A Step in the Right Direction Archives - Friends For Fullerton's Future

January 11, 2026January 11, 2026A Step in the Right Direction

A Modest Proposal: the Case for Cannabis Dispensaries in Fullerton

The other day my FFFF colleague, Fullerton Harpoon, published a post on a possible move on the part of Fullerton’s annoying liberal claque to drum up support for legalizing cannabis dispensaries in town.

It’s really hard to get worked up over Doc HeeHaw’s illegal “hip hop drug guy,” and Fullerton Harpoon was quite right in pointing out the absurdity of the “it costs so much to crack down on illegal stores” as a good argument for legal dispensaries when the real reason to have them is to generate large amounts of cannabis sales taxes and fee revenue.

With the Fullerton budget in parlous condition, cannabis revenue derived from an intelligent program isn’t such an unreasonable idea.

Let’s quickly dive back into history when we examine the previous cannabis dispensary ordinance and its revocation in 2020 and 2021.

Throughout 2020 public discussion was held regarding a potential cannabis dispensary ordinance. Public input was clear people wanted a 1000 foot buffer from “sensitive receptors” such as schools, parks, and houses. In fact the consultant’s map that reflected this desire became known as “the People’s Map.”

That was the map approved for recommendation by Fullerton’s Planning Commission. But a funny thing happened on the way to the City Council.

The ordinance was pushed through by the Council 3-2, in the waning months of 2020, even though an election promised a new councilmembers. Jan Flory, Jesus Quirk-Silva, and of course Ahmad Zahra voted yes. Jennifer Fitzgerald and Bruce Whitaker voted no.

The problem that many saw was that in the modified plan there was now generous latitude of potential locations, even to have a dispensary 100 feet from a residential zone. This latitude was undoubtedly the result of dope lobby pressure on Zahra and Quirk-Silva to increase their opportunities as much as possible, and to “share the pain” as Quirk-Silva put it. The public could shove it where the sun didn’t shine.

The other obvious problem was that the ordinance invested the authority to approve cannabis licenses in the hands of the City Manager, who at the time was the incompetent Ken Domer; the decisions would be shrouded in secrecy instead of transparently, in public

The People’s Map had been sandbagged by Flory, Zahra and Quirk-Silva.

In December 2020 and in the early months of 2021 the two new councilmembers – Fred Jung and Nick Dunlap joined Whitaker in pulling the plug on the ordinance. No one has tried to resurrect the issue – yet.

So I have a modest proposal. Why not go back to the People’s Map? Why not go back to the earlier suggestions that would have banned these stores within 1000 feet of anybody’s residence? In addition, why not require street visibility from a Primary or Secondary arterial so everything is in plain view? Sure, almost all of the cannabis businesses would be in southwest Fullerton – Council District 5, so what? That’s the reality of Fullerton’s zoning code.

As far as other revenue options go, two proposed special sales taxes on the 2026 ballot might not pass as they require 2/3 majority; even if the council waffles toward reverting to a general sales tax there would have to be 4 council votes to put it on the ballot. Are they there? Without these revenue sources the practical financial aspect of cannabis-generated revenue appears useful.

The same argument against a special or general sales tax increase is always there: why should everybody be asked to make a sacrifice for the city’s welfare when the City Council and the hundreds of municipal employees, whose salaries and benefits paid for by the public, have sacrificed nothing?

And here’s a final thought: why not restrict cannabis revenue to specific deployment – such as roads, sidewalks and street lights?

Difficult decisions such as who gets licenses and how many there should be remain. I’m not confident in our existing bureaucracy to regulate this use successfully, but to me an intelligent rethink of the issue that minimizes citizen concerns is not a bad idea at all.

December 18, 2025December 18, 2025A Step in the Right Direction

Did Zahra Leak Confidential Closed Session Information to Mr. Transparency?

by The Fullerton Harpoon51 Comments

Yesterday I published a post about City Attorney Dick Jones saying the Fullerton City Council had voted in Closed Session to ask the District Attorney to investigate a possible leak of confidential information to the Fullerton Observer.

I methodically eliminated all possible subjects except one – “Dr.” Ahmad Zahra, the pathological pathologist, known manipulator of the Fullerton Observer Kennedy Sisters, as well as the author of the above-mentioned “story,” green sprout Elijah Manassero.

I can’t say if Zahra broke the law by revealing closed session stuff to his tender young protégé, but I do know he missed the meeting completely. The ever-incurious Siskia Kennedy says he was “out of the state on business,” an odd statement given Zahra’s lack of employment, as noted in his Form 700s. Was it because he didn’t want to vote to have himself investigated?

