Just The Facts

"I would be laughing if these Council screw-ups weren't costing us so many thousands of dollars!"

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An Apology From The Friends of Sunnyside

On Wednesday, July 29, 2009, Bob Story of the Daily Sun News published an opinion column criticizing ads placed by The Friends of Sunnyside as “tacky”. We would like to formally apologize for running a list of “The Top Ten Council Screw-Ups” in our ads and on our website. It was not our intent to offend anyone on the Sunnyside City Council, or the staff of the Daily Sun News.

In retrospect, and in the spirit of not offending some tender sensibilities, we will rename the list as, wait for it:

The Top Ten Council Boo-Boo's

That is our favorite. Failing that, if anyone still feels slighted, may we offer the following sanitized alternatives:
The Top Ten Council Flubs
The Top Ten Council Goofs
The Top Ten Council Botches
The Top Ten Council Bungles
The Top Ten Council Gaffes
The Top Ten Council Failures
The Top Ten Council Snafus

Carol Stone

10. $1 Million Damage Claim Filed Against Carol Stone's Alleged Abuse Of Her Council Position

9. Proposed Hiring Interim City Manager At A Rate Of $200,000 Per Year

8. Fired City Manager, Hired New One, Fired Him Too, City Attorney and Finance Director Quit In Protest

7. Hired An Interim Attorney Firm: First Month's Bill Was $31,000.

6. Closed the Community Center

5. Eliminated Parks And Recreation Department.

4. Cut Police Officer Positions As Gang Crime and Shootings Soared.

3. Raised Sewer Rates 90%

2. Raised Water Rates 20%

1. Enthusiastically Passed $500,000 Storm Water Tax; Causing A Revolt Among Taxpayers

Top Ten
Council Boo-Boo's
(Formerly Known As Screw-Ups)

NEW!Solutions For Sunnyside

The Friends Of Sunnyside presents positive actions that can be taken to improve our great city.

"LOCAL COMMANDERS MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR CRIME RATES"

"STATE OF EMERGENCY" and proposed solutions from the Daily Sun News

If you have other suggestions you wish to include in our "Solutions For Sunnyside" please contact us by using the form at the bottom of this page.

CAROL STONE
DISTRICT 3

JESSE HERNANDEZ, JR.
DISTRICT 2

THERESA HANCOCK
DISTRICT 1

INCUMBENTS NEEDING REMOVAL:

"Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."

-Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Truer words were never spoken by the late (and great) U.S. president as witness the conduct of the present Sunnyside City Council. Under this City Council, taxes are up, the deficit is up, crime is up, cops are cut, the city manager they hired is fired after less than a year, the City Attorney and Finance Director quit in protest.
The list of mistakes goes on and on, inspiring the local newspaper to compare it to a Banana Republic Government.

The Friends of Sunnyside community organization agrees and advocates "throwing the rascals out!" in the fall elections.

Sunnyside, a great community, deserves better government.Citizens who agree or disagree are encouraged to send us their comments and we will post them. "The good, the bad, and the ugly." Which brings to mind another movie title: "A Fist Full of Your Dollars" starring Sunnyside City Council Members.
Following the show biz theme, we are also running a Top Ten list of Council Boo-Boo's (We have decided not to call them Screw Ups) A REAL horror show!. Please send us your list.

Friends of Sunnyside Update: Wednesday, July 29, 2009

"LOCAL COMMANDERS MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR CRIME RATES"
- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani

Read more in our new section SOLUTIONS FOR SUNNYSIDE

July 31, 2009: The Friends of Sunnyside is pleased to announce its endorsement of

Mike Farmer

in the District 2 Primary race for the Sunnyside City Council.

"Because facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they can not alter the state of facts and evidence."

2nd President of the United States

--John Adams, Argument in defense of the soldiers in the Boston Massacre trials, December 1770

Read More At JUST THE FACTS

August 6, 2009: JUST THE FACTS from The Friends of Sunnyside Newsletter

Update: August 19, 2009
Sunnyside City Council District 2 Primary Results

Mike Farmer 299 votes, 56.20%
Jesse Hernandez, Jr. 153 votes, 28.76%
Thomas Warren 78 votes, 14.66%

'JUST THE FACTS', Dragnet TV show turns 50 and gets on a postage stamp!

Fact--Only the City Council can vote to spend your money

Fact--The City Manager can only spend what the Council authorizes

Fact--This Council laid off two police officers, and eliminated even more police positions

Fact--Gang crime and shooting violence continue to plague the City

Fact--Only the City Council can raise your utility rates, fees, or city taxes

Fact--The City Manager can not raise taxes, fees, or utility rates

Fact--Under the present City Council, sewer rates are up 90%

Fact--Under the present City Council, water rates are up 20%

Fact--The City Council voted for a $500,000 storm water tax

Fact--The taxpayers were incensed

Fact--The City Council cancelled the storm water tax because of public outcry

Fact--Mark Kunkler, City Attorney, was on the job for 17 years

Fact--City Managers Leo Fancy and Bob Stockwell were forced out by the City Council

Fact--Kunkler did not quit when these managers were forced out

Fact--City Manager Eric Swansen was recently fired by this City Council

Fact--Kunkler did quit in protest over this latest firing

Fact--The City Finance Director also quit in protest over this latest firing

Fact--City Council Member Bill Gant also resigned in protest over this latest firing

Fact--This City Council got the paperwork wrong to fire Swansen

Fact--They had to redo the paperwork

Fact--This cost another two months of salary for Swansen

Fact--This City Council closed the Community Center

Fact--This Council eliminated the Parks & Recreation Department

Conclusion--These facts are inconvenient for Council Members and their supporters. But let us stick to these facts, because this is why many residents of Sunnyside are dissatisfied with the present City Council.

Do not be distracted by smoke screens attempting to hide the incompetence of this City Council.