Category: About Us

Last fall, in a deal with property owner Mario Marovic, our esteemed City Council agreed to let him open his two new bars on the northeast corner of Commonwealth and Harbor if he would demolish the infamous Florentine Mob “pop-out” that took away half the sidewalk.

There’s no need to rehash the embarrassment of how the pop-out happened back in 2003 or how our City Attorney looked the other way for 20 years even as he personally bought and sold property in the immediate vicinity. These stories have been described in great detail elsewhere here on FFFF.

This time around, the remedy for the Humiliation That Wont Die was given a deadline; in the words of the agreement: Demolition/Construction shall commence no later than March 27, 2023 and be completed no
later than July 2023.

Obviously, this date came and went three weeks ago with no overt evidence of compliance. Unforeseen delays are accounted for in the agreement, but were there any? Who knows? Is anybody in City Hall even remotely curious? Again, who knows?

Cynical folks have been speculating that the demolition of the addition and reconstruction of the City sidewalk under it will simply not occur; after all, Mr. Marovic’s businesses are open and our feckless council is not composed of people who have the stomach for making people do things that they are legally required to do. This is Fullerton, after all. Some of the original restore-the-sidewalk contingent are dead or have gone batty. And Mr. Marovic is not the sort of chap who will forgo wining and dining councilmembers he needs to make this problem to just go away for another 20 years.

Another possibility is another legal struggle, a tussle in which our distinguished City Attorney will continue to give expensive appallingly bad advice at the expense of the taxpayers.

There is always a chance that Marovic will stick to the agreement, but what the odds are of that happening remain unknown.

Looks like somebody is delving into the relationship between Fullerton City Councilman Ahmad Zahra and the Southern California dope lobby.

Here’s a Public Records Act request made recently at City Hall passed along to FFFF, because, well, we’re interested in this sort of thing.

It’s interesting to see the names Zahra, Spiker, Rafiei and Thakur strung together. Ken Spiker and Associates is a government lobbyist who is interested in profiting from the legal weed game; and, of course we’ve all heard of Melahat Rafiei, the highly placed Democrat who was recently ensnared by the FBI in a bribery scandal in Irvine. It looks like somebody wants to know if one of Rafiei’s greasy tentacles extended into Fullerton’s politics, including ethics-free Fullerton School Board member Aaruni Thakur, who unsuccessfully ran for City Council with a fake address in 2020.

Melahat in better days. (Image shamelessly harvested without permission from Voice of OC)

Folks in a lot of Orange County towns are starting to wonder if Rafiei’s influence peddling in the marijuana dispensary game has been going on in their cities.

Apparently someone in Fullerton is wondering about that, too.

Yes, apparently, former Fullerton City Councilman, Dr. F. Richard “Dick” Jones has gone to his reward. He was 90, or thereabouts.

I am ambivalent about his passing. His record as a public representative was appallingly bad. And yet, doggone it, I miss him. Every other Tuesday we could look forward to some crazy and limitlessly entertaining outburst.

Indeed, it would be remiss of this blog not to acknowledge Mr. Jones and his place in Fullerton lore. This is especially true since it was Jones whose re-election campaign in 2008 was the impetus that created this very blog. Many people in Fullerton believed that 12 years of Jones was more than enough, and FFFF was created as a response to his record on the City Council dais.

Jones was re-elected, of course, and a good thing, too – for over the subsequent years and months the blog was able to treat Fullertonions to wonderful examples his special wit and wisdom. It’s true that the first 12 years of Dick’s political career went largely underappreciated, and included a lot of bad stuff – his support of retroactive pensions spikes, the illegal water tax and the constant shilling for dumbass Redevelopment were largely forgotten – but the FFFF spotlight of the next 4 made up for it.

Between 2008 and 2012 – when Jones was finally and justly recalled from office – he gave us a wealth of comedic material that displayed the various facets of the man: vindictive bully, philistine, loudmouth, hypocrite, bloviator supreme and ignoramus – all delivered with an especially thick, southern-fried coating. Jeez, we traversed the years together sharing fun Jonesian vignettes.

Who can forget him lamenting the monster he created in Downtown Fullerton, the “New West” even as he continued to feed it? His fixation on babies in bathwater became the stuff of legends. He introduced new names for the patrons of DTF – Drunken Others and Last Week’s Felons, even as he saddled the taxpayers of Fullerton with the bill to clean up the mess he admitted creating.

