Good Bye and Good Riddance
Our old friend the historian Karl Marx wrote: History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.
And so in Fullerton we have had the spectacle of Jan Flory, a councilperson who worked us over good for two dismal terms in office, was driven out, and who returned 10 years later to provide the final act of a deplorable career.
Back in 1994 Flory ran as the Establishment candidate to push back against the reform-minded Recall that dared to drive out the incumbent stooges who imposed an unnecessary utility tax. She was the perfect candidate to advertise the fear and loathing the Old Guard had for anybody outside their inner circle.
In her first go-round she obligingly put her fingerprints on every big-government, no accountability scam put in front of her. She supported the illegal “in-lieu fee” water tax; she voted the cops and firemen the bank-breaking 3@50 retirement formula. She approved massive apartment projects in downtown Fullerton and actually voted to give away public streets to private business interests. She voted for every Redevelopment boondoggle that crossed her path. She bought the “Poisoned Park.”
And every step along this trail of tears she palpably dripped bitter venom for those who dared cross the “experts” at City Hall. Tragedy, indeed.
From 2002 to 2012 we were mercifully spared the the effluence of vindictive spleen sprayed on anybody who had the temerity to question what was going on in their own government.
But in 2012 the moribund Establishment needed someone to ride to their rescue; and to defend, deny, excuse, ignore and cover-up the serial crimes committed by the police department; and to fight the agenda begun by a new council majority, ushered in by yet another recall perpetrated by unwashed outsiders. Who better to call upon than the old warhorse, herself.
Yes she won, by a scant 29 votes, and she immediately resumed her old role. Yet something was missing. Yes, the muumuus and wood beads were still there, and so was the old, surgically implanted steel rod. The complete lack of humor, grace or introspection suggested the Flory of old. But you could tell. Her heart wasn’t in it. Her performance was thin, shadow-like, even as she continued the water rip-off, covered-up the FPD Culture of Corruption with gargantuan out-of-court settlements, approved four non-balanced budgets – raiding reserves $43,000,000, approved more massive apartment blocks – activities that in the past would have brought a smug, self-satisfied smirk to her sneer. But the old joy was gone.
The third act was a farce – even until the inevitable bitter end: as left she hoped to give Fullerton a parting gift – the sad sack and detumescent Larry Bennet, whose job would have been to keep the “For Sale” sign over the sliding doors of City Hall.
Ah, well. Now, Mrs Flory departs again, hopefully for the final time. And as we see this petulant shrew out the door, let’s always remember her words from the 2012 campaign: to my lights… the city department heads are the heart of the city.
Bitter to the end. An old bucket of bile.
Medusa.
Let’s not forget that the rotten apples NEVER fall too far from the Flory family tree…
“A veteran Orange County deputy district attorney has been criticized by appeals courts more than any other prosecutor in the state, a study found.
Deputy District Attorney Mike Flory has been rebuked for his courtroom behavior in six opinions issued by the 4th District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana between 2001 and 2005. One case resulted in a reversal, while in another, the court directed its opinion to be forwarded to the California State Bar for review.
Flory’s “complete disrespect for the court’s authority, repeated threats to disobey a court order, and subsequent violation of that order, offend our sense of the court’s inherent dignity,” the 4th District Court of Appeal wrote in a 2004 opinion on the drug possession conviction of Stephen Pigage.
“Prosecutorial misconduct is an issue in this case, and this type of misconduct is but one example of an alarming trend,” the justices continued.
Flory, who sought to be elected a Superior Court judge in 2008, did not return calls seeking comment.”
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/flory-276394-court-misconduct.html
Rotten to the core.
…I was just wondering how many other people realized that Jan Flory’s husband, Bill, used to be the President of the local Building Industry Association?
“Mike’s father, Bill Flory, is in the real estate industry and has been the president of the local Building Industry Association”
http://www.smartvoter.org/2008/06/03/ca/or/vote/flory_m/bio.html
Bill Flory is also a registered Republican.
He came up to me once saying that. Almost apologizing for his wife. I felt bad for him. Sort of. No, not really.
