July 22, 2010July 22, 2010Dead heads

A Power Grab By Madam Chair

The Voice of OC is reporting on a plan by County Board of Supervisors Chair Janet Nguyen to create a redistricting committee of which she will be Chair, and Supervisor Bill Campbell, Vice Chair. The remaining three positions will be filled by appointment by the other Supes.

Apparently this little plan was not well-received by the three dissed supervisors – for obvious reasons. Although Brown Act issues have been raised, the real question seems to be how the Empress thought she’d ever get this ticket validated: the Census won’t be complete and published until 2011 when she won’t even be Chair any more; she is also running for re-election in 2012 and the idea of her manipulating this process to shed unwanted Latino votes from her district must have occurred to just about everybody.

Supervisors Shawn Nelson and John Moorlach proposed the redistricting model pursued in 2000 which seems to have been the only one in recent memory that avoided legal challenge, and in which supervisor’s staff members participated with the public in designing new districts.

This issue isn’t over. Next week the County Counsel Nicholas Chrisos will report back on Brown Act implications and the full Board will take up the matter again.

July 16, 2010Fullerton 2010

Greg Sebourn Runs for City Council

by Travis Kiger4 Comments

One of our own FFFF bloggers has announced his candidacy for Fullerton city council. Greg Sebourn, a professional land surveyor, pulled nomination papers at city hall on Wednesday afternoon.

Greg says he represents fresh leadership in Fullerton and will focus on core city issues such as restoring infrastructure, improving public safety and enhancing customer service at City Hall.

Here’s a little more about Greg:

Greg Sebourn is the Senior Survey Project Manager at Johnson-Frank and Associates, Inc. of Anaheim Hills. Greg has been instrumental on projects that include the subdivision of Anaheim Stadium to make room for an NFL expansion team, U.S. border properties and rights-of-way acquisition, several National Forest boundary projects, and numerous smaller municipal projects.

Additionally, Sebourn is the Facilitator of the Survey/Mapping Science Program at Santiago Canyon College, the largest program of its type in the continental United States as well as a distinguished adjunct-faculty.

Greg currently sits on the City of Fullerton’s Citizens’ Infrastructure Review Committee with broad knowledge on the challenges for Fullerton.

Visit Greg’s campaign website at www.gregsebourn.com.

July 6, 2010Fullerton City Council

On the Agenda – July 6th, 2010

by Christian3 Comments

Happy 4^th of July! Coming off of a nice three-day weekend for city staff we are faced with a council meeting tonight wherein we can expect to see our millions of tax dollars senselessly squandered away. View the agenda.

If you haven’t seen the agenda, please do. We start off with the usual property negotiations to gobble up more low-income housing so we can give it away to a private developer.

In open session we have the consent calendar which no sane person would actually consent to – but we already knew that.

Item 2 is the Public Works 7-year Capital Improvement Program wherein PW Director Hoppe concocts a way to spread some money over all of the broken infrastructure. Doing so shows the Feds that we mean well but have no money. The truth is if we wanted to, we could fix a few serious issues now and delay some of the more minor ones. But we won’t. We will wait and watch more roads crumble, precious water resources bubble up from broken water mains, and our sidewalks lifted up by city trees. Worth noting is that the Harbor Boulevard slope failure that has been threatening pedestrians and motorists for more than a year has been pushed back until FY2012-13. Oh well; what do you expect? The 7-Year CIP covers $70,874,000 of tax dollars.

Item 3 is a wireless carrier lease for the Euclid Tank Farm for $1,577 per mo with 4% increase each year.

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June 14, 2010Fullerton City Council

On the Agenda – June 15th, 2010

by Christian7 Comments

With the Primary Election over and candidates licking their wounds we jump into Tuesday’s Council Meeting to see what STAFF has in store for our elected representatives. View the full agenda

In closed session there appears to be some labor negotiations going on. First is a discussion regarding Chris Meyer’s position which I hear will be vacated soon. Second, Fullerton Municipal Employees Federation (FMEF) is meeting with Council to determine what they will meet and discuss in the future regarding lay-offs. At least that is what the agenda says. Actually, it says, “Discuss meet-and-confer topics related to layoffs”. Amazing! A meeting to talk about a future meeting! That’s government bureaucracy and waste for you. Why can’t these be public? I don’t think they are talking about a specific person or maybe they are. Either way, I would like to see just how spineless the council can be when it comes to the public employee unions.

