The Symbiosis of Self-Service
When not disrupting City Council meetings Skaskia Kennedy is the editor of the still Yellowing Fullerton Observer. A few days ago she published a piece, which I reproduce below, verbatim. See if you can tell what immediately jumps out to me.
The City of Fullerton is working to establish limited inclement weather shelter options for families and seniors (62+) as temperatures drop below 40 degrees or during heavy rainfall. According to City Manager Eric Levitt, efforts have been made to collaborate with various agencies, but securing a provider to operate a dedicated shelter for this winter has proven challenging.
“Unfortunately, there are no similar shelters in Orange County due to the high costs and complexities involved,” Levitt stated. In response to these difficulties, Levitt and his colleague Housing Manager Daniel Valdez have developed alternative options following directives from recent City Council meetings.
The city plans to work with two local hotels to offer shelter specifically for families and individuals aged 62 and older when weather conditions reach critical levels. However, Levitt acknowledged that the initiative will have limited scope due to resource constraints. “We currently have approximately $5,000 allocated from the Housing Fund to assess the effectiveness of this program,” he added.
Council Member Ahmad Zahra sent an email thanking Levitt and Valdez for the update on cold weather shelter for the unhoused and agreed that this is a good alternative option. He wrote, “How would families or individuals over 62 know about this program? Also curious, why 62 specifically?”
In response to Council Member Zahra’s inquiry, Housing Manager Valdez emphasized the importance of prioritizing seniors, who are often among the most vulnerable populations. Citing federal guidelines, Valdez explained that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines seniors as those aged 62 and over. “While we will continue to utilize our local shelter whenever available, this initiative offers an additional option for those in need,” he said.
To facilitate outreach, the city will rely on the efforts of Community Outreach Specialists, HOPE Center personnel, and Homeless Liaison Officers, all of whom maintain ongoing communication with unsheltered residents.
As the winter months approach, Fullerton’s initiative aims to address the urgent needs of its most vulnerable citizens despite the limitations presented by funding and provider availability.
First, we know this isn’t even newsworthy because nothing has happened. The City Manager Eric Levitt and his hard-working Housing Manager Daniel Valdez are thinking about doing something, somewhere to help homeless somebodies. They haven’t actually accomplished anything worthy of alerting the public.
But hold on a second. How and why is the email correspondence between Ahmad Zahra and the City Manager included in this nothing waste of space? The answers to both questions are easy. The “why” is: a free opportunity for Zahra to posture for his Observer followers – ever active, thoughtful, hands-on – even though his involvement is with…nothing! The “how” is just as easy. It is the ever self-promoting Zahra who has forwarded his correspondence to Skaskia Kennedy to make him look good and to give the Kennedy Sisters another opportunity to promote Zahra in a “news” story.
Legitimate journalism operations don’t let politicians promote themselves, especially when the vehicle is, as yet, a non-story.
Now this can be seen as beating a dead horse, since anybody paying attention already knows that the Fullerton Observer is not a legitimate journalistic endeavor, and the Kennedy Sisters are not purveyors of objective news. Still, we have yet another example of how the they gladly aid and abet Zahra under the cover of journalism – just like they did when they published water articles Zahra plagiarized from an OCWD PR flack.
The Fullerton Observer is the free PR service for Zahra and Charles, just like they were for Jaramillo. And they are either to dumb to see it or too dumb to think other people can’t see it.
If they are so worried about the “vulnerable” they can take them into their own homes.
With all those cats and opossums? No thanks.
The Kennedy lady is doing the same thing her beloved Ahmad does…take advantage of the elderly who don’t have the wherewithal to circle back and investigate for themselves the background of the author of the story, which is usually always “staff” code for Kennedy, or make limo liberals feel good about their whiteness by pretending to feel for the less advantaged by recycling or driving an electric car. Kennedy will continue to put out these press releases for Ahmad because it’s easy for lazy writing and she doesn’t know the first thing about journalism or any derivative of it. Media literacy in Fullerton is comical. So many are inclined to just uncritically absorb facts because they distrust the source or trust the source. I stopped reading the tabloid years ago.
I haven’t lived here along, but the Observer does seem to legitimize Zahra and his political views and votes. It’s radically uncompromising and their writing is not logic and reason based. The Observer accused Dunlap and Jung of being corrupt over and over again this past election because they took money from developers. Ironic since the Observer writes about the importance of development, particularly low income housing. So would it be fair to consider the Observer is corrupt as well? Or are they too blinded by their own sanctimony to see the problem with their opinions.
I choose “blinded by their sanctimony.”
Let them do a story on how Pathways of Hope got a grant from the BOS through Chaffee for $20 million. What did they do with it?
Pathways used some of the money to throw a lavish party showcasing the dance moves of their proponent Ahmad Zahra.
Do tell!
Don’t let me tell FFFF. Let Zahra. He can’t help but broadcast his every dumb detail of his life as if it means anything to anyone not named Egleth or Todd or Yolanda or ZJay or Saskia or Sharon. His Instagram has a pic of his dance award from Pathways.
Skaski took credit for this article which starts out like she got some information from a City press release, but by the time the thing is done we know she was forwarded a private email string between the City Manager and Zahra.
The irony is that like a Seinfeld episode, this show is about nothing. Nothing has been done except for an email sent to councilmembers suggesting that Levitt is thinking about doing something – but hasn’t.
It’s classic Zahra, always managing to sneak into the spotlight. And as for the Kennedy Sisters? They’re too busy spinning their own fairy tales to know what truth even looks like. They’ve got a real knack for turning everything into their own personal show, no matter how far from reality it is.
