FFFF supports causes that promote intelligent, responsible and accountable government in Fullerton and Orange County
Author: The Fullerton Harpoon
The Fullerton Harpoon is a retired commerical fisherman having served many years on the Japanese whaler Nisshin Maru where he unfortunately lost the right side of his brain and his sense of propriety in a Greenpeace attack.
There certainly was a lot of boohooing and breast beating at the Fullerton City Council meeting last week in response to the Council majority pulling the plug on a State DUI grant.
The cops mobilized their MADD allies to tell all the horrible stories of drunk driving mayhem. The only problem was that that’s not the point, no matter how much the liberal spendthrifts like Jan Flory would love to throw at her pals in the FPOA for overtime.
Yes, the real issue is the efficacy of DUI checkpoints in the first place, and something even more sinister: the use of DUI checkpoints to seize vehicles belonging to unlicensed drivers, as detailed in this OC Register story from 2010 that cites an actual, honest-to-goodness study at Berkeley. Apparently the impound/towing fees are immense, as are the fines. We already know about the tens of millions of overtime every year in the state, mostly for cops to stand around.
The cop addiction to all this gravy might explain this video of a public forum in Pomona where the topic of DUI/vehicle seizures is being discussed. Naturally a proud member of the police association is there to scream at those who might object.
If you are going to get involved in politics developing a thick skin is essential. If you can’t take the heat, well you know. Here is Jan Flory attacking Travis Kiger for having the temerity to be “webmaster” for the award-winning FFFF blog.
It’s interesting to see how Jan Flory thinks this blog has some issue “strong, older women” (i.e. her). That’s wrong, of course.
It couldn’t possibly be that our antipathy with Mrs. Flory is because she has always been a mean, vindictive harpy with a trail of votes that have cost the taxpayers of Fullerton a fortune, now could it?
Below is a fun clip that includes a robocall sent out by the FPOA to try to whip up the Old Guard into an ignorant froth of fear and loathing.
The subject? Tony Bushala’s maniacal attempt to rule Fullerton demonstrated by his latest effort to solicit a cost proposal from the OC Sheriff Department; the campaign’s motto: Fullerton Is Not For Sale! Now where have we heard that before?
If you stuck through the whole 2:30 of that drivel you will have been struck by a few things. First, Ackerman’s continual reference to “we.” Ackerman has lived in Irvine for the past 12 years so that’s a hoot. His ramblings about George Amerige are some idiot consultant’s idea to tie the FPD into Fullerton’s folksy past. That explains all the historical pictures on the website. That might have worked before the Culture of Corruption took hold of the FPD. Then there’s the very strange strategy of fighting the last war, a war Ackerman and the Three Dead Batteries lost by a landslide. But really?
Of course the biggest question people will ask is why not solicit information from the OC Sheriff’s Department? Who will be harmed except the FPOA leaders Coffman and Kirk and the stratum of upper echelon of officers rendered redundant in the event of a contract with the OCSD? Such an eventuality could save the taxpayers of Fullerton $10,000,000 each and every year. It’s an option that any councilmember would be completely derelict in his duty not to explore.
The sad spectacle of Ackerman being pimped out by a public employee union, shouldn’t really surprise anyone anymore; just when you thought there was no farther this pustule could sink, he always seems to sink even lower.
The natives are getting restless. Well, some of them, anyhow. It appears that a campaign to keep the Fullerton Police Department is underway. Here’s the Facebook site.
Obviously the cop union has decided to start promoting its own perpetuation since the union would cease to exist if, say, the OC Sheriff Department assumed a police services contract with Fullerton – as Yorba Linda just did. And the residents of Fullerton are paying over 30% more, per capita, for municipal policing than the good folks in the City of Gracious Living.
The union’s intention is no doubt to try to make “local control” a fall 2012 campaign issue – and that’s good. Given the behavior of the FPOA brethren and sistren the past couple of years, and budget-busting cost of the FPD to the taxpayers, reasonable people may well be wondering about alternatives.