There is a plethora of presentations planned which will probably draw the usual hapless attempts at wit from our mayor and perhaps Texas colloquialism which won’t make sense to anyone but the person saying it.

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June 7, 2010October 27, 2010Fullerton 2010

Fullerton Voter Guide

by Travis Kiger22 Comments

Friends for Fullerton’s Future put together this handy voter guide for Republicans in Fullerton and North Orange County. Our voter guide covers important local races in Orange County along with the statewide primaries. It was put together with the help of a few of our trusted Friends. The statewide recommendations are passed along from our friend Allan Bartlett.

Orange County

4th District Supervisor – Shawn Nelson

Nelson will be a leading force against the unions when it’s time to negotiate out of control pensions. His voting record make shim a strong fiscal conservative who is not afraid to stick his neck out for taxpayers. Both of his main opponents are union-supported carpetbaggers who live outside the 4th district.

OC Sheriff-Coroner – Bill Hunt

Just mark the spot for Bill Hunt and watch the establishment scramble like cockroaches. This is one of the most important races in this June election.

Superior Court Judge #16 – Gerald L Klein

In the words of Attorney Bernie, we need to get private practice attorneys seated as judges. People don’t realize how important it is to keep insider government lifers from usurping the judicial powers

Superior Court Judge #50 – Julian Bailey

Mr Bailey’s opponent here, Lon Hurwitz has donated to a laundry list of national liberal Democrats.

County Assessor – Webster Guillory

Webster has done a good job as Assessor.

Clerk Recorder – Hugh Nguyen

The incumbent, Tom Daly, has been lashed over and over on this site for wasting our money and feeding expensive, do-nothing contracts to his pals. Hugh Nguyen is a great candidate.

District Attorney – None, Leave Blank

Sitting DA Tony Rackauckas could not be bothered to fully investigate the well-documented perjury accusations made against Harry Sidhu, although he did find time to prosecute Steve Rocco for a bottle of stolen ketchup.

Public Administrator – Steve Rocco

Treasurer – Shari Freidenrich

Republican Central Committee – 72nd AD

(all or parts of Fullerton, Brea, Placentia, Anaheim & La Habra)

Candidates are designated by Allan Bartlett based on certainty that candidates were Tea Party, Campaign For Liberty, and CRA friendly.

Bruce Whitaker – Tea Party, C4L, CRA friendly
Shawn Nelson – Tea Party friendly
Zonya Townsend – Tea Party, CRA friendly
Rick Rios – Tea Party, CRA friendly
Marilyn Davenport – Tea Party, CRA friendly
Micheal Nutto – CRA friendly

School

Superintendent of Public Instruction – Alexia Deligianni

Statewide

Lt Gov – Sam Aanestad

This is a no brainer. Abel Maldonado should not be rewarded for being the main reason that taxes are higher CA during the last budget cycle. Vote for Sam Aanestad.

Secretary of State – Damon Dunn

Orly Taitz has not been helping herself in the media with her over the top stands on Obama’s birth certificate and a few other issues where she basically has taken herself out of contention because of the way she has come across to voters.

Controller – Tony Strickland

I’m not impressed with Tony’s endorsements the last few years, but he is our choice for Controller here.

Treasurer – Mimi Walters

It’s either this or leave it blank. Her endorsement of repuglican carpetbagger Linda Ackerman last year makes her suspect.

Attorney General – John Eastman

John Eastman is far and away the best conservative choice for CA Attorney General.

Insurance Commissioner – Brian Fitzgerald

The other candidate Mike Villines was the GOP leader in the State Assembly that helped deliver the largest tax increase in CA history. Don’t reward him with your vote here.

BOE 3rd District – Vic Baker or leave blank

No Republican in good conscience could support Michelle Steel anymore after what she did to Irvine Republicans. She has been giving aid and comfort to Democratic Mayor Suhkee Kang because they’re both Korean. Last time I checked, that’s not a very good reason to support anybody, especially if they are ideologically against most everything that you say you are for.

US Senator – Chuck DeVore

This is another no brainer. Chuck gets it. He understands that in the Constitution, there are less than 18 specific enumerated powers delegated to the Congress. He will be a great US Senator and he can beat Barbara Boxer in the fall.

