HERE ARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS AS WE ENTER A CRUCIAL ELECTION YEAR OF 2016 WITH THREE FULLERTON COUNCIL MEMBERS UP FOR REELECTION, FITZGERALD, FLORY AND WHITAKER.
BY BARRY LEVINSON
BARRY LEVINSON
Question? Can any elected official expect real change when they do not hold elected officials serving with them accountable for their special interest voting record, knowing that the special interest politicians hold the voting majority? For if the same people or their allies keep on getting elected, how can we expect any different and I would add better results going forward?
As Albert Einstein once said: Doing the same thing over and over again and then expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity…. and I would add self-delusional as well.
I would argue that those elected bodies frequently act more like a Private and Exclusive Club than a representative body of the people. Their votes so often ignore the will of the people, but help the well-connected special interests. They also seem to have this unspoken rule, not to openly and publicly criticize colleagues on their respective votes, even when those votes do not agree with their campaign slogans and/or promises. Does this rule help the people or does it shield the politicians from justifiable criticism on their voting records? Are elected officials trading their silence for future political support?
Part of the reason for bad government of course, is the public’s lack of involvement with the political process. Political mailers that have little connection to the truth can fool many voters. So in fact, the public needs to realize that their ignorance of the facts results in many bad choices at the voting booth.
However, this article is not about what the public could do better to effectuate a better government but what our elected leaders can do to make for a better and more representative government for the people.
Question? If a politician runs for office as a fiscal conservative and votes for deficit budgets rather than making changes to live within the taxpayer’s means, should not that politician be held accountable by their fiscally conservative colleagues?
I say emphatically yes. For if that same elected official wins reelection touting their fiscally conservative record, I believe one can state that the other elected officials’ silence aided and abetted that person’s reelection.
Well in Fullerton, we have 3 Republican elected council members’ Whitaker, Fitzgerald and Sebourn. In fact, Fitzgerald was the swing vote to pass a two-year $2.8 million deficit budget. This $2.8 million deficit is actually understated because it excludes major costs such as the cost of water for the entire city of Fullerton and all the unfunded pension and retiree medical care costs. Why do you think Ms. Fitzgerald cast this deciding vote? Is it because she votes in support of her special interest friends, the public unions and the real estate developers? Overwhelmingly, these groups do not live in Fullerton. Why then should the public unions be allowed to bleed us dry of our tax money? Why then should the high-rise real estate developers be allowed to destroy the quality of life Fullertonians have cherished for decades?
I have not heard one word from the council dais from either Council member Whitaker or Sebourn pointing out why a supposed fiscal conservative council member, Fitzgerald would vote for budget deficits. It is not to late for either or both gentlemen to go on the record with this very justifiable criticism of Mayor Fitzgerald.
Saying what you mean and more importantly doing what you say is what makes for an honorable council member. Without it, we the public, are not voting for trusted public servants but rather for an illusion painted skillfully by a less than honest politician. In 2016 let us speak out as one and hold all our elected officials accountable. Remember Fullertonians that when a council member lets a fellow council member off the hook, it too often means that we the people have been placed on that hook.
Finally, I like to leave the readers with one last thought. If we as a people can’t elect a majority of representatives who put the welfare of the people before the special interests on the local level, how can we ever expect anything better on the state and national levels?
I report, you decide.
#1 by Another view ... on January 4, 2016 - 10:40 am
Actually, unfunded pension liability is a state-wide issue affecting virtually every city in California and has more to do with Democratic leadership in Sacramento, along with powerful public unions, than anything locally. To place the blame on the Fullerton city council for Fullerton’s pension debt is misleading and inacurate. In fact, Fullerton has a better handle on its unfunded pension debt than most OC cities.
Also, badly needed infrastructure repairs is also not a Fullerton issue exclusively … far from it. In the past year or so, as the economy slowly improves, more money has become available to make these road and sewer repairs. Fullerton, along with many cities, has embarked an aggressive multi-year capital improvement campaign.
And Reality is makes a good point. Based on the venomous tone of the blog posts and comments here – which in many ways resemble pure hate speech and cyber-bullying – it’s not a stretch to assume that if certain individuals won city council seats, they would cast votes based on their own views, not necessarily the views of the masses.
#2 by Anonymous on January 4, 2016 - 11:06 am
Fullerton is screwed just like everywhere else. Nobody gives a shit about anything anymore. Even daddy warbucks Tony couldn’t pull it off.
#3 by Reality Is..... on January 5, 2016 - 5:04 pm
LOL Tony B sure did try. Wow he rode the dead back of Kelly Thomas right into his purchase of city politics. $500,000 was all that it took too. Crazy. Then Travis opened his mouth about checkpoints right away and was pushed right out of office never to be heard from again. Take note.
#4 by Reality Is..... on January 4, 2016 - 6:57 pm
Very true. The answer by Joe and Barry and Tony B and others like them is well yea it’s a statewide PERS issue but we can start in Fullerton and just vote to change their retirement system. It’s not that easy. Also, the last person that attempted to takeover Fullerton and vote how they saw fit and not how the community saw fit, was quickly run out of town faster than they came into town, Travis and Tony B. But as I said a few times, I don’t have confidence that Barry or Joe will vote how the people feel, they will vote on their own personal agenda lines.
#5 by Fullerton Lover on January 5, 2016 - 9:44 am
http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/2012/the-cop-playbook-public-safety-has-nothing-to-do-with-it/
#6 by Reality Is..... on January 5, 2016 - 5:03 pm
That playbook makes more and more sense every time Barry or Joe opens their mouth.
#7 by Anonymous on January 5, 2016 - 7:02 pm
I think you know that the law firm that employed this playbook, represented both Costa Mesa and the Fullerton Police Officers Association.
Costa Mesa Police Officer’s Association, and recently disbanded like rats leaving a sinking ship, and is being sued by the ex-Mayor and City Councilman of Costa Mesa.
http://www.latimes.com/tn-dpt-me-0920-lackie-dammeier-mcgill-ethir-20130919-story.html
…and I don’t think the two lunk heads who pulled the Mayor over on a false DUI charge,didn’t fare too well either last time I checked:
private-investigators-working-for-police-union-arrested-for-crimes-against-costa-mesa-councilmen
#8 by Reality Is..... on January 6, 2016 - 4:43 pm
Yes and that law firm represented about 75% of police unions statewide. They were responsible for the huge pay raises and pension increases and benefit increases since the year 2000 and before until a few years ago. Their tactics did wonders. Then city managers and police bosses realized their tactics of suing for everything and told em to F off. Then they stepped on their weiners with the billion dollar legal defense fund that cops pay into and the LDF fired them on the spot. They shut their doors the next day. They went from a multi million dollar law firm to the doors shut in one day. One of the craziest stories in the history of law. They did great things for police unions but their pushy tactics as noted in this manual and that they used in Costa Mesa were old school. They even put a tracker on an attorney that represented other unions that they wanted to takeover, in attempt to get dirt on him. Crazy!! So anyways, this playbook was great years ago but not in this era after police unions gave up pay and benefits in the time of crisis in the economy. They are only now starting to recoup some of their lost pay and benefits, as you see by the small raises approved in Fullerton.