To Fullerton Community Members:
As a member of the Fullerton City Council, and a mother, I am deeply disturbed by this tragic event. I am so sorry that this has happened in the city of Fullerton. I have talked to Mr. Ron Thomas to express my sympathy. I have demanded that all six officers be placed on administrative leave and that we fully investigate this incident.
I have asked for detailed accounts of this event and to see the video and release the video.
As a leader in Fullerton, I know that it is our job to be transparent, accountable, and to serve and protect our citizens.
More than anything, I am committed to finding justice for Kelly Thomas.
As a mother, I can only imagine the sheer pain that the family must be enduring right now. Not only losing a son, but dealing with such a horrifying death.
My thought and prayers are with the Thomas Family and our community at this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Councilmember Sharon Quirk- Silva
Norberto Santana over at the Voice of OC(EA) has keystroked a post here, in which 4th District Supervsor Shawn Nelson of Fullerton has said he’s in the race for a newly drawn Congressional district that includes most of his supervisorial district.
A while back we did a post about the value of saying NO. Today let’s look at someone else who appreciated the importance of putting one’s foot down: the two-term President Grover Cleveland.
Back when Grover was the Governor of New York, he said “no” when Chatuatauqua County proposed to spend tax dollars for a soldiers monument. He said “no” to the Fredonia Library Association, which sought to be relieved of paying local taxes. He said “no” to the town of Elmira, which tried to avoid liability for personal injuries occurred by those traveling its unsafe streets and roads. He even said “no” to Fayetteville, his boyhood hometown, when they wanted to borrow money for the purchase of a new steam fire engine.
Cleveland kept his promise that he would be a guardian of the people’s interest, which meant guarding the keys to the people’s dinero.
Why is this relevant? Because saying “no” to police unions, fire unions, teachers, prison guards, custodians, bailout bankers, and subsidy-sucking union allies is often the right thing to do.
During the Marilyn Davenport protest a CBS news crew walked up the block to Dick Jones’s house to see if they could get a comment from the comical mayor of Fullerton regarding this controversial event.
Too bad Dick was hiding from the nice news lady and her cameraman.
If our mayor had the guts to address these protesters, what would he have said? Who knows? Normally nobody can get this guy to shut up. On this day he was MIA.
Well, not the law, exactly. More like City Council Administrative Policy #37, approved last February. Check it out:
Administrative Policy #37
Here’s the deal: the guy with most seniority since last being Mayor shall be appointed, plain and simple. And that means our Crazy Ol’ Doc Heehaw is line to shoulder the burden of the mayoralty, like it or not. Well, he can shirk his duty again, like he did before, and go to the second spot.
That means the next in line to be Mayor is Sharon Quirk-Silva, with Dr. Phogbound as Mayor Pro Tem; and if he declines the second spot, too, that would fall to the highest vote getter in the last election. And that’s our old Friend, Bruce Whitaker.
Now it could very well be that Sharon Quirk-Silva would defer her place until next year to run for re-election in 2012 with the title “Mayor of Fullerton,” in which case our next mayor would be Whitaker.
Of course Administrative Policy #37 isn’t worth the TP it was written on or the Sharpie it was written with – despite the fact that it’s the wet-dream of all Fullerton liberals, and ironically could produce the first truly conservative mayor since…well, since anybody could possibly remember.
How will it play out? Who knows? One thing is certain. This is Fullerton and it’s bound to be a confused mess. But the entertainment value should be high.
On Tuesday, four OC Supervisors voted to ban medical marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated County areas. Only one voted in support – and that someone was Fullerton’s Shawn Nelson, who emphasized that medical MJ was the will of the people and also explained to me that it would encourage a black market for medically helpful marijuana. As Supervisor Nelson pointed out, government spends way too much time trying to figure out how to thwart what people want instead of facilitating it. According to Nelson, the main issue is “zoning.” Medical marijuana is legal in California and the County of Orange should not use proscriptive use zoning within the County’s jurisdiction that would ban any dispensaries from distributing medical marijuana, or prohibit activity that is already illegal.
The proposed ordinance lumped “sales” and “dispensing” into the same category of banned activity. And therein lies the problem.
Just a few years back my friend’s dad died of cancer, he did, however, enjoy a heightened quality of life in his final year once he got access to medical marijuana. It not only gave him an appetite but it also made him feel better and actually laugh.
