Flory, Fitzgerald and Chaffee’s 3-2 vote approving the Richman Park cell Tower
Posted by Joe Imbriano in Are they turning their backs on the children?, Forced irradiation of school children on August 26, 2014
It’ not funny ya lamebrain
I wish it was something to laugh about.
Flory, Fitzgerald and Chaffee’s 3-2 vote approving the Richman Park cell Tower-by Diane Hickey
As in the past, I am following up with the source documents/media references made during my public comments at the August 19, 2014, Fullerton City Council Meeting. The following are links to the assertions made at that meeting:
1) Resonance: Beings of Frequency
http://documentaryheaven.com/resonance-beings-of-frequency/#sthash.wtR32yBq.dpuf
“Over the last 25 years:
A number of species, which rely on the earth’s magnetic fields to navigate, have mysteriously gone into decline.
5 species of butterfly have become extinct in Britain
109 species of Arctic migratory birds have declined dramatically in numbers
36 species of Australian shore birds have decreased in numbers by 75%
10% of the world’s butterflies face extinction
45% of a Europe’s common birds have declined in numbers
50% decline in all European grassland butterflies
Bee numbers have dropped by up to 70%
62% of Asia’s migratory water birds declining or extinct
4 species of American bee decreased in numbers by up to 98%
Farmland birds falling by as much as 79%
190 different species of bird face imminent extinction”
2) Letter from the Department of the Interior to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, dated Feb 7, 2014, “regarding the adverse impact of cell tower radiation on wildlife.”
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/us_doi_comments.pdf
3) Washington Post: Electromagnetic ‘noise’ can confuse migrating songbirds, study says
As time progresses, more information is coming out at an increasing pace in regard to the health detriments of wireless radiation.
As we all know, UC Berkeley is a well-respected education and research institution. You should be interested in the June, 2014, release from UC Berkeley, Center for Family and Community Health,Some Tips For Reducing Your Exposure To Wireless Radiation. Among those tips are:
“Turn off wi-fi on devices being used by kids.”
“ . . . use hardwired networks in schools to provide Internet access.”
Those of you that have children in the Fullerton School District (FSD) should be asking yourselves the question: Why is the FSD wireless classroom practice completely contrary to UC Berkley’s tips on wireless radiation avoidance? Or, why does FSD continue to expose the children to wireless radiation when numerous medical doctors, researchers, and the American Academy of Environmental Medicine have written letters to Los Angeles USD imploring them to use WIRED technology. Berkeley is not the only institution telling the schools to hardwire the classrooms.
The link is here:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B14R6QNkmaXuT1o0aDhWRERmYlE/edit?pli=1
Do you recall the testimonies of Drs. Martin Pall and Dr. Paul Dart before a state governmental body, the Oregon State House of Representatives Committee on Health Care? Those testimonies were sent to you a number of weeks ago; did you view them?
It is inconceivable that Mss. Fitzgerald and Flory and Mr. Chaffee voted for a cell tower at Richman Park, where children play, attend school, and reside nearby. Is it only a matter of time before these neighborhoods experience breast cancer rates 23 times higher and brain cancer rates 121 times higher than those not located near the cell tower? These were rates cited from just one study, conducted in Austria (1984-1987), and you were given this information weeks ago.
Council members Fitzgerald, Flory, and Chaffee, will your vote to allow the cell tower have set in motion the health detriments as testified to by Drs. Pall and Dart?
You were provided many resources from which to examine a topic that has a significant impact on the Richman Park community. It has been testified to that cancer and infertility are health outcomes of wireless radiation emissions, how could this vote be anything but hugely significant? Your votes defy reason, logic, and, most of all, human compassion. Certainly, none of you have the credentials to refute the information provided you.
You three council members could have, as did Messrs. Whitaker and Sebourn, cited other non-health issues for a “no” vote.
Only you know your motivations for voting for the cell tower and I can only surmise that those motivations held more significance and value to you than did the impact to the health of the Richman Park community.
Sincerely,
Diane Hickey, Co-founder
National Association For Children and Safe Technology
Jan Flory
Jennifer Fitzgerald
Doug Chaffee
WHY THE WAY FULLERTON’S MAYOR DOUG CHAFFEE (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH CANDIDATE BILL CHAFFEE) CONDUCTS OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IS JUST PLAIN WRONG.