Anyway, here’s the video again, highlighting the Jones statement and Zahra’s MIA.

December 17, 2025December 18, 2025A Step in the Right Direction

Fullerton Asks DA to Investigate Closed Session Leak

by The Fullerton Harpoon33 Comments

At the end of yesterday’s City Council Closed Session Meeting, City Attorney Dick Jones reported that the council had voted 4-0 (Zahra absent) to request that DA Todd Spitzer’s office investigate the possible leak of closed session information.

The relevant matter was the CalPERS action and appeal with regard to four retirees who have or still work for Fullerton, post-retirement. Grover Cleveland posted about it, here.

But apparently young Elijah Manassero of Fullerton Observer fame also wrote about it for the Fullerton Observer. And his effort raised suspicion of information leaked out of closed session, which is a violation of California’s Brown Act. Government Code section 54963 provides that a person may not disclose confidential closed session
information without the consent of the legislative body holding the closed session. One of the prescribed actions in the code is to turn the matter over to the district attorney.

I don’t know what sweet Elijah wrote, but it’s hard to believe he wrote about CalPERS issues without being coached by somebody who knows at least a little about them. And did this person, while coaching the tender sprout, also pass along closed session information? Somebody thinks it might have happened.

So let’s consider who this potential culprit might be. There were probably only seven people in that little room, back of the Council chamber – the five City Councilpersons, the City Attorney Dick Jones, and Interim City Manager Eddie Manfro.

We may be sure that neither Manfro or Jones blabbed anything since they are both involved personally in the CalPERS problem. We know that none of the so-called “council majority” Fred Jung, Jamie Valencia, and Nick Dunlap are on speaking terms with Sanksia Kennedy’s Observer, let alone a source of confidential information. That leaves Ahmad Zahra and Shana Charles, both of whom are cozy with Observer Folk with whom they collaborate all the time.

But wait. Shana Charles not only voted to send the matter to the DA, she seconded Jung’s motion to do so according to Jones.

Who is left? The dishonorable doctor from Damascus, Zahra, that’s who. And we have all have noticed Zahra’s fingerprints all over the lively and impressionable Manassero’s work product. I wonder if the DA will dig into communications between the two.

A Friend has forwarded a video captured from the City’s feed, and creatively edited:

If Zahra did leak something he could be in trouble, although I don’t know what sort of penalties have been assessed in case law. Probably not much. The Council could censure him.

Something about Ahmad and Michelle’s nuptials didn’t seem quite right…

But being on the wrong side of the law and righteousness has never been much of a deterrent to Zahra. After all, he committed Marriage Fraud to stay in the country, he got rung up by Todd Spitzer for assault and vandalism, he was caught by FFFF plagiarizing water articles for the same, incurious Fullerton Observer, etc., etc.

We are left to ponder the reason for Zahra leaking information about the four individuals involved in the CalPERS deal. What would be the goal. The only thing I can think of is that he wanted to somehow embarrass Jung and Dunlap for somehow being responsible for whatever mess is abrew, and of course the “journalists” at the Fullerton Observers and the Kennedy Sisters would be only to happy to assist.

December 17, 2025December 17, 2025A Step in the Right Direction

Mayor Jung, Again, For 2026

by Grover Cleveland38 Comments

Yes, Mayor Fred Jung will be Mayor Fred Jung again. It happened at the Fullerton City Council meeting last night.

The usual assortment of Fullerton Boohoo showed up at the meeting for their annual December moan-fest about how “Dr.” Ahmad Zahra should be Mayor of Fullerton because he is a combination of Albert Schweitzer, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Jesus H. Christ. And also District 5, where Zahra has never got 50% of the vote, is somehow “disenfranchised” because Zahra can’t revel in the lofty title. Sputter, wheeze, etc. Ironically, one Zahra advocate explained as a qualification how the unemployed and family-less Zahra was always at photo-op events.

Comically, many of Zahra’s ardent followers couldn’t pronounce his name right, referring to him as “Za-ha-rah,” thus suggesting they don’t even know him.

But somehow the show seemed pretty muted, and sort of perfunctory; maybe it was because Zahra wasn’t even at the meeting and this meant that his getting three votes wasn’t in the cards.

Zahra minions spoke about the policy of mayoral rotation made years ago by other city councils that must be adhered to, even though the City Attorney had said a council majority could set it aside anytime they want, making the policy meaningless.

