Say you’re Dick Ackerman. No, stop making that silly face. And pull that right eyebrow back down. Seriously, pretend you’re crooked former California Senate Minority Leader and long-ago Fullerton Councilman Dick Ackerman, and your three buddies who are currently on the Fullerton Council have asked you for help keeping their jobs.
That would be Mayor Dick Jones, and Councilmen Pat McKinley and Don Bankhead, known popularly as “the Three Blind Mice.” And they do know they need your help, as their shameful behavior in the wake of the brutal police beating murder of homeless Kelly Thomas – refusing to call for any action from the Police Chief on the matter, going along with the coverup of the surveillance video of the beating, telling their constituents that we should leave it all up to “the authorities” as though they themselves as elected officials are not the authorities, trying to pay off the victim’s father so he’d shut up, making comments such as Kelly’s wounds should have been “survivable” and he was “no rocket scientist” – has got them subjected to a recall effort which already boasts 500 volunteers and is moving full steam ahead!
And don’t forget, while you’re busy imagining that you’re Dick Ackerman, to bear in mind the huge favor these Three Blind Mice have just recently done for your company, Nossaman Associates, as documented here the other day – a plum multi-million-dollar development deal for your client whom the city’s professional staff had rated as only the EIGHTH best option. And also don’t forget that these three clowns went out on a limb back in 2009 to endorse your incompetent, carpetbagging wife in her Assembly bid. I’m saying that whatever they end up paying Nossaman, bear in mind that you DO owe these guys some good results here!
So. Given that, as we already have clearly seen, the campaign to save the bacon of these three council buddies of yours is going to consist largely of a smear campaign on one of the recall’s most prominent organizers, whose services would you contract – assuming you were Tricky Dick Ackerman – to do the actual dirty work of this smear campaign?
"Cutthroat consultant," smear-job virtuoso, and OC Fair Board Chairman DAVID "DAVE" ELLIS. (Artist's likeness.)
Well, the question answers itself if you have even a passing remembrance of this author’s epic study of Fair Board Chairman Dave Ellis – not only did Dave not long ago surreptitiously funnel large sums Dick’s way to (probably illegally) grease the skids for the ultimately unsuccessful Great Fairgrounds Swindle; this sort of character-assassination campaign has been exactly his gleeful stock in trade for going on three decades!
We have both of these bits of news – the Ackerman connection and the Ellis connection – on the highest authority. And we can get a sense of how the Three Blind Mice plan to defend themselves by their official response to the recall – reprinted below – which has already been mailed as well to all signers of the recall petition:
- The proposed recall is an attempt to undo the recent election results. [Duh. -ed]
- I am saddened by the harsh rhetoric from those willing to destroy our city in the pursuit of money and power. [oh, boo-hoo.]
- Recall Proponents are using the tragic death of a homeless man to advance their agenda of fear and intimidation. [BS]
- This recall is led by Tony Bushala – a millionaire developer who has profited handsomely from projects in Fullerton’s redevelopment area. [LIE]
- Bushala needs a majority on the city council for future projects to he is seeking. [LIE]
- He has spent tens of thousands of dollars to buy elections and bullying our family-friendly community.
- This recall is his latest attempt to fleece Fullerton’s taxpayers.
- I am proud of our city and all the hard working employees. [yawn…]
- I have the support of Fullerton’s public safety employees. [Again, duh.]
- Vote NO on the recall. Stop the developer’s recall power play.
- www.ProtectFullerton-RecallNo.com [Don’t bother, there’s nothing there yet])
Bushala announcing recall to the Fullerton Council - picture OC Weekly.
Meanwhile I’m aware that there’s whispering among some Fullerton Democrats that this scary, all-powerful Bushala character is REALLY using this whole Kelly Thomas issue as a cover for his blog’s long-time hostility to public-employee unions in general, and that the recall is really just a ploy to get an anti-union majority on the Council. (Hm, I wonder who fed them those rumors? And how THAT bit of paranoia would play with the Republican half of Fullerton’s citizenry?)