Posted by Joe Imbriano in The twighlight's last gleaming on August 22, 2014
I report, you decide. by BARRY LEVINSON
Barry Levinson
I report, you decide. By Barry Levinson.
It seems that Mayor Chaffee has a hard time doing anything right lately.
We had a somewhat heated by respectful discussion about an agenda item to approve a declaration passed by the US Congress about 7 years ago concerning the human rights violations by the Japanese Imperial Army during WWII as it related to the 200,000 Korean “Comfort Women” forced into sexual slavery.
Mayor Chaffee gave almost all of the speakers many of whom were either of Korean or Japanese heritages more than the normal 3 minutes to speak before them. It seemed that many of them went over their three minutes by 2, 3 or more minutes easily.
I personally thought it was perfectly okay to give these speakers this additional time. It was obviously a very personal and difficult subject to talk about and each and every speaker presented their opinions with much grace and dignity.
But then came the public comments for all those items not on the agenda. It should have been one of the first pieces of business but Mayor Chaffee moved the WWII issue in front of regular public comments.
As is frequently the case, significant portions of the public comments are critical of one or more members of the council. In this case, no additional time was granted to any of the speakers. Once again, Mayor Chaffee even when he is going to face the voters in November apparently can’t bring himself to conduct the meeting in a fair manner for everyone.
At one point, a speaker asked Mayor Chaffee if he has paid for all the volunteer signs that he gives out to those he believes are worthy of that honor. His answer to the speaker was that it was “none of his business”.
Councilperson Chaffee
Once again, Mayor Chaffee you find yourself on the wrong side sir. For it was you early on in this program who declared that you were paying for these signs and it would not cost the taxpayer’s a dime.
The ball started rolling on 7-24-14
Doug paid up 5 days after being called out- stringing the taxpayers along for a year and a half. I wonder if he would have ever paid it back if he was not asked to?
Now less than a year later you are telling us it is none of our business. It is no wonder that recently our fair city of Fullerton was ranked as one of the snobbiest cities throughout the country. I am now wondering how much Mayor Chaffee had to do with that dubious ranking.
I guess he only paid up because the heat was on? Since December of 2012 no payments reimbursing the taxpayers through July of 2014? What else does he have going on at city hall?
The strange dichotomy of Dan Hughes
To most Fullerton residents, the names Dan Hughes and Barry Levinson ring a bell. Dan Hughes is our current police chief who some say is simply Pat Mckinley with a smile. Others revere him as the much needed solution to the problems plaguing The FPD.
Barry Levinson, is a Fullerton resident who is a rare breed indeed. He is a civic minded individual who has the guts to tell it like it is and repeatedly ask the hard questions that most political slimeskins in this town wouldn’t dare to touch with a ten foot pole. Personally, the most perplexing questions that I still have, directly relate to Dan Hugh’s comments about the 33 minute and 33 seconds of video where Kelly Thomas was left for dead in the gutter after he was brutally beaten by officers of The FPD. Last night the issue was revisited with no exception.
In my opinion Fullerton is not healed from anything. No, the cancer is now in stage IV and the treatment plan costs are going to run into orbit from the Kelly Thomas murder, the fallout from the sham trial and the precarious termination of the officers.
The current Flory, Chaffee and Fitzgerald council members, in my opinion, still have their little happy parties and fluff gimmicks while holding the resident taxpayers in derision with their voting records. Meanwhile, Bruce and Greg struggle to keep the ship steered in the right direction in rough seas. Who will rise to the occasion in November? Will Barry? Perhaps yours truly?
At this point it is anyone’s guess. One thing is certain and that is Fullerton needs leaders and not lapdogs. Maybe whoever decides to throw their hat into the ring could use a refresher course on what courage really is and how to ask the hard questions. Weak, spineless, slimy politicians are what got us where we are. I say the hell with them and who needs them? Unless we can muster some real contenders coupled with some real civilian police oversight, we might as well leave the vampires in charge of the blood bank, lock our doors and stay home in November. I personally could care less about a few bucks added to my water bill every two months or a stinkin’ pothole if I still have to worry about getting beaten to death for not playing doctor with some deranged cop or framed like an picture at an Aaron Brother’s 1/2 cent sale.
Here is the clip http://fullerton.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=513
Go to 28:20 and see for yourself. Here is what he has written and with his permission the following is published:
________________________________________________________________________________
By Barry Levinson | It is important to remind our city officials, the press and our community that our “new” police chief was our “old” captain who was the direct supervisor of officers Ramos, Cincinelli, Wolfe, Hampton, Craig and Blatney.
