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I am nearly finished with PART DEUX of Murray’s Discovery of West Anaheim, but then this came “over the transom” and had to be addressed. (“Had to be addressed” as in, “if I don’t get this out I will emotionally explode.”)
When Council Member Kris Murray ended the last Council meeting with an order to City staff to come back with a Resolution in which the Council could denounce Presidential candidate Donald Trump for his hateful rhetoric, I sat stunned, waiting for City Attorney Houston to tell her no. Then I figured he would tell her privately, and the idea would quietly die and not get on an agenda. When I heard that the agenda was posted, and the Resolution was indeed included as Item 19, I figured they would oppose some generic form of “hate speech.”
But nope, Murray doubles down on the now customary use of public funds for personal purposes, and moves on to the use of public funds for political purposes. Our City Attorney has one foot out the door, returning to the private sector and fewer land mines like constituents expressing desire to file complaints with the bar association (who, me?), but you would think as the last public act in the last public meeting of his short but infuriating tenure of public service, he would at least want to pretend he was preventing his client from violating state law. Maybe?
GOVERNMENT CODE
SECTION 54964-54964.6
(a) An officer, employee, or consultant of a local agency may not expend or authorize the expenditure of any of the funds of the local agency to support or oppose the approval or rejection of a ballot measure, or the election or defeat of a candidate, by the voters.
(b) As used in this section the following terms have the following meanings:
(2) “Candidate” means an individual who has qualified to have his or her name listed on the ballot, or who has qualified to have write-in votes on his or her behalf counted by elections officials, for nomination or election to an elective office at any regular or special primary or general election of the local agency, and includes any officeholder who is the subject of a recall election.
(3) “Expenditure” means a payment of local agency funds that is used for communications that expressly advocate the approval or rejection of a clearly identified ballot measure, or the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, by the voters. “Expenditure” shall not include membership dues paid by the local agency to a professional association.
Is this the legal counsel Anaheim gets now that Council fired the Latina who knew what she was doing and told the Council what they NEEDED to hear, replacing her with the younger, less experienced, but better paid white guy who tells them what they WANT to hear? (Tell us again, Kris, about how you champion the rights of women and minorities. The only (former) Latina City Attorney in Orange County has disputed that.)
If we are talking about Murray’s passionate representation of the poor and downtrodden immigrant communities she serves, let’s review. First of all, the ACTIONS of Kris Murray, with a direct impact on the very populations she claims to be protecting from “divisive speech” have created more genuine division in her 6-year rule than Donald Trump’s words have created, specific to Anaheim. If “Kindness is love with its work boots on,” then Murray’s actions are elitism with its combat boots on. Murray wants to protect us from the words of Trump, but who is going to protect us from Murray?
WHAT ACTIONS HAS SHE TAKEN?
General Fund programs with declining budgets, due to lost revenues from subsidy payments, have the most impact on working poor minorities who rely on city programs like libraries and parks and rec.
This would include the Stadium fiasco, Gardenwalk and other hotels, sales tax rebates to car dealers. Murray’s support of extraction economics dates back to the very early days of her service, when she fought tooth and nail to preserve the City Manager’s signing authority up to $250K without Council oversight, and then fought tooth and nail to preserve then-City Manager tom Wood when he was caught lying to the Mayor about the need for-and transparency related to-that signing authority. Back before we had even caught on to the weasel ways of the majority or coined the phrase “Kleptocracy,” Murray was in there up to her eyeballs already.
Take from the poor and give to the rich? CHECK!
Gas taxes expected to fund at least half of the Disney-benefitting ARC streetcar are regressive, impacting the working poor and immigrant communities more than others, as they tend to drive the least fuel-efficient, older cars, and thus pay a higher percentage of gas taxes than Kris Murray’s Tesla-driving neighbors in Anaheim Hills.
Fund a corporate boondoggle to benefit Disney while the population Murray claims to champion is left at the bus stop with funding cuts from OCTA? CHECK!
The ARC streetcar docs show the highest number of bicyclists (likely victims when their bike routes cross known dangerous to bicyclists street car lines) and the highest number of Resort workers are in the SAME neighborhood, requiring them to cross the streetcar lines by bicycle to get to work. Yet the City’s documents dismissed the danger, and instead assume all bicycle travel is recreational, thus the Ponderosa residents working in the Resort are riding their bikes to the river trail on their days off, and thus there is no conflict and nothing to see here, carry on. Murray supports this project with her last breath.
OK to grind up a few Latinos under the wheels of the economic engine? CHECK!
In her race to approve Disney’s gate tax exemption last July, the Murray-led majority failed to even review the 1996 Finance Agreement between Disney and the City that created the original exemption. Refusal to check for mutual accountability led us to leave potentially tends of millions on the table that might have been renegotiated, and pumped into the General Fund without ANY TAX RAISE AT ALL.
Failure to lead then leads to City’s failure to thrive? CHECK!
Mortgages the future of Anaheim’s grandchildren to expand a Convention Center that already loses $10MM a year, in order to prop up hoteliers generating the least stable source of revenue Anaheim has come to rely upon (to our detriment.) Then continues to create such negative headlines that our city’s nationwide reputation has become mud, potentially impacting our ability to draw the big conventions to fill the Convention Center our grandkids will be paying for. Doubles down on stupid by also borrowing more than needed and pumping it into “neighborhood improvements.
