Tag Archives: election

Kudos to El Segundo voters – Letter to the Daily Breeze by Michael D. Robbins

Daily Breeze

dailybreeze.com

LAX TO L.A. HARBOR

Letters to the Editor for Monday, April 23, 2012

Posted: 04/22/2012 02:02:23 PM PDT
April 22, 2012 9:27 PM GMT
Updated: 04/22/2012 02:26:15 PM PDT

Kudos to El Segundo voters

Thank you to the 90 percent of El Segundo voters who rejected Measure P. We saved El Segundo City Fire Department from selfish firefighters only interested in maximizing their salaries and job security. Measure P would have disbanded our Fire Department, contracted with Los Angeles County for significantly reduced emergency services and endangered lives. The firefighter union quit campaigning when their professional polls determined it would lose by a wide margin because of our early and sustained campaign against P. They did not give up as a favor to residents. We defeated the two candidates endorsed and funded by the self-serving police union: Progressive candidate Scott Houston who falsely campaigned as a conservative and Cindy Mortesen.

— Michael D. Robbins, El Segundo


Note: This letter was edited down by the Daily Breeze from the original 150 word letter that was submitted. Here is the original letter as it was submitted:

El Segundo Election Victories

Thank you to the 90 percent of voters who voted against Measure P, the firefighter union’s initiative, and those who campaigned against it. We saved our city fire department from selfish firefighters only interested in maximizing their salaries and job security. Measure P would have disbanded our fire department, contracted with L.A. County for significantly reduced emergency services, and endangered lives.

The firefighter union quit campaigning when their professional polls determined it would lose by a wide margin, due to our early and sustained campaign against P. They did not give up as a favor to residents.

We defeated the two candidates endorsed and funded by the self-serving police union – Progressive candidate Scott Houston, who falsely campaigned as a Conservative, opposite his true record, and Cindy Mortesen.

I wonder how the police officers and firefighters can be trusted on their jobs when they are blatantly dishonest in city election campaigns. … Continue reading

Posted in Daily Breeze Letters, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, Firefighter Union Corruption, Letters to the Editor, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Kudos to El Segundo voters – Letter to the Daily Breeze by Michael D. Robbins

Carl Jacobson selected as new El Segundo mayor, Suzanne Fuentes as Mayor Pro Tem – Marie Fellhauer and Bill Fisher lose first two key votes

by Michael D. Robbins April 18, 2012 The newly elected El Segundo City Council members, City Clerk, and City Treasurer were sworn in at the April 17, 2012 City Council meeting, one week after the April 10 El Segundo General … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Firefighter Union Corruption, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Carl Jacobson selected as new El Segundo mayor, Suzanne Fuentes as Mayor Pro Tem – Marie Fellhauer and Bill Fisher lose first two key votes

Video – April 5, 2012 El Segundo Candidates Forum hosted by the League of Women Voters


Watch the April 5, 2012 El Segundo Candidates Forum hosted by the League of Women Voters video here.

Click on the center of the image below.


Get Microsoft Silverlight

April 5, 2012 El Segundo Candidates Forum
hosted by the League of Women Voters (01h 45m)

Click on the rectangle in the lower right corner for full-screen mode.
Press the Escape (“Esc”) key near the upper left corner of your keyboard
to return to small size viewing, especially if the video appears slow or
jerky.


Continue reading

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Marie Fellhauer’s ethics lapses pile up as El Segundo election approaches

Police Union member Marie Fellhauer is running for El Segundo City Council.
Police Union member Marie Fellhauer is running for El Segundo City Council
Photo copyright © 2012 by Michael D. Robbins.


Marie Fellhauer is a Police Union member, and her multitude of ethics lapses make it more likely that she will represent the Police and Fire Unions rather than the Voters and Taxpayers if elected to City Council.

Marie Fellhauer has made at least four known ethics lapses:

  1. Fellhauer’s 32 percent absenteeism rate for Planning Commission meetings she was obligated to attend, and her misrepresentation of her Planning Commission record in her campaign literature.
  2. Much of Fellhauer’s campaign assistance is coming from Mayor Eric Busch, who took $10,900 in campaign cash and other support from the Police and Fire Unions in 2008, and paid them back with millions of extra tax dollars per year in a back-room sweetheart deal, and more than 11 to 23 percent pay raises during a recession when they were already grossly overpaid.
  3. Fellhauer knowingly accepted a $700 contribution from a local businessman who tried to cheat the City out of $55,000, and who was bounced off the Planning Commission by the City Council before his first Planning Commission meeting because a majority of the City Council did not trust him. He tried to steer the Golf Course Construction Management contract to a friend who bid $120,000, when the lowest and more qualified bidder bid only $65,000 for the same job.
  4. Fellhauer got caught in a lie where she tried to cover up her Police Union campaign contribution money at the League of Women Voters Candidates Forum.

Planning Commission Ethics Lapse

Marie Fellhauer’s known ethics lapses start with her Planning Commission appointment.

