Category: Victory

You win some, you lose some.

Posted onDead heads

Fun Comments: 3 Good Men?

by 38 Comments on Fun Comments: 3 Good Men?

Yesterday we received this pearl of a comment from Mr. or Ms. Anonymous:

“These paranoid pot smoking hippies put 3 good men outta a job just because they said they wanted to wait until an investigation was complete before commenting on the death of Kelly.

Now these smelly hippies are turning there paranoia on the sidebar which had nothing to do with anything. when will the madness stop?”

You know, I think this person meant to say “Three Bald Tires.” You see, there was simply no tread left. The steel was showing through what was left of the rubber. They were worse than worthless: they were dangerous.

But now they are in a better place – protecting against erosion along a bend in the Santa Ana River. And even though we are all just smelly hippies, we are all in a better place, too.

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Posted onA Step in the Right Direction

So What’s Next?

by 164 Comments on So What’s Next?

As soon as the Fullerton Recall election is certified (which should be comparatively quick) the reactionary Old Guard will be out and the new majority of reformers will be sworn in to join Bruce Whitaker in an opportunity to usher in a new era of accountability in Fullerton City Hall.

What should be the immediate agenda? How about finally (and immediately) revoking the illegal 10% water tax and figuring out how to implement a refund? How about pulling the plug on the last minute (and also illegal) Redevelopment deals handed out by the Three Flat Tires to their buddies like Dick Ackerman? How about initiating an immediate search for a new chief of police from outside the tainted innards of the FPD? How about an immediate jettison of the incompetent and inert City Attorney, Jones & Meyer? How about the demotion or removal of the City manager, Joe Felz, dubbed “Albert Pujols” of city managers by Patdown Pat McKinley, who sat on his ass while Fullerton went to hell?

How about a timely assessment of the labor union agreements that have created a multi-hundred million dollar unfunded liability for Fullerton? How about consideration of a “total compensation” approach in all future negotiations?

Feel free to add your ideas.

 

 

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Posted onA Step in the Right Direction

Do The Right Thing

by 473 Comments on Do The Right Thing

Here’s a great video of  the courageous Marlena Carrillo questioning Patdown McPension for hiring a one-eyed cop retired on disability from the LAPD; and Sharon Quirk, who wants to move up the political ladder leaving lots of unfinished business behind; and the Acting Police Chief  Dan Hughes for leaving a gang of killer cops on the streets of Fullerton after having watched and listened to the video and audio recordings of the Kelly Thomas murder.

The theme? Have you done the right thing? As Marlena points out, quite correctly, doing the right thing is not always easy, but it is what we expect from our leaders. The deafening silence from the dais in instructive.

Today, June 5th, 2012 you can join us in doing the right thing: sweeping out City Hall of the incompetent, sclerotic, unaccountable gang that has failed to lead.

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Posted onHome Town Hero

Shawn Nelson Stops By

by 68 Comments on Shawn Nelson Stops By

OC 4th District Supervisor Shawn Nelson visited our humble blog yesterday to refresh our memories about his calling in the Feds in the Kelly Thomas killing. Here’s what he had to say:

 

  • #22 by Shawn Nelson on May 24, 2012

    So the historical record is clear, I contacted the Department of Justice on Thursday July 21 or 28 (not sure which Thursday off the top of my head). My purpose was to open a case file in the Civil Rights division because I felt an obligation to ensure the citizens of Fullerton everything I could do had been done. While on the telephone with a lawyer at the DOJ, she contacted the FBI and before our call concluded she was able to confirm that the FBI would be taking the lead on the case and that the FBI had, in fact, opened a file as of that monement.

    Confirmation of the FBI’s involvement made the airwaves later that same day and by 8:00 the next day I heard word the officers involved had been taken off the streets.

 

A good reminder that the cops weren’t pulled until after the FBI was notified on July 28th, 2011. A coincidence? I think not.

FFFF originally posted about Nelson’s intervention, here. I also believe it was this action that spurred the DA to do a real investigation, and not one of the usual whitewashes.