Bushala, who’s done amazing work since July 5 in bringing international attention to the Kelly Thomas murder, has a long, colorful and controversial history in the city of Fullerton, and one can only imagine, given Dave Ellis’ wicked imagination and creativity, the sort of glossy mailers Fullerton voters will soon be inundated with demonizing the fellow. But rather than sift through what may be true, false, and exaggerated about Tony (who of course is a friend of mine and a guest blogger here) I think it’s better to cut to the chase and ask: Is Tony really that omnipotent? Is this recall effort, which he and his friends may have begun, really just all about him and his agenda?
No. This recall belongs to all Fullerton voters, from across the spectrum.
Just like when Darrell Issa kickstarted the Recall Gray Davis movement back in 2003 and it took on a life of its own completely independent of Darrell, the same thing’s happening with this Kelly-Thomas-inspired Three Blind Mice recall, which is being embraced enthusiastically by Fullertonians of all political stripes. When the time comes for candidates to file papers to take these miscreants’ places, I personally know at least two great people with name recognition likely to file, Fullerton community activists who are NOT Republicans nor reflexively anti-union, and who laughingly affirm that they are ALSO not the puppets of any “millionaire developers.”
(recall poster, created not by Bushala but by a left-wing Fullerton activist)
Meanwhile Councilmember Sharon Quirk-Silva (who should rightfully be Mayor right now) and Councilman Bruce Whitaker, while ideologically far apart on many issues, are both honest people who really do what they think is right for the city and can explain their actions in a straightforward way; while Jones, Bankhead and McKinley are the kind of corrupt mediocrities that simply attach themselves to whatever are the most powerful forces – which has generally been the police union and developers.
The following are the official reasons Tony and his friends listed for their initiation of the recall (slightly different for each Councilman):
- [The Councilman] has supported policy and contracts which placed the special interests of the police union over the interests and safety of the community. This leadership failure culminated in the beating death of an unarmed, mentally ill homeless man, Kelly Thomas, and permanent damage to the reputation of Fullerton. Currently, the City of Fullerton is the object of worldwide ridicule.
- For many years [he] has supported an illegal tax disguised as a “franchise fee” on the water bills of Fullerton residents.
- [He] supported the illegal expansion of the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency which would have resulted in reductions of revenues to the General Fund including police, fire, schools and infrastructure maintenance. For many years [his] support of redevelopment abuses has led to the enrichment of individual donor/developers who exploit Fullerton taxpayers.
- In 2008, [he] attempted to secretly push through a multi-million dollar pension spike to the benefit of the Fullerton public employees who comprise his core political support.
Some of these counts are more or less compelling to different voters; the first one is what has most folks’ interest. But a vote to recall is a vote to recall, whatever your personal reason is. And I think Fullerton voters should be reminded of this:
These “Three Blind Mice” also voted to let Chevron do what it likes with
West Coyote Hills.
"I agree wholeheartedly - recall the bastards."
(So did Councilman Whitaker, but he was clear about his reasoning, and that would only be one “strike” against him anyway.) This is especially compelling as, if the Recall campaign gathers signatures quickly enough, it will be on the same ballot early next year as the referendum to save Fullerton’s last remaining open space – which is a very popular issue, even in the right-wing Fullerton church where I play organ.
The Three Blind Mice’s (and Bruce’s) failure on this issue was to not even consider – not even give a “second” to considering – Councillady Quirk-Silva’s very reasonable compromise proposals on the deal – offers that even Chevron’s spokesman said they were willing to consider, and which would have preserved this precious area from development.
Bushala’s blog has been mostly silent on this question, and many of his fans and commenters are property-rights-above-all zealots. But this recall can belong to the environmentalists and open space lovers of Fullerton just as much as some “millionaire developer.”
This is a BLOWN-WIDE-OPEN DEMOCRATIC SPACE! Let’s all use it.
“Corrupt mediocrities.” Nice touch. And I’m comforted, in a perverse sort of way, to read that my city –Costa Mesa (soon to be re-renamed “Goat Hill”) — isn’t suffering alone in world-wide ridicule. In Orange County, turning over some municipal rocks indeed turns up some real sleaze. And, yes, we Costa Mesans know Dave Ellis quite well. Too well. Yet I’m surprised he was chosen for the job. Wasn’t Butcher Forde available?
