Mayor Quimby’s story — whoever she, he, it, I, they, or you is or am or are (and I have it on good authority that the only actual fictional Simpson’s character who writes for this blog is the school superintendent, Chalmers, and he sticks to the Santa Ana Schools thread) — focusing on Matt Cunningham earlier this week has led to some entertaining if not always illuminating clashes in the comments section between Cunningham and various pseudonymous beings here. (You didn’t really think that “Vern Nelson” could be a real name, did you?)
Regardless of that, I do have one big problem with the article: it buried the lede. And what a lede it is.
Here is, in my opinion, your actual lede:
Olson and Associates, the Tulare-based provider of goons and blockers grabbed an amazing $233,270 for bringing in campaigners from the central valley who served as “blockers” to convince voters not to sign the referendum petitions. The Olson workers harassed volunteers, going as far as to follow young female volunteers home. The outsiders also circulated their own petition so voters would know that they had already signed something when a volunteer came to their door with a referendum petition.
This was an attempt to block the petition to put a referendum undoing what Quimby describes as “The Orange Land Grab” onto the ballot.
$233,370.
All right, I hate to admit my naivete, but I had never heard of “Olson and Associates” before this, and while I had heard of strong-arm tactics to bust up petition drives, I had always thought that they tended to be on the illegal side (in practice if not in theory) and don’t recall seeing a bill for them, at least not of this size.
So: I will be away from my computer for the next several hours. By the time I come back, I want to know everything you all know about Olson and Associates and their “blockers.” Because this is one story that I don’t want to see buried.
ohbgoody, another string to attract outrageous demands from KenLaysNotDead. He lives in Santa Ana and has NO skin in the game in Orange. STFU pendejo stalker who dog pile searches everything he can on Cunningham, Prevatt, Gallegos and Chimilewinski. He is a stalker
Well… that was a little off topic here. Enough from you as well.
I believe the repuglicans brought in some blockers in Fullerton, too.
Didn’t help.
Can you find out if they used “Olson and Associates?” I’m trying to track down more details about these allegations… Quimby is MIA today but I know other folks involved in stopping the Orange Land Grab.
$233,270 worth? Come on, that’s really impressive, in some sense of the word.
During this whole crazy time, word got around that Olson and Assoc lodged their out of town blockers (for weeks!) in the Sky Palm Motel on Tustin at Chapman Ave. That way all it took was a quick cell phone call from an Olson field supervisior to send a platoon of “blockers and goons” to Stater Bros, Ralph’s, etc., to interfere with the legitimate signature gatherers from Orange Needs Parks.
DAMN IT VERN.
The Sky Palm Motel is begging FREAKING BEGGING for a Kenlaysnotdead response!
But, as a responsible Catholic, I will bow to the season and refrain. I had dinner tinight with a Deacon in the church who was dangerously outspoken about the lenten season being ripped off by wannabee fundalmentalists:
“The Ashes, The No Meat, The Sacrifice…..yeah it’s there, it’s sybolism, rich in tradition, but most of these guys walking around with ashes on thier face, never helped a person in need. They wouldn’t know the first thing about humility, helping people or reality”.
I stopped him there, reflected on the recent goings on and thought HOLY SHIT!
Just write out what you have to say about the Sky Palm hotel here, KLND, for my personal benefit and convenience. No one else look, OK?
Social Justice for residents of OPA!
OK — are the residents of OPA going to indemnify the rest of the city for any bad consequences of their choices? Nice to have you on the Social Justice bandwagon, though. Are you on for the whole trip, or just when it suits you?