Anyone who is familiar with police work knows that the real training of officers comes not from the training officer but from their direct superior, on a day-in and day-out basis. That would have been then-Captain Dan Hughes. Therefore, I am disappointed that Chief Hughes has never expressed his regret that he obviously failed to train those 6 men adequately.
I have given Dan Hughes’ comments about his viewing the video over 400 times much thought and analysis. First, the video was 33 minutes and 33 seconds in length. It would have taken him over 222 hours to view that video 400 times. Should we believe that he spent five-and-a-half-plus 40-hour weeks reviewing the video while on duty, or even at home?
What about the actual comments he made concerning the contents of the video itself. His contention was that those police officers acted properly as seen on the video.
There are only two possible explanations for his comments.
The first reason is that he really believes that those six officers under his direct command were doing their jobs as he trained them or,
Second, he believed that the video would never be released to the public and so he felt safe siding with his men.
The first possibility shows that he is as guilty as any of those officers for not knowing the proper boundaries for police behavior. That is downright frightening.
The other possibility shows his willingness to mislead the public for his own benefit. This is not behavior that inspires confidence and trust.
But yet he terminated officers Ramos, Cincinelli and Wolfe presumably based on their actions that very night. What is the public to believe? The Acting Chief Hughes’s statements that after viewing that video over 400 times taking over 222 hours to complete, that he saw nothing wrong? Or the other Chief Hughes who terminated those three officers for their conduct that very night. Which Dan Hughes are we to believe?
Finally, when will the press, the public and every one of our council members, demand that he explain those glaring contradictions?
Barry Levinson
________________________________________________________________________________
Great questions Barry. Let’s see if we ever get our answers.
BARRY LEVINSON’S TAKE ON POLICE UNIONS IN AMERICA
Posted by Joe Imbriano in Government sponsored terrorism, The twighlight's last gleaming on August 15, 2014
Barry Levinson
I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Ring’s comments below about police brutality as demonstrated by the brutal beating death of Kelly Thomas. In that case it was the police who instigated the suspect’s reasonable reaction to flee based on a physical threat of violence against him.
However, I do not agree with Mr. Ring’s assessment of the increased militarization of the police as basically necessary in the face of greater criminal threats and fire power.
Former NYC Police Chief Bernard Kerik made a very scary statement in my opinion on the Megyn Kelly show a few days ago. He said any citizen that does not comply with a police command to be handcuffed for arrest no matter what the alleged crime should get the same physical response from the police. So if you are jay walking, selling individual cigarettes or some other minor infraction, the police should respond to that person the same way when they are trying to arrest a serial murderer for instance.
I could not believe the total lack of common sense by the former police commissioner to state that a single approach by the police is proper no matter the set of circumstances. This attitude by the police which seems to be getting more prevalent smacks of a police state where the citizens are the potential enemy of the police, rather than the people they have been sworn to serve and protect. This is the real danger in my opinion to the increased militarization of police departments. It is not simply the increased fire power, military style uniforms and equipment that they now possess but more importantly the growing police mindset that they are in a war zone with every person in the community a potential enemy. This attitude more than anything else has resulted in too many unnecessary deaths at the hands of law enforcement. Couple this with the lack of will by prosecutors and grand juries to hold those police officers responsible for their actions and we have the sad situation we are too often witnessing today.
Barry Levinson on Common Core Curriculum in The Fullerton School District
Posted by Joe Imbriano in Are they turning their backs on the children? on August 13, 2014
I report, you decide-by Barry Levinson
We Want Excellence From Our Students, Teachers and Administrators. Why Common Core will not get us there.
BARRY LEVINSON
We Want Excellence From Our Students, Teachers and Administrators. Why Common Core will not get us there.
I report, you decide.
As a concerned and involved parent of a son in a Fullerton elementary school that is instituting Common Core, I want to know how this major change will impact the quality of my son’s education.
F.S.D. Superintendent Robert Pletka-He could stop this if he wanted to.
What I have learned up until now has been anything but reassuring. My son’s school had a briefing for the parents earlier this year to discuss Common Core. We were told the following:
1. If your child does poorly on a Common Core exam, under Common Core the school will automatically dumb down the next test for your child. This process will not lead to excellence in academic achievement in my opinion. They would not be challenging the students with this scenario. There are many reasons why a student might do poorly on any given exam and to automatically dumb down future tests would be a total over reaction by the school.