Vern, thanks for the shout out here.
For the record I’ve never “profited handsomely” from Redevelopment. I’ve never profited at all. That’s just a lie, of course.
Also I haven’t had a project before a Fullerton decision making body in 20 years and have no plans to do so.
I note with vast amusement the Three Blind Mice’s sudden aversion to developers.
Ho ho! They’ve got the “support of public safety employees?” Well, duh! Jeez these clowns are really tone deaf!
Fullerton hasn’t been a very “family-friendly community” to Kelly Thomas’ family, now was it?
Ok, I figured a lot of it was lies. But I didn’t wanna drag the article out with lie, lie, partly true, lie, exaggerated, lie.. but on the other hand Tony DID do this …
when the main point is you’re just a diversion from the real issues. Right?
Although, once the attacks start coming, we SHOULD do a debunking post.
Welcome to MY world, Tony, my lad! Down here in soon-to-be Goat Hill again, the council majority is unhappy with the criticism they’ve been getting – much of it from my blog. So, they’ve unleashed their pit bull lawyer, the wonderful Mark Bucher, to threaten me on behalf of two of them.
Then, somebody resurrected the skillful, and vicious, Will Swaim – founding publisher of the OC Weekly – who had created a single-focused blog to criticize the critics of the City Council. Old Will, who has no dog in this hunt, but can stand on tippy-toes from his place in Irvine and look over the border to see what’s going on – seems to have made this his purpose in life. I find myself thinking that this kind of faux passion is usually seen when displayed by mercenaries – hitmen, as it were.
My advice – watch your back…. these guys don’t like critics.
I gotta rouse myself to go check out what Will Swaim’s been doing. Gericault warned me not to, said I’d just get pissed off.
But then I noticed (thru a “pingback”) that he linked to one of my old articles on Wendy Leece – with a real smartass but essentially clueless article of his own. I felt like demolishing that one – but then where would I stop?
Oh yeah – thanks for reminding me, Potstirrer – I’ve also still gotta do my Mark Bucher piece which has been on hold.
Will Swaim is the “purple bug light” of bloggers………He’s just trying to get noticed by picking fights.
Thats the only way he can make a buck.
Trust me, there is no way in hell, that misogynistic windbag from Irvine would be so into Costa Mesa if he wasn’t being well paid for it.
Seriously, any blogger who suggests a “woman gets kicked in the babymaker ” isn’t worth the time or effort to read. That shows loads about the author and tells nothing about the subject whom he is commenting about.
Let him sit in his own self manufactured trench slit.
Grr… you’re probably right. But this makes me want to fight him even more.
What about “Where Will Swaim Wallows” … and I won’t provide him with any links.
I always thought Males were the babymakers, the female was the factory where they get made.
Is my Catholic upbringing wrong or is the wine setting in early?
With “Ed County” blog being nuetralized (self nuetered really), it will be interesting to see where Ackerman carries out his online attacks.
Certainly the OC Register guys (Frank, Martin and CO. will take his calls and publish his pieces), but the FLASHMAN has too broad of a geographic audience to get involved in this (in Jon’s view) penny ante bullshit.
Instead, I’d bet Lil’ Dick focuses like a laser beam on the registered republican blue hairs, it’s the only chance.
Vern Nelson wrote:
> Just like when Darrell Issa kickstarted the Recall Gray Davis movement back
> in 2003 and it took on a life of its own completely independent of Darrell, the
> same thing’s happening with this Kelly-Thomas-inspired Three Blind Mice
> recall, which is being embraced enthusiastically by Fullertonians all over the
> political spectrum.
When you compare the “Kelly-Thomas-inspired Three Blind Mice recall” to the Davis Recall Committee, you’re basically saying it is an effort underwritten by wealthy businessmen to get rid of buffoons and replace them with clowns.
The only reason why Darrell Issa decided to pump $1.7 million of his own personal fortune into the Davis Recall Committee was because this opportunist scumbag thought he could use it to propel himself into the Governor’s mansion.
