Thursday, June 7, 2012

Council Member-Elect


Now that I am finally getting caught up on emails and phone calls, I want to express my gratitude to my supporters and the voters of Fullerton who cast their ballots for me to be your newest City Council Member.
You walked the precincts, made phone calls, spoke with your friends, made t-shirts, wore t-shirts (I have a few left if you would like one), and donated your time, money, and energy to help me win!  You represented me when I could not be everywhere all the time.

You cast your vote for me.  You believe in my vision of open, honest, and transparent government.

Thank you!

I have a deep and profound respect for the public trust that has been placed upon my shoulders which I do not take lightly.  To the voters who voted for Jane, Rick, or Paula, I hope we can find common ground from which we can work.  As your council member, I represent all of Fullerton.  Let's make the most of it - Fullerton is OUR home. 

Sincerely,
Greg Sebourn

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Fullerton Recall Election Results


Shall F. Richard "Dick" Jones be recalled (removed) from the office of City Council Member?
Completed Precincts: 87 of 87
Vote CountPercentage
Yes10,01765.5%
No5,27334.5%


For Member of the City Council Candidates to succeed F. Richard "Dick" Jones
Completed Precincts: 87 of 87
Vote CountPercentage
TRAVIS KIGER6,87355.5%
GLENN GEORGIEFF2,93223.7%
ROBERTA J. REID1,0748.7%
DOROTHY A. BIRSIC8016.5%
MATTHEW HAKIM7065.7%


Shall Pat McKinley be recalled (removed) from the office of City Council Member?
Completed Precincts: 87 of 87
Vote CountPercentage
Yes9,98365.6%
No5,23434.4%


For Member of the City Council Candidates to succeed Pat McKinley
Completed Precincts: 87 of 87
Vote CountPercentage
DOUG CHAFFEE5,45142.3%
BARRY LEVINSON3,95630.7%
MATTHEW ROWE2,77521.5%
SEAN PADEN7095.5%


Shall Don Bankhead be recalled (removed) from the office of City Council Member?
Completed Precincts: 87 of 87
Vote CountPercentage
Yes10,01265.7%
No5,22534.3%


For Member of the City Council Candidates to succeed Don Bankhead
Completed Precincts: 87 of 87
Vote CountPercentage
GREG SEBOURN5,14340.5%
JANE RANDS3,34026.3%
RICK ALVAREZ2,82922.3%
PAULA WILLIAMS1,38710.9%

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Election Day - June 5, 2012

Today is the June 5th election that Fullerton voters have been waiting for.  Please take a few minutes to hit the polls and cast your ballot.

On a similar note I want to share with you some of what I saw throughout the campaign.

First of all, I believe that ALL of the replacement candidates ran a clean and honest campaign.  I know many of my signs were taken but do not believe that any of the candidates took them.  Throughout the campaign all of my interactions with other candidates were congenial and professional.  I tip my hat to all of them for their willingness to step up and represent their city.

Leading up to today I have heard a small minority blindly lay the blame for for the Fullerton Recall on Tony Bushala.  Blaming Bushala for the council majority's collective failings is tantamount to a child blaming their parent for scolding them after being caught with their hand in the cookie jar.  It just goes to show the depth of denial that some people have when it comes to failed leadership.

It also is a prime example of deflecting responsibility.  Instead of defending themselves and showing that, somehow, Tony Bushala is wrong, they chose to just cross their arms and pout about how mean Tony is for calling them out as poor leaders.

So, while many might think the Fullerton Recall is about Tony Bushala, the fact remains that it was Don Bankhead, Pat McKinley, and Dick Jones who saddled Fullerton taxpayers and water ratepayers with $27 million in illegal overcharges (they're still over charging us!) for the last 15 years, cultivated and protected the culture of corruption that lead to the beating death of Kelly Thomas, gave hundreds of millions of your tax dollars to out of town developers to build low-income apartments around Downtown Fullerton, dozens and dozens of bars in Downtown Fullerton, and MORE THAN $1.2 BILLION OF DEBT!!!!!

Blaming Tony Bushala for these huge failures in leadership by the City Council majority is wrong.  Larry Bennett, the Recall No manager, is more culpable as a Fullerton Planning Commissioner than Tony Bushala, a private citizen.  Yet Bennett's own campaign continues to ignore the failed leadership and has actively campaigned to maintain the status quo by blaming Tony Bushala.

Today, I ask that you weigh the City's future, our massive debts, the culture of corruption, and the overwhelming failure to lead by the council majority and vote YES ON THE FULLERTON RECALL!




Greg Sebourn

The Beauty of a Storm

The Beauty of a Storm
Orange County, Ca.

My Grandma - A Eulogy

LET'S TALK ABOUT 1914 FOR A MOMENT.



FOR STARTERS, GRANDMA WAS BORN TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1914 IN HER FAMILY'S ATWOOD RANCH HOUSE.