2. I discussed with the administrators at the school that I believed there would be a lot of lessons learned in the first year of instituting Common Core throughout this elementary school and throughout the district. I asked at the end of the year a list of lessons learned could easily be created. I then asked would the individual schools and/or the district then make those changes to install those lessons learned the following year or would the district send the list to Sacramento and wait for their guidance. I was very saddened to learn that Sacramento has total control.
3. What real control does both the district and the individual teacher really have in the new Common Core System? In my opinion, it appears that most if not almost all of the control has been relinquished to bureaucrats in Sacramento. This is rarely a good thing.
If you believe that this change is mostly a bad thing, as parents you must let your school district board members as well as your principal know your concerns.
Clearly, this is a big step in taking away parental rights as well. The further away the real power is, the less control parents will have in the quality of the education given to their children.
Finally, I was informed that parents can legally opt out their kids from taking the Common Core tests but not the Common Core curriculum. However, I was also told that without the Common Core test scores the schools do not get money for your child, i.e. it impacts the financing of the schools.
If true, why is this important. It is important because if enough parents have their kids opt out, the schools will not be able to financially function and would have to consider dropping Common Core altogether.
Barry Levinson
And the Race for Fullerton City Council begins: I report, you decide. -By Barry Levinson
Posted by Joe Imbriano in The twighlight's last gleaming on August 10, 2014
BARRY LEVINSON
And the Race for Fullerton City Council begins:
I report, you decide.
Well the field of candidates is shaping up for the Fullerton City
Council race. Seven have filed papers and assuming they all have
the necessary valid signatures they will be as follows:
Bill Chaffee, (Doug Chaffee’s younger brother)
Jane Rands, Green Party
Doug Chaffee, Democrat
Greg Sebourn, Republican
Rick Alvarez, Republican
Larry Bennett, Republican
Sean Paden, Republican
During the course of this campaign I will be speaking on the issues
and noting each candidates strengths and weaknesses. I will report
on what they have said and what they have done that may or may
not jive with their campaign rhetoric. It is so important that I point out
any candidate’s inconsistencies. I believe this will help the voters
determine who is trustworthy and who may not be as trustworthy.
- As I have said many times there are certain characteristics that I
- believe are essential to have for any candidate that I want to support
- wholeheartedly. Those characteristics are the following:
- 1. Honesty and integrity,
- 2. Knowledge, intelligence and wisdom,
- 3. Common Sense and
- 4. Guts and strength of character and convictions
- I believe it should be rather self-evident why all the above
- characteristics are important for the good candidate to possess. But
- if I had to name just one reason, it would be that a candidate that
- possesses all of the above characteristics I believe can be counted
- on to make informed, impartial decisions that are in the best interests
- of the citizens of Fullerton. This is something that a majority of our council does not consistently do now in my opinion.
- A candidate for instance could have the first three characteristics and
- still not be able to carry forth their principles without guts.
- So I will be informing all of you what positions each candidate has on
- all key issues facing Fullerton. I will also be telling you whether based
- on the candidates previous words and actions that we can reasonably
- count on them keeping their campaign promises.
Of course I will be stating what positions I believe are best for our city as well.
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson-My Thoughts on the Fullerton City Council’s Unanimous Vote Passing a Resolution Supporting Proposition 13 and Other Recent Local Developments
Posted by Joe Imbriano in Hidden in plain view, The twighlight's last gleaming on August 9, 2014
BARRY LEVINSON
The FUJHSD has placed a $175 million bond issue on the
November ballot. The NOCCCD has placed a $574 million
bond issue for North Orange County on the November ballot.
The city of Fullerton when it has the chance to pass
meaningful public labor negotiation reform says no thanks
but we can sure pass a sham C.O.I.N. ordinance instead.
Finally, the city is attempting to ram down our throats a
huge undemocratic power grab by City Manager Joe Felz.
Another really bad idea from the same city that allowed the
bars in downtown Fullerton to expand exponentially in the
90′s and then at the turn of the century shackled the city’s
taxpayers with a huge retroactive pension increase for our
police and firemen that will eventually cost the taxpayer’s
10′s of millions of dollars under the guise that it would cost
the Fullerton taxpayers nothing at all.
Now don’t we all feel much better that our council passed a
meaningless resolution in support of Prop 13. I would not be
poking fun at this resolution if the majority of our council
were doing a good job with making policy that would create
a financially healthy and open city government. But the fact
is they have not even come close to that goal. In fact the
majority of the council I believe does not even have that goal
for the city and its citizens.