Borrows from grandkids to fund today’s sidewalk repairs? CHECK!
Approves pension obligations for public union staff who endorsed her, despite reports that our bond obligations are going to collide with our pension obligations.
Grandkids get to choose between paying retired cops or retired investors. Revenues from hotels already committed to kick back to hotels, no help there. Disney might help fund some obligations… It is to laugh.
Oh, we were supposed to leave you enough for CURRENT services too? CHECK!
(Another bonus round issue: During the budget hearings of June 2012, when the Murray led majority approved outrageous pensions to public safety personnel on the same night cities around the US were standing up to such financial thuggery. The ONLY reduction in the entire budget mandated by the City Council was a cut to the Mayor’s budget, impacting the Mayor’s one and only staffer … a woman of color.)
Murray graciously donates soccer balls to the children of Anna Drive, knowing the playing fields at the nearby school have been closed for lack of funding to staff someone to open the gates. Murray votes against General Fund revenues to partner with schools for joint use.
Playing twisted game of Gift of the Magi in which kids now have play equipment but no location? CHECK!
This one comes with Bonus Points: Kids playing with Murray’s donated soccer balls in the alley, as the only unobstructed stretch of space, are now forced into physical proximity with the gang members selling drugs in those alleys, allowing Murray’s pal the District Attorney to now list those kids in his “gang injunction” area for associating with known gang members. Begin the cycle, the line starts here.
Look at Murray’s actions since being elected. Look at the faces of those standing in front of City Hall, or at the microphone begging for help. Tell me Kris Murray gives a rat’s behind about Anaheim’s minority populations, beyond using them as props for media attention.
Murray pretends to work while the Latino residents of Ponderosa pretend that they are not being used for a photo opp.
Shall we keep going?
Spending Public Funds on Bad Advice
Did Michael Houston TRY to warn Murray about the prohibitions in State law against using public funds for political messaging, and she ignored him, moving forward with the help of oh-so-compliant Greg Garcia?
(Garcia — the guy who will follow orders until he accidentally accuses someone of the wrong criminal act in legal documents? hint: It’s not “gift of public funds” it is “violation of gift limits to a public official” and it’s not true no matter which one it is… Not that I have noticed such things in my own legal disputes with the City.)
Or is Murray going to claim that her use of public resources fits the exemption for “incidental and minimal.”
Greg Garcia pulls in roughly $240K in total compensation, according to the 2014 reporting of Transparent California. I’d say his time is far from “incidental,” which is intended to apply to things like phone calls on the government phone system, not extended staff time or use of the City’s website to host political hit pieces that call out a candidate for office by name and office sought. But I guess this will be one for the Attorney General to review. Who is California’s Atty General again? Oh yeah, Kamala Harris, the Democrat…and who most wants Donald Trump to be the Republican candidate against Hillary? Remind me, again…
If one has to go to the trouble of filing a complaint with the State Attorney General, and make the case that the State needs to step in due to a pattern of past practice by the local DA to NOT take action regarding such prior events, then I guess outlining those prior events would be a good idea.
Clearly this is NOT Murray’s first rodeo. PRIOR uses of Murray’s official position for political manipulation or advantage. How many are needed to set a “pattern of past practice?”
Among the classics is the most obvious and blatant use of public office to quell PAID POLITICAL ADS of citizens who opposed them. We refer, of course, to the meeting of Kris Murray and Gail Eastman with the then-new Register owners, at the office of the City Manager. Henceforth to be known as, “That’s some nice naming rights we got on the table here, be a shame if something we to happen to them.”
And the “don’t bother people with voting” Charter change by Murray. Unlike the last meeting, Murray didn’t even order staff to do her bidding. A throw away line during her acceptance speech for swearing in for her second term became a mandate for the City Attorney to commit “months” according to Murray, for a Charter change on the upcoming ballot. Murray even admits during the discussion that the whole issue is aimed to prevent the most likely winners of upcoming elections from completing their campaign platforms. Now there is a nice democratic way of conducting the City’s business. Let’s cut leaders off at the knees before they even get elected.
March 3, 2015
Reso/Ord/Abandonments
Land Use – Planning
Land Use – Zoning
MURRAY (1:58:08): “Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Brandman, for asking some valid questions.
I raised this in my oath of office ceremony, after running for reelection successfully, because we are changing our form of governance. We are moving to a new form. We do have a number of candidates who talked about the funding priorities, and that they were open, and would potentially embrace, the type of taxes that have been discussed here tonight. Again: regressive taxes on utilities, so that could rear its head again; on sales taxes; on gate taxes; on other use taxes; as a means of supporting programs. That they were supportive of – as we go into a larger City Council, as we go into a new paradigm of governance –
…and again, to bring Anaheim in line with a requirement that’s already there for General Law cities.
