Not a Ferry Fan, Chair of the Santa Clarita Valley Know Nothings, is back. I apologize for not seeing his funny little videos sooner, but after a ten month break, he posted his first one in December right as I was riding my bike up a mountain in Hawaii and thus, I missed it.
First up: a doozy. Apparently Frank Ferry ripped into the Town Council form of government on the West Side of Santa Clarita during a Santa Clarita Council meeting. I’m not sure if this happened in December, but it’s new footage to me so I thought I’d post it:
NAFF’s number one target during his two + year reign of YouTube hilarity has always been Councilman Frank Ferry. Some of his videos about the 12+ year councilman are dead on; others, well they don’t really make sense. Whatever the case, it looks like FrankenFerry will be back for this year’s Council election as Ferry seeks another term in office.
If you’re not familiar with NAFF’s volume of work, count yourself lucky. The anonymous YouTuber clearly has a political agenda, but divining what that agenda is like trying to read heiroglyphics without the Rosetta stone. He (or she) is:
- Critical of the City Council when they approve too many developments
- Critical of the City Council when they hassle local developers
- He evidently moved here from the San Fernando Valley (he’s always referencing it, thus confirming my stereotypes)
- Worried about over population of Santa Clarita
- Distrustful and hostile to alternative transportation
- He pre-dates the Tea Party crowd but probably attends their meetings
- Thinks Ken Pulskamp pulls all the levers of local government and development
- Worried that people like me want him to live in “hi density” (sic) urban tenements
- He is angry that there are so many people around him
- He uses the term “suburban bedroom community” un-ironically
Indeed, if you watch enough of NAFF’s videos, you’ll realize rather quickly they aren’t even internally consistent. For instance, in this video:
He posts footage of a crowded street full of cars then mocks Marsha McLean for suggesting residents use other, greener forms of transportation. “We’ll just ride our little bicycles all over town while you clobber up our limited traffic corridors, rrrrriiggght” he says, tossing in a bit of global warming denialism for good measure.
Apparently NAFF thinks “traffic” is a term you use to refer to all the other cars around you when you’re driving down the street, alone in your car.
But no one said local politics had to make sense or be consistent. NAFF’s main point seems to be that there is no distinction between the City Council, City staff and developers; they are one, and they are elitist, know-it-alls and the rage is justified to save the SCV from the SFV’s fate.
But in 2010, as we enter the City Council race, I’m wondering if there are more NAFFs out there. Is he representative of a certain frightened SCV demographic that some savvy Council candidate might tap into as we enter this year’s Council race?
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At least he got rid of those weird openings where he appeared in silhouette with his voice altered like someone in the witness protection program! Those were truly disturbing!
Not a charming profile of our illustrious city council member.
I always enjoy watching the Not a Ferry Fan videos. The unfortunate reality is that for the most part, they capture the actual behavior of our City Council. While NAFF may seem inconsistent with what he criticizes, Frank Ferry will really ride some developers hard for concessions (Fair Oaks Ranch, Newhall Ave development) while letting others (Newhall Land and Farming, Henry Mayo, Larry Rassmussen) get a free pass. At least he could be consistent so that his behavior does not appear to be so tied in to the GOBN. Likewise, he seems to vote for almost anything Hunt Braly presents (remember the boondoggle field of dreams that fell into the abyss because other cities had lost their shorts).
I’m still pissed at him for voting against putting the Waste Managment contract out to bid. Bidding it saved the citizens of this valley millions but he was upset his friends at Waste Management had to compete and lower their rates. Interestingly, their initial bid was non-responsive because they submitted a quote on a requirements different from what the City required. After some back room maneuvering, their bid was allowed. Just recently, the City gave away a fine for their non-compliance with the agreement. Me thinks good ol Frank is behind much of this as he is the only one left on the Council who voted against bidding this agreement and fair play.
I personally have no use for cheap shots from anyone not willing to put their real name to any allegations or comments. Not a Ferry Fan is a coward hiding in the shadows and sniping at people. It is easy to make nasty cracks when your own dirty laundry is safe from scrutiny. How about showing your face Not a Ferry Fan? What is your agenda? Enlightening the populace? I doubt it. I might be more inclined to listen to your crap if I at least knew the source. Jeff is right, no matter what they say or do, NAFF is displeased. Sounds like someone who wants to displace a current Council Member and take a seat on that same Council dais to me.
So one shoudl not be able to present an argument without full public disclosure of th source?
So I presume you are for putting the Prop 8 trial on the net/TV in it’s entirety, including all who testify for the ban?
Great video but NOT so great manners for the city council.
I do not care who NAFF is because it is actual footage.