We need much better on our council and we better start
demanding much better from our council. If we do not
have the right mix of council members that want to do the
right things for our city, it is the public’s responsibility to
put enough pressure on those officials to force them by
overwhelming public opinion to do the right things despite
themselves.
Let us start with pressuring our city council to vote down the
DCCSP. It is a real shame that we as citizens have to force
some of our elected officials to do the right thing.
What is your opinion about Judeo-Christian Bible study? Why faith matters? I Report, You Decide. By Barry Levinson
Posted by Joe Imbriano in The Way on August 4, 2014
BARRY LEVINSON
I Report, You Decide. By Barry Levinson
Dennis Prager, a nationally syndicated radio host likes to recount this
story when he speaks before a live audience.
If you were walking alone, late at night on a dark and deserted street
and you saw a large group of teenagers in gang style clothing, would
you feel more safe or less safe if you knew they just came from a
Christian bible study class?
Even the most ardent atheist if they were being truthful, would have
to say that they would feel more safe knowing that this large group of
teenagers just came from a Christian bible study session.
What does that tell you about the goodness of the Judeo-Christian
faiths? It tells you that even an atheist knows that being a religious
Christian is a net positive to how people will behave in society.
I like to recount this story because it proves a point that having
Western religious moral values is a good thing for the individual and
for society as well.
Does that mean that atheists are by in large bad people? This is
obviously not true. But the point is that just knowing someone is an
atheist really tells you nothing either positive or negative about the
character and values of that person.
And in fact that is what I perceive as a real shortcoming in atheism, is
that it provides no moral backbone for the individual to draw on. In the
atheist’s world each individual can and does come up with their own
set of “moral” principles.
For me, I will draw on the 10 Commandments as the cornerstone of
my moral principles.
Who is Behind This Massive Grab of Money and Power Known as the Downtown Core and Corridor Specific Plan (DCCSP), City Manager Joe Felz?
Posted by Joe Imbriano in Agenda 21 on August 1, 2014
I report you decide-by Barry Levinson
BARRY LEVINSON
Who is Behind This Massive Grab of Money and Power Known as the
Downtown Core and Corridor Specific Plan (DCCSP)? City Manager
Joe Felz?
Fullerton City manager Joe Felz
Let me be as direct as I can be. Any council member who votes for
the DCCSP in its current form is basically thumbing their noses at
democracy and the people of Fullerton.
I say this because this would be a major power grab by City Manager
Joe Felz and a loss of control and transparency for the people of
Fullerton.
Those in favor are going to argue that those not in favor are against
development, against progress, etc.
The main thing I am against is having my rights as a citizen of
Fullerton being taken away. My right to be able to go before council
and voice my opinion on a new high tower development in my city
before my elected representatives vote yes or no.
This will be taken away from me if the DCCSP proposal is approved
in its current form. All projects in this huge area of Fullerton will not
require additional EIR’s (Environmental Impact Reports) and will not
normally require any votes by council. All it will need is our unelected
City Manager, Joe Felz. It would be very convenient for him and
awful for the rest of us with the exception of some developers.
Who elected City Manager Joe Felz? Why is he making policy and
then taking over this huge plan that gives the go ahead for massive
high-rise development along most of the major corridors of our city?
Why would any council member vote to give away the necessary
checks and balances and replace it in the hands of one unelected
man, our city manager? This so-called “specific plan” gives almost
unlimited powers to develop wide portions of our city to Joe Felz. My
understanding is that this plan could result in 8,000 new buildings,
almost all of them multi-story in both commercial and also in and
around predominantly residential neighborhoods.
Checks and balances in government is always a good thing. This
aims to take those checks and balances away from future councils
and from the public at-large.
Any Fullerton politician in favor of this monstrosity in my opinion does
not care that they are usurping the rights of all citizens. Governor
Brown ended redevelopment and City Manager Joe Felz and his
minions are bringing it back exponentially with no oversight by future
councils or the public.
If this is passed, there will be no further review for this massive
amount of new development, which could easily increase the current
population of Fullerton from 140,000 to well over 200,000 and
beyond. But don’t you worry Mr. and Mrs. Fullerton citizen, because
Uncle Joe will take care of everything.
Ladies and gentlemen this is exactly what I am afraid of.