I believe there is a time relevance to bringing this up now, and having it before the voters for their consideration in the next election. Our City Attorney has done a great deal of research on this, spent the last couple months working on it, has brought forward a thoughtful proposal, and I believe we are ready to move forward, with consideration, if we’re supportive of a 2/3 vote threshold as approved by the voters in Prop 62, and as approved in place for a number of tax measures, that voters and/or other legislative bodies must consider, before putting measures before the voters. So with that, I again would humbly and respectfully ask for my Council representatives’ support here tonight. Thank You.”
Let’s not forget the retaliatory actions against then-Mayor Pro Tem Lorri Gallloway. My feelings for Galloway run pretty parallel to my distaste for Trump, (maybe worse, since to my knowledge Donald Trump never made Julie Tait cry in a sense of betrayal from a friend.) But even I had to cringe at Murray’s attack on Galloway for exercising her right to participate in a legal voter initiative that Murray happened to not like.
APRIL 17, 2012
- Review and consider the position of Mayor Pro Tem for the 2012 calendar year.
From the City Meeting Minutes:
http://records.anaheim.net/cityclerk/0/doc/1175026/Page1.aspx
Council Member Murray began her remarks by responding to concerns that had been raised earlier. She emphasized the fact that every member of council worked to ensure city services were there for residents and children and also worked tirelessly for nonprofits that served at risk youth and families in Anaheim. She pointed out Council Member Sidhu ran a health fair and a job fair each year, a personal initiative of his. She added that she and Council Member Eastman had attended many flashlight walks in at risk communities. She had also spent a year working with Toshiba for a private grant to supply the new Ponderosa computer lab for students to have access to state -of- the -art computers and the community to have that same access for job hunting and skills training. She added all five of the City Council cared about the city and while they may not always agree, it was her hope they would be able to work together.
For the last three months, she stated, she and her two colleagues had received emails distorting facts. Also, similar public comments at each subsequent council meeting, censured the council for their January 24 decision. Upon the filing of an initiative that would potentially and indefinitely stop economic development in Anaheim, she felt this item must be heard.
She (Murray) added by Council Member Galloway signing an initiative not as an individual or resident, but by using her title of Mayor Pro Tem, Council Member Murray believed it would mislead voters and that a line had been crossed and the only recourse available to keep that title from being put on the ballot and voter pamphlet materials, was to reappoint the position.
Council Member Murray then moved to nominate Harry Sidhu to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for the remainder of the calendar year;
Council Member Eastman seconded the motion.
Mayor Tait remarked the Mayor Pro Tem position had been initially rotated between Council Members as a nonpolitical act, but at some point that process ended. When he became Mayor, he opted to bring back the tradition of rotating the position so that every member of Council would have the chance to serve as Mayor Pro Tem during his tenure. He felt tonight’s action was a step backwards and while he disagreed strongly with the GardenWalk development agreement and supported a vote by the people on this issue, he wished to move this Council forward and requested Mayor Pro Tem Galloway be retained in her position and serve out her term with distinction.
Council Member Eastman indicated she had seconded this motion concurring with the point raised by Council Member Murray. She added while she supported the community’s right to participate in the process, she did not support the initiative for a number of reasons.
At such time, City Attorney Cristina Talley cautioned Council on the need to be mindful of the Brown Act in connection with this discussion. While the Brown act allowed brief comment in response to comments from members of the public, it should be kept in mind that the matter of the initiative had not been agendized. Council Member Galloway remarked she had signed the petition to gather signatures for the initiative as Mayor Pro Tem, as that was her title. She added she had been honored by the title and would continue to serve and represent the people of Anaheim. City Clerk Linda Andal remarked that before the motion could be considered there must first be a motion to remove Council Member Galloway from the position of Mayor Pro Tem or Council Member Murray could amend the language of the original motion to remove Council Member Galloway from the position of Mayor Pro Tem and to nominate Harry Sidhu to serve out the remaining 2012 term as Mayor Pro Tem. Council Member Murray accepted the amended language with Council Member Eastman seconding the amended motion. Roll CaII Vote: Ayes — 3: (Council Members Eastman, Murray and Sidhu.) Noes — 2: (Mayor Tait and Council Member Galloway). Motion Carried and Mr. Sidhu was appointed Mayor Pro Tem.
In EVERY one of these issues, the only “harm” caused to Kris Murray and her pals is that she doesn’t like what someone has SAID. Nobody has DONE anything to them. Nobody has denied them the right to vote, or taken their candy bar until after school lets out. Murray simply cannot handle WORDS that don’t match her vision of how the world is supposed to work. And she is totally OK with using OUR TAX DOLLARS and the power and authority granted to her by US to prevent or punish others for uttering those words. These don’t appear to be the actions of a rational adult, much less the character qualities needed in an elected leaders for public office. It is time for Kris Murray to leave the City Council. I am calling on Kris Murray to please resign, and stop the constant bickering that SHE is central to stirring up.
But wait! There’s more! No, sorry, the Ginsu knives are sold out. So are our elected leaders. All we have left is this collection of misdeeds dating back to right after the election of our voting block in 2010. Can you stand to keep reading?