Fellhauer claims in her campaign literature that her appointment to the El Segundo Planning Commission is an example of Marie's Proven Commitment to Community.
Excerpt from Marie Fellhauer’s Campaign Literature.

Fellhauer claims in her campaign literature that her appointment to the El Segundo Planning Commission is an example of “Marie’s Proven Commitment to Community.”

However, Fellhauer has been absent for a third (32%) of all the Planning Commission meetings she was obligated to attend over the last two years, and absent for a fourth (25%) of all her obligated meetings over the last four years.

There are several problems here.

First, Fellhauer failed to meet her commitments for a very important city function for at least four years.

Second, once she realized she could not or would not meet her commitments, she should have resigned but failed to do so. It appears that Fellhauer retained her seat on the Planning Commission solely to use it as a stepping stone to higher office, i.e., City Council.

And third, Fellhauer misrepresented her record in writing in her own campaign literature to gain trust and confidence from voters. … Continue reading

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Video – Cindee Topar is in an official in the militant AFA union which targeted the customers

Cindee Topar is in an official in the militant AFA union which targeted the customers

Watch the AFA Union’s CHAOS™ Training Video

El Segundo City Council candidate Cindee Cindee Topar is both an official and a member in the militant Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) union, which targeted customers, canceled randomly selected flights without notice, and stranded passengers to create “CHAOS™” for the customers and their employer. Topar’s union was so proud of their anti-social behavior that they even trademarked the name “CHAOS™”.

Cindee Topar at a City Council meeting.
Cindee Topar at a City Council meeting.
Photo copyright © 2012 by Michael D. Robbins.

How would you like it if Topar’s militant union caused you to miss a job interview, business meeting, expensive vacation cruise, or an important once-in-a-lifetime event such as a family wedding, bar mitzvah, or funeral?

The union’s stated goal was to scare away customers to sabotage their employer’s business without suffering the loss of income that a traditional strike would cause. Her union was so proud of stranding airline passengers without incurring the penalty of lost income for their union members that they trademarked the name CHAOS™! The name CHAOS™ stands for “Creating Havoc Around Our System.” If Topar gets elected, we may have CHAOT – Creating Havoc Around Our Town.

Here is the United AFA union’s official CHAOS™ web page:
http://www.unitedafa.org/afa/chaos/default.aspx


How does CHAOS™ work?

When Cindee Topar’s AFA union creates CHAOS™ for customers and management, the following steps are taken. … Continue reading

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Vote for independence – Letter to the Beach Reportor by Illeen Joscha

Vote for independence

The newly-released city documents and e-mails tell all. The firefighter and police unions were behind this push to extort $10 million per year in new taxes from Chevron, to pay for their astronomical and unsustainable salaries and benefits that have averaged $211,000 ($342,000 maximum) per individual per year for firefighters and $178,000 ($304,000 maximum) for police.

These self-serving safety unions are supporting Scott Houston (who took a police union endorsement, large campaign contribution, and other support in 2010), Marie Fellhauer (a police union member herself), and Cindee Topar (former City Council campaign manager for a firefighter union member and a militant union official herself) for City Council. … Continue reading

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Hatchet job – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Carol L. Well

Hatchet job

Has anyone else in El Segundo been receiving anonymous e-mails re: the upcoming election? The first was from Think. ElSegundo urging all of us to watch “SoCal Connected” and listed all dates and times. We all know what that hatchet job was about. We heard only one side of this story. It’s so easy these days to blame big companies, and especially big oil companies, for everything. A more thorough understanding is needed to understand what was going on, how decisions were reached, and what legal counsel was received, etc. Let’s not pass judgment with only half the story.

The second anonymous group is calling themselves OMG.ElSegundo. I was quite offended by their e-mail and “replied” on my computer asking who they were, who they represented, and what their agenda is. They still would not identify themselves in a follow-up e-mail. They prefer to hide behind the Internet and sling mud, but don’t want to face any consequences.

They don’t feel strong enough about their convictions to stand up and identify themselves. … Continue reading

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, Letters to the Editor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Hatchet job – Letter to the Beach Reporter by Carol L. Well

His own words – Letter to the Beach Reporter by David Burns

His own words

Before our City Council election, it’s incumbent upon every voter to verify facts before taking e-mails, editorials and hearsay as fact. I refuse to engage in the mud slinging and conjecture flooding e-mail boxes and newspapers. I’m writing now because I take issue when my name is attached to words I did not say.

When I am used to promote someone else’s opinion, I respond. Mr. Gerhardt VanDrie asked me if a petition came forward with validated signatures supporting a barrel tax, would I block it with my vote as a City Council member? My answer was, “No, I wouldn’t block any verified petition from the citizenry of El Segundo as a matter of democratic principal.”