So please come to our next Fullerton Council meeting on Tuesday
August 5 at 6:30PM
Barry Levinson
Average Orange County Public Employee Pension is 88% of Final Salary
Posted by Joe Imbriano in Hidden in plain view, The twighlight's last gleaming on July 30, 2014
I REPORT, YOU DECIDE-BY BARRY LEVINSON
Barry Levinson
This is according to an article written by Robert Fellner on July 20, 2014.
The reason all taxpayers should be outraged by the final percentage of retirement income vs. final pay for OCERS retirees is simple.
The taxpayer cannot afford to pay these public servants that kind of retirement money.
It may be called a pension, but in reality part of it is simply welfare created by the unions’ cozy relationship with so many of our elected officials.
The Manhattan Beach Shark attack and the City of Manhattan Beach’s illegal attack on fishing.
Posted by Joe Imbriano in The twighlight's last gleaming on July 28, 2014
A FULLERTON INFORMER EXCLUSIVE
When sharks smell blood, they show up. When the media smells hysteria, they show up. When city officials smell what the media smells and put their noses together for an opportunity to wage a sort of elitist socioeconomic ethnic cleansing of an exclusive waterfront community, they appear to push the envelope as far as they can. The right to feed yourself is as basic as you can get and so much so that the framers of our beloved California Republic wrote it into our State Constitution in Article I Section 25.
What happened to the swimmer was tragic to say the least, and thank God he is O.K. What happened was an accident, plain and simple but If anyone is negligent here it is the city for not addressing the fact that there are dangerous sharks sharing the surf with with beach goers and for not banning swimming, surfing, and boating within 100 yards of the pier like almost all other cities do up and down the coast. Read the rest of this entry »
FOOL ME ONCE SHAME ON YOU, FOOL ME TWICE SHAME ON ALL OF US. THE SAD STORY OF THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT’S HISTORY WITH BOND ISSUES.
Posted by Joe Imbriano in Hidden in plain view on July 27, 2014
I REPORT, YOU DECIDE. Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
This Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM, the North Orange County Community College Board will meet to consider approving a $574 million dollar bond issue, which the proponents say will be primarily used to revamp two Veteran’s Buildings within its facilities.
First, over a half billion dollars for two buildings should in and of itself sound warning bells for all taxpayers throughout all of North Orange County.
Second, if the language of the bond is not specific, the Community College Board could spend the money on items not having anything to do with the Veterans.
Third, do you want to give some bureaucrats the power to have over a half billion additional dollars at their disposal to spend probably at their own discretion. I for one say absolutely not.
The current N.O.C.C.D Chancellor Dr. Ned Doffoney EARNS$240,000 PER YEAR + BENEFITS AND EXPENSES
Fourth, we demand accountability, transparency and Read the rest of this entry »
The Increasing Number Of Suspected Police Abuse Incidents Caught On Video Is Becoming A Real Problem For Both Our Police Departments And Our Society As Well. Why Incidents Like The Kelly Thomas Beating Death By Police In Fullerton California Will Not Go Away?
Posted by Joe Imbriano in Government sponsored terrorism on July 26, 2014
I report you decide-By Barry Levinson.
BARRY LEVINSON
The Increasing Number Of Suspected Police Abuse Incidents Caught On Video Is Becoming A Real Problem For Both Our Police Departments And Our Society As Well.
Why Incidents Like The Kelly Thomas Beating Death By Police In
Fullerton California Will Not Go Away?
Police Chiefs around this country tell us repeatedly how well trained the members of their departments are and how they believe their departments are one of the best in the country.
FPD’s Dan Hughes
Yet every time we witness via live taping of a police civilian contact gone terribly wrong, almost never is the officer criminally or even civilly held to account for their actions.
They are put on paid administrative leave, which means a fully paid vacation for months or even up to a year or more while the police hierarchy and/or the DA investigates the incident. Then almost always the officer’s actions are found to be “reasonable” and they are back at their jobs fully refreshed from their extended paid vacations.
Yes many times, we might hear that the officer will receive additional training as if every bad act by a police officer can be fixed by attending one or more classes. If an officer likes to hurt people, training will do absolutely nothing to stop his bad behavior. If the officer has the wrong temperament or lacks the necessary common sense to deal rationally with the public, training will do absolutely nothing to change that officer’s bad behavior.
