What is the single stupidest thing that anyone could do in the Fullerton Council Elections?
One image has haunted me since the Fullerton council meeting nine days ago: the look of absolute, unbridled, childish delight on Don Bankhead’s face as he left the meeting from the first row, turning and looking out at the crowd at the sea of peacock blue t-shirted advocates that had come to defend the FPOA and argue against poking it in the eye by initiative pursuit of a bid from alternative service providers with three years remaining on the contract.
“Oh no,” I thought to myself. “He doesn’t believe that this sets the stage for his political comeback, does he? He’s not THAT SELF-ABSORBED AND STUPID, is he? I’ve been assured by people who know him that there’s no way that he’s really running, right?”
Wrong. He is that stupid and he is once again running for Council, sneaking his filing papers across the finish line at the last possible moment, as if that secrecy matters. Tony Bushala’s charmed political life continues! If Bushala has any grace and a sense of humor, as I know he does, he will now send Bankhead a gift basket of muffins in thanks.
Let me explain this really slowly — for Bankhead’s benefit.
First, the ability to gather a bunch of people to attend a City Council meeting, whether from Kelly’s Army or the FPOA, does not actually translate into election results. Tony Bushala’s pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into the race is what translated into election results for the recall — and even that was possible because you and your cohorts on Council screwed up so badly in response to the Kelly Thomas killing that you were sitting ducks. The public overwhelmingly wanted change — and punishment! You were part of the Council majority responsible for the deeply embarrassing blight on Fullerton’s reputation; you got punished.
From my perspective, there are dangers on two sides in Fullerton. One is a Council majority made up of the traditional Republican Ackerman faction, which has showed that it really will impose no meaningful restraints on the police, no matter what they do. The other is a Council majority made up of the libertarian Republican Bushala faction, which is already hurtling towards overreach in its general war on public employees.
There are two other reasonably probable results of this election (putting aside for a moment the prospect of the Green Party’s Jane Rands winning a seat, as she might.) One is a Demoratic majority composed of Chaffee, Jan Flory, and Kitty Jaramillo. This would probably be much more favorable to the FPOA than the Bushala faction but less completely deferential than the Ackerman faction — which is pretty much exactly where the City Council should be right now.
The other possibility is “gridlock” — and that would also be a decent place for the Council to be. Imagine a result where (up until yesterday) the leading figures of each of these three faction were to win. To moderate Democrat Doug Chaffee and reasonable libertarian Republican Greg Sebourn, we might add the libertarian incumbent Bruce Whitaker, plus former Councilmember Jan Flory, plus a traditional conservative like Rick Alvarez or Jennifer Fitzgerald. No one group would have a majority, but one could imagine such a group having to negotiate among themselves to come up with reasonable solutions.
For broadly moderate proposals, everyone’s vote (except maybe Whitaker’s and Fitzgerald’s) would be “in play” — that leaves a lot of room for compromise and creativity. The Council would neither ignore the problems of FPOA nor set out to destroy it. It would have to do a reasonable job of negotiating the next contract — Sebourn is too incisive a critic to cut him out of the process entirely — or else it would face a Bushala landslide in 2014 and/or 2016. I’d prefer five Democrats on Council, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon — and five people who are serious and willing to cooperate is a pretty damn good result!
For this to happen, the voters need to be focused not on the Kelly Thomas killing and the old Council leadership’s completely tone deaf response to it, but on the attempted overreach of the new Council majority. I don’t know whether considering a big from OCSD now is overreach, but souring relations between Council and FPD now, with three years left on a labor contract, certainly is. (This apparently is what determined Sebourn’s vote, for which he has been consistently and viciously flayed on FFFF since then. Don’t be surprised if he moves for reconsideration one of these meetings.) I’m happy for the vote to be a referendum on the new Council majority embodied by its more radical members, Whitaker and Travis Kiger. I’d expect a close race, but a good one!