What will 2026 have in store for this one…

The endlessly self-impressed gasbag Shana Charles said it was also her turn to be mayor, cuz she had just been Mayor Pro Tem, and ya know, policy. She is running for re-election next years and probably thought, delusionally, that she had a shot at the Title. She didn’t.

In the end Valencia nominated Fred Jung who was appointed Mayor; Nick Dunlap was nominated, and appointed Mayor Pro Tem.

No one within the boohoo tribe has ever bothered to honestly figure out why the council majority has steadfastly refused to appoint Zahra to be mayor. It’s chalked up to selfish personality issues on their part, but we know the real reason. No one whom Zahra hasn’t fooled with his phony immigrant schtick and faux sincerity wants to hear his long-winded, self-praising bloviation and his promotion of his “brand.” They resent his constant condescension toward them, his performance of moral superiority, and his hysterical, behind the scenes behavior.

The same applies to the majority’s opinion of Shana Charles, with her smug, incompetent, speechifying. She loves the sound of her own voice, alright, but nobody else loves the bi-monthy waste of time that just interminably drags out meetings. Even Nick Dunlap, who nominated Charles to be mayor Pro Tem a year ago, has evidently had enough of her tedious monologues.

Speaking of Dunlap, he did excel himself before the vote, noting that the same 40 people (it’s probably closer to 20) who show up at council meetings do not represent the public or the community and that he had been elected to represent everybody. Well done, there, Mr. Dunlap. They won’t get it, but need to be reminded once in a while.

So Fred Jung gets to use the title “Mayor” during his campaign for County Supervisor which is a help in the odd world of local politics where almost nobody is paying attention to real accomplishments or real failures.

November 20, 2025A Step in the Right Direction

Mission Accomplished Says Zahra. No Third Term Necessary

by The Fullerton Harpoon56 Comments

Is it true. When his lips are moving he’s generally lying, as the saying goes.

It was all about “serving,” mostly serving himself, of course. Never forget: his second big decision was to get himself appointed to the lucrative OCWD board in exchange for appointing Jan Flory to the City Council in 2019; his first big decision had been to call for a replacement election.

“Community-driven representation” means stirring up a handful of uninformed people to harangue honest council members and bully them into submission on a useless $2,300,000 trail through a blighted industrial area.

Is this a true statement or only a feint? Is it a mechanism to win sympathy for a mayoral appointment on December 16th? The latter certainly isn’t going to happen any way you slice it. Or is this a realization that his self-serving ego leap is over and that he landed in the sand some time ago?

October 8, 2025October 8, 2025A Step in the Right Direction

Sound and Fury. Noise Ordinance Finally Approved. Downtown Is Dying.

by Mr. Peabody42 Comments

It could be worse. It could be Speed Metal! Wait. It is!

Last night the Fullerton City Council, at long last, approved a noise-related addition to the Municipal Code. The vote was 3-2: Jung, Dunlap, and Valencia for, Charles and Zahra voting no.

This effort has been going on for over ten years, has been diddled with by more than ten City Councilpersons (Flory twice), and five City Managers, acting and permanent.

The ordinance is pretty tame really, with decibel levels I think are way too high, but at least gauged at the property line where the goofy and distracting issue of “ambient noise” can be better put to rest. Hours of outdoor music have been addressed with common sense and respect for neighboring inhabitants.

Fines for violators are in place, and about time, too.

It was amusing to watch Zahra and Charles pretend to be “pro-business.” We know the performance was disingenuous because of their cavalier attitude to non-bar businesses on Wilshire Avenue that suffered when that pair closed the street for their absurd “Walk on Wilshire.” They ignored the fact that downtown Fullerton runs in the red and is subsidized by the rest of us. Really their act was about voting against what they characterized as the wishes of “one businessman” regardless of the need for reform.

In what surely must be the dumbest thing said in recent years at a council meeting, Ahmad Zahra claimed as a fact that the “downtown is dying,” a really weird and irresponsible thing to utter. The Dismal Damascus Doctor offered exactly zero facts to support his stupid utterance.

Naturally, our friend sweet young Elijah Manassero popped up to inform the council that most of the bar owners were already non-compliant with the new rules. His logic led him to conclude that therefore the new regulations were ill-advised. It didn’t seem to occur to the tender sprout that the continual bar-owner abuse of existing law was precisely why the new ordinance was needed. I have no idea what they’re teaching the young folk these days, but thinking doesn’t seem to be in the bundle, although I’m sure callow Elijah has loads and loads of self esteem.