The recent work by the Council majority to turn what should have been the community sing-a-long, group hug, and drum circle to celebrate the UNANIMOUSLY nominated People’s Map, instead going into overtime to find the most ludicrous excuse on the planet to kill the best option, in favor of splitting up communities of interests, and leading to what would surely be protests to disrupt the biggest convention in Anaheim. All because…what was Jordan Brandman’s reasoning?
The central committee’s action emanates from a personal political vendetta against me by Dr. Jose Moreno, an individual with whom I have had a long standing dispute. Dr. Moreno believes he should be granted a seat on the Anaheim City Council without having to earn community support and work for it. He is wrong. At no time during the selection process regarding which districts would be on the ballot this election cycle did I receive any personal communication from him, the author of the resolution Mr. (Jeff) LeTourneau, or Chair (Henry) Vandermeir. They never directly spoke to me, emailed me, wrote me, or called me.
So Jordan drop kicks the outcome that many in the community worked hard for, participating in the public process, following the rules set by the City Council, with no opposition to the plan from the community and no alternate plan presented. Brandman uses the public resources of his seat on the City Council to oppose the potential election of Jose Moreno, and the other 2 blind mice follow him.
And yet, tomorrow night, we will be told, “nothing to see here, folks, it’s all just part of the show…” Some of us are TIRED of our local government being nothing but a side show. We are tired of “leaders” who work pretty damn hard to make our City a laughingstock on the evening news week after week, destroying the desirability of our community as a desirable destination, while increasingly relying upon tourism for our economic lives.
It is time for Kris Murray to resign, now that she has stepped over the line from “appearance of conflict” to “actual conflict.” When she will brazenly order staff to expend public funds for her own political game, and then double down on that stupidity by broadcasting that misuse of public funds out with her own website and email blasts, and media interviews as if she is rescuing puppies and giving them to orphans, then enough is enough.
Ironically, her cohorts would be better off without her. She has become a liability, and now that her removal from office is at least more likely than ever before (and more desirable than ever before) she takes down her compatriots by forcing them to stand with her. If Murray leaves office now, the remaining split Council will have to select someone fair and balanced, without obvious biases toward the previous majority or the Tait camp. No other individual will gain the 3rd swing vote from either side needed. Or she can stick around, set her face in the unblinking, wide-eyed stare of a deer in the headlights, not sure why the light is getting brighter, or why people seem to be yelling at her to get out of the road. This is one last time Murray can feel like she is in control of the Council majority she has lorded it over for 6 long, ugly years. I hope she uses it to for ONCE do what is best for the people of Anaheim. and put and end to the non-stop bickering and self-dealing, so we can move our community forward and be the best Anaheim we can be.
Nice job, Cynthia.
“. . .Murray doubles down on the now customary use of public funds for personal purposes, and moves on to the use of public funds for political purposes.”
I wrote some time ago that Kris Murray is killing our party in this county. This is just one more reason why. She has to go.
(That said, Trump is awful. I’ll give her that, but do it on your own time.)
The kleptos realize they really have to start making nice with the Latinos and other long-neglected denizens of Central and West Anaheim. And so they condemn Trump and promise to bring their own special brand of “economic development” (i.e. crony capitalism for our friends) and nothing for you).
But then at the same time they dump Steven Albert Chavez Lodge on them – carpetbagger par excellence.
#mixedmessage
NO! #zengerjoinsthehashtagbrigade
I just did that because Ryan stole my Gulen shtick.
And now his beard has fallen out, just like I said it would.
#magnificent
Have you taken a course of study from Diamond? You had me at “using public funds to support/oppose a candidate.”
Who cares. This whole thing is a waste of good air
The outrage is equally stupid.
Rhode Island cares Jim, thats why they “Wasted” their vote on Bernie Sanders.
It’s getting national media attention, that’s who cares.
Murray says Donald Trump represents hate.
Then some anti-Trump clown is reported to have confronted female pro-Trump supporters and 2 young children and pepper sprayed them outside Anaheim City Hall prior to the Council meeting. The cops are apparently trying to find him.
Now who are the haters, Kris Murray? Now which side is promoting violence?
Had Murray not put this stupid anti-Trump item on Anaheim council agenda none of this would’ve happened.
The blogger is correct….time for Murray to resign!!!
Oh, breaking news…..Trump just swept all 5 primary states on the east coast. NBC reported that Trump is now over the 50% mark on Republican support nationwide!
Put some of that in your pipe and smoke it, Murray!!!! 🙂
Every cop and firefighter on the force is out tonight, they have City Hall with caution tape all around back side, cops in riot gear out front (I guess the call for help at Pearson Park for the KKK finally came in and they figured they would show up at City Hall instead?)
WHO GETS TO PAY FOR THIS CRAP? Who gets to pay for ghetto bird to circle endlessly over City Hall? This should come out of Kris Murray’s campaign funds, which is where the statement condemning Trump should have come from. Taxpayers get stuck with the bill for security to cover the outrage after taxpayers get stuck with the bill for Murray’s grandstanding.
I already didn’t like Trump. HIs followers have drive home that impression in ways I could not have imagined. City Hall has become a ZOO. Ignorant people citing the wrong laws broken, talking from a place of ignorance that does not help their case. AT this point, I would gladly write in Mickey Mouse for President. If this is the future of the United States, we are screwed.