What’s the most effective way to screw this up? If I were Tony Bushala, I’d hope that one or more of the Three Bald Flat Dinosaurs (or whatever the insult of the day is) would run, focusing voter attention not on what his own people want to do on Council but on whether voters are still upset about the national stain on Fullerton’s reputation left by Don Bankhead and his old cronies. FFFF has been trying like hell to force Jan Flory into the mold of being “the Fourth Bald Tire,” but that’s not an easy sell — even if one repeatedly publishes a photo of a good-natured Flory apparently cooperating in a demonstration of a field sobriety test by pretending to be drunk.
Once Bankhead runs, though, the whole concept changes. We get a de facto Bankhead + Alvarez + Fitzgerald traditional Republican slate — making it harder for the latter two candidates to win. Flory and Kitty Jaramillo now have to work overtime to distance themselves from Bankhead. THe voter focus on libertarian overreach is gone; instead we have a rehash of the recall. Score one for Tony Bushala. (Or maybe score three: If he can get the widely detested Barry Levinson elected along with Whitaker and Kiger, then it doesn’t even matter how Greg Sebourn votes.) With Bankhead in the race, his campaign ads now almost write themselves.
Rarely does one selfish, stupid, and self-indulgent political act upend a race this way — it’s almost breathtaking. Come on, Don Bankhead, don’t make Bushala guess — what is your favorite flavor of muffin? He owes you big time.
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UPDATE: Rather than post a separate story on this, I’ll just lay out the dozen candidates — conveniently divisible into four groups of three — into this update. The four “teams,” one of which is not a team and one of which is only partially one, are as follows:
Bushala Libertarian Republicans: Bruce Whitaker, Travis Kiger, Barry Levinson
Traditional Conservative Republicans: Don Bankhead, Jennifer Fitzgerald, Rick Alvarez
Left of Republicans: Democrats Jan Flory and Kitty Jaramillo; separately, semi-FFFF-friendly Green Jane Rands
Apparently Uncompetitive: musician/artist Matthew Hakim, retired Roberta Reid, small business owner Brian Bartholomew
I’d say that any from the first three groups — recognizing that Rands stands apart from the rest of her category — could conceivably win. It depends on how well any group manages to stand apart from the other two — an area where each of the three have an arguable advantage. Had members of the second and third group cooperated on a “unity slate” against the new Council majority, I think that they’d be favored for two or more of the seats.
*Didn’t Bankhead already win the “The Golden Cupcake Award” for being kicked out of office….only to rise like the Phoenix ….in another paid off election? This could be like
Dan Rostonkowski….using the House Post Office Money for his grandkids a second time….this one, without even being re-elected!
One for the books…..that’s for sure!
“Pass the biscuits Mirandy!”….”Call Molly Pitcher and load up some shot!”… “Get out of town!” “Bring some tar and feathers to the first election party!” “Throw the politico in the bay and keep the tea!”
Yep — he’s now one of only two American politicians to have been recalled twice for the same office. Third time’s the charm!
so who are you people voting for ? first time voting and i was and am for the recall so who can i vote for? i been studying and so far i know fitzgerlad was on the side to stop the recall so for sure i am not voting for her……any advice? oh and i am the type of person that looks at both sides of the story and looks to help the community even if it meens its not the best for me..the greater good comes before me.
The only one I really like is Jane Rands – she was for the recall, and wants to save Coyote Hills … but isn’t down with the whole privatizing, outsourcing, starving the govt thing.
Barry Levinson I intend to find out more about. He is one of the Bushala group to a degree, but he’s for saving Coyote Hills which they’re mostly not. Still we don’t like the anti-govt people to have too big of a majority.
Kitty seems harmless. Greg likes Flory, I don’t, but he likes her as the best chance to avoid an anti-govt/libertarian/Bushala majority.
WHoever you pick make sure to vote No on W!
The sickest part is that he might win, and once again, embarass Fullerton on a national scale.