Spine, if the question is for me, yes. I believe in personal accountability for one’s actions and comments. As I have said many times, I understand the need for sharing information using pseudonyms or anonymously since divulging certain information could cause a problem at work, etc. A good example of when I believe it is fine to remain anonymous is in a whistleblower situation, reporting crime, or posting verifiable information here. Simply making allegations, calling names, cheap shots, and making nasty cracks using a false name is the hallmark of a coward in my value system.
NAFF is not TBB
Navigator
You are correct, it’s not TBB~
Berta thinks that anyone who comes out with a “false name” does nothing but “make allegations, cheap shots, lies and nasty cracks”.
But the reality here is as Annette says, this is actual footage. Might not always include the full context but then you could accuse every paper, tv station, blog, web site of the same approach.
Further, just because NAFF likes to blast Frank Ferry doesn’t mean he is Tim Ben Boydston. I’m sure TBB would get blasted also for some of his positions.
I think that NAFF is affiliated with TimBen and the Calgrove folks, including Annette. Here’s why:
1) TimBen is always presented as a hero in these videos. “Need for Involved Citizenry” says he could be blasted for his positions, but he never is.
2) Compare the editing of the NAFF videos with the video on TimBen’s election site. They seem to be drawn from a similar skill set.
3) In the video where NAFF appears in silhouttee with disguised voice, he looks and sounds like Sterling King.
4) Annette seems to know who NAFF is, and she isn’t telling.
I agree with Jeff that NAFF is inconsistent in his or her positions. The Newhall Gateway project should proceed without further studies, but the Hospital project should not proceed without further studies? Huh? This is similar to TimBen’s positions — He thought Field of Dreams needed an outside consultant study, but he was skeptical of an outside consultant study for a conference center at the Sheraton. He doesn’t like “governing by consultant,” unless it suits his purposes.
One thing is for sure, NAFF has a lot of animosity towards the Planning Department. He seems to dislike them almost as much as the City Council and Pulskamp. Is it a coincidence that “better planning” is one of TimBen’s campaign planks? I don’t think so.
Funny how TBB aka Need for… and Annette jumped in right away to defend TBB. Publius 2 makes some interesting points. Hum….
NAFF indeed does show a lot of animosity toward Planning. The Newhall Gateway project was 5 years in the planning process and only at the last minute did the Council say – lets do a study… This drives anyone who is trying to get a development approved crazy (time is money) and if necessary should have been done before it ever got out of the Planning Commission.
The Newhall Gateway project conformed with existing land uses. It is hard for me to imagine that this is really a “Gateway” when the other corners are a Carls Jr, a Trailer Park and a Chevron Station. If the Council was serious about the identity here, they would be trying to gain control over those parcels to get them to a higher value, more attractive use.
The Hospital project did not conform to approved uses and was extremely controversial. Further studies were done to provide political cover for issues where Planning allowed code variances (i.e. Parking).
The Field of Dreams, (a rushed politicized effort by a few well connected) fortunately died a quiet death after appropriate due diligence.
And as I understand it, the Sheraton as proposed does not comply with current land use limits. It was another “lets see if we can push it through” project without an EIR (which Newhall Gateway had).
These are very different projects with very different issues!
I am a TBB supporter (not afraid to say that) because I like his positions on many local issues and think that unlike many of the current council members, he researches the issues more thoroughly, listens to folks (except perhaps Berta according to her), asks the appropriate questions and is willing to do what in the larger sense is good for the community and not just the business community.
I think Frank Ferry does do some good for the community, particularly for youth issues. However, I think he is insular (he has NONE of the availability or responsiveness that Kellar, Weste, McLean and Boydston have shown) and he is too connected with the GOBN to be objective and does not consistently do what is best for the entire community.
That coupled with his dismissiveness of dissenting opinions and his bullying at meetings makes him objectionable to me.
I’ve yet to see the Planning Department develop realistic assumptions and plans about development in the Valley. There is always something behind the scenes that is dictating what is placed where. While they want to create density around the train depots, train stations are not a silver bullet to get folks out of their cars because of the limitations on where they go. Likewise, all the new residents aren’t going to ride their bike like Jeff. If folks want to live in a high density area, it seems extremely unlikely they would chose the SCV because it just does not offer the opportunities that those folks would want to walk to. Why would someone take an hour long train trip from downtown LA to live in an area that is inferior in amenities that they could get downtown? How many dining, dancing and entertainment venues are located near the train stations now? Only a few in Newhall…
Berta says:
“Annette jumped in right away to defend TBB.”
Oh Berta!
Keep on guessing, The only thing you have correct is that I AM a huge TBB supporter.
Publius2
Maybe, it’s me!
“I think that NAFF is affiliated with TimBen and the Calgrove folks, including Annette.”
Not affilated, sorry to say.
“Annette seems to know who NAFF is, and she isn’t telling.” Maybe
Bye Bye, I have a nice fireplace to watch while the rain comes down today and, if you choose you can keep the blog going!
One thing I can say for certain. Annette is not NAFF.