Now it will be time to see if the City Code Enforcement operation will employ the willingness and the competence to enforce the law. They have stubbornly refused to do so in the past, partly because councilmembers were running interference for the scofflaws. And part of the reason for staff’s reluctance might be because enforcement implies some sort of fault or failure, and in City Hall the decades long mess they made out of downtown Fullerton, has been characterized as a stunning and inarguable success.

April 15, 2025April 15, 2025A Step in the Right Direction

Find Out About Fullerton’s History

by The Fullerton Harpoon8 Comments

A guy named Jesse La Tour has a website that includes lots of news pictorial history of Fullerton. You may remember Mr. La Tour from his days as editor of the Fullerton Observer when he actually brought a sense of fairness to the rag but left, or was pushed out when Skasia Kennedy took over the family red ink business. Before that La Tour was a bookstore/gallery operator downtown and was a council candidate in 2010.

It’s interesting to see the origins of small, agricultural Fullerton include racist, anti-Chinese, anti-Japanese, and and anti-Mexican hysteria.

Observer Hyperventilation, a permanent condition, apparently…

Mr. La Tours photo collection goes all the way into the 90s with examples of Fullerton Observer “progressivism” under Ralph Kennedy, pater familias of the dismal clan.

Anyway, there’s a lot of distilled information here, although the site strikes me as a bit more of a chronicle than an historical analysis. Still, Mr. La Tour must have arrived at some definite conclusions about why our town is the way it is, and seemingly always has been.

Fullerton, being Fullerton.

April 7, 2025April 7, 2025A Step in the Right Direction

Kennedy Sisters Have Cage Rattled

by Disillusioned Ex-Hippy29 Comments

On Tuesday George A. Bushala returned to the Fullerton City Council Chambers to address the the issue of Ahmad Zahra’s Marriage Fraud to gain permanent residency status. That was entertaining as Zahra got into a huff, interrupted, cried, got up and left the room. Then Bushala expanded on his thesis, noting that Zahra gets away with his behavior thanks the connivance of the fake news Fullerton Observer, a self-styled newspaper that is incompetent, always prejudiced, and that has gone out of it’s way to insinuate libels against people just like him.

In a high state of pique the Kennedy Sisters published their usual blog recap of public comments; but they let their self-righteous hosannas get the better of them.

First they recount an entire dialog between Zahra, Fred Jung and the City Attorney – none of which actually occurred.

A sense of irony being nothing if not completely missed by the Kennedy Sisters, Bushala’s speech is followed by one of those obnoxious “Editor” notes that are the hallmark of the Observer. This one is so faint it’s almost impossible to read, but really it’s just a lame daisy chain of excuses, self-righteousness and pro-Zahra bullshit that ends with an accusation that Bushala spreads falsehoods and she (which ever sister scribbled this) won’t tolerate it!

The Observer is “news of the people by the people,” donchaknow, the activist Mother that begat all sorts of save this and thats. They strive to get the truth out, so long as “truth” is compatible with their own warped, worldview. We all saw how mightily the Kennedy Sisters avoided the the story of the fake Markowitz candidacy. In fact Sharon seemed to involve herself in the cover-up by coaching the hapless Diane Vena.

And thus the circle is closed as the Kennedys perform yet again the very thing of which George Bushala accused them.

The facts are clear. There are no falsehoods related about Zahra. Everything Bushala said was a matter of fact, and FFFF has copies of the documents to prove it. If one wishes to question Zahra’s motives for running down to Little Rock, Arkansas to marry a female citizen, one is not spreading falsehoods, but rather is positing the most likely scenario.

The Kennedys believe “Dr.” Zahra is honorable and transparent – despite all the evidence to the contrary. This utterly slavish devotion renders them incapable to see their own culpable participation in Zahra’s lies. From his assault and battery case, to his Observer-enabled plagiarism they’ve been in lockstep with this Middle Eastern miscreant.

March 26, 2025March 26, 2025A Step in the Right Direction

Creativity in Downtown Fullerton

by Mr. Peabody26 Comments

Because so many things in our town are ass-backward we almost never get to report on anything fun or even whimsical.

The other day we received an email sharing an example of a folk art assemblage in the alley in the 200 block of West Santa Fe Avenue. We don’t know who put together this amazing collection, but it’s obviously an attempt to bring a smile to the passersby. The sender asked me to call him/her “Fullerton Art Lover,” so I’ll leave it at that.

In the old Redevelopment days this would have been shut down, but now we can enjoy some private sector creativity, a statement without official imprimatur.