Mr Bankhead, I sincerely doubt you read these comments, but do our city a giant favor and withdraw. Nothing, and I mean nothing, good can come from you being elected to council after being recalled twice. Running just puts your ego in front of the well being of our city. You know better than that. . . Right?
Well, I don’t see how silly Bankhead necessarily helps crazy Barry rather than great Jane. (I come from assuming the popular Bruce and Travis will be re-elected.)
Here’s some good writing on Bankhead’s return from the very lively left flank of Fullerton’s rebellion:
“Like Ronald Reagan, whose presidential term ended when Don Bankhead was first elected, Mr. Bankhead’s greatest strength is his absolute confidence in himself. No matter how bad his decisions, how baffling his thought process, how transparently compromised his motives, nothing seemed to stick to him enough to drag him down. I always wondered whether his folksy, grandfatherly personality was a cynical ploy, or was he really that out of touch? Not that it mattered. As much as his longevity bred a crushing inertia, it also gave him the only momentum he needed to survive in office in spite of ignoring our decaying infrastructure and running up bills for the next generation to pay.
“And like Ronald Reagan, he is out of touch to the point of nearly being a pathetic figure, and would be one if only his cartoonish remoteness didn’t result in one disaster after another. He’s not as telegenic as Mr. Reagan was, but Fullerton elections aren’t won on television, although the ever growing number of internet videos of Mr. Bankhead in action, or inaction, may not serve his campaign well. He and his backers probably consider the low turnout in the June election that saw him recalled by a more than two to one margin not representative of the larger number of voters expected to cast ballots in November. They’re wrong. Don Bankhead may still be asleep at the switch, but Fullerton has awakened enough to dust itself off and move on.”
Read more at The Fullerton Rag: the Voice of Some People.
http://fullertonrag.com/2012/07/20/teflon-don-2/
Meanwhile I was sitting with a good friend who used to be a mayor and councilman, and we had just got thru lobbying another councilman who was running for re-election, and they were both talking about how much money they lose by serving in office, all the business opportunities they have to forgo, etc., and I was like, why are you all so addicted to it then?
And my friend tried to explain. “It’s like, you just see how everything works. You know more than anybody else. And you can’t do much but sometimes you can stop something awful from happening or make something good happen. It’s like… you’re right there in the belly of the beast.” It almost sounded sexual. I should write a story about it some day.
That last bit doesn’t really apply to Bankhead, who probably just doesn’t know what else to do with himself.
Also, Greg, I think you lump people into categories too much. And political parties are getting less important in local politics, less and less important by the month.
http://pinterest.com/lightwading/nerdery-back-off-man-i-m-a-scientist/
This is part of what scientists do!
Do you think that we’ll see signs carrying two or three names again? Call it partisan or not, but it will probably happen — and that is lumping them into categories. I know that it sucks for Jane.
Why it helps Crazy Barry rather than Sane Jane:
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|-VOTE FOR-|
|—GREAT—-|
|–JUSTICE:–|
|-WHITAKER-|
|—-KIGER—-|
|-LEVINSON-|
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It helps incumbents. Levinson gets swept along in their wake. That’s why I wish that Tony would promote Jane. But no — Tony is going to buy Bruce, Travis, and Barry slots in the various voter guides and he’s not going to buy them for Jane. She’s too independent-minded.
This is the downside of political independence, alas — and that would be true whether I pointed it out here or not.
Excellent summary of the current electoral situation, Greg. I think there is one more dangerous element to Bankhead’s run. To survive, the FFFF council memebers have to keep things in a continuous crisis mode. They capitalized on the Kelly Thomas killing to create a frenzy of anti-police and anti-council sentiment, (some of which was called for). When that wasn’t enough, they focused on the “illegal water tax” and the new right-wing bugaboo, public pensions. Since becoming the Council majority, they’ve engaged in a frenzy of activity that has yet to produce any meaningful results. The bid request from OCSD was a waste of five hours, and they’re casting about for ways to force Fullerton ever closer to bankruptcy just because Tony hates public employees. Having Bankhead run will just add fuel to their crisis bonfire, reopening barely-healed wounds and making it more likely Fullerton’s future will be in the hands of radical libertarians who represent a minuscule fraction of the city’s political lspectrum.
