Fullerton PD Chief Bound and Gagged?

By Darryl Jones for the Fullerton Sentinel
The other day Friends for Fullerton's Future posted a scathing post about Fullerton PD Chief Mike Sellers who has remained silent on the beating death of Kelly Thomas at the hands of Fullerton's finest.

If the Chief ever cares to gain credibility, he really must speak up now.  Remaining silent for the results of the investigation only delays the inevitable.

From 4F's Joe Sipowicz:

We received the following correspondence from a long-time Friend.

"The controversy surrounding the recent beating death of Kelly Thomas, a local mentally ill homeless man at the hands of the Fullerton Police has been marked by the absence of Chief Michael Sellers. The FPD has instead relied on its regular spokesman Sgt. Andrew Goodrich for..." Click here to read the entire post.

The Chief's silence is in stark contrast to 4F's Travis Kiger's post that "Fullerton Police Chief Mike Sellers made a promise to publicly disclose internal department policies and procedures on the city website."


And here we thought only politicians were suppose to break promises.

Yesterday, another Fullerton blog, FullertonStories.com, posted a letter from Council Member Bruce Whitaker who is asking that any audio or video of the beating death of Kelly Thomas be released. 

Former Fullerton police chief Pat McKinley, now a Fullerton Council Member, said after hearing Whitaker's request “I disagree with that last sentence about releasing the video. It isn't a wise thing to do and is for the authorities to do.” 

McKinley, who hired the officers involved - and all of the officers recently in the news for criminal acts - seems to think that the only "authorities" are those in uniform.  Someone needs to smack him with a reality check: the elected city council is the authority over the chief!  Sweet Mother's Cookies, how did this boob get elected?  No wonder his nickname is Pat McPension!

Release the recordings!  Fire Sellers!  Recall McPension!  Stop voting in these mucho-macho-fascists!

The Republican Party of Orange County - Who Makes It Tick and Why

The Orange County Republican Party, or OCGOP, is organized and defined by its Central Committee.  The Central Committee is made up of members elected by voters who represent party members.  Anyone who fills out a voter registration card has an opportunity to choose a political party affiliation or they can "Decline To State" any affiliation. 

The Central Committee elects committee members to positions of leadership.  Currently, the OCGOP Central Committee is lead by the following:
Chairman: Scott Baugh
First Vice-Chairman: Fred Whitaker
Second Vice-Chairman: Marcia Gilchrist
Secretary: Mary Young
Treasurer: Mark Bucher
Assistant Treasurer: Hon. Anna Bryson
Sergeant-at-Arms: Jack Anderson
Parliamentarian: Hon. Kermit Marsh
Every two years Republican voters in the 72nd Assembly District, which includes all of Fullerton, have an opportunity to choose new leadership.  Current 72AD Central Committee representatives include the following:
Marilyn Davenport
Patricia Shuff
Zonya Townsend
Richard Rios
Stan Interrante
Bruce Whitaker

There are also ex-officio members who have a certain standing within the party.  Our State Assemblyman, Chris Norby, is one such member. 

Each Central Committee member has a single vote which is used to direct party policy.  For example, the Central Committee had to vote on the current Principles:

Inalienable Rights: We believe that man's "rights" flow from the Creator and the rights of life, liberty and justice cannot be legitimately granted or rescinded by men.

Self-Government: We believe that the only answer to the current moral decline that our nation now faces is a return to the beliefs and standards of morality which our founding fathers placed into the Constitution. We believe with the framers of that document when President Adams stated, "This Constitution will not work except with a religious people." We understand that the concept of self-government begins with governing one’s self first, then family, community, state, and nation.

Education: We believe in the rights of parents to a quality education for their children. We support parental choice to create competition among the schools. We must insure that no school or teachers union can compromise the education of our children or advance a particular political agenda at the expense of our future generation’s educations.

Taxes: We believe that the federal tax system is abusive to the American people while discouraging investment and growth. We believe in growth-oriented tax policies which would gradually eliminate punitive income taxes and move our tax system in the direction of use taxes and sales taxes only.

Free Enterprise: We believe in the free enterprise system as the best hope for men and women to fulfill their economic hopes and dreams. We know that the free market is the most efficient and the least costly system to deliver the highest quality goods and services at the lowest price to the consumer. We will support only those who support the free enterprise system through legislation to reduce or eliminate intrusive government intervention in the marketplace.

Family: We believe that the traditional American family, defined as any persons related by blood, marriage of a man and a woman and/or adoption, is the cornerstone of our American society, and the government is duty bound to protect the integrity of the family unit through legislation and taxation policies.

Sanctity of Life: We believe that the preborn child is a human being deserving the full protection of the law.

National Defense: We believe in a strong and consistent national defense. We believe in victory over, and not accommodation with, tyranny in any form or philosophy.

Right to Bear Arms: We believe in the unqualified right of our citizens to keep and bear arms without the intrusive hand of government.