It’s always gratifying to see folks express themselves and I wish we had more of this sort of uninhibited individual expression in Fullerton.

And maybe we can get Fullerton Art Lover to become a regular contributor to FFFF.

March 13, 2025March 13, 2025A Step in the Right Direction

Fullerton Boohoo Sings the Blues

by The Fullerton Harpoon43 Comments

No, it’s not a musical recording. Not exactly. There’s no music, but there’s a lot of singing sad songs and lamentations.

It seems that what’s left of Fullerton’s Old Guard liberals and a scattering of younger adherents to no-fault government are having a real hard time grasping the reality of the Fullerton City Council’s new commonsense majority. These lefties don’t ask a lot of intelligent questions. They believe in empty abstractions and are happy to regurgitate whatever nonsense is spoon fed to them by the likes of Ahmad Zahra. They are appalled by councilpersons Jung, Valencia and Dunlap who have the audacity to question the go along, get along status quo of unaccountable government.

The meeting on Tuesday, March 4th was a total disaster for the so-called “progressives”

FFFF has chronicled some of the defeats the boohoos have suffered at that meeting. We noted that the nomination of the angry, pro-dope Vivian Jaramillo to the Planning Commission went down in flames.

We noted that the idea of exploring charter city status for Fullerton was moved along, despite the all the silly fears of those gathered together by Zahra to oppose the concept.

What we didn’t cover was the introduction of measures to keep people from camping in public places and the protection of public facilities. It’s about time the City decided to end its attraction to vagrants who pose a public safety risk. Those votes were 3-2, of course, with Zahra and Charles siding with the immigrant homeless instead of their homed constituents.

Other issues were agendized, too. There was the topic of a letter opposing an AQMDs ban on gas appliances. Seeing the practical problems of the policy, the majority decided to oppose the measure. The vote was the same 3-2. Since there’s nothing a liberal likes more than following the mandates of completely opaque government agencies, Zahra and Charles were compelled to vote no, citing “public health.”

The following entertaining interchange took place (according to the Fullerton Observer Kennedy Sisters with their usual additions):

Mayor Jung without asking for council comments, said “I will move the item” – but Councilmember Zahra said he had some questions.

Councilmember Zahra made some clarifications, “For those who mentioned this was overreach from the state – this is not from the state. The governing body [SCAQMD] is multiple cities in Southern California, a regional body of members from LA, Orange and San Bernardino counties.” He said the letter merely states that we are supporting this – or not supporting this. So nothing is being imposed here locally whether it [the letter] goes out in the negative or positive. The actual SCQAMD meeting where this will be decided happens on May 2 – so anyone passionate about it can attend that meeting,” he said.

Mayor Jung “Is there a question somewhere in there?”

Councilmember Zahra passing over Jung’s unnecessary interruption went on to say – “The clean air rules are for manufacturer’s not residents and the rules transition gradually. So no one is going to come and take your gas stove. If we are looking at this from a public health view – he said we do have high air pollution in Orange County – those are facts. I think we should stay out of this discussion for now, or – in my opinion – we should support public health. So I am not in favor of sending this letter out.”

Jesus H., speaking of gas emitting appliances…

First, Mayor Jung was actually following Robert’s Rules of Order, in which motions drive discussion, not the other way around. But Zahra had questions, right? Questions? No, that was a lie. he wanted to make yet another campaign speech, and he did. Jung, quite reasonably, lost his patience with the usual Zahra pontification, and asked where the questions were. The “interruption” was not unnecessary since Zahra had already interrupted a legitimate motion; Jung’s was appropriate response to Zahra’s out-of-order speechifying, which Jung did allow to continue.

Naturally, Zahra lied once again, trying to make the SCAQMD look like a sovereign local agency, when in fact it gets its diktats from Sacramento, via the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Governor, and the Legislature.

Finally, there was a traffic issue, the topic being the signalization of the Euclid/Valley View intersection. Staff supported this, but only by using some sort of grant money, meaning it’s not a priority; the guesstimate for the cost would swallow up the City’s total traffic signalization budget for a year. As a side note, there’s already a signal at the Hiltscher Trail crossing – just a few hundred feet to the north.

Zahra and Charles really wanted to throw half a mil at the problem and move on.

However, in the end the council chose to turn the item back to the Traffic and Circulation Commission for more review and more public outreach. For some reason Zahra pushed for “closure” on this issue, probably just out of spite, and to make the council majority look bad in front of the audience. But since they had no dopey, liberal ideal that could be used to manipulate anybody Zahra and Charles went along with sending the thing back to the TCC.