The good news for Silva is that, contrasted with his predecessor, he could look like Fullerton’s savior
“…he could look like Fullerton’s savior”
That’s why we call him Jesus.
And he owes her nothing. The Manderiins on the Hill, including Doug Chaffee and Jan Flory, pointedly declined to endorse Jesus Silva or contribute to his campaign, even though Jan Flory had thousands of unspent dollars left in her own coffers. Their deal with Larry fell flat. Jesus could represent a swing vote on critical upcoming issues.
Point of clarification. Chaffee and Flory are not Mandarins. That is far too complimentary. But they are die-hard supporters of the concept of Mandarinism. And that’s why, at the root of it, they hate the very people they are supposed to represent. Fortunately it’s a generational thing.
Thank You Jesus!
I’ve never seen an elected official show so much disdain for citizens who hold different opinions than her own. Did she just get ornery with age or was she always like that?
You sound like a sore loser. There’s a reason why you didn’t win. Your fan base is a tiny minority. You’re so good and seem to take such pride in tearing people down. It mist be nice to feel so superior to others and be so perfect. Wow… THAT is not leadership. It just shows ugliness. Why oh why would we ever want your kind of representatuon. Reminds me of grade school play yard antics. In the beginning I liked hearing what you had to say at the podium. But now you’ve gone to the dark ugly side that seems to take joy in tearing people apart. There are other ways to push an agenda. This kind of talk only looks immature. I’m sure I wont sway any of you, otherwise. You have too much fun with it. And I won’t get into a battle of words with you. I don’t need to piss in the wind. There isn’t one Council person that I agree with on all issues. We will now have a mixed bag, Libertarian, Democrat, Republican, etc. Stop bashing, get involved (would give you more creditability), try a different approach. Spewing BS isn’t helping anything.
Another view,
“There are other ways to push an agenda”. Some of these ways will look familiar to you: 1.having a monetary advantage during campaign by taking large contributions from big money interest 2 Securing the vote of an entire institution such as FPD, whose leadership in return ensures that no changes to improve the “organization’s culture” are implemented . Let me know if you want more.
Indeed, a poor choice of words on my part.
Bushala’s rabble with Kiger back at the helm bagging the bile bag Flory with Ryan and Sean circle jerking each other into full political ejaculations. Indeed, a poor choice of words on my part.
“Spewing BS isn’t helping anything.”
Sucking it up isn’t working so well, is it?
Off you go now. Your minimal effort has been made.
Fullerton Old Timer –
Just because I’m against slander and ugliness towards others, doesn’t mean I’m sucking up. The messages and methods promoted on this blog are destructive, not productive. Period. You’re all having fun with it; it’s a vent session, I get it. Free speech, yada yada. But it’s not productive. It’s a mob mentality with very few followers, as indicated by the City Council election. The percentage of votes received are an indication of how far it’s getting those who use this method to promote their agenda. I’m not a huge fan of all of the Council members, however, it’s good that there is a mix of opinions that challenge some of the decisions. So I support those who have made it to the dais, willing to take the darts that are constantly thrown at them. It takes balls to sit up there and take critique from those who think they know so much better. I will find a way to work with those I don’t agree with, but not by mud slinging. If that makes me a suck-up, so be it. Signing out and I’m sure to you, good riddance.
They’re always trying to tell you guys that this blog doesn’t work and you should stop. Funny stuff.
A lot of bad actors are gone because of this blog, the latest being Joe Felz. I’d say it’s working pretty well. Unless your goal is to get along with everyone.
It’s all bullshit with these types. They pretend to want everybody to work together. What they really want is for regular people to sit down and shut up.
“It takes balls to sit up there and take critique from those who think they know so much better.”
It takes balls to sit up there and ignore those who do know better.