Victims’ Rights: We believe in the concept of victims’ rights over the rights of any criminal. We support a system of restitution as a deterrent to crime and recidivism.

Term Limitation: We believe that public service is a privilege. We support term limits for public officials, not as an ideal but as a necessity to dissuade career politicians. It is the people who should rule, not an elite with little accountability.

National Sovereignty: We believe in an America first program in which Government’s first concern is the welfare and protection of the American people. We do not believe in trade protectionism but support political leaders who will adopt policies that create fair and competitive trade.

Decentralized Government: We believe in the power of the individual over the power of the state. We believe that only small government truly serves the needs of the people.

If you agree with most of these Principles, but perhaps not all of them, you may want to consider getting involved with the Central Committee.  Or you may want to lobby a member and persuade them to believe your view to be superior to that of the party. 

Many "conservatives" feel that issues such as family and sanctity of life are personal and should not be tossed into the arena of partisan politics.  If you are of that opinion, you may want to get involved to change the party's direction.  Or you may want to consider registering with the Libertarian Party.  Despite its name, the Libertarian Party is conservative on fiscal matters but liberal on social matters.  Most Libertarians believe government has no right to govern within the walls of the home.  Most Republicans would agree however they might also not want the government dictating social policies within the classrooms. 

The Fullerton Sentinel is purely Republican in that we believe the Principles of the Republican Party of Orange County best reflect the best qualities of Fullerton residents. 

Chris Norby: Local officials susceptible to 'Bell syndrome'

(From the OC Register)  by Chris Norby

"Stockholm syndrome" refers to the counterintuitive behavior of hostages who come to identify with their captors, based on the study of a Swedish kidnapping. Its counterpart in local government is the common acquiescence of elected officials to professional staff. In place of their own judgment they were elected to use, city councils often simply take orders from the city manager.

Call it "Bell syndrome."

Bell is an extreme example of a phenomenon common in local government: a tendency of elected municipal officials to rubber stamp staff proposals over which they have little understanding. It is part of a civic culture that marginalizes elected officials as "political" and elevates appointed managers as "experts."

The position of city manager was a product of the Progressive Era of the early 1900s. Pristine professionals were to govern cities above the political fray. The downside is that these managers are not answerable to voters and can divide and rule over compliant councils who have no independent staff to advise them. These professionals can be just as tempted with the perks of power as the politicians – without the accountability.

Having served on city and county governing boards for 25 years, I've observed and marveled at this tendency. I am fascinated how, after vigorous campaigns to attain office, elected officials often become all too eager to relinquish power and judgment to staff.

Among California's nearly 1,500 city councils and school boards, nearly all serve part time without independent staff. Recommendations, communications, information and staff are controlled through the city manager or superintendent. Newly elected members who raise questions often face a collective culture of groupthink. Important information is obscured. Those who do dig deeper are accused of "micromanaging."
In local government, "micromanaging" is an epithet hurled at those seeking proof that council and board directives are actually being carried out.

City managers and school superintendents need active board members providing strong direction – and looking over their shoulders.

Bell syndrome thrives where elected boards vote in lockstep, where groupthink is elevated, and skeptics are ostracized, and where top staff are seen as irreplaceable experts – with rubber-stamped salaries to prove it. Bell syndrome thrives when self-congratulation trumps self-examination.

A variant of the Bell syndrome led to the 1994 Orange County bankruptcy, as county supervisors routinely rubber-stamped a treasurer's financial ploys they'd neither read nor understood.

Bell syndrome thrives when city managers, superintendents, consultants and bond brokers can lull elected officials into going along with convoluted schemes they simply do not understand. It thrives when predigested proposals are routinely approved and community skeptics are derided as gadflies.

There were 67 new members of city councils and school boards just elected in Orange County. Their job is not simply to continue past practices, but to apply their independent judgment. They must demand information and know what to do with it. They must not only set policy but make sure it's being carried out. They must remember that the only dumb question is the one you're afraid to ask.

Bell syndrome will end only with a vigilant citizenry and press. It will end when elected officials see their jobs not for the prestige and perks, but for the serious policy choices for which they are responsible.

McKinley now leads over Chaffee for council seat

BY HEATHER McREA

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

FULLERTON – Pat McKinley inched ahead of Doug Chaffee on Friday in the race for one of two open seats on the City Council.

The Orange County Registrar of Voters has been updating election results on its website at the end of each day as it counts remaining mail-in, hand-delivered, paper and provisional ballots.

Chaffee was leading McKinley by 30 votes, but Friday's update showed McKinley had regained the lead 8,808 to Chaffee's 8,772.

Incumbent Don Bankhead has held a clear lead since polls closed. At the end of Friday, he had 10,223.
McKinley had taken an early lead as results were posted several times Tuesday night, but by Wednesday morning Chaffee had pulled ahead.

Also holding a clear lead has been Bruce Whitaker, who garnered 37.8 percent of the vote for the two-year seat left open by Shawn Nelson's departure to the county Board of Supervisors.