Barry Levinson
There is a pattern of deceit/gamesmanship going on within our Fullerton City Council. On September 20th, 2016 it was in full view. There was a disagreement between Whitaker and Fitzgerald about answering a few questions from the public as well as the absence of the grant application as part of the supporting documentation for two agenda items. So the argument went like this.
If you wish to be a success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing.
Whitaker commented that the public’s questions needed to be addressed prior to the agenda vote. Whitaker’s comments annoyed Fitzgerald. (She frequently gets annoyed when she feels, rightly or wrongly that she is being questioned or second-guessed. After all, anyone who attempts to legislate the removal of polite clapping has some obvious control issues.) Whitaker says he is for getting the grant money but will not be voting for it because of the absence of the grant application to review. Flory reads some of the documentation to suggest that the grant application is not needed at this time but will be produced later. She insists this is normal and the back and forth goes on and on. It was great theatre but little else since the agenda item passed easily and nothing was resolved for the future.
In politics… never retreat, never retract… never admit a mistake.
However, in the middle of all this back and forth, the public learned a key point of information. Namely, that if the council did not approve these two grant applications that night, the city would lose the opportunity for these grant monies for at least a year or maybe even forever. Once this was learned the solution to all the issues being raised by Bruce Whitaker were solvable in the future. If I were Bruce Whitaker or any of the other 4 council members, I would have made a motion that all future agenda items that have a date certain necessary for its approval, must come before the council at least 3 to 4 weeks prior to the deadline. This would allow staff to provide any and all documentation necessary to answer all questions at the next council meeting prior to the deadline if necessary. Whitaker did not consider this simple and very straightforward solution.
Fullerton’s dream team
Why not? He is a very bright man. Every council member had the opportunity to actually accomplish a permanent change in process that would have benefited the public’s right to know and ensure that all council members had all the information necessary to make an informed decision prior to their votes. Yet when push came to shove, not one of our council members had the integrity or the courage to make a motion to do the right thing, the honest thing and the transparent thing. Bruce Whitaker was once again all talk and no action. He huffs and he puffs but instead of blowing the political corruption house down, he allows it to continue, to actually flourish in full force after throwing some political phony crumbs to his supporters.
Nice gig huh?
The result of this back and forth accomplished absolutely nothing. The same problems as discussed will be repeated again and again in the future for all ignored the real solution. However, Fullertonians it was good political theatre. For I am certain Whitaker will now claim he was looking out for the people of Fullerton. But my question is simply…. was he really?
Just you and I, just you and I …..
He had a golden opportunity to make a difference and all he did was object to the process while ignoring the solution staring him and all the others in the face. He could have accomplished much more than the political points he made in an election season. Once more, it proves that all on that dais including Bruce Whitaker are self-centered politicians, only looking out for Number 1 and that is certainly not you and I.
Gamesmanship is alive and thriving in the Fullerton City Council.
#1 by Barry Levinson on October 7, 2016 - 3:33 am
The fact that are roads are the worst in California.
The fact that are sidewalks are falling apart.
The fact that we have some sewers that are almost 100 years old.
The fact that are water pipes are in desperate need of major upgrade/replacements.
The fact that all these problems have been caused directly by our city government’s failures over decades to properly maintain and replace our infrastructure, which should be a priority for any honest and well run city.
The fact that are city water department passes all their water costs thru to our resident water bills rather than properly and openly paying for it themselves and providing transparency as to the actual cost for our city’s water usage year after year after year. I bet the city water loss due to Laguna Lake had been going on for years and years. But when the state was going to fine cities up to 2 million dollars for failing to meet water usage cut backs, then miraculously the city water department disclosed the large loss of water at Laguna Lake. Coincidence or more of the same shameful corrupt Fullerton city government? If I am right the city wasted tens if not hundreds of millions of gallons of water that we the citizens of Fullerton paid for directly.
About 6 or 8 months ago, I asked the then current Fullerton Water Manager how long has the city passed the cost of its water usage onto the citizens water bills. He said then that he had been with the city for about 12 years and that deceptive, secretive system (my words not his) had been in place before he got there. I asked him did he not think over his 12 year career running the Fullerton Water Department that a little transparency would have been in order. He paused and really did not know what to say to me. I tried to get this item put on a future Park and Recreation agenda but there was absolutely no support for it including from the person who now wants to be one of your next city council members, Jesus Silva. But I guess the FPOA was impressed with him because they have endorsed him for a city council seat along with Mayor Fitzgerald. Guess whose interests those two will cater to if on the council next year? My very educated guess is that the answer will not be the residents of Fullerton.
All these facts prove what a corrupt city government the people of Fullerton are currently stuck with.
Well November 8th is quickly approaching and the absentee ballots will be in voters mail boxes within the week. In other words we have a golden opportunity to throw all the bums out and replace them with people that might actually represent us rather than the special interests. Wouldn’t that be a refreshing change of priorities for our city council?