cut example of the city picking and choosing winners and losers. This email from Fitzgerald about D’Vine shows us clearly that our city responds to issues immediately when the council says jump all the while turning a blind eye to worse problems from similar businesses in the same neighborhood. I guess it really does pay to own the right council members.
And yet when you call them corrupt and inept they get offended and they dare you to run in 2020. Yep I got one of her messages
I hope “she” reads this – she’s a useless jerk who should resign. I’m sorry you didn’t show the face of the “man” next to her as what was shown resembled a certain national Republican official.
Anyone care she does her City Business from her lobbyist account?
Maybe if we paid her boss to represent our complaints, something in this town might actually get fixed.
What about Revolucion Cantina 1910 having bottle service and charging without being permitted to do so?? Bottle Service is sold Weds & Sun, but yet no ones pays attention right??
“Word on the street” is that the owner of Revolucion Cantina 1910 is a Marijuana distributor/grower/ dealer.
Let’s clean up DTF, let’s start doing things right.
But isn’t Marijuana Legal now ? Therefore it’s not a crime right?
Not being licensed to sell, and not having the right permits makes it illegal. Especially if you’re not reporting any of it to the IRS.
Turd White does not report to any city council member. She should not be issuing directives hidden with a question mark.
Why bother the City Manager when you can go right to the lackey at first?
Fucken White folks with the Cali Promotions.
Ha ha ha! Get it right bitches!
Hey Cali-N sue this bitch for defamation.
God told her to do it. It’s right there in the Bible
Owners of Dvine have been allowing minors too go in at night just to get though with costs since it’s so dead all the time.
This is exactly what this post talks about and what your comment contradicts
Why target dvine when they have had no incidents with anyone and run a successful business for over a decade dvine Fullerton isn’t the only restaurant they own in fact they own 4 or 5 other dvine restaurants I doubt they would have to let In minors to cover any kind of cost .
Let’s focus on the real problems here and from what these comments say Revolucion cantina isn’t sounding so great . Maybe enforcement can start at that venue and start implementing rules and codes the way they should be
It’s time to set Downtown Fullerton straight !
Your moms a hoe
To*
&
Through*
You should worry about school, instead of gossip.
Revolucion cantina and jp23 are known for allowing under age kids. Look at the cameras they also go over capacity. You see underage kids going in without id being checked .Look at social media Pictures you see plenty of youngsters
Also doing bottle service illegaly and when cops come they hide bottles in their kitchens.
I use to party alot here but the Owner from Revolucion cantina 1910 gives cocaine to securitys to sell, i seen securitys doing cocaine in the restrooms and selling to clients inside Revolucion Cantina
Bye.
You seem too be really irritated with revolution when this post was about Dvine.. hmmm sounds like someone has it against them. Karma is a bitch & move on already
*to.
Are you “Jonathans ego”? You seem to be the same person I corrected earlier. Please stay away from gossip, and don’t forget to use your “to” & “too” correctly. You give yourself away
Suck me up how about that
Talking shit behind a screen because it makes you sleep better at night should have known, y’all nothing but bitches
Yet you’re on here “talking shit”. So you’ll sleep well tonight dingleberry … night night…!!
Bitch ass nigga you know who you are. Little trolls thinking that will get you anywhere other than where you’re at now.. the gutter. You’ll stay there and remain there i promise
The biggest question – unasked in this fine report – is WHO complained to FitzPringle in the first place? How would this evil bitch even know anything about the promoter or a shooting in Riverside somehow connected to it connected to it?
“What I’m hearing” may be code for “one of my scofflaw buddies told me” or even worse, “a FitzPringle client is paying me to harass a competitor.”
In other news, the tacos at Revs are bomb
Thanks but no thanks, I rather have a hard shell taco from Taco Bell than anything from Revs.
I worked at Revolucion and I’m so glad I got away from the unprofessional owner Alberto Ochoa . I can say and show proof that he personally targets Dvine, he personally texted me last week and a couple people I know who also worked there plus other clients BEGGING us to not support Dvine in any way shape or form if not we would forever be banned from revolution which by the way lost everything they had it’s definitely not the same anymore they are Empty all week, it’s a dirty establishment who plays dirty and demands his employees to do the same
Forcing employees to Switch cheap alcohol to premium alcohol bottles.
*vodka *whiskey *tequila
Hiding bottle service in the kitchen when police arrive to check on him since he doesn’t have any permits to sell bottles in there CUP.
Forced customers to leave the venue and come back after when they are over capacity and police is about to shut them down. (Capacity at a low 150)
Forcing Security to allow under age to come inside with a simple 30$ payment.
(Does not have permits to do cover charge in there CUP)
I also know he is the main cause of personally targeting Dvine and is in constant contact with the city and police complaining and harassing about use of promotion from “Cali network” which is ironic considering “Cali network promotions ” worked hand in hand with Alberto Ochoa and his establishment Revolucion cantina for over a decade mainly running Wednesday/Sundays BANDA NIGHT as well as his other nights all ran by “Cali Network” and through out all those years Alberto Ochoa didn’t seem to have a problem with “Cali Network promotions” but as soon as they stopped working together it became a huge issue that even city council got involved ! Why is Alberto Ochoa Revolucion Cantina so afraid of “Cali Network Promotions” after working together for so many years ?
There are many details to expose Revolution Cantina violating there conditional use permit (CUP) and Alberto Ochoa illicit drug dealing . He should NOT be able to renew his permits .
Does anyone know if his weed is any good?
She’s a horrible person and Fullerton is more of a dump because of her.