His sideways reference to the sidewalk stealing Florentine Mob came out as an encomium to the Italian “roots” mafia that ran his hometown of Galveston “very well,” to the chagrin of the Feds who couldn’t figure out how to traverse that consarned two-mile long bridge.

Let’s not forget the night Jones took umbrage that an award-winning architect had come to town to propose good, modern residential architecture. Nuh uh! Mr. Arkyteck? He might like Salvador Dali, but none of that fizzjickle would be in Jonesy’s living room and none of these pointy-headed modern buildings would be in “his” city, brayed the Good Doctor.

When it came to legalized marijuana – as approved by the people of California, Dr. Jones would have none of it. He was out to “right a wrong,” goldarnit! And somebody gotta stop little kids from eatin’ manure, too! And he introduced us to the wonders of heroin products and oxytoxin!

Dick was open-minded in his abomination of the different and novel, and tattoo parlors and piercing shops fell under his censorious gaze. “Pins and needles and daggers,” he asserted were a health menace to the town, and dagnabit, he remembered the old days when third degree “syphilitic” sailors infested Galveston’s lively red light district.

When the sore subject of Fullerton’s illegal water tax rates again floated to the surface, Jones was right there to draw baffling comparison with Hitler’s reoccupying the the Rhineland in 1936. Nobody knew what in tarnation he was going on about, but all the toadies in City Hall nodded, sagely.

We shared the time that Jones got even with former Congressman Bill Dannemeyer, displaying a petulance appropriate for a five-year old. That diatribe flowered into one of his trade-mark mangles – a nation called Kharakhastan, giving birth the a blog post and even a Wikipedia page dedicated to the imaginary country.

But finally, in 2011, the mismanagement of Fullerton began to catch up to those who were responsible. When a mentally sick homeless man was horrifically murdered by Fullerton cops, Jones had no way of wrapping his personality around the realities. His lack of accountability was matched only by his lack of empathy in the aftermath of the Kelly Thomas killing. His natural instinct to defend Authority and join the clown show inside the circled wagons came to the fore as he nailed his colors to the Fullerton Police Department mast.

Well, why belabor this? In June 2012 Dr. F. Richard “Dick” Jones was recalled from office, along with his pals Don Bankhead and Pat McKinley. The recall election wasn’t even close.

I don’t know what Mr. Jones has been doing with himself the past 11 years, but I doubt if it included a lot of self-reflection. Dick just wasn’t built that way.

During a recent City Council meeting on August 2, the video footage shows Mayor Jung calling the Closed Session portion of the meeting to order with Jung, Dunlap, Silva, and Zahra present.

The video footage in its entirety is shown here:  

At the 2 minute mark on the video, the City Council returns and Jung is seen calling the regular meeting to order with Jung, Dunlap, Silva, and Whitaker present.

What happened to Ahmad?

The City Clerk remarks, “Councilmember Zahra is around here somewhere”.

Where is somewhere? Was he using the restroom to drop a deuce?

Over 20 minutes later (see 23:00 on the video), Zahra triumphantly returns and announces, “Just apologies for coming a little late”.

A little late?  Where’d you go?

It doesn’t take 20 minutes to take the Browns to the Super Bowl.

August 2 just so happened to be National Night Out. National Night Out is described as an evening to “enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances”. What a crock!  One easy way to bring back a true sense of community: Stop murdering Kelly Thomas and Hector Hernandez FPD! 

The answer always lies in Zahra’s social media because the criminal cannot help himself from posting badly aimed selfies with random photo victims of his narcissism. “Our council meeting was short so I got a chance to join the annual National Night Out event hosted by our Fullerton Police Department,” his post reads.

Twenty minutes is about the time it takes for a not so in shape Councilman to gingerly walk across Highland Avenue and down Amerige Avenue to the plaza downtown, take a handful of poor photos of poor victims of his unlimited vanity, and walk back to City Hall.

For Ahmad Campaigning for the next job > Doing the job he was elected to do.

Voters will remember his betrayal of his oath of office to faithfully discharge the duties of his office.

Time to take out the trash Fullerton.

A-B-Z. Anyone but Zahra!

Fullerton voters have many choices in life.

But in 2022, they are given the opportunity to choose between a man who was charged by the OCDA for battering a woman and so busy trying to keep his job, he fails to do it, a deadbeat political hanger-on and a long time Fullerton Resident, Oscar Valadez, a family man, a businessman, a father of two young children.