Zero has his own press agent!
He is a Hollywood producer. Why wouldn’t he have a publicist? Who are the Kennedys other clients? Josh Newman can do no wrong as far as the Kennedys are concerned. He got his ass beat badly. Shana Charles is another Kennedy promotion. She loves the sound of her own voice so much, she comes with a string to pull on her back. Kitty Jaramillo received unwarranted attention from the Kennedy clan. She got spanked too. Maybe their stamp approval is actually the kiss of death.
If go to Zero’s Instagram page every single picture has him it it.
Did you expect anything less? The guy never met a selfie he didn’t love.
Charles is a doctor of deez nuts. She wanted to close down Associated for bike lanes. Neighbors went to council and she failed. Stupid is as stupid does. Why is she a mayor pro tem?
It was a satirical gesture, an FU to Zahra to show, boohoos that it really WAS personal.
Satirical gesture? Charles lied to Associated residents at a town hall about a useless class 4 bike lane. Explain the satire in her being next in line to Jung who I read has health issues.
Satire like Borat. Jagshemash! Very nice! Who came up with this harebrained scheme? Everyone knows when it comes it Ahmad, it’s always personal. Whole thing is insane or overthinking at its finest. Fullerton being Fullerton.
Because poor Dunlap is a child of Fullerton, in the end. And Fullerton always plays nice.
Don’t say shit.
Zahra is on top of every situation like a great general moving his battalions across vast battlefields like a young Napoleon.
Surely we are fortunate and should consider ourselves lucky to have such a wise and wonderful counselor in our generation.
Einstein, Albert Schweitzer, Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn, too, all rolled into one.
Excuse me but Zahra is not “on top” of anything. However he can be found on the bottom.
“When not disrupting City Council meetings Skaskia Kennedy” [sic]
a) I thought it was Sharon
b) And I thought 1) it isn’t some pattern as you imply and 2) she apologized?
Learn to accept that real people get upset. You outrage junkies of all people should understand that. Ah, but most of you are angry and disruptive only anonymously, as virtual outrage junkies aka: trolls. You have a natural right to your privacy and being beyond criticism.
Speaking of real people, there is no way that John R. Hogerhuis is a real person’s name. It’s just too ridiculous. Very creative troll.
You think so? I’ve been wondering if his(her?) schtick wasn’t brilliant parody of Fullerton Boohoo.
a) Wrong, they both did.
b1) Says who?
b2) They can apologize at the place where they disrupted a meeting – at another meeting.
“They can apologize at the place where they disrupted a meeting – at another meeting.”
Says who? Sharon has access to a platform and did so there. I read it. So did you.
Her platform is 5 senile octogenarians and you.
She needs to apologize directly to the Council and to Mr. Bushala whom she tried to keep from speaking – not on some sorry ass blog.
Plane crashed in Fullerton. In light of recent headlines, helicopters overhead and streets blocked off, I’m sure plenty of media was there. If you see Ahmad gleefully acting solemn on TV tonight, this blog post would be right, and he and his newspaper create stories to embellish his persona.
That’s some angry word salad
Bon appetite, angry manatee.
Ahmad couldn’t find his moral compass if he was using Google Maps. Guy is a snake-oil salesman that routinely takes advantage of the gullible, the ignored, the handicapped, and the old. This blog is the only ones who point this out. Why is that? I thought Fullerton was educated?
On a side note, why does Fullerton have to be the dumping ground for bums and vagrants? Why are our “fearless leaders” considering signing us up to play host to Orange County’s problem? Why can’t say someone like, Laguna Niguel play host to a warming shelter this winter?
Some politicians are building their kingdoms with the non-profits. They award grants to shelters, etc. and their developers.
How is the Fullerton Observer still around? The insignificant ad revenue from cheap elder law attorneys and cheaper real estate agents could be much. Is this a charitable venture? Otherwise, someone ought to stick a fork in em.
Jaramillo bought ads!
The Karen Kennedy sisters shouldn’t be allowed to leave their high school-esque opinion paper at City Hall or other city owned properties.
I have found a good use for their rag at the bottom of my neighbors hamster cage. They are also good for packing Amazon returns.
I know they are supposed to be mother and daughter but moving forward please feel free to refer to Saskia and Sharon as
“The Karen Kennedy sisters”
They are sisters. Big age gap but same irresponsible life trajectory and tunneled world view.
What ever happened to the kid editor they were so excited about? Was seemingly supposed to being them into the 21st century. That didn’t last long.
I recall something quickly written about a death in the family. My guess is once the “editor” caught wind of who they were dealing with, they lit out like a bandit. Haven’t seen anything about a replacement. Figures.
The story I heard was that when this Skasia person showed up she alienated the existing people and the break became inevitable when she tried to get everybody behind Zahra in 2022, but the others were wise to him.
Can’t have that, can we?
Saskia Karen Kennedy is a wack job. Another in a long line of Fullerton losers that runaway from their elsewhere dramas to make drama here. Another crazy Karen is that Karen Loreda idiot who thinks she knows a thing or two about government because she was appointed to Dana Point City Council long enough to be recalled. Or that insane bicyclist Angeli Tapadia who believes bike lanes solve all of the social and societal wrongs. Fullerton is full of them. Time to get rid of them.
What does the Ralph Kennedy Commission do? “The Observer accused Dunlap and Jung of being corrupt over and over again this past election because they took money from developers. Ironic since the Observer writes about the importance of development, particularly low income housing.