Friends For Fullerton's Future

November 14, 2009January 12, 2010Fullerton School Board

Local Church Services State For Free

Here’s an e-mail we just received from a Friend that raises all sorts of questions, enjoy!

Eastside Church in Fullerton is conducting a large scale service day today. Not all, but most of the projects were at public school campuses. I am very appreciative of the service to the needy which is taking place with this initiative. Sending out hundreds of people to clean, make repairs and generally assist public schools in doing what they are paid to do already is further propagating what I believe to be that most tragic of notions, that PUBLIC EDUCATION IS UNDERFUNDED…HARDLY. Before reading on, understand that many Fullerton teachers have already expressed concern that this endeavor is “taking jobs.” Believe me, that’s the only part of this that makes me smile.

I understand that Eastside’s mission is to be ‘out in the community’ and not locked behind the confines of their church. I applaud that. However, I count on (increasingly foolishly it seems) traditional community church’s like Eastside to be populated by wiser-than-typical parishioners who understand many of the most obvious problems in our state and country.

As I write this as one who works to remain informed of local school government, I know that several of the current Fullerton School District Trustees are hopeful that a new parcel tax can be passed so that we can pay an even larger percentage of our incomes to an educational system which has allowed unions to lobby any possibility for significant fiscal or moral change for that matter, out of existence.

As public education has become a jobs program and reward for liberal public employees and voters, we cannot:

Volunteer teach without union approval.
Terminate incompetent teachers within a timeframe that does not waste tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. My daughter and her classmates are currently enduring this teacher union supported injustice and waste of taxpayer dollars.
Break the back of the cancerous philosophy of compensation within a matrix of TIME SERVED and EDUCATION ACHIEVED which utterly ignores competence or performance.
Liberally outsource functions which could drastically reduce cost and improve performance.

Those are just a small sampling of the changes which could literally solve the problems of public education but for the insane axiom dejour that teachers are heroes simply because they are teachers. Today, Eastside unwittingly (well…not so unwittingly) bolsters the notion that teachers are underpaid even though the turnover is nil for a job that thousands apply for and few ever leave before retirement. Public teaching is a job which offers a fixed pension, summers off and nearly ironclad job security for the tenured.

The votes and common sense rationale of Christian church communities in America is one of our only remaining hopes for a continuing America which is of, by and for the people. If they too drink from the Kool-Aid of mistaking subordinating taxes with our labor as being a form of service and not a form of foolishness, then our problems were greater than I previously thought.

Most depressing have been the arguments which I have heard defending Eastside’s service to government.

This will somehow lead to a diminishing of today’s false understanding of the separation of church and state (which I certainly agree that this has become a misguided tirade of the left).I believe the reverse to be true. This foolish service will give fuel to the fire of those who ridiculously opine that any mention of God in a Public venue is a violation of the First Amendment.
That end times are near anyway, so what difference does it make?I’m not sure how to respond to this. I guess then that we should just ignore any fight to preserve our constitutional government and just go pick flowers?
Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s…Ironically, this is the best argument of all to think this stuff through. From the Christian perspective, I would certainly think that America and her accompanying freedom would be considered to be an amazing gift from God. I have news for Christians who use this as an excuse to remain blind (frequently mistaking this for politeness) to political issues. You are squandering what is one of the greatest gifts from God in our time. A free America.

I believe Eastside Church to be a great place both run by and attended by terrific people. However, it would be unsupportive to stand by silently as they contribute to the very problems which most threaten government’s subordinate position to the people and in so doing, weakening the very principles which protect freedom of religion in our country.

Lest anybody think that I am over the top, understand that I am a believer in local change. There is little hope for wisdom on a grand scale if there is none on a local scale.

November 13, 2009Downtown Fullerton

The Bad Part of Town: A Revelation

by Travis14 Comments

A few days ago a visitor named Greg made derogatory remarks on our blog about some Fullerton neighborhoods south of Commonwealth. Admin asked Greg to take a walk through the area with him, hoping that a closer look would challenge old stereotypes and misconceptions about the area.