June 7, 2010June 7, 2010Shawn Nelson

Fullerton’s Pension Watchdog Endorses Shawn Nelson

by Travis Kiger1 Comment

The Fullerton Association of Concerned Taxpayers (FACT) just sent us the following endorsement of Shawn Nelson for County Supervisor in Orange County’s Fourth District:

“During his 8 years on the Fullerton City Council, Shawn has demonstrated that he is a true friend of the taxpayer,” said Jack Dean, president of FACT. “He’ll make an outstanding County Supervisor.”

Dean noted that FACT was especially impressed with Nelson’s willingness to blow the whistle on a secretive attempt to boost the pensions of Fullerton’s city employees by 25% in 2008.

“Had Shawn not let us know that such a deal was in the works, I doubt that we could have stopped it,” said Dean. “And in light of the subsequent economic meltdown and huge market losses experienced by CalPERS, Fullerton would be in much worse financial shape today.”

“We’re going to need him on the board of supervisors to help maintain the impressive momentum the county has been making on pension reform,” added Dean.

FACT has a special interest in the public pension issue. In 2005, the group successfully blocked an attempt by the Schwarzenegger administration to issue nearly $2 billion in bonds to make the state’s pension payments. The state appealed, and in 2007, FACT won an appellate court ruling that enforced the California Constitution’s ban on unapproved state debt. Article XVI, Section 1 of the California Constitution requires voter approval for long-term state debt exceeding $300,000; FACT won a decision from the Third District Court of Appeal that issuance of a pension bond should not be allowed because it had not been submitted to the electorate. FACT was represented in both cases by the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) in Sacramento.

Next month FACT — once again represented by PLF — will be filing an amicus brief in support of the County’s lawsuit on retroactive pensions (County of Orange v. Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs and Board of Retirement). The goal will be to protect the landmark legal decision that FACT and PLF secured in the pension obligation bonds victory (Pension Obligation Bond Committee v. All Persons Interested).

“FACT has a direct interest in protecting and enforcing the precedent it established,” said Dean, “that is, the constitutional principle that major government indebtedness must receive voter approval.”

Under the auspices of FACT, Dean publishes a website called PensionTsunami.com that tracks the growing public pension crisis on a daily basis. He is also vice president of the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility — a watchdog organization that plans to conduct a ballot initiative to reform the state’s pension system.

May 30, 2010May 31, 2010Orange County Government

GOP Repuglican Represents and Supports Democratic Candidate

by Greg Sebourn8 Comments

Why is John Lewis, whose own partner, VP Matt Holder, is an alternate on the OC GOP central committee supporting, endorsing, and working for a Democrat? It isn’t as if this was some up and coming blue-dog Dem that has a chance of converting to the red side either. This is the notorious Tom Daly whom FFFF has been reporting on for several months as perhaps the most egregious and dubious waster of public funds that OC tax-payers have seen in a long time, maybe ever!

Clearly John Lewis isn’t doing it because he believes his own rhetoric…or does he? This mailer/advertisement says Daly is a “tax fighter has cut wasteful spending…” I suppose John Lewis has missed the news: Tom Daly has cost OC taxpayers millions upon millions of dollars of needless spending for the sole purpose of satisfying donors, their friends, and their families.

No, I think Lewis got that memo. In fact, I think Lewis is a big part of that waste, though I don’t have any tangible proof. I have only heard the rumors about Lewis hanging around the OC Hall of Administration looking to get into the budget meetings of Daly, et al. But the new security system makes it tough to sneak in and grease the wheels of department heads. Less the contrary be shown, these are still just rumors.

Regardless, why is this former California GOP State Senator working for Daly? According to his website, Lewis has worked on sports facilities. Does that include sports museums and sports hall of fame like what Daly has been working on? One can only guess.

The only reason I bring any of this up is because the OC Register did a short piece on this. In the article, Lewis says he doesn’t know why OC Assessor Webster Guillory’s photo was not included in the ad. That seems like a big OOOPS for a firm who touts being consultants to guys like Congressman Ed Royce and Assemblyman Chris Norby. The “mistake?” seems like something a high school intern might make, not a big time GOP (sometimes Democratic) consultant might make. So what gives?