If someone is asked to sit down by an officer and he/she refuses does that give the officer the right to put that person’s life in danger? It is clear that too many police officers like the power and authority they have over the average citizen and yes have an extremely low bar before they escalate a confrontation from words to physical violence.
I for one, if asked to sit down or stand up or even get on my knees would obey the officer out of both respect and fear that this officer might use any minor excuse to physically assault me.
But there are those citizens who do not automatically listen to commands barked by an officer and want to know why they are being detained and want an answer before considering obeying an officer’s command.
There are situations that are not easy for the police. Non-obeying suspects are a challenge to them. But a situation where a non-violent suspect does not obey a verbal order, grounds to put someone in the hospital or worse. I do not think so.
The headline above asked if the police are more violent today then in the past. I do not know that answer. But I do know that more and more suspected police abuse has been caught on citizen’s smart phone cameras now.
I also know that laws such as POBAR, the Police Officers Bill of Rights in California that hides the records of bad police officer’s from the general public and everyone else but the police chiefs does not help the situation one little bit.
Finally, obvious cases of police officers using excessive force and not being punished, criminally, civilly or even suspended without pay for their actions, has given the bad officer a virtual green light to continue to mete out their form of street justice to an unsuspecting public.
See these fists?
Therefore, the real problem may not be whether there is more police abuse now than in the past. The real problem may be that the criminal justice system is ill-equipped to rein in and properly punish those bad officer’s acts.
It is clear that a growing segment of the public has become aware of this problem and it could become dangerous for our society to test the public’s patience on this matter.
The Fullerton Joint Union High School District Will Try To Place A $175 Million Bond Issue On The November Ballot.
Posted by Joe Imbriano in Hidden in plain view on July 22, 2014
I REPORT YOU DECIDE-By Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Yesterday, like most of you who live in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District (FJUHSD), I received a four-page color brochure from those bureaucratic “friends”.
F.J.U.H.S.D. BOARD OF TRUSTEES
 Marilyn Buchi |
 Andy Montoya |
 Robert N. Hathaway |
 Barbara Kilponen |
 Robert Singer Ph.D. |
This is the third full color brochure that has been sent out by the FJUHSD this year. Each time they have written that they are considering a new bond issue. Well, now they have set a date — August 5th, 2014 — where they will consider placing this $175 million bond issue on the November 4, 2014 ballot.
FJUHSD’S Dr. George Giokaris
My understanding is that this bond issue will be long-term, maybe 25 years or so in length. It is irresponsible that the board would be considering this so late in the year. Read the rest of this entry »
WAS COUNCIL MEMBER JENNIFER FITZGERALD’S C.O.I.N RESPONSE BASICALLY A NON-RESPONSE TO MY EARLIER C.O.I.N. ARTICLE?
Posted by Joe Imbriano in The twighlight's last gleaming on July 21, 2014
BY BARRY LEVINSON
JENNIFER FITZGERALD
‘I think it is both fitting and appropriate that I am penning this article on the 4th of July, Independence Day.
Councilmember Fitzgerald’s June 30, 2014 article entitled “Fullerton Councilmember Responds: New COIN Ordinance Has Teeth” is referring to my last article about C.O.I.N. dated June 25, 2014 without mentioning my name. She states that Supervisor Moorlach’s five components are in the Fullerton ordinance. She conveniently ignores every specific fact comparison I make for each of the 5 components. How is that responding to my very real concerns that the Fullerton ordinance will not make any major improvements to the transparency, timeliness and accountability of Fullerton’s labor negotiation process?
Let us first start out with the keys to a good C.O.I.N. ordinance. The keys are transparency, openness, timeliness and accountability. Let us take up that subject as it may relate to Ms. Fitzgerald. Let us go to her byline entitled ”About the Author”. She tells you “she serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of California Cities-Orange County Chapter and the Orange County Taxpayers Association and is a Past President of the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce.” Yet she leaves out what she does for a living and who is her current employer. Why would she not tell the audience how she earns a living? So I will tell you. She is currently Vice President of Curt Pringle and Associates which describes themselves on their Facebook page as follows:
“About
Curt Pringle & Associates is a full-service public relations, public affairs and government relations firm, providing a wide range of services to both private and public sector clients.
General Information
The Curt Pringle & Associates team works collaboratively to maximize our knowledge, expertise and experience in tailoring a comprehensive strategy to fit the client’s specific goals, resources and abilities.