Fullerton voters will neve be given a clearer choice.

Allow me to introduce Tony Castro. Or known to his buddies as Antonio Castro.

Not to be confused with the former Deputy City Manager under hapless Ken Domer, Antonia Castro-Graham.

Tony just pulled papers for District 5, the same District as our criminal Zahra.

The 38-year-old couch surfer with a couple of conflicting known addresses of record describes himself as an “internet and online marketing” expert.

Sounds about as fishy as Zahra explaining his prowess as a “filmmaker”.

2300 E. Commonwealth Avenue, apartment #4 in Fullerton is the registered “business” address of one Maximum Creativity, of which Antonio Saucedo Castro is the listed contact. The address also shows Unlimited Possibilities as being “headquartered” there, also owned by one Antonio Saucedo Castro.

If this all sounds curiously comedic, you would not be in the minority. Castro was also a staffer for one Peter Mathews, a junior college professor who ran for Congress in the June primary.

Who is Peter Mathews? Again, you would not be in the minority because Mathews came in a very, very distant fourth place, mustering only 3% of the vote.

Way to pick a winner Tony!

Court documents also show that Tony was sued for “unlawful detainer” in 2009, which is legal mumbo jumbo for eviction and has a judgement in the amount of $3,022.

The obvious question is what business is someone who can’t rent an apartment per the negative credit history doing running for Fullerton City Council. Perhaps Zahra made the poor patsy do it. Because Tony’s “business” Maximum Creativity has a few reviews on Yelp. And safe to say they are not Michelin quality:

“Our company hired “tony” to do basic merchant services and design on our website.  After paying 1000 dollars to start, over a month later…tony is missing in action.  He is a fraud.   We have received nothing for our money except empty promises and perpetual headaches.  Do not, I repeat do not do business with this “company” especially tony.  He lied, lied to cover his lies and long in the short did nothing but waste our time, and steal our hard earned money.” says one review.

Another reads, “This guy is a complete scam artist took 1000 dollar deposit to complete our website and never did any work wont answer a phone call or return a call or email from any body at our business. We have tried contacting him for over 2 weeks as we were on a dead line to complete website due to a huge marketing campaign, that he was aware of and promised to meet. Do not use him for any of your business needs! He will  promise you the world and all he will do is steel from you ! Businesses beware of Tony and his company he will take your money and disappear ! Had to get our lawyers involved just to show him he cant do business like this 1k dollars isn’t a lot but the principal of just stealing from people needs to be addressed ! one star because that’s the lowest you can give a crook on YELP!”

JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU’VE HIT ROCK BOTTOM IN AWFUL CANDIDATES FULLERTON, SOMEBODY SAYS HOLD MY BEER AND HANDS YOU A SHOVEL.

The postcard at the restaurants reads “SAVE THE WALK ON WILSHIRE AND OUTDOOR DINING!”

“Fullerton City Council voted to remove the Walk on Wilshire in September”.

FALSE!

A few months ago, the City Council haphazardly voted: Whitaker, Jesus, and Ahmad, to explore keeping it permanent, whatever that means nowadays in this city.

What it fails to acknowledge is that their precious Walk on Wilshire is not a community benefit. 

It is far from that.

It is a government subsidized revenue mechanism for a handful of “downtown” restaurants/bars.

Closing Wilshire Avenue to vehicle traffic in the name of public health is dumb government when latest COVID numbers are trending down to such a degree, even hypersensitive Los Angeles has opted not to have an indoor mask mandate.    

Blocking Wilshire Avenue – Fullerton’s bike boulevard – in a feeble attempt to turn a very small section of downtown Fullerton into dining al fresco is nonsense since the view for diners is barriers and an asphalt street.

What’s that saying about lipstick on a pig?

“Downtown” Fullerton is not London or Rome!

Walk on Wilshire is Whitaker, Jesus, and Ahmad’s way of sponsoring a select group of “downtown” businesses like Mulberry Street Ristorante, Fullerton Brew Co (formerly Stadium Tavern), Green Bliss and Rialto Cafes, and Les Amis Restaurant.

Les Amis Restaurant recently hosted and sponsored the bitchin’ Zahra campaign kick off fundraiser so it is plainly obvious why that criminal would support Walk on Wilshire.

Jesus Quirk-Silva is just a moron who can’t find his way out of his pants wearing wife’s political shadow. 