Supervisor Nelson showed a lot courage on this vote as the other Supes caved into pressure of the County staff and the Sheriff. Nelson will no doubt draw fire from the army of dead-heads and fake drug warrior ‘pugs who either love the annual billions wasted on the disastrous War on Drugs, or even worse, those who are too chicken to stand up to them.
And I thought Supervisor John Moorlach had more courage than he showed, but boy, I sure got that wrong. Scratch a “conservative,” hit an authoritarian.
Although it’s a bit late, I want to add my voice to the chorus congratulating Chris Thompson and Bruce Whitaker for their impressive elections to the Fullerton School District Board and the Fullerton City Council, respectively.
Chris Thompson out-polled every other candidate in Fullerton by a mile, despite his opponents’ support from the teachers union.
The Fullerton School District Board of Trustees has been a sinkhole for years, poulated by liberals and Ed Royce RINOs. And of course the Fullerton City Council…well the less said about that the better, but Whitaker will be running that show in no time.
I expect good things and real, effective change from both of them. I know I won’t be disappointed.
By Kanani Fong
Each November they come, marching on streets from Fullerton to New York City. Some are grizzled and grey, their rows not as straight, and many march arm in arm. To see a veterans day parade is to bear witness to a time line of war and peace: Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea, The Pacific, and Europe. And if you were to imagine, preceding them would be soldiers from Belleau Wood, San Juan Hill, Antietam, Gettysburg, and Valley Forge. If we look around us, we might even imagine all the loved ones they left behind, standing alongside watching the procession go by.
The passing years are gently worn by some of the WWII vets. While there are those still able to make the march, others sit at the staging area. They wear caps emblazoned where and with whom they served. Many have medals pinned to their jackets. Their vision is not as keen, sharp sounds are softer now. Yet, here they are, craning their necks, listening for the familiar sound of boots on the ground. They are waiting for their brothers who are marching for them.
Veterans gather every November 11 not just for the fanfare, hoopla, or flag waving. They come together to feel the bonds of service. For this was a time in their life when brotherhood was never a question and trust meant the difference between life and death. Unlike the camaraderie displayed among actors on a screen, or by athletes on a team, what separates them is the oath they took to protect and serve our country. Often this meant saving the life of their brothers, even if it could cost them their own. What distinguishes them is each has walked the warrior path, embodying a code of ethics and honor. They put aside their own needs, sacrificing everything. They would die for each other, they would die for you, they have died for us.
We know this day stirs old memories of those they have lost. Battle buddies who sat with them in a trench, a hooch, on the deck of a carrier, on a stretch of beach but didn’t make it through. The sounds and smells of war come back, not only today, but late at night when everyone in the house is asleep. For it’s not just the physical harm they risked, what they put on the line was their soul, sacrificing their own sense of peace. What many have worked so hard to get back is the same certainty they had during the war: a cause or person who makes them feel that life matters as much now as it did back then. Hand to hand; face-to-face; eye-to-eye; brother-to-brother; soul-to-soul.
Some have weathered the toll of war better than others. The men and women who have trudged through fields, jungles and urban decay have to regain their balance in fog of war. Today, when the word veteran is greatly shortchanged by stereotypes, when they themselves are politicized, finding their inner peace hasn’t been easy. For some, the search has proven elusive, and others struggle. But many who have reclaimed it, work tirelessly to help those who are still on the march, trying to catch their breath. They are, and always will be warriors.
This is why we gather on Veteran’s Day: to see and honor the brotherhood between those who have served and continue to do so. Because the truth is, love is what keeps the weave of brotherhood strong. And where there is love, there is beauty so awe-inspiring, it overwhelms and can break your heart. All we have to say are five simple words: “Thank you for your service.”
Best Regards,
Kanani
PBS Regarding War
PR Team, Restrepo
Writer, The Kitchen Dispatch
Here’s Fullerton Council candidate Jesse La Tour, standing on the corner of Chapman and Harbor yesterday pitching his handmade campaign for Fullerton City Council. Click and enjoy.
Well, that’s pretty damn cool if you ask me: a guy having fun standing up for himself. His ideas? Debatable. But you’ve gotta love the stripped down simplicity of the whole thing: no IEs, no union or repuglican support. This guy would be a hundred times better than the empty sack Bankhead or the hollow log McKinley.
So here’s to you JLT! Thanks for the effort.