Following the meeting, Greg sent us this:

—————-

Ok, I admit it: I was wrong. As it turns out, the “bad part of town” is actually not as bad as I remembered it. A while back, I made some comments about the area south of the railroad tracks between Lemon and Harbor. Growing up it was known as the “Fullerton barrio”. It wasn’t a derogatory name; it’s just what it was. I had some personal experiences in the area back in the 80’s and 90’s that left a substantial impression on me. Since then, I avoided that part of town. After making my comments last week, Admin challenged me to walk the hood. I took him up on the challenge and we met last night near the train station.

On my way over to meet Admin, I drove down a few of the streets so that I could get a better idea of the area. I wanted to see the trash, graffiti, gang bangers, troublemakers, etc. while there was still some good light. I started out on Lemon and headed south to Valencia . I headed east and took it to the end and turned down what I thought was an ally but turns out it’s a street. Anyway, I looked high and low for what I knew would be there. As it turns out, Admin paid them all off to go hide while I was in the area. Ok, maybe not. The truth is, there was little graffiti. There were a few houses that needed some serious TLC but we have those everywhere. One liquor store had what I would categorize as a few gang bangers in front of it sipping there Budweiser on bikes. But by the time we walked by the store they were gone. Maybe Admin is their secret leader…? Maybe not. The reality is that the barrio has come a long way in the last 20+ years. I would even consider saying that it isn’t really the barrio anymore. Maybe it moved or just faded away, but there is very little of it like I remembered it.

Yah, baby! — It's never too late to be smart.

So I met Admin right at 5PM. We talked and walked and I got to see the good and the bad that were present. One thing I noticed quickly was that the sidewalks in the SOCO complex were not user friendly. There were fire gates all over that made the pedestrian have to limbo or walk around it through the landscaping. Poor design. The lighting was good and there were lots of kids on skateboards and bikes. The complex was free from the used condoms, trash, and tagging that I saw when the project was wrapping up. I suppose the new residents deter that sort of criminal mischief. We walked down Truslow and Valencia , eventually making a big loop. Veneer was spotted on some buildings. It wasn’t the cheap stuff that gets glued on but it was clearly a veneer cap. I thought it looked ok but until a couple of weeks ago, I would never have noticed nor cared. Now, at least I am a little more cognizant of its use and misuse. We saw some more tagging on the veneer and a window. Admin stopped to talk to a resident.

Ok, I have to back up a bit. Before meeting Admin, I thought I should do a little investigative work. Using top secret classified resources, I looked up properties held by people with Admin’s last name. There were several dozen such properties in Orange County with all but maybe two in Fullerton . The majority of the properties were in the SOCO area. A lot of different ideas crossed my mind as I reviewed the records. These holdings could mean that Admin was trying to monopolize the area. It could mean a lot of things. Not knowing what it all meant, I decided to go along for the ride and see what happened. As it turns out, Admin was very upfront with the properties he had; there were no secrets, no shades of grey. I had to conclude that his significant investment in the success of the area was directly related to how much the area had improved in the last 20 years. He had taken run down lots and built new homes. He had taken an area that actually had blight and turned it into a quiet and peaceful place. I credit Admin with the amazing transition of this area. And to top it off, NO TAX-PAYER DOLLARS WERE EVER USED. (ok one minor exception back in the 80’s but it didn’t make a difference in and of itself)

In the end, I must thank Admin for opening my eyes to what has been slowly taking shape for many years and giving me the opportunity to be proven wrong!

Sincerely,

Greg

November 12, 2009November 12, 200972nd Election

One For The Road…

by Grover Cleveland7 Comments

Our very close pals at Friends For North Orange County are planning a farewell card for Linda Ackerwoman. Because you Friends are just so darn friendly we offer you a sneak preview of a mailer that’s landing in 10,000 non-absentee Republican and DTS mailboxes manana.

Here's the front. Fake charity to benfit Linda's friends.

And the back. You mean she really lives in irvine? Shocking!

November 12, 2009January 9, 201072nd Election

Another Sign of the Times

by The Fullerton Shadow5 Comments

We came across a heartwarming view this afternoon in a blue collar-type neighborhood in central Anaheim.

