California taxes rank worst in U.S.

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Staff

Tim Cavanaugh of Reason magazine talks to Fox 11 Los Angeles about Governor Jerry Brown’s push for higher taxes despite California’s dismal national tax ranking:

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KNBC: Recall of three Fullerton council members moves forward

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Staff

A recall campaign aimed at three city council members is making progress. It now appears that backers of the campaign have collected enough signatures for a recall election. Tony Guinyard reports:

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Recall organizers say they have enough signatures

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Staff

By Lou Ponsi | Orange County Register – A recall campaign targeting three City Council members, accusing them of lack of leadership in the wake of the death of Kelly Thomas, appeared Thursday to have cleared its first significant hurdle.

Fullerton Recall Campaign ButtonThe signature-gathering campaign aimed at ousting Councilmen F. Richard Jones, Pat McKinley and Don Bankhead collected thousands more signatures than the 10,552 qualified signatures – 15 percent of Fullerton voters – needed to stage a recall election.

Petitions to recall Jones, McKinley and Bankhead collected 17,587, 17,603 and 17,064 signatures, respectively.

Recall organizers Tony Bushala, a local business owner, and Chris Thompson, a Fullerton School District board member, turned the petitions into the city clerk Thursday afternoon. [CONTINUE READING]

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Norby bill calling for a moratorium on the naming of roads killed in committee

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Staff

By Steven Greenhut | Orange County Register — California legislators never have enough time, and always lack the vision, to deal appropriately with the state’s pressing budget and infrastructure problems. But they are great at self-aggrandizement and at catering to the special-interest groups that help assure their re-election.

One would think, for instance, the Assembly Transportation Committee would be deeply concerned with the predicted sky-high cost overruns for the proposed High Speed Rail system, or with planning cost-effective ways to meet the transportation needs of a growing population. Yet the committee spends nearly a third of its time on a task that few readers would consider of vital importance: naming highways.

“It’s gone crazy,” said Assemblyman Chris Norby, R-Fullerton, who introduced Assembly Bill 595, which would have placed a two-year moratorium “on any naming of highways or posting signs by act of the Legislature.” Local governments would still be free to name roadways.  [CONTINUE READING]

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Has city charged $27 million in illegal water fees?

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Staff

Orange County Register | Way back in 1968, when there were still lots of orange trees in Orange County, the city of Fullerton tacked a 2 percent charge onto folks’ water bills to cover the cost of providing that water.

In 1970, the city hiked that charge to 10 percent – and there it has remained for 41 years.

This charge is “in lieu of franchise fees” — what a private company would pay the city for the exclusive privilege of providing water — and in lieu of property taxes, which many special districts collect to help provide water service.

That 10 percent fee generated about $2.5 million for Fullerton last year — and more than $27 million since 1997, according to city figures.
“We believe the fee and revenue transfers are illegal,” says a letter from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which arrived over the holidays in City Manager Joe Felz’s mailbox.  [CONTINUE READING]

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John & Ken broadcast from Fullerton to support council recall

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Staff

Orange County Register | Radio personalities “John and Ken” broadcast their popular drive-time show just steps from City Hall on Wednesday, drumming up support for a recall campaign aimed at three City Council members because of perceptions of their handling of the Kelly Thomas case. [CONTINUE READING]

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Fullerton settles sexual assault suit against former police officer for $350,000

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Staff

Orange County Register | The city will pay a total of $350,000 to two women who say they were sexually assaulted by a Fullerton police officer, the city attorney announced Tuesday night. The officer, Albert Rincon, is no longer employed by the city, City Manager Joe Felz said. [CONTINUE READING]

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35% of city’s full-time employees paid more than $100,000/year

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Staff

Orange County Register | Twenty six percent of Fullerton city workers earned more than $100,000 in total compensation in 2009 — and seven earned more than $200,000, according to figures from the state controller’s office.

Average total compensation for all 1,013 reported positions — including part-timers — was $64,563. Of those, 262 made more than $100K.

If we pull out just full time workers — which we’re defining as those with pension benefits — there were 738 employees. Of those, 35.4 percent earned more than $100K, and the average comp was $85,942. [CONTINUE READING]

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An interview with Bruce Whitaker on the issue of who controls the police

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Staff

Full Disclosure Network interviews Fullerton City Council Member Bruce Whitaker, who describes how his efforts were stonewalled by the city bureaucracy when he sought to get to the truth regarding the death of Kelly Thomas, who was beaten to death by Fullerton police officers in July. Leslie Dutton reports:

To participate in the survey and/or leave comments, please click here.

To read additional background on this story or on the Full Disclosure Network, please click here.