For example, I wouldn’t have blocked Measure P although I’ve been extremely vocal against it. VanDrie’s editorial addresses other topics, which may infer my support. This action is wrong. If you want to know my opinion – ask me. If you want to verify facts about our former city manager – read El Segundo’s public records. … Continue reading

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Video – Vote NO on Measure P Cartoon featuring FIRE HERO and SMART LADY



Vote NO on Measure P Cartoon featuring FIRE HERO and SMART LADY


This very funny cartoon was created by one of our Public Safety Project supporters on February 9, 2011. He took a few liberties in making the video, but it is basically correct. All the title slides containing text information are Mike Robbins’ work and contain correct information.


Measure P will permanently eliminate El Segundo’s three city-operated paramedic ambulances forever, because the Los Angeles County Fire Department does not operate paramedic ambulances, and El Segundo will permanently lose its legal grandfathered status to operate them.

This will force city residents to use out-of-town private ambulance companies with significantly increased hospital transport times and ambulance fees. The City currently only charges residents what their insurance will pay.

The following data shows that El Segundo residents rely far more on their city-operated paramedic ambulances than on firefighters putting out fires. There were zero major residential structure fires (defined as having $100,000 or more in damage) in El Segundo from January 1, 2008 through April 30 2011.

During that same period, there was an average of 828 paramedic ambulance transports of victims to a hospital per year (city-wide).

El Segundo residents will be far worse off if Measure P passes and as a result they lose their three city-operated paramedic ambulances.

This data is from public record documents obtained from the El Segundo Fire Department in May, 2011 by Mike Robbins, former El Segundo City Councilman and director of the El Segundo Public Safety Project.

If measure P passes, residents will suffer reduced paramedic services and reduced fire protection services.

Number of Major Structure Fires per Year ( > $100,000 damage ):
2008: 1 (129 Arena St. – Commercial Building fire)
2009: 0
2010: 1 (1970 E Imperial Hwy. / Raytheon Bldg. R1 – Commercial Building fire)
2011: 1* (2000 E El Segundo Blvd. / Raytheon Bldg. E1 – Commercial Building fire due to Helicopter Crash)
*Through April 30

Number of Paramedic Hospital Transports per year:
2008: 777
2009: 737
2010: 674
2011: 281*
*Through April 30


Video Transcript:

VOTE “NO” ON MEASURE P featuring FIRE HERO & SMART LADY

This is a special presentation of the Public Safety Project
PublicSafetyProject.org
YouTube.com/user/PublicSafetyProject

( Watch the cartoon. ) … Continue reading

Posted in El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Video – Vote NO on Measure P Cartoon featuring FIRE HERO and SMART LADY

Video – Cindee Topar in Solving Our City’s Top Problems 101 – El Segundo – Public Safety Project



Cindee Topar in Solving Our City’s Top Problems 101


Cindee Topar at a City Council meeting
Cindee Topar at a City Council meeting.
Photo copyright © 2012 by Michael D. Robbins.

LALCV PAC MONEY

Cindee Topar has taken thousands of dollars in campaign support from the radical Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters (LALCV). Although the name may sound innocuous, their agenda and the candidates they support are quite extreme, and they divert and squander taxpayer money for their own private agenda purposes. The LALCV is a political action committee (PAC). They do not plant any trees, clean up any parks or beaches, or do any other hands-on conservation-related work. Their sole purpose for existing is to get candidates who subscribe to their extremist political agenda elected to public offices.

An internet search found that LALCV promotes an agenda ranging from banning plastic bags to increasing taxes and trash collection fees to pay for more of their environmental programs, to “Toilet to Tap”.

“Toilet to Tap” would have recycled Hyperion sewage coming out of our kitchen and bathroom taps if a majority on City Council were to successfully promote it. I don’t think we need that, and I don’t think we are ready for that.

Scott Houston, Eric Busch, Bill Fisher, and Jim Boulgarides have also received LALCV endorsements, and likely also received LALCV cash contributions and/or expensive campaign mailers.

For all races, the LALCV Board of Directors uses a rigorous four-step vetting process in making its campaign endorsements to ensure they only support candidates who will actively pursue their radical agenda. The vetting process includes a detailed questionnaire and in-person interview, followed by an evaluation and recommendation by an endorsement team, then finally, a vote of the full Board. In some cases, the Board will also elect to financially support a candidate or ballot initiative along with its endorsement. Only the most extreme candidates running in races where the LALCV has a reasonable chance of influencing the election outcome get both the LALCV endorsement and the financial support.

The campaign support Topar took from the LALCV included large cash contributions and three expensive campaign mailers when Topar ran for El Segundo City Council in 2008. LALCV has contributed or will contribute $750 to Topar for her 2012 El Segundo City Council campaign.

The third LALCV campaign mailer sent for Topar in 2008 was a large full-color card stock campaign mailer that claimed in large bold letters, “Thanks to CINDEE TOPAR, El Segundo has cleaner air, healthier water and more open space.” You can see the front side of that campaign mailer below.


Third LALCV campaign mailer for Cindee Topar in her 2008 campaign for El Segundo City Council.


Video Transcript:Continue reading

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