November 12, 2009November 12, 200972nd Election

Precinct Walk and Election Night Party For Chris Norby

by Travis2 Comments

This race is going to have a very small election day turnout and each vote will be critically important.

Join with conservatives like taxpayer champion TOM McCLINTOCK in supporting Chris Norby.

Precinct Walk

ELECTION DAY, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 9am – 8pm

and

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009 10am – 1pm

Meet at:
CHRIS NORBY’S HOME
216 N. YALE
FULLERTON

Election Night Party

Join Chris for the election night party at Cherch Lounge in downtown Fullerton (101 S. Harbor Blvd.)

For further questions or to confirm your attendance, please call 714-937-1005.

November 12, 2009December 28, 200972nd Election

Okay, Seriously. Why The 72nd Election Matters

by Grover Cleveland23 Comments

On top of that he actually lives in the district!

We considered ourselves pretty much hopelessly cynical. Most local elections don’t seem to matter much, at least here in OC. The choices are determined in Repuglican primaries between various assorted mixed nuts with more ambition than brains; people whom you wouldn’t hire to walk your dog. People of no real ability but a crafty sort of skill at ferreting out the main chance – for themselves. Remember Duvall? Bulldozer Daucher? Every council election gives birth to a new litter.

But this time it really is different.

Chris Norby is not perfect. A long way from perfection – like most of us. But his political attributes far outweigh his liabilities. He is a rock-solid conservative who has fought for property rights against the incursion of government depredations for decades. At the County he has opposed pension spikes, PLAs, and other policies that unreasonably raise the cost of government to the people who pay for it – us.

As a city councilman in Fullerton Norby time and time again had to stand alone in a lonely fight against the boondogglery of the Redevelopment Agency and completely incompetent affordable housing schemes – foisted on us by his colleagues. You see, Chris put the welfare of the City ahead of foolish collegiality with the rest of the council and with staff. He never forgot that it is the city manger who works for the council – not the other way around. Unlike his fellows on the council he never came to identify himself with the bureaucracy at the expense of his constituents. Remember the Utility Tax?

There is a reason a billionaire like Ed Roski Jr. dislikes Norby so much and is willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars to attack him. It’s because Norby is one of the few elected officials in California who has stood up to fight the redevelopment abuses that create sham cities like “Industry” where Roski rules over his supposedly democratic realm in effective majesty.

So what can Norby do in Sacramento? He can fight the California Redevelopment Association by forging a coalition of Democrats and republicans who are tired of seeing the little guys get pushed around by auto dealers and big box corporate welfare artists. He can fight for equitable sales tax distribution to eliminate internecine tax wars between neighboring cities. As a former teacher he can bring his own experience to bear on education problems instead of relying on party cliches. And as a true fiscal conservative he can fight for the interests of the taxpayers.

His Republican opponent? An empty suit of clothes wheeled around one afternoon in front of a cameraman in poses hardly any more credible that her claimed business experience. A sham candidate imported from another district by forces of pecuniary interest who think nothing is wrong in creating a tax-free, charitable organization whose only mission is to arrange free Hawaiian vacations for legislators.

The Republican Party of Orange County has been run by a relatively small gang of manipulators and political profiteers. Almost all of them have come out in support of a woman who doesn’t even live in the district, and whose entire campaign is a fraud; and lots of small fry local electeds have followed suit, believing as they do that their main chance belongs with the Gang. Maybe they are right. But Tuesday, a message of bad news may be delivered. The Gang has never trusted or accepted Norby. Maybe a Norby victory against their hollow candidate will send the message that their days are numbered. Let’s hope they are.

November 11, 2009November 11, 2009Parks and Trails

Placentia One-Ups Fullerton: Drives Lawnmower Into Lake

by TravisLeave a comment

Today in a brazen attempt to escalate an ongoing feud of municipal clumsiness between the two cities, a Placentia city Parks and Rec contractor piloted his lawnmower into the lake at Tri-City Park. Witness below a photo of the crew in action during the extraction process, taken earlier today by an observant FFFF fan.

tri-city-mower

Scorekeepers should note that Placentia has been giving Fullerton a run for it’s money in this race to the bottom ever since the early days of the OnTrac debacle.