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KTLA: Council member Whitaker says police chief violated his contract by living in San Clemente

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Staff

Chief Michael Sellers, who is currently on medical leave, never moved to Fullerton as required by his employment contract. KTLA’s David Begnaud’s filed this report Thursday night:

SAN CLEMENTE — Fullerton Police Chief Michael Sellers, who has been on medical leave since August, has some questions to answer about one of the terms of his contract with the city.

Chief Sellers’ contract — signed on April 1, 2009 — dictated that he had to “make a bona fide effort” to make Fullerton his primary residence by December 2010.

That deadline passed almost a year ago, but Sellers still lives some 40 miles away, in a gated community in San Clemente.

Property records indicate that he has lived there for the past 10 years.

“I think there were no efforts of any sort that he exhibited,” Fullerton City Councilman Bruce Whitaker told KTLA.

Whitaker is one of two councilmembers who have, in the past, called for Sellers to resign.

“I think we should press the matter,” Whitaker said.”

“On behalf of taxpayers, they understand right now that we’re paying large amounts of money for a chief not to be on the job.”

Sellers was hired at a salary of $192,000 per year — about $16,000 every month.

“If he hasn’t lived up to the terms of this agreement, I’d be in favor of pushing our side of the equation,” Whitaker said. [CONTINUE READING]

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Petitions send West Coyote Hills project back to council

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Staff

Orange County Register | Opponents trying to repeal the City Council’s approval of the 760-home West Coyote Hills development collected enough valid signatures on the second two of four petitions to have the project decided by voters, City Clerk Lucinda Williams said Tuesday. First, the issue will go back to the City Council on Oct.18; the council can either reverse its earlier approval of the project or send the issue to an election. [CONTINUE READING]

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KCBS/KCAL: Police chief extends his leave of absence, again, amid scandal

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Staff

Fullerton’s embattled police chief Michael Sellers is extending his leave of absence once again and taxpayers are getting tired of footing the bill. Stacey Butler reports:
(If the video is not appearing below, click here.)

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Federal judge reprimands Fullerton police department

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Staff

Los Angeles Times | The Fullerton Police Department, already reeling from criminal charges filed against two officers in the death of a homeless man, has been reprimanded by a federal judge for allowing a police officer to return to patrol after he was accused of groping women. [CONTINUE READING]

Fullerton Police Department

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City could hire Kelly Thomas case consultant tonight

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Staff

Michael GennacoOrange County Register | The Fullerton City Council could hire a law-enforcement consultant as early as Tuesday night to investigate what happened when as many as six police officers had a physical confrontation with an apparently unarmed homeless man who died five days later from his injuries. On the agenda is the possible hiring of law-enforcement consultant Michael Gennaco to investigate “employee conduct arising from the Kelly Thomas matter.” [CONTINUE READING]

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CNN: Interview with the potential police department investigator

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Staff

Randi Kaye talks to the consultant Fullerton is calling in to review its Police Department and Kelly Thomas’ death:

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West Coyote Hills opponents turn in petition signatures

Posted on August 13, 2011 by Staff

Orange County Register | Opponents trying to repeal the City Council’s approval of the 760-home West Coyote Hills development submitted enough signatures to the City Clerk on Friday to start the process of putting the issue before voters. Friends of Coyote Hills turned in signatures gathered on two petitions by the deadline Friday, City Clerk Lucinda Williams said. [CONTINUE READING]

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Hackers group ‘Anonymous’ threatens cyber attack on Fullerton police over Kelly Thomas case

Posted on August 13, 2011 by Staff

Los Angeles Times | The shadowy hackers group calling itself “Anonymous” has threatened cyber attacks against the Fullerton Police Department in retaliation for the death of a homeless mentally ill man after a violent confrontation with police last month, the department’s public information officer confirmed late Saturday. In a letter sent to the Police Department and distributed on the Internet, the group announced the start of Operation Fullerton at midday Saturday, saying it would avenge the death of Kelly Thomas by treating the police information technology “with as much mercy as was shown Kelly Thomas.” [CONTINUE READING]

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Fullerton’s history with the homeless

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Staff

Voice of OC | The Fullerton Police Department has an officer whose job includes dealing with the homeless and their myriad mental health and other issues. In fact, the officer, Cpl. John DeCaprio, completed a two-day course last year on how to recognize the mentally ill on the streets and handle those situations. [CONTINUE READING]

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FOX: Kelly Thomas case turns political

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Staff

The case of Kelly Thomas, the homeless man who died last month after a confrontation with Fullerton police, is not just a human tragedy. It has also become a political football. FOX 11′s John Schwada has the full story in this video report:


To read the transcript, click here.

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KTLA: Councilmember Whitaker calls for Attorney General to get involved in Kelly Thomas investigation

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Staff

Fullerton Councilmember Bruce Whitaker has called for California’s attorney general to get involved in the investigation of Kelly Thomas death, and city manager Joe Felz has called for an independent review of the involvement of the six FPD officers. David Begnaud reports:

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