Then to Issa’s dismay, much more powerful big business interests just brushed him aside and fronted Arnold Schwarzenegger, knowing this moron was capable of getting elected thanks to his cult-like status as an action-figure hero movie star.
I hated Gray Davis, but voted “NO” on his recall. I didn’t like the idea of wealthy businessmen and big business interests using this process to get rid of Davis merely because he didn’t hop and skip exactly the way they wanted him to.
No, a simple comparison does not mean a complete parallel. First of all I’d never compare Bushala’s motives to Issa’s – even if they’re both Lebanese Americans!
The parallel is merely how what MAY have started with one party and his particular motives, can become something totally bigger and different. Maybe it was unwise of me to breezily compare something I think is noble (this Fullerton recall) to something I think was BS from beginning to end (the 2003 fiasco that gave us Schwarzenegger.)
Vern Nelson wrote:
> Maybe it was unwise of me to breezily compare something I think is
> noble (this Fullerton recall) to something I think was BS from beginning
> to end (the 2003 fiasco that gave us Schwarzenegger.)
I’m quite glad to see you agree with me that the right-wing coup that gave us Arnold Schwarzenegger was total “BS from beginning.”
However, I’m still skeptical the instigators of the recall against the “Three Blind Mice” in Fullerton are motivated by noble intentions. Cui bono?
Right now, I believe the most pragmatic thing for me to do is to take a wait-and-see approach. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Well, see, what I’ve been trying to say is, whether or not you mistrust the instigators, it doesn’t matter, as long as the people of Fullerton take the process over, as I like to think they are.
Why do I now feel so uneasy about all this?
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fullerton-libertarian-20110902,0,3931118.story
He attributes Kelly Thomas’ death to an “overreaching” government and union power? Huh? Other than holding cops accountable for beating someone to death, I have no dog in this hunt. But Mr. Bushala sounds like just another political grifter and crank, shamelessly using Thomas’ death to further his crackpot Libertarian ideology.
It is all connected dear.
From the Times article:
“They [Fullerton libertarian activists] see the beating as an example of government overreach — and the city’s perceived unwillingness to take action against the officers as an example of union power.”
This way of looking at it is not so far-fetched. The council majority does want the downtown business area rid of homeless people and made that clear to its police force who went too far in this case; and it is the POLICE union specifically that these three Councilmen are either symbiotic with or terrified of offending due to its great power.
But in any case this recall doesn’t belong to Bushala and Chris “public employee unions bad” Thompson, even if they did get it kick-started. There are lots of good reasons to be against these three Councilmen and to try to get in more honest, responsive public servants. If those turn out to be more “libertarian” than leftist/environmentalist … it’ll be because those folks hustled more. Fullertonians, this is up to you!
From the rehab: “It is all connected dear.” Is it? Yeah, and life is a river. What, was that a quote from the “Tao of Physics” or “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”? Some loopy New Age interpretation of quantum physics? What’s all connected? What’s connected to what? And why?
Vern: Well, sure “the beating” was “an example of government overreach.” Gee, ya think? Yes, obviously so, but trivially true, as they say in overheated philosophy seminars. And if the cops’ union is protecting the accused, they should be censured for surpressing justice and interfering in the public’s business. I’m union, but no union gets to decide who gets investigated or indicted by the county. Bishala and Thompson’s anger about the beating may be a righteous concern for civil liberties. But it sure as hell doesn’t sound like it. Sounds more like shameless opportunism to me. I hope the people of Fullerton realize the difference.
“What, was that a quote”……. Hmmmmm
My momma always said, “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
We all have a common enemy in the douchebag, Vern. Btw, referring to the recall targets as handicapped mice is offensive to handicapable mice.
Also comical is “the latest attempt to fleece taxpayers.”
(Now how can I possibly fleece taxpayers? I’m a private citizen with no government contracts.)
That, coming from these clowns who really have been fleecing the taxpayers – literally, through an illegal utility tax on water and giveaways to “public safety” employees. I use the quotation marks because it’s really getting hard to tell if FPD is making Fullerton more safe, or less.
Vern,
Great write up!