November 11, 2009December 28, 200972nd Election

Chamber Star Finally Weighs In on the 72nd

by The Fullerton Harpoon13 Comments

Ever since some of our critics chastised us for being unduly negative, we have sought contributions from folks who, well, just have a rosier outlook than we. So from time time we post stuff sent to us from our loyal follower “Chamber Star.” Today this individual shares his/her views on the 72nd Special Election Primary.

Election time is nearing! The 72nd State Assembly Special Election is at hand. Many people have already mailed in their absentee ballots and many others will do so soon.

A lot of unpleasant things have been said and done during this campaign and at least that will soon be over. But before it is I want to share my choice for the job: Linda Ackerman.

Why Linda? First because she seems like a real team-player, and not one of those mavericks who can’t get things done. When she says she is not defined by being a Republican she is giving a real signal that she wants to compromise and make deals with the opposition to get things done. And boy do we really need to get things done in California!

As a business person myself, I appreciate that she understands our problems. This site has been very critical of her lack of business experience, but I can tell you that not just anyone can sit on a board of directors, or be part of a non-profit organization. And being on the Board of the MWD is not easy either. It must take a tremendous amount of time to go through all that mountain of paperwork and analysis to make it run more like a business.

I believe Linda shares our values. As a replacement for Mike Duvall we need someone who brings those values to Sacramento. A lot has been made of the Ackermans mentoring Duvall in the first place, but I just don’t believe it. Good, honest people like the Ackermans don’t have anything to do with individuals like Duvall. On top of that Linda has never held office before so she represents a real change, and boy do we need change in California!

Some people have made an issue out of the fact that Linda’s husband is really calling the shots. I don’t know if he literally “speaks for her” but I’m not worried. I like the fact that we can have his vast experience, wisdom, and political connections “on call” as it were; we are really getting two well-connected and knowlegeable people for the price of one!

Finally I want to address (and dismiss) the charge of “carpetbagging” leveled against this fine woman. It’s true that she moved to Irvine and has rented an address in Fullerton, but who cares? If you wanted to hire someone to work for you, would you restrict yourself to only someone from your town? Of course not. You’d try to find the best person for the job – regardless of where they live – and put them to work ASAP. And Linda with her years of charity work and with the PTA in Fullerton before she moved out is just the person for the job.

Well, don’t just take my word for it. Check out all the voices of Linda’s endorsements from OCs best and brightest elected officials, men and women who have selflessly dedicated their lives to our betterment, and who have absolutely nothing to gain personally from an Ackerman victory.

When you add it all up, the choice is very clear, and I’m confident Team Fullerton will make it : Linda Ackerman for State Assembly!

November 10, 2009December 28, 200972nd Election

Polling? What’s All That Dough Buy You?

by The Fullerton Shadow2 Comments

Trouble. That starts with "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for Poll!

We noticed the other day that the Ackerwoman has spent a ton of money on polling: over fourteen big ones were paid to a guy named Adam Probolsky (who is supposedly the “boyfriend” of Ackerman, Inc. campaign fundraiser Desiree Mouzoon).

Being the political novices that we are, we really have to wonder what $14K gets you in the world of polling, and why other polling was needed to be done since Ackerwoman also paid an outfit JMJ Associates another $6500 for “polling and survey.” That’s over twenty grand in just a few weeks for polling. And that doesn’t even count the polling done by the Ackerman attack dogs Alliance for California’s Tomorrow – a poll that seemed to have caused their plug to be pulled. Hmm.

According to his own website “Mr. Probolsky is an opinion research expert with a demonstrated record of success.” There is no explanation of how he got to be an “expert” – such as advanced degrees in mathematics or statistics, or the like.

And, for quite some time we have wondered whether these campaign camp followers – pollsters and campaign consultants, etc., didn’t really have an interest in stringing candidates along for their own purposes.

We would feel really badly if poor Linda, who has the business experience of a ling cod, were being taken advantage of by unscrupulous campaign hucksters.