Another view,
I love this open discussion! I will begin by saying that I do not see residents running for local office as “sore losers”. On the contrary, I take my hat off to those, who not aligned with way too powerful interests, have the strength of will to attempt to represent us. That, I cherish and encourage. I shall continue questioning your bashing this blog. In this age of transparency, when any of us can exhibit himself/herself naked on line or disseminate uncritical two liners for potentially millions of people, the most important socioeconomic decisions for our community are being made-more often than not-behind closed doors. The final outcome of a process which takes place outside the public view is presented to the public. The public-the residents of the community-get at best to comment on an outcome which has been reached through an unseen and no-participative process. Then the outcome is voted upon by the elected representatives, some of them elected thanks to their advantageous resources provided by powerful interests. Friends for Fullerton’s Future provides an outlet to intelligently articulate this criticism. You can certainly ignore it, uncritically read the Fullerton News Tribune while eating a waffle for breakfast ,and move on without self-reflective pause. But to me and others there is not more productive matter than include the community to the governance of the community. To that effect a critical pause and discussion are necessary.
Mary,
I hear what you’re saying and agree with, “But to me and others there is not more productive matter than include the community to the governance of the community. To that effect a critical pause and discussion are necessary”. You sound reasonable, except that I doubt this is reaching “millions of people” and I rarely read the Fullerton News Tribune or eat waffles for breakfast. My objection is when it sways to name calling and hideous ridicule. When the personal attacks start, at that point, the message or meaning is lost and it’s the same ‘ol bashing. Some may call my comments or position “suck-up”; I call it “respect”. We can challenge each other all day long. But it’s very difficult to have meaningful discussions with personal attacks. When the name calling starts, something turns off in the brain, and whatever point that person is trying to make is not heard. It’s entertaining for some, but not productive toward the desired result (I’m guessing on “desired”).
I’m sure I’ll be told that I’m totally missing the point and some clever twist to my words will be posted. That’s ok, I’m expecting it. But Mary, at least you didn’t fall into the same pattern. I actually read your message with interest.
Another view,
Sometimes can be difficult to release the anger moved by the situation I described above without resorting to aggressive language . Excessive profanity is not my cup of tea either. Yet, I take a lot of good points from this blog’s articles and there are blog comments giving us a perspective on what our local elected officials did in the past. A bit of humor can be an eye opener too. I understand your position to some extent though.
I call it “respect”.
I call it the kind of blind toadyism that has lest Flory and her minions accumulate over forty million in red ink in for years with no accountability. Until now.
I would pay money to see someone read this prose at her farewell.
Fugly. Inside and out.
Either I’m drunk or she is.
Sour grapes from a sore loser. Glad to see you’ve finally emerged from your bunker, Kiger.
This post was by me and I’m not Kiger.
But I have been witnessing the nasty self-righteousness of Flory for over twenty years. Other than denigrating and insulting those who challenged City Hall, and rubber stamping the nonsense put in front of her by overpid bureaucrats, she’s done nothing for Fullerton. And nothing good, at all. Just a trail of disasters that nobody ever took responsibility for.
Honest people are never touchy about the matter of being trusted.
AYN RAND
I praise you for torturing yourself remembering a Rand’s quote
LOL Kiger. He did the quickest political suicide disappearance in the history of USA politics. Awesome.
Jesus, where’d you get that picture? Shiver me timbers!
I believe we have a nominee for best/worst visual image for this year’s Fringies.©
I’m scared to death, and as you all know, I don’t scare easy, not since my time on Earth.
Don’t worry, JFD, I will jump the fence and run down the street to protect you. I’ve been thinking about running away for a long time anyway. Living with Doug and Paulette is unbearable at times.
Egad, her portrait reminds me of a horrific acid trip I once had…
Egad, who is that chap with the beard that Flory took one huge dump all over on Tuesday nite?
Let that be her epitaph: :She took one huge dump on Tuesday nite”
Not sure which chap you are referring to?
Bye the bye, did anyone else notice Jan Flory clamoring to have Theresa Harvey hurry up and give her the “Building Industry Award for Redevelopment?
How bout the “Best City Auditing Award”
What a load of caca those two awards were to sit through.
I do know that I thought I was going to be deathly sick when I heard “”Phony Tony” Package deliver his swansong to Jan Flory during public comments of the last CC meeting, and attempted to convince everyone in attendance that it was him and twenty eight other of his friends that cinched the election for Flory, who one by 29 votes over Travis
Even more telling was the fact that he said the rest of Fullerton can blame him for Flory getting elected.