And I haven’t even mentioned Sandra Hutchens, who, according to the Press Telegram, hired Gilliard-Blanning as her political consultant. I tell you, some of these “Republicans” sure get around. Maybe Guillory should call Gilliard so he can get his face out there to voters. Until then, here is Webster Guillory.

May 28, 2010May 28, 2010Harry Sidhu

OCEA Lobbyist is Behind the Phony “Crime Victims United”

by admin14 Comments

The other day Red County blogger and First 5 fat-skimmer Matthew Cunningham eagerly scampered up to Fullerton to film a press event in front of the police department by a group called “Crime Victims United.” The group was making a laughable attempt to associate Shawn Nelson’s website with victims of crime.

With the help of my Friend and Red County blogger Chip Hanlon, FFFF did a little digging into the background of Crime Victims United to see what they were all about. When the curtain was pulled back, Chip discovered that several union lobbyists are also high-level staffers of this organization.

You see, Wayne Ordos is a political adviser who is listed as a staffer and attorney for Crime Victims United.

But Wayne is also the organizer for the OCEA political action committee.

Wayne’s claim to fame includes other union PAC’s such as “Minorities in Law Enforcement Independent Expenditure Committee” and “CAUSE Law Enforcement Independent Expenditure Committee.” Those PACs bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight for enormous union benefits to the detriment of taxpayers.

We don’t have time to go through the rest of the extensive list of staffers and board members at Crime Victims United, but I’ll bet that more union connections float to the top.

Here’s what matters in the end — the unions will stop at nothing to deceive voters into voting for a pro-union candidate like Harry Sidhu. But we’ll keep shining a light on the lies and deception until the unions are defeated and good leaders are elected.

Perhaps we can look forward to more combined efforts with Chip Hanlon’s Red County blog to fight perpetual government growth. With the awareness of the electorate, we can take the wind out of the unions’ sail and their candidate Harry “Carpetbagger” Sidhu for a Nelson victory.

May 21, 2010May 21, 2010Dead heads

Hide and Seek Sidhu On Public Employee Unions

by admin36 Comments

UPDATE: I came across this earlier post today as I was thinking about all the political mail paid for by the “public employee unions” telling you what a great guy Harry Sidhu is and what a bad guy Shawn Nelson is. This video is worth a replay. Sidhu has an almost limitless capacity for clownish behavior — a perfect fit for the union circus.

Here’s another classic “what did he say?” mumble moment brought to you by Harry Sidhu at the GOP Central Committee meeting last week. We think he believes in public employee unions, but not in his ability to say no to them if they give him dough (directly) – so Honest Harry says he hasn’t and won’t take it. Even though he has been taking it ever since he first got elected in 2004!

In any case he says he won’t ‘take their money now. But just a few days before he had gone hat in hand to the Sheriff Deputy’s union to get their endorsement – and a big monetary expenditure via their IE, and he knows he got it. This is perfectly consistent with the profile of a politician without an ethical fiber in his being.

And that makes him a first class hypocritical hair ball and a worthy candidate for the John Lewis crowd to support.

What a guy.

May 18, 2010Harry Sidhu

The Joke’s On You!

by Mr. Peabody3 Comments

I got an e-mail today from a friend of mine from Anaheim who isn’t all that politically active, but who saw the 4th District Supervisor WAND forum and has seen the videos of Hide and Seek Sidhu on our website.

Harry'sFriend — One is the loneliest number.

Shock and dismay would be two good words to describe this woman’s impression of Sidhu. But I’ll let her speak in her own words:

I am aware that money is really all it takes to run a political campaign, but I have to say I am really and truly amazed by the campaign of Harry Sidhu. I know he doesn’t live in the district and I know he made up several addresses in order to run in the 4th. Okay. That’s pretty awful.

But what’s really bad is that the man is completely incoherent, has no grasp of any issues, and can only read what has been written for him on index cards. It’s pathetic. I would feel sorry for him if he hadn’t brought this embarrassment on himself. In fact, I really doubt if the man has a sense of shame at all.

At the WAND forum all I heard from this character were platitudes of the emptiest kind and even most of those were irrelevant. His performance at the GOP Central Committee meeting was humiliating – and embarrassing for everybody.

Keep up the pressure on this candidacy. You are doing an great job exposing this empty suit for what he is – an over ambitious, ignorant carpetbagger.

P.S. You can use my name.

M. Rodriguez

Thanks, for that. I couldn’t agree more.