 

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Posted on"Dick" Ackerman

Judge Orders Trial in Kelly Thomas Killing

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The judge was not impressed.

This afternoon in Santa Ana, Superior Court Judge Walter Schwarm declared that sufficient evidence exists to warrant a trial for the two Fullerton cops accused in the death of the mentally ill, homeless man, Kelly Thomas last July. Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli will stand trial for second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, respectively.

Although many critics have claimed that more serious charges should have been brought against all the officers charged, it should be noted that on-duty cops have never been prosecuted for a capital crime in the County’s history.

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Posted onBruce Whitaker

Bruce Whitaker on The Illegal Water Tax

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Here’s a Fullerton councilmember who not only understands the illegal water tax, he knows the right thing to do – end it, immediately. He also suggests a solution that would, over time, address infrastructure deficiencies that have been permitted by our aquacrats and city council. Good luck getting the Three Pompous Pumkins Bankhead, McKinley and Jones to go along with that!

Anyway, if you haven’t already done so, meet Bruce Whitaker:

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Posted onHome Town Hero

Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson Honors Fullerton Jewelry Store Owner for Heroism

by 31 Comments on Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson Honors Fullerton Jewelry Store Owner for Heroism


Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson (Fourth District) honored long-time Fullerton jewelry store owner Ismael “Ish” Gomez with his 2012 “Second Amendment Award for Heroism” in recognition of the incredible courage he displayed in saving the lives of his two employees last month during an attempted take-over robbery by five armed suspects.

Mr. Gomez’s heroism resulted in one suspect being hospitalized and the other four in jail. Accolades were received from friends and professional associates for protecting the lives of his employees during a dramatic hand-to-hand, bullet-firing confrontation against violent criminals.

If you look closely at the image below, you’ll see a reminder of the struggle in the mirror behind Supervisor Nelson and Mr. Gomez.

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Posted on"Dick" Ackerman

Fullerton Was Sold 20 Years Ago And The Recall Is How We Pay For Her Emancipation

by 37 Comments on Fullerton Was Sold 20 Years Ago And The Recall Is How We Pay For Her Emancipation

Friends, long time community activist Steve Baxter wrote a must-read letter that was published in one of Fullerton’s up-and-coming blogs, The Fullertonian. Enjoy!

For a period of time I knew the man six Fullerton officers killed last July. His name was  Kelly Thomas and I liked him. As I was walking to my car in the Fullerton Ralphs shopping center, a man, when seeing my “Justice for Kelly” button, said to me that if I cared this much about Kelly when he was alive, he would still be alive. I was pretty baffled at that statement, but then I saw the “NO RECALL! FULLERTON IS NOT FOR SALE” sticker on the back of this big boy’s Jazzy Jeff scooter and it all made imperfect sense. “Hey brother,” I yelled, “just because you …..” That’s as far as I got before I knew it was not worth it. Besides, you don’t look very dignified yelling at someone who is relegated to a scooter.

I know that Kelly was loved by his family, and I know that Kelly was welcome to stay at any number of relatives’ homes, and for periods of time, he did. I know what six of our police officers did to him, and I know how Dick Jones, Don Bankhead and Pat McKinley, the three councilmen now facing a recall, reacted publicly to his death. Their lack of urgency, their lack of outrage, and the insensitive treatment to Kelly’s family, after what in my mind may be the most shameful 10 minutes in this city’s history, rises well beyond what even I expected from these three men. I’ve witnessed their disdain for the victim and his supporters firsthand at many council meetings. I witnessed it again watching TV interviews, where their ignorance was broadcast across the county. These old  mens’ desperate need for order trumped any need for truth. They lied and tried to spin the story at every opportunity, at times to ridiculous proportions. Dick Jones even tried to diminish Kelly’s injuries by saying he had seen worse in Vietnam. When the DMZ becomes the go-to reference point for downtown Fullerton, we have a serious problem. In light of this, the “NO RECALL! FULLERTON IS NOT FOR SALE” signs mean nothing to me.

Read the rest of “Fullerton Was Sold 20 Years Ago And The Recall Is How We Pay For Her Emancipation” on theFullertonian.com

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