A lot of people will be asking where was the “local control” when Veth Mam was framed? Where was it when Albert Rincon was molesting women in his patrol car? Where was it when Kelly Thomas was murdered?
At last Tuesday’s council meeting, freshly minted councilman Travis Kiger let it be known that he had received a request from the public to hear the phone call made from the Slidebar that summoned the cops that eventually beat Kelly Thomas to death.
The nature of the call has been the topic of much speculation about what was said by the caller, whether the caller knowingly made a false report to the police, and even more sinister, whether the call was orchestrated by Slidebar personnel and members of the FPD to get rid of Kelly Thomas – allegedly an nuisance to Slidebar’s upscale clientele.
At this point there appears to be no reason not to let the public hear the audio of the call, if it exists. Since the DA obviously has no interest in pursuing the matter from a criminal perspective there can be no reason for officaldom not to let the public hear it. Not even the hollow pretext that “it is evidence” exists.
They lie about stuff big and small. They just can’t help it. Last year FFFF nailed former councilman Don Bankhead in a bald-faced lie here, when he denied saying Fullerton would be a ghost town without Redevelopment.
Here he is denying to Fullerton Stories that he had pulled papers to run for the city council (after having been recalled just six weeks ago). Possibly Bankhead is unaware that not only does the City Clerk keep track of who has pulled papers, but they list it on their web page.
Of course Bankhead has run so many times that he should know this, unless the teeth are just worn away and the old gears are spinning aimlessly.
Hey y’all, we gotta do it. Its dun been man-dated!!!
Last night our new council majority voted to end a monstrously dense “affordable” housing project on Commonwealth Avenue.
I put the word affordable in quotation marks because these 100% subsidized projects somehow end up costing two or three times the amount to build the regular kind of multi-family housing that is built without government subsidy.
This project, targeted for the 300 block of East Commonwealth, was planned for about 361 stories and was approved on the nod by the old recalled council – Bankhead, Jones, McPension plus, of course Sharon Quirk.
But the times they are a changin.’
New councilmen Kiger and Sebourn, along with Bruce Whitaker said no to a continuance, and then, despite the attempts of Doug Chaffee and Sharon Quirk to keep the monster alive, killed it outright.
And to this I say God bless! No more nonsense from cretins like Dr. Dick and his coterie of self-interested hacks about how we are “mandated” to litter our city with this crap.
Our new city council members recently received this unsolicited e-mail from former City Manager Chris Meyer:
Council Members, you might want to consider the attached article from Oakland on police commissions/ oversight, before you decide how you want to proceed. It is very instructive on the challenges you may face. Since the procedures for disciplinary action for police officers are embodied in their labor contract (which is subject the collective bargaining process under MMB, PERB; and other State laws, as well as long established city policy), and since the current contract with the optional extension, doesn’t expire until 2014, an oversight commission would be a ineffective, and generally useless until a new contract was mutually agreed upon, or imposed unilaterally on the POA.
Instead, you may want to focus on appointing a permanent Chief of Police for the time being, and see if the problems can be resolved that way. As to the Council appointing a Chief of Police, go ahead and give it a try. It will be interesting to see how the Chief interfaces with the Council, and implements both your individual, and collective agendas. You might want to ask Shawn, Sharon, or Pam what the closed session discussion was like when the most recent Chief was selected. You will note that in the City Manager Ordinance, that the CM is required to consult with the Council on the selection of the Chief. That means that at least three Council Members need to concur with the CM’s recommendation in order for it to happen, unless of course the CM is planning on looking for a new job. For all practical purposes at least four members of the Council need to concur, as no Chief candidate will take a job on a 3/2 vote.The Council also interviews the final three candidates for the job, and can direct the appointment. Generally the CM can work with any of the top three, so the selection is responsive to the Councils direction, and desires. Finally, ask yourself this question? Do you want to be responsible for the Chief’s actions. Remember that will require you to fall on your collective swords, as well as the Chief, if something like Kelly happens again. And, just a reminder, the Chief gets POBAR protection, and presumptive clause protection for medical conditions related to the incident, or the job, so you would be gone long before he, or she would, as you would bear the ultimate responsibility.