While we are perhaps best known for our governmental advocacy efforts, employing an extensive breadth of relationships with elected and appointed officials throughout southern California and at the State Capitol*, we are also well versed in the areas of land use entitlement, public outreach, crisis communications and media relations, and have produced substantial benefits in each of these fields for numerous clients.”
I would very much like Councilmember Fitzgerald to tell us why she left out this very important detail in describing herself. I would say what one does for a living could have a direct impact on various public policy positions especially when that is her business as VP of Curt Pringle and Associates as well as her elected obligation and duty as Fullerton Councilmember as well. Could it be that this is the very reason why Ms. Fitzgerald failed to mention her executive position with Curt Pringle and Associates?
I REPORT, YOU DECIDE.
There is an excellent quote whose author I do not know. The quote is as follows:
“You are entitled to your own opinions, but you are not entitled to your own facts.”
It simply means that you are entitled to any opinion without the boundaries of accuracy, factuality, or even sanity. Facts by the very definition of the word, does not allow you to have your own set of facts simply because you are not the arbiter of those facts like you are with your own opinions. I know politicians wish that they could have their own set of facts and many times act like they are entitled to have their own set of facts. However, I am here to tell them unequivocally that they do not have that right if they also want to be honest communicators of the truth.
Therefore, Ms. Fitzgerald certainly is entitled to her opinions but she is certainly not entitled to her own brand of facts.
My earlier article took the five major components of a good C.O.I.N ordinance and found shortcomings in the just passed counterfeit CO.I.N. ordinance thanks to the yes votes by Mayor Chaffee and Councilmembers Fitzgerald and Flory.
It is interesting that for each specific shortcoming that I factually pointed out, Ms. Fitzgerald did not address directly any of them. I would call that rather non-responsive.
For instance, let us give the reader two examples starting with component No. 1 Independent Negotiator. This is part of what I wrote as follows:
“Under Moorlach’s component, an independent negotiator is a requirement for all negotiations. Under Fullerton ordinance Section B.1. Principal Negotiator second paragraph states as follows: “The requirement for an outside negotiator may be waived by a majority vote of City Council.”
Therefore, since the current council put this out clause into the ordinance they must want to be able to waive the independent negotiator requirement at their convenience with a simple majority vote. If a majority of our current council wanted a truly independent process there would be no language in the ordinance to allow for the independent negotiator’s status to be tampered with by this council or for any future council as well.
Ms. Fitzgerald did not address this critical fact in her response.
For Component No. 2., Cost of Contracts, I wrote the following:
“Under Moorlach’s component the independently elected Auditor-Controller reviews the costs of proposed contracts and provides the information to all parties and the public before any contractual finalization can take place.” In the Fullerton version it states at A.1., Annual Analysis of Costs and Liabilities, second paragraph, as follows: “The annual fiscal analysis shall be submitted to the City’s independent auditor during the course of the annual City financial audit.” Under Fullerton law, there is no requirement to provide this information prior to the signing of the labor negotiation contracts, relegating the independent auditor’s information basically worthless because the public does not receive it in a timely manner. Therefore, the second component’s only purpose is not carried out under the Fullerton law.”
Ms. Fitzgerald failed to address this critical point as well. To use her vernacular….CHECKMATE!
I would also like to make one very important observation. I have been regularly attending Fullerton council meetings since early 2010. In those 4.5 years, any agenda item that even had the hint of potentially reducing union power, control and especially their salaries and benefits of their members always resulted in many, many city employees attending and speaking out at those meetings. Not one city employee, not one union president or member spoke out against the recently passed Counterfeit C.O.I.N. ordinance. Ladies and gentlemen doesn’t that tell you all you really need to know about which version of C.O.I.N., the Costa Mesa version or the Fullerton version is going to work best for the taxpayers of Fullerton.
In conclusion, Ms. Fitzgerald is certainly entitled to her opinions, but she is not entitled to her own facts. Unfortunately, we the people of Fullerton believed her when she told us that she would support an effective C.O.I.N. ordinance for the city of Fullerton. Now we know her opinion about C.O.I.N., and now the reader knows the facts.
Post Script: What is truly sad is that Ms. Fitzgerald as well as Ms. Flory and Mr. Chaffee will be asked to account for these and other shortcomings in the Fullerton ordinance in upcoming Fullerton city council meetings by the public and they will most likely not respond to any of the public’s questions. Is this the kind of government that our forefathers envisioned or is this the kind of government they feared might materialize while the public was not closely watching our city leaders?
BARRY LEVINSON
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