The Big 3 (mostly Jones and Bankhead) have squandered away HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of tax dollars on foolish housing projects and “special deals”.
And every step of the way there was Tony pointing and yelling about the corruption but who was listening? Now he has everybody’s attention.
How many other elected officials have been recalled TWICE from the same office?
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2010/07/fullerton-redevelopment-agency-blows.html
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2011/08/solar-powered-library-do-savings-add-up.html
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2011/08/solar-powered-library-do-savings-add-up.html
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2011/08/where-did-all-money-go.html
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2011/07/fullerton-puts-brakes-on-rate-hike.html
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2011/07/reasons-i-oppose-fullertons-water-rate.html
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-would-you-spend-193-million.html
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2011/06/water-bills-where-does-your-money-g.html
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2011/04/city-of-fullertons-proposed-budget.html
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2011/02/oc-register-2000-lawsuits-and-claims.html
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2011/02/city-attorneys-felonious-fig-tree-fight.html
http://gregsebourn.blogspot.com/2011/02/overkill-of-overtime.html
I don’t live in Fullerton and don’t follow their politics. However, it seems like a recall would help Fullerton find better council members.
Hey Dick is trying to help the unemployed.
Jubal hasn’t typed anything in months (unless you count his fake name posts here)! He needs to score some $$$.
Hm.. Jubal and Tony do have longstanding hostility to each other… I would imagine Matt must be chomping at the bit to defend these Three Blind Mice SOMEWHERE…
But where???
*Errors in judgment are issues like Tiger Woods or The Arnold taping the wrong icebox.
Kelly Thomas died. How he died and why he died are the important questions to answer.
Ackerman is always going to cover his boyz in kimonos…..that is academic. The Recall needs to happen, Tony needs to nail the six bandidos that done the deed, the FBi needs a Consent Decree on the Fullerton PD for five years to watch how they operate and to be sure there is no repeat scenario.
In between, we can chat about verbage, baggage and garbage…..without accomplishing very much!
Anita, a politcal grifter, me?
Wrong. I’ve lived in Fullerton for over 40 years. I’ve seen the usurpation of the City by the so-called “public safety” unions with their outrageous pay and benefits.
There has been a long string of FPD misdeeds, law-breaking, and, most recently, a gang killing of a defenseless homeless man. The FPD PIO has been spinning lies and quarter-truths as fast as he can in the City’s cover-up. This is all indicative of total lack of rational and accountable civilian oversight. The three recallees are all puppets of the police union, pure and simple. They admit as much on their recall statement.
My advice to you “Anita” is not to comment on things you know nothing about. And don’t believe everything you read in the LA Times. Geez, I would have thought that was intuitive.
Hey Anita,
The trouble is not Public Employee Unions in and of themselves, but in this case we have seen where the FPOA (Fullerton Police Officers Association), the union group, threatened the FFFF with litigation for speaking up. They have advised the officers involved NOT to testify (thier right), thereby delaying and obstructing the investigation.
What is troubling about the latter, is that the very laws that these officers denied the victim(s), they are using as a shield. So it very much appears that these rules aren’t for the masses, just the police and connected.
Further, the strength that this organization (FPOA) has achieved, has been on the back of the taxpayer. Elsewhere I have ridiculed thier quest to control the vending machines and attempt to require US to supply them, but they reap the profits.
Employee protections are an important part of our history as a democracy, but, the widespread abuse by the leaders of these organizations has grown rampant. In other words, public employees deserve reasonable protections, but, they are NOT immune or above scrutiny or questioning by us the citizens.
Last year the Prsident of a neighboring cities police union, Brea, Calif. Shawn Neel shot and killed an unarmed man. The investigation languished for 11 months, the DA refusing to release even the slightest details, SOUND FAMILIAR?? Eventually the officer was exonorated by the District Attorney and is now using his position to RAISE MONEY for other police unions as a result.
To me, That’s what the FFFF are talking about a fight to protect ourselves from this kind of collusion.
This is a progressive power play. I think we should recall all Council Members and start over.
Kelly Thomas Was Murdered!!
And ‘NO ONE’…Went To Jail!!