Way to secure those endorsements, Kris. Who said money can’t buy you love?
If this is the future of America we’re screwed? 🙂
Hello? The screwing started with HW Bush and every President thereafter. All establishment Presidents.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to change course and try something new.
At this point….what do we have to lose?
Life, liberty, and happiness. That’s what we have to lose.
Hello?
Do you have any idea how much Life, Liberty and Happiness this Country has lost under HW Bush, Clinton, GW Bush and Obama???
Do you think Hillary will promote Life, Liberty and Happiness??? In her positions of power she promoted illegal wars in Iraq, Libya and Syria.
Oh, and don’t forget. Hillary voted to authorize Bush II to invade Iraq based on a pack of vicious lies that cost the US nearly $2 trillion dollars (that could grow to over $6 trillion in the next 4 decades due to benefits owed to our vets) and 5000 lives of US military personnel.
Hillary said that Snowden should not come home “without facing the music”. 🙂
This came out of the mouth of a woman who held top secret classified documents on her home server leaving America vulnerable to enemy interests that could easily hack this highly senstive information and do tremendous damage to the security of our country.
And she had the nerve to assert that Snowden should be held accountable? 🙂
Trump is going to have a field day with Hillary.
This should be one of the most entertaining POTUS elections in the history of the country.
Like your arguments, I don’t think your negative Nancy approach is rooted too strong in reality.
“The status quo sucks” is an absolutely atrocious reason to vote for Donald Trump.
There’s more to understanding what the Framers of the Constitution envisioned for our shared future than typing a few awkward sentences capped with emoji. Take a moment a read Article II.
The entire purpose of that document is to prevent a man like Trump from ever becoming President. Using Hillary’s bad behavior as a reason to vote for Trump, particularly under the auspices of making this country great again, demonstrates you know absolutely nothing about where we came from, what we’ve struggled through, or what we need to do to ensure life, liberty, and happiness for our children.
In short, once again, your ignorance is showing.
I couldn’t count on both hands the collective number of times the US Constitution was violated by Clinton, Bush II and Obama.
So your claim that Trump is anti-US Constitutional values is laughable.
Your establishment politicians who have been complicit in violating the US Constitution hate Trump.
That should have given you your first clue that Trump favors restoring Life, Liberty and Happiness in America.
But you appear to be in favor of going down that same old road with those same old faces.
That should work!
What’s wrong with you? Other people’s bad behavior justifies your candidate’s?
Do you hear yourself?
“Other people’s bad behavior justifies your candidate’s?”
In that sense, Drumpf is anything BUT anti-establishment.
More non-answers to my comments.
It’s really better not to reply all than to offer empty non-responsive comments that only bolster my positions.
You talking to yourself now?
So Murray’s clumsy political gesture creates a riot.
How will Cunningham spin this? Must have been those leftist academics!
Pretty sure it’s the leftists fault.
Blame Jose Moreno! He made it necessary for Murray to pander to Latinos and Muslims! It’s all a radical union ploy.
Recall! Maybe now that Tony’s back?
Sean Fitzgerald’s taste in women make for the WORST politicians Curt Pringle can buy.
At the risk of drawing the ire of many, could it actually be that Murray just really hates what Trump stands for and has said and wanted to make that statement? And although I agree that staff has better things to do with their time, I would also question the time staff may have had to spend prepping for a religious leader’s visit, or trying to get everyone to be kind (not a function of government, although I applaud the notion). It is easy for both sides to point fingers in Anaheim, and my sympathies are with you Cynthia.
Prepping for a visitor (religious or not) or advocating a mission/vision statement are legitimate and arguably necessary function of local government.
Personal political bias of one councilwoman is not. In fact, it’s illegal.
This is the latest example in a long train of poor decisions from Kris Murray. Trump sucks. She easily could have delivered her message on her own time and dime. She didn’t.
Why? Well, when has she EVER shown any respect for taxpayer time or money. Par for the course.
We learned last night that the idea for a resolution against divisive rhetoric and hate speech in the election came from local Muslim activist Rida Hamida; Rida didn’t mention a particular candidate; Kris made it about Trump; many speakers and eventually three of Kris’ colleagues didn’t think the council had any business criticizing or praising a presidential candidate.
Kris was expecting this and suggested a different resolution closer to Rida’s original. Tom and James and Lucille agreed that now the resolution was so different meant it needs to be brought back next meeting.
Kris and Jordan were both very upset at not being able to get it done NOW. Jordan said he was “aghast.” One of the security guys was laughing at him in the other room.
Under Murray and Brandman’s reasoning, changing “Donald Trump” to “Ted Cruz” in an amendment after public comment would have still been permissible because it was “germane” to the issue of hate speech (uh, “divisive rhetoric”) by Presidential candidates.
THAT is how dumb the idea of bringing up a wholly refocused resolution, rather than agendizing it for the next meeting, is. Exquisitely dumb.
“could it actually be that Murray just really hates what Trump stands for and has said and wanted to make that statement?”
Maybe. But it is much more likely election year pandering to the Latino and Muslim residents of central and west Anaheim.
