Dysfunction Junction
Denial is a fairly common human condition, but normally it involves interpersonal relationships and fact isn’t always that easy to ascertain. It is also quite common in politics where one’s emotional beliefs and prejudices are set against somebody else’s. And then there’s the case when bald facts are staring you in the face and you just can’t allow the cold truth to intrude upon your fantasy.
Nowhere is the latter situation better seen than in the City of Fullerton’s attitude and actions involving the “downtown” area.
It’s not real complicated. The City has known for almost two decades that downtown Fullerton was a money loser. A big money loser. And yet nary a word of complaint or criticism of the booze culture of downtown Fullerton has been uttered by the bureaucrats and politicians.
The most recent analysis was essayed 7 years ago. Here’s the money shot:
In 2017, the taxpayers of Fullerton were subsidizing the bar owners to the tune of almost $15,000 per liquor joint, each and every year. Three quarters of a million a year. Of course this was just for “public safety” as noted:
“We focused on the public-safety facets of this study alone, and did not include the development and maintenance services costs Fullerton audited. We illustrate below Fullerton taxpayers were effectively subsidizing bar and restaurant establishments – to the tune of about $15,000 per establishment – all to cover the costs of police, fire and rescue services provided to the establishments and their patrons.“
We know that maintenance and code enforcement and the legal services of Dick Jones and his I Can’t Believe It’s a Law Firm jack up the cost to well over a million bucks – $1.4 million being the overall cost previously discovered. And there are now over 50 bars.
Think of it. During hard times and good, the taxpayers of Fullerton subsidize the likes of the Florentine family and the Marovic mob and the Poozhikala posse, while they make a fortune peddling fish bowls of booze to out-of-control miscreants and ignoring the law.
And still City staff insists on describing downtown Fullerton a glowing success story, a triumph to be built on; of course they aided and abetted in the charade by city councils that are marked by political cupidity, stupidity and a desire to look like they have accomplished something. Anything. For decades these people have crowed about their achievements in DTF, even as they desperately crammed more and denser housing blocks in and around main streets – hoping a captive audience would somehow help. It didn’t, and by the early 2000s the City decided an open air saloon was just the thing. And then the restaurants morphed into bars and then the bars morphed, illegally at first, into nightclubs.
As things got more lawless, and even some like Dick Jones lamented the “monster” he had created, the only thing that happened was that things got worse. Blasting noise, random violence, sexual assaults, human waste, mayhem, shootings, sadistic and pervy cops – you name it – caused no retrospection in City Hall about what had, and what was happening. It was all a big victory, and you don’t second guess a victory.
Well, things are looking glum fiscally for Fullerton according to last years budget projections and we will be told Ahmad Zahra and Shana Charles that we must bear the burden of a new sales tax jack-up in order to keep the creaky old jalopy going.
I say fix the financial sinkhole that is downtown Fullerton before you stick your hands in our pockets.
It’s all about job security. The bureaucrats need to look like they’ve done something great and the politicians see which side of the toast has the butter. The public employees get paid, the politicians get glorified.
THE PEOPLE OF FULLERTON DON’T CARE.
A few care but the MAJORITY DON’T.
Fullerton, being Fullerton.
So true. The Monster has the City by the testicles. What a testament to having no conception of what you’re doing and reaping the unintended consequences (all foreseeable, naturally) for decades and decades.
There is only one way to stop all this. And that’s:
1. Code enforcement NOW
2. Uphold ALL requirements in CUPs
3. Crack down on tax cheats. We learned Popoff was doing it and the rest of them probably are, too.
Who’s got the confidence to do that? No one, ever, on our city councils. They’re all complicit.
That’s “Councilman Dr. Dick Jones,” to you, bub.
“You can call me doctor or colonel. I earned those titles”
Actually he said “I worked hard for those.” He was being an asshole (as usual) to a public speaker who had the audacity to call him “mister.”
My hands are already in your pockets as well as my own! Pocket pool anyone?
interesting you dont mention bushala who also owns a number of bars in downtown
Tony Bushala? Which ones, pray tell. You’re talking out of your ass.
Tony Bushala owns downtown bars and complains so his competition like the Slidebar and Florentine is forced out of business so his bars make more money. Greed = Tiny Bushala!!!!!!!
Please name at least one bar that Tony owns or STFU.
Which bars? so I can go drink there.
Which ones?
Tony owns Revolution and DWine. He has a jazz bar too. He’s playing all of you for suckers!
You have Tony mixed up with someone else, Achmad.
Dumb just gets dumber.
If what you say is true then you must admit that Tony Bushala has no control over this blog. Thank you Hoogerbooger.
Shirley, you’re joking. Right? Right?? Name one, I’ll wait.
Fullerton’s “corporate welfare” to the bars all the while they try to say they do not have enough money. They try to tighten the screws on homeowners but not hold these promoters of vomit to be responsible and pay what is owed.
If they crack down on the bars where will the City Councilmen like Bruce Whitaker have their fundraising parties? Wasn’t he running interference for Pooz for years? Jesus, even Fitzgerald hated that guy.
That’s the story.
Some things will NEVER change. Drunk Town USA aka Fullerton, is one of those things.
But keep up the good fight, I’m on your anti corruption side.
Naturally the “captive audience” was bound to conflict with the shitstorm booze culture and then the nuisance noise free-for-all. And never a backward glance to see what kept going wrong.
It has always been an ongoing triumph of municipal management.
And you can bet Ahmad Zahra and Shana Charles will move heaven and earth to get a lib in Whitaker’s seat once his term is up. Then they have the majority again. So it will be bars and vagrants for the whole west and SW sides!
But there will be nature trails for all! No one will use them, either, but who cares? It’s the thought that counts. Like when you bought your Dad a chartreuse necktie for Father’s Day.
They have let the homeless issue get out of hand too. Now they own or run multiple shelters. That’s why we can’t have nice things. We can’t afford them.
And what’s with this $20 million grant to Pathways of Hopeless? Any accounting provided?
https://www.pohoc.org/era/
This was 3 years ago so you could do a PRA request. Good luck getting it.