What the other candidates should be focusing on one of the FFFF’s favorite subjects, “transparency”. I suggest you pop over to the FFFF site (if you can stomach it) to see Tony’s pronouncement on how the water issue should be handled. I’d put money on the three FFFF-backed candidates doing as they are told. Having your Council vote dictated you a week in advance on a blog may be transparent, but its not very honest. And I also suggest you review the Council meeting minutes and take a look at the recent Council appointments process. The new FFFF council members were so hot to appoint their cronies to commissions and committees, they waived the fact many of the “applicants” failed to provide applications outlining their qualifications. And a couple of the “transparent” candidates went so far as to at least try to get family members appointed to commissions. It may not be illegal, but its sure not very “transparent”.
I think I said it once before during the recall election, but I’ll say it again. The only thing worse than keeping the old cabal of the three old-line Republicans would be replacing it with a new cabal of extremists. November will be a very critical election for Fullerton’s real future. And its far too important to let Bankhead become the central issue.
Greg,
I think you should reconfigure your list to reflect who is pushover for police union money and who isn’t, and, consequently, who is most likely to do anything about Fullerton’s police department. Jane Rands is a leader in the effort to establish an effective citizen oversight body for the police, while others have stayed on the sidelines or uncritically supported the FPD without any oversight.
OK, go ahead and reconfigure the list (which was of course designed for a different and less tendentious purpose.)
I’m guessing that #1 on your list is Jane Rands. Anyone else on your list?
Matt,
How about Jan Flory? She was the only Council person to vote against the enhanced public retirement safety benefit. Not because she’s anti-union, but because she saw the future cost.
I don’t know, how about Jan Flory, not only opposed the Fullerton Recall, but actually presented an award to Pat McKinley in the wake of the Kelly Thomas killing?
So anyone who oppsed the recall should be automatically rejected as a viable candidate? Seems like an awfully arbitray litmus test…
I find it hard to believe that Tony would back Barry Levinson. He has a very deep disdain for our Jewish brothers and sisters and believes that the Holocaust didn’t happen. I know you wont believe me, so ask him.
You’re right, I’m not inclined to believe that, but someone else can ask him to reply here. Tony?
Funny, I thought Levinson was a Jewish name.
That’s what OC Citizen is saying. Levinson is (presumably) Jewish, as am I, and he’s saying that it’s surprising that Tony would back him because he is an anti-Semitic Holocaust denier.
Now, I know from the donor statements that Tony did back Levinson in the recall, so that’s not really in question, but the point of OC Citizen’s statement is clearly to get this charge into public view — and here it is. Tony can deal with it or not. I’m don’t think I’m going to ask him about it. I presume that if anything he’d say “not true,” which puts the onus on OC Citizen to produce whatever evidence he has. I’d just as soon skip asking Tony and cut to the chase if there’s something to be known. (Or you could refer him to a different blog.)
Greg, mazel for believing in the goodness of people. But when you have known Bushala for 20 plus years and seen him at his worst, get back to me.
By the way, hell will freeze over before Tony addresses this.
Well you are right on as to your assessment of Don Bankhead. He has no life other than the Council. I worked with him for a few years, and he is not a deep thinker, and has a selective memory that puts him at the center of everything. I honestly think he believes he can still do the job, and will be re-elected to continue his “leadership” role on the Council.
For sake of transparency, commenter Matt Leslie should disclose that he lives with Ms. Rands, and works for a city funded art center located in Fullerton. Thus his interest…..
I just figured everyone knew about my relationship with Jane, but for the sake of disclosure, yes, I you should be aware that I am partial to her as a candidate. I’m not sure what it has to do with my political writing, but I do work at an arts center foundation. However, only a small percentage of its funding comes from the city.
Now that you know all about me, how about your name/job/name of significant other Paladin?