As Cruz says much the same thing about Latinos and Muslims, excluding him from the resolution is a dead giveaway.
Singling out a political for promotion or attack as an official city action is an illegal use of public funds
We don’t even GET to any questions beyond that. You cannot do what she and Brandman wanted to do. Period.
“Hain’t we got all the fools in town on our side? And hain’t that a big enough majority in any town?”
― Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Why isn’t anyone here discussing the act of hate and violence demonstrated by an anti-Trump protester at the Anaheim council meeting?
Imagine that….spraying 2 women and 2 little children in the face with pepper spray.
Imagine the headlines that would get if the perpetrator was a Trump supporter?
OMG….it would be international news and the OC blog rants would go viral!!!!
Let’s show some objectivity, ok?
Too true Ziggy .. too true …
They caught the anti-Trump perp on camera pepper spraying the victims.
Why haven’t the cops found him yet? Why aren’t they asking for the public’s help to identify him?
If the perp was a pro-Trump supporter ya think he’d be in custody? His face would be plastered on front-page of every mainstream newpaper.
The media in America is just as dirty as our politicians.
Talk away. We haven’t actually posted about last night’s meeting yet, except for a few recent comments below; that may be why.
TICKET #xxxxxxxxxx
COSTA MESA, CA
Event Time: Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 7:00 PM
OC Fair & Event Center – The Pacific Amphitheater
100 Fair Dr
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
General Information: No posters, banners, or signs may be brought into the event. There is no dress code. No professional cameras with a detachable lens are permitted. No tripods, monopods, selfie sticks, or GoPros. ID is not required for entry. For further questions, please email events@donaldtrump.com
See ya there.
I’ll be the one holding the banner “TRUMP – AMERICA’S LAST HOPE”.
Great! Perhaps you can ask him why he wants to send 30,000 of our troops into Iraq and Syria.
Can you show me the quote that Trump wants “to send 30,000 of our troops into Iraq and Syria”?
I didn’t think you could.
Obama, the Nobel Peace Prize winner sure helped, didn’t he?
He perpetrated acts of illegal war on both Libya and Syria – and now the terrorists have taken over in both countries.
And after telling us “no more boots on the ground” he just sent in 300 more combat troops into Iraq for a total of 3700! 🙂
And Obama sent another 250 combat troops into Syria! 🙂
But naturally that’s okay because he has a (D) after his name!!! 🙂
Sure thing.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/11/politics/donald-trump-30000-troops-isis/
It’s from the March 10 GOP debate.
“We really have no choice. We have to knock out ISIS. We have to knock the hell out of them, we have to get rid of it and then we have to come back here and rebuild our country, which is falling apart.”
Hewitt: “How many?”
Trump: “I would listen to the generals but I’m hearing numbers of 20,000 to 30_000. We have to knock them out fast.”
Anything else?
Actually, Obama sent 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan in his first year in office, a move I criticized at the time, and still do.
Do you agree with Trump, Cruz and Kasich on the need to send more troops into the Middle East?
Trump didn’t say it. The generals said it. Didn’t you read the quote?
I posted the quote you nut job.
When are you good liberals going to condemn the 25 to 30 year old anti-Trump male protester who pepper sprayed the 8 and 11 year old girls in the face at Anaheim City Hall prior to the council meeting?
Your silence is deafening.
Hey, nut job, acknowledge you’re wrong.
The Generals said it?
THAT’S the kind of game you play, Mr. Objective?
Lame.
Back in December, on the “Morning Joe” program, he called for sending 10,000 troops.
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-donald-trump-would-defeat-isis-2015-12
Of course that’s the game he plays.
You got a vowel wrong.
APD also caught the KKK on camera stabbing 3 unarmed people, cops showed up in time to see, but not stop, the THIRD stabbing, let the Klucker go before the victims were out of the hospital, NEVER INTERVIEWED at least one stabbing victim until last week. You want APD to expend their efforts on a little pepper spray? Don’t you know they have important work to do, like photo ops with Murray and a dog? That was tongue in cheek in case the no-sense=of-humor crew that make up Trump loyalists think I really don’t expect APD to do their jobs. Yes of course we should nail the small-handed jerk who pepper sprayed the little girls. I would also like to have a chat with a grandmother who took her girls to a trump rally KNOWING the probability of trouble, at the very least exposing them to the certainty of foul language they don’t need to hear. Yes they have the RIGHT to go to a public event, but exercising that right takes the IQ of a dog biscuit.
Meanwhile a PRO TRUMP supporter waved a tazer gun in the face of the opposition, are we going to pull her aside for a chat about threatening bodily harm with a weapon brought to the event for that eventuality?