He’s a lame duck anyway with redistricting sidelining him for a few years.

But Bruce?!!? 

He has consistently challenged zone changes, government’s heavy handedness, and city thumb on the scale for years.

So why would an anti-government interventionist support this?

Ronald Reagan warned that the top 9 most terrifying words in the English Language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.

Maybe Bruce is not at the wheel anymore.

Fullerton can’t figure out street and road repair with most residents living in street conditions resembling a third world country.

Yet somehow, its City Council and its small group of vocal influencers want to have their cake and eat it too by saving its failed Museum, its Fox Theatre, its outdated library, its overgrown parks system, and “community” events like Founders Day.

Keep spending taxpayer money on closing perfectly good streets like Wilshire Avenue so businesses that financially support Zahra get a financial kickback disguised as public safety benefits.

We need leadership Bruce!

I miss the old Bruce, straight from the ‘Go Bruce!

Amateurs and concerned residents who attend Fullerton City Council meetings to address grievances and gripes are off limits from FFFF evaluation.

But professionals like labor unions and social “justice” non-profits are fair game.

FFFF regularly shines our light on them.

Which brings us to enemy of the people, Ahmad Zahra, who recently held a fundraiser to kick off his re-election campaign.

Hardly newsworthy.

His guest list, however, was a who’s who of Fullerton’s past failures.

Remember Paul Dudley, the Fullerton Development Department head who brought us the infamous Florentine Bump Out, now Mario Bump Out!

He was there! As was Jan Flory, his boat drinks friend who vacations with the former city staffer Dudley. She was hangin’ with Ahmad.

The Ahmad endorsed city council candidate Shana Charles walked the Zahra red carpet. She’s a socialist in Dem clothing.

A curious guest of honor was frequent public comment maker and victim to Fullerton’s mean streets and even meaner sidewalks: Bernard.

Berny reads an Ahmad prepared speech at meetings because Zahra is too chicken to debate and risk offending the sensibilities of politically correct liberals.

Berny moans on about how important staff is (a constant suck up of his boss Zahra).

Or you can find him criticizing Bruce, Jung, or Dunlap.

His favorite obsession is Bushala, who just happens to be Ahmad’s infatuation.

Big, bad Bushala who uses his “council majority” a frequently peddled phrase by both Berny and his boss, to pad his own pockets.

No examples are ever provided. Just more pro-Ahmad propaganda.

That is what Fullerton voters can expect from the con artist Zahra.

He is not beyond using the disabled, Latina moms, seniors in mobile home parks, former city councilwomen, all of whom he manipulates with ease for his own personal gains.

Another guest on the Zahra guest list was Fullerton hero firefighter Dan Lancaster, who is the union rep.

Should a current public employee show his face at a campaign fundraiser?

I wonder how much influence he and his heroes have on the decisions Ahmad makes.

According to the Orange County Grand Jury here, Fullerton Firefighters are using million dollar fire trucks to rumble down torn up streets to respond to medical calls instead of nimble paramedic vans.

Medical calls are 80 percent of all fire emergency calls.

The fire hero union and its leader Lancaster are milking Fullerton taxpayers dry in unlimited overtime riding around to car accidents and getting cats out of trees.

There is no accountability and no supervision of their overtime expenses because Ahmad is too busy hosting them at fundraisers.

Zahra, Jung, and Silva were all supported by the fire union with thousands of independent expenditure dollars.

Election season can give Fullerton a new choice away from the status quo support these heroes receive from nearly every politician but Dunlap and Whitaker.

Let’s feel the burn and find more courageous candidates. 

The report points out that “sending a 36,000 to 60,000-pound fire engine or aerial ladder truck down residential streets for strictly medical calls is not only dangerous and costly, but it also results in unnecessary wear and tear on our streets.”

Fullerton already has terrible roads. 

“To improve the overall response performance of the OCFA delivery system the number of units sent to most emergency medical incidents must be reduced.”

The City Council is expected to consider joining OCFA. If the fire heroes union already owns Zahra, is being in OCFA a forgone conclusion?

“City of Placentia reported that out of 43 fire departments surveyed in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, 27 departments (67 percent) utilize a three-person engine crew. This was the most common standard among the three counties,” concludes the OC Grand Jury.

Fullerton uses a four-person engine crew. That is why the city is forced to pay some of the highest percentages of overtime to its firefighters.

Fullerton taxpayers will keep paying until we have better leaders