Chris Meyer City Manager, Retired
The part I love is the former City Manager trying to scare the new council members into the same craven cowardliness that tanked the last crew. Do you want to be responsible for the Chief’s actions?
Well, hell yes!!
Leaders lead. The poor, brainless bastards that just got recalled failed to lead. They let “the system” take charge; the result was a disaster. Comically, the otiose Meyer derives his entire screed on the premise that “things just happen.” But Meyer fails to grasp one basic truth: things just happen when nobody is in charge.
Typically, Meyer omits to remind the new council that hewas in charge as the Fullerton Police Department slid down the greasy slope of corruption. Typical? Yes, indeed. The old, corrupt regime never took responsibility for its actions. And a bloated pustule like Meyer could make $200,000 a year coaching his three sawdust-brained puppets to dodge the accountability they were elected to assume.
A Friend sent in this analysis of how an oversight group might bring some accountability to the police department.
A Civilian Oversight Group for Fullerton
“Civilian Oversight” refers to the ongoing monitoring of police activities with a view toward holding each police officer accountable for the services they provide, with the people they serve, (both good and bad) as well as the policies the police force operate under. Effective civilian oversight and influence of police is essential to ensure that the police force uses its powers and authority in a manner reflecting respect for law and individual rights and freedoms
A review of literature written about this subject suggests the single most important element in law enforcement is accountability. Holding individual police officers and law enforcement agencies accountable for their actions provides for lawfulness and legitimacy in policing, Citizen oversight groups occupy a unique niche in the law enforcement community. They are often lauded by citizens, avoided be government officials, and opposed by the police departments they seek to monitor. Due to the close working relationships between city officials and prosecutors have with police it can be troublesome for these individuals to pursue a police oversight program as it can damage cooperative partnerships with law enforcement personnel.
Citizens however are highly motivated to become part of the police oversight process. Being a member of an oversight group allows citizens to have their voices heard in what is a closed investigation and sanctioning process. Citizens have become disillusioned with the oversight process because civilian groups rarity have a sufficient level of power and facilitate change in the police agencies they oversee. Without the cooperation of the police agencies or mandated power from city officials oversight groups are held to playing a minor , advisory role in the investigation of police misconduct.
One of the main reasons for this is the strong opposition put forth by rank and file police officers as well as the labor unions that represent them. These groups see civilian oversight groups as untrained outsiders that are unable to objectively and effectively investigate incidents of police misconduct.
In order to increase their ability to produce the desired results, citizens’ oversight groups must continue their efforts and to remain visible in the communities they serve. For well established groups this means for providing an easy to find resource for individuals mistreated by the police. For newer or unsanctioned oversight groups visibility is crucial is a first step toward giving legitimacy both in their community as well as in the political landscape of the city.
The composition an oversight group is also an important factor in building a strong profile. It is important to have a well spoken and diverse membership base that communicates both strength and compassion to individuals and communities dealing with abuse of police power.
On July 11, 2012 there will be a meeting in the library to discuss the benefits of a civilian oversight group for the city of Fullerton. In about a month there will be a planning meeting for this civilian oversight group. See you there!
Here is a clip from Rick Reiff’s program featuring our own admin, and the sorry sack of guano known as Larry Bennett. He’s the clown who blew a hundred grand defending the Three Bald Tires from a much deserved recall.
Observe that Bennett is not only a bad loser he is still a liar, which seems to come so naturally. He is still dodging the easiest question of all: if Tony Bushala wanted to control the City Council to further his own mythical development schemes, how much easier would it have been to simply donate to the Three Dead Batteries’ campaigns? The answer of course is a lot. A lot cheaper too.
Did you enjoy how Bennett glossed over the illegal water tax? He still likes it!
Bennett is also still going by the title Planning Commissioner. I wonder how much longer he’ll keep that job.