I have been to EVERY contentious City Council meeting in Anaheim for years, and I was there the night of the July rioting, I was at Pearson Park when the KKK came to visit, I have seen a lot of bad stuff in Anaheim. I have NEVER EVER before seen a more mean-spirited, ugly-hearted, willfully ignorant crowd of gap toothed carnies and hillbillies assembled at Anaheim City Hall, and I thank GOD they admitted to being imports from the Inland Empire because if it came out they were my neighbors in Anaheim I would move and change my identity. That said, the anti-Trump thugs pulling on bandanas and anonymous masks then taking on cops in riot gear for NO REASON just to show they are full of testosterone and lacking romantic partners to use it has not made the other side sympathetic either. And here is our poor General Fund trapped in the middle, forced to pay out to keep both sides from killing each other. So much for re-seeding that park this fall…
We didn’t need Kris Murray’s “protection” from this ignorant rabble rousing because this is not an ANAHEIM problem! Anaheim is not the town welcoming Trump’s hate, they had to manufacture a crowd from out of town the get a good rally together. Anaheim booted the KKK without Murray’s help, decades ago that set a standard we still follow, we will continue to look out for our neighbors, ALL of our neighbors, long after that media hog has packed up and returned from wherever she was produced when this extraction economics project of hers is complete. Kris exhibits the mindset of some early white abolitionists agonizing over what to do with the “pickaninnies” too child-like to care for and think for themselves if freedom were offered… while refusing to have them at the dinner table as guests. Stop using our public funds for this grandstanding and actually DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE with your existence. What did Tuesday night cost us in staff time for an “all hands” response of public safety crews? That is budget that won’t be around to protect my neighborhood when the fireworks she ALSO forced on our neighborhoods endanger us. Good work, lady. Later can you chew my food for me after selecting it for nutritional value?
“I have NEVER EVER before seen a more mean-spirited, ugly-hearted, willfully ignorant crowd of gap toothed carnies and hillbillies assembled at Anaheim City Hall, and I thank GOD they admitted to being imports from the Inland Empire because if it came out they were my neighbors in Anaheim I would move and change my identity.”
Brrr, now that’s cold.
I read that Soros has spent over $15M so far to mobilize the anti-Trump protesters at the Trump events. Inciting chaos and disruption is not a civilized form of the democratic process. The Trump people aren’t inciting chaos at Hillary’s events. It wouldn’t surprise me if he funded the “gap toothed carnies and hillbillies” who showed up to Anaheim City Hall, to include the knuckledragger who shot pepper spray into an 8 year old’s face.
You whine almost as much as the candidate you support.
And you think that Soros would be trying to tilt the Repulican nomination towards Ted Cruz WHY?
Cruz is much more ‘establishment’ than Trump. For God sakes – he’s married to a Goldman Sach’s bankster!!!
No wonder Soros leaves him alone!!!
I asked Vern to pull that down but he hasn’t yet and I can’t get in the back door of the site. Not that I don’t mean it, but I don’t always need to let what is in my head come out of my mouth. when zenger says I’ve been cold I know I crossed the line.
These folks were horrid, you cannot fathom the level of ugly that filled chambers. If a speaker got up for their 3 minutes the Trumpsters would take your seat and not give it back, so Fire Marshall would remove you for being in the aisle. Over and over again. Look at how often mayor has to quiet them, that was 100 percent trump people from out of town, and nobody watching at home knows it wasn’t Anaheim people behaving like that.
Still, I should not lower myself to the same place. Not who I want to be. We all become our lesser selves when provoked and I fear that is what Trump brings us. Not “great” again, just angry.
Yeah it was cold. I didn’t say it was take-down necessary.
Hadn’t got the bat-signal. I appreciate your first cold comment and would prefer not to take it down, but if you insist….
I’m finally back from a wonderful day of grandson collecting. Email me and let me know how you’d like the comment to read. I thought that it was fine, because truth is a defense.
Zenger, I decided it was take down worthy before you commented. Those folks were ugly, I don’t have to be.
Yup – might as well double-down CW.
Take a look at this. This is the caliber of folks that took over Anaheim City Hall Tuesday, now parading their American Pride for the video camera Thursday in Costa Mesa. These are the folks who think they will “make America great again.” I don’t think I like their definition of “great.”
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-04282016-htmlstory.html
In the light of day I confirm my thoughts of “mean-spirited, ugly-hearted, willfully ignorant crowd of gap toothed carnies and hillbillies” but I still shouldn’t be saying such things and I know it, and I wish I could make myself be more charitable to people who were clearly not offered enough attention as children.
And no, I don’t have an answer, I don’t have an alternative, and thanks to a lot of very ignorant voters I don’t have a CHOICE. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the future of our nation for the next 4 years. Enjoy it Ziggie.
And to be fair, here is the other side…does this look like the US anymore? Or have we become some 3rd world place where thugs rule? “I don’t like what you say” is now justification to show up and disrupt an event and hurt people and property? The “victims” of Trump’s hate act so badly that Trump becomes the sympathetic figure, and THAT, my friends, takes some work!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BExS04sIdwp/?taken-by=youknowyoudid
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/trump-714053-crowd-protesters.html
I happen to think that what is coming home to roost here, to a large degree, is the pedestal that being “un-PC” has been placed on in the last couple decades. These days “telling it like it is” includes insults, bullying, marginalizing of vast populations, etc. and it’s all just fine and dandy because, well, we’re all just too damned PC. We’re too soft. We have to be more mean.
Civility? Working together for the common good?
Pffft…that’s so yesterday.