The best part for me of the CC meeting was when Jesus Silva appeared to discuss the Discovery Cube that Jennifer Fitzgerald’s husband, Sean Fitzgerald had finagled an exclusive contract for as part of his position as VP of Sales and Marketing for the Discovery Cube. Jesus called BS and said that Fullerton non-profits should have a chance at allocating some of these funds to teach our children the value of recycling, rather than the expense of putting ALL of our sixth graders on buses and sending them to Santa Ana at $27 a pop.
FL, that too was my favorite part of the meeting. Jesus is going to be a million times better than Flory.
In fact, it kind of looks like the citizens of Fullerton might have a fighting chance to be heard now that that creature is gone.
She ain’t gone yet. She still has a shot at a wet, sloppy kiss to Felz before her replacement is sworn in.
Sure I’m not the only one who noticed, but it seemed like I’m the past four years on every critical vote, Fitzgerald, Chaffee, and Flory always had the same point of view, city staffs point of view. At least now with Jesus on board the SS Fullerton, the citinzry will have different point of view., and that’s a good thing!
You are right. Why do you think Fitzgerald donated money for a candidate to council member? To keep having the majority on very important issues.
Phony Tony Bushala.
Snakes in the hair! Eeeeek! Lol.
Flory always acted like she was doing us a big favor by being there and her time was way too precious for lowly creatures like us to waste.
A well known type of politician. She has to present herself as someone who cares and does everything for the community, while surely working for powerful interests, her kin and her kind. Time to get involved with the other council members and ensure she does not come back
Flory never cared about anything except defending City hall from outside scrutiny from the unwashed.
She comes from a Fullerton generation that believed only those who had been engaged in a few select activities were qualified to hold office. In the 1994 Recall the refrain was “who are these people?” They weren’t Rotarians and they didn’t go to the the liberal Protestant churches. They hadn’t served their time on any of the footling City committees and commissions that are meant to indoctrinate members into The Way Things Are.
The breed is slowly dying off, literally.
You are right. She said at the last meeting something like “all these people poking me”. Likes a very smooth road ahead of her without the annoying residents’ interference. Her agenda & votes were predetermined before hearing from us. Everyone knows why
What I don’t get is that Bushala paid the $500,000 to buy the City of Fullerton and set it up so that he would rule the roost for the rest of his life. What happened? He ruled the roost for 30 days and then him and Kiger went into hiding, smoking their joints, and petting their roosters.
Crazy Greg said that picture would look better in color! Wow! LOL.
Jan Flory’s political donors…please avoid them and any of their businesses that they run like the plague.
http://docs.cityoffullerton.com/weblink/1/doc/527359/Page1.aspx
Almost all dead by now.
Almost half that crew are retired Fullerton city employees. Throw in a few city contractors and developers, add half a dozen dyed-in-the-wool boo hoos and you got the toxic mix. And you have a perfect profile of her constinunecy.
The funny thin is all those big pensioners only gave a lousy hundred bucks.
You should crop out the guy at the far right of the group shot. I agree that Flory is fair game, but making fun of the mentally challenged is just mean.
…I’d say that it’s sort of obvious with the one on the right that maybe “his Mommy didn’t nurse him long enough” ; – )
http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/2012/thin-skin-flory-is-horrified/
Flory self-describes herself a strong older woman. But Her strength comes from serving to and being backed up by corporate developers and a police department needing ,by historic factuality, a serious review. This is not individual strength. All it is. is a being shielded by the powerful while at the same time strengthening the powerful. Of course it has its benefits and she knows it all too well.
Well said.
Jan Flory described herself to Travis Kiger as a “Stronger Older Woman”.
Isn’t that an acronym for sow???
sow
sou/
noun
noun: sow; plural noun: sows
1.
an adult female pig, especially one that has farrowed.
That special person works for the DA. Maybe he can help out mommy’s pal Felz.
Jeez, I though, you know…
I start my mornings off with the descriptive phraseology of FFFF and a strong cup of coffee. Good writing, FFFF!