IT IS WORTH NOTING THOSE ALSO BORN IN 1914:

JACK LALANNE

JOE DIMAGGIO

DANNY THOMAS



AND WHO DIED IN 1914:

JOHN MUIR, THE FAMOUS NATURALIST FOR WHICH NUMEROUS ROADS, PARKS, HOTELS, AND NATURE RESERVES ARE NAMED.



IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT IN 1914 WOODROW WILSON SIGNS MOTHER'S DAY PROCLAMATION AND BABE RUTH MAKES HIS MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT WITH THE RED SOX. MOTHER'S DAY AND BASEBALL- TWO OF MY FAVORITES!! (PERHAPS HER NICKNAME "BABE" CAME FROM BABE RUTH???)



GRANDMA WAS BORN INTO A PERIOD OF TIME FILLED WITH TURMOIL. IN JUNE OF 1914 ARCHDUKE FRANZS FERDINAND WAS ASSASSINATED. WITHIN ONE MONTH WORLD WAR I RAGED ACROSS EUROPE. TWO DAYS AFTER HER BIRTH HOWEVER, GERMAN AND BRITISH TROOPS INTERRUPTED WWI TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. (PERHAPS THEY PAUSE KNOWING THAT A GREAT WOMAN WAS BORNE) WORLD WAR I CONTINUED UNTIL THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES IN 1919.



ALTHOUGH SHE WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD, SHE SAW THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS CREATED AND THE 19TH AMENDMENT WAS APPROVED BY THE U.S. CONGRESS GUARANTEEING THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN TO VOTE.



SHE LIVED THROUGH MANY NOTABLE EVENTS. LIKE THE 1933 LONG BEACH EARTHQUAKE OR WHEN ATWOOD FLOODED ALONG WITH MOST OF ORANGE COUNTY IN 1938 AND THE FLOOD-WATERS CLAIMED MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE, 43 OF WHICH WERE FROM ATWOOD! ALL OF THIS DURING A TIME THAT WE READ ABOUT IN SCHOOL AND KNOWN AS "THE GREAT DEPRESSION". SOMEWHERE IN ALL OF THAT SHE FOUND THE LOVE OF HER LIFE, GRANDPA LEO, GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, GOT MARRIED, AND HAD KIDS!



THEN THERE WAS WORLD WAR II. FROM PEARL HARBOR TO HIROSHIMA, GRANDMA WAS RAISING MY UNCLE BOB AND MOM ARLINE. WITH AIR-RAID SIRENS AND BLACKOUTS SHE WAS A WIFE AND MOTHER. WHAT A TIME TO RAISE CHILDREN! I BET GRANDMA'S PARENTS WERE ABEL TO TELL HER A THING OR TWO ABOUT RAISING KIDS IN WARTIME.



GRANDMA WAS THERE WHEN THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA HELD THEIR 3RD ANNUAL NATIONAL JAMBOREE IN 1953. SHE SAW AIRBASES OPEN IN '42 AND CLOSE IN '99. SHE WATCHED WALTER KNOTT START UP HIS BERRY FARM AND WALT DISNEY TURN ORANGE GROVES AND STRAWBERRY PATCHES INTO DISNEYLAND!



SHE SAW THE HORSE AND CARRIAGE FADE AWAY INTO HISTORY AND SPACE TRAVEL EXPLODE BEFORE HER WITH THE FIRST LUNAR LANDING. JUST IMAGINE HOW MUCH TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS. FROM TUBE RECTIFIERS TO SUPERCONDUCTORS; FROM TRANS-ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLES TO SATELLITE TV.



SHE SAW MORE IN HER 93 YEARS THAN MOST OF US WILL EVER READ ABOUT, LET ALONE LIVE THROUGH!



OF THOSE 93 YEARS IT IS MY HONOR TO HAVE BEEN HER GRANDSON FOR 35 OF THEM. SHE WAS MY MOTHER WHEN MOM HAD TO WORK. SHE WIPED MY NOSE AND PUT FOOD IN MY MOUTH. SHE LET ME PLAY WITH GRANDPA EVEN THOUGH SHE NEEDED HIM TO TAKE HER TO THE STORE. SHE WAS MY GRANDMA AND I WILL MISS HER IMMENSELY.



JUST LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM; SHE DID THIS. SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE INTO THIS WORLD AND TOGETHER TODAY. THIS IS HER LEGACY.



A Dedication To My Loving Wife, Stacey. Thank you for all you do for me!

Brad Paisley - I Thought I Loved You Then


I remember trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mesmerized
3 weeks later in the front porch light taking 45 min to kiss you goodnight
I hadn’t told you yet but I thought I loved you then

Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.

I remember taking you back to right where I first met you
You were so surprised
There were people around
But I didn’t care I got down on one knee right there
And once again I thought I loved you then

Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.

I can just see you with a baby on the way
I can just see you when your hair is turning gray
What I can’t see is how I’m ever gonna love you more
But I’ve said that before.

Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Well look back some day at this moment that we’re in
And I'll look at you and say I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then...