CW – The link you provide takes us to an LA Times report of the “mean-spirited, ugly-hearted” behavior of the PROTESTERS. Thanks for that.
I don’t think you’ll find an OC blog that condemns the violent anti-Trump protestors in Costa Mesa or the monster who squirted pepper spray into the face of a innocent little 8 year old girl at Anaheim City Hall.
OTOH, if Trump supporters engaged in such behavior it would be a whole different story. The vitriol would be non-stop.
Apparently ‘tolerance’ advocates can pick and choose their targets.
And you’re the equal-opportunity, completely non-partisan expresser of outrage in the OC blogosphere.
Please.
Any decent human would condemn a grown man for spraying an 8 year old girl in the face with pepper spray.
Any decent human would condemn a group of thugs who commit acts of violence and terrorism on innocents attending a political rally.
But politics does something awful to what would otherwise be rational, fair and clear-thinking human minds. All sense of objectivity disappears. It’s a form of mob mentality.
Go read Freud’s “Group Psychology and Analysis of the Ego” and focus on Chapters IX and X, specifically “The Herd Instinct” and “The Group and the Primal Horde”. You might learn something.
And you’ve seen me criticize Republicans and Democrats alike in the comment section. I can’t stand most Republican electeds. And when I say “most” I mean 90% of them. So yeah, I’m very objective and non-partisan. Thank you!
We just admitted fault to bombing a Doctors Without Borders hospital with a “sorry but we can’t be held criminally culpable.” The guy didn’t intentionally spray those kids. Isn’t this the same guy who had a megaphone intentionally bashed into his face? Someone does that and you get to pepper-spray them.
You’ll have to pedal that non-partisan stuff to someone else. I ain’t buying it. Thank you!
That’s because you’re in denial.
Shivas, I know, I did that on purpose, trying to show BOTH sides suck, which is why I was mad as Hell over the Tuesday nonsense. We had thee very ugly pro Trump people being downright nasty inside the building, abusing Anaheim residents for no reason, and then we had the ugly other side outdoors trying to provoke the Police who were having none of it. Not exactly the way to get me all warm and fuzzy about open borders if this is the caliber of folk it brings over here.
Costa Mesa reporting the same, there was horrid behavior inside the gathering, seen on the one video I posted, and even worse behavior outside, with cars being smashed up (including Police cars)
Now today there are reports from Burlingame, at one point those attending the Republican convention were HANDCUFFED INTO THE BUILDING because protestors were trying to get in and someone decided locking all the doors with handcuffs would keep them from doing that, Now what would have happened to the crush of Trump supporters inside if there had been a fire or other crisis and the doors were all secured with freaking HANDCUFFS? When they did get out they couldn’t get to their cars without being threatened.
What the Hell is this nation doing? We got one side that thinks this is “great again” and another that wants to throw tantrums and hurt property and people because they don’t like being told we might get around to enforcing a few laws on the books?
And again, I am just bitching at this point, because there IS NO SOLUTION it is obvious we got Trump v Hillary, and I have to remember that we have survived bad presidents before and no matter what happens in November we need to brace ourselves to endure the WORST PRESIDENT YET from BOTH PARTIES. It is simply disheartening to not have ANYONE to cheer for going into November. I guess I throw all of my energy into our local races and put on blinders for the rest. I don’t know…seriously just hate the bad choices we are stuck with. Waaaahhh…
If only there were some way that more people looking for a decent option could vote in the Democratic Party primary.
You mean like giving up the “R” tucked neatly behind one’s name like a family crest so we can shift the “free stuff” from the corporations to the people, entirely ignoring that we can afford neither?
Don’t worry — Bernie won’t actually be able to impose major tax changes without a substantial Congressional majority. (He may have a majority, but not enough of one to get past the Correa-like Dems.) That will take a successful effort to change people’s minds about what sort of society we have. You’d be able to pull any needed emergency brake in time. (Now some things, like a trading fee on financial speculation, he may be able to impose through authority granted in existing legislation, but you shouldn’t object so much to that.)
Most of what Bernie can do by himself is just bust down the “revolving door” by simply not appointing industry leaders and lobbyists to positions where they regulate themselves. That’s … yuge. I can understand Republicans sticking around to vote for Kasich, who has virtually no chance, but if neither the fascism of Trump nor the theocracy of Cruz appeals to you, you really can decide to vote to derail Hillary Clinton and support someone who is at least honest and smart.
And by “you” I don’t mean YOU, after all; I’m addressing those who don’t have a family crest. Seriously, how much shame would a Republican — not you, I re-emphasize, but someone else — face for having voted against Hillary in a primary? I’d think that they’d throw such people a parade! Because no one really wants Vern and I to have to vote for Her in November, do they?
More protester ugliness in Burlingame, CA GOP convention going on now.
Do you have an active recall of K. Murray? Are you gathering funds? I would like to know more. I’m from Colorado where we had our rights run over. We showed 2 politicians that we don’t just remember….we RECALL (a 3rd had to resign just ahead of also being recalled) You can DO this …good luck!
Relax Sean – it’s really not a big deal. Actually, it is a big NOTHING.
Get lost, pest.