All right, it’s time to stop laughing because something we thought was an hilarious joke is trying to come to pass. To wit: the candidacy of Autumn Burke, the daughter of retired supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, is running for the 62nd Assembly District. Stop that laughing; it’s not funny any more because little Burke, who is completely unknown to everybody in the Southland, is being publicly and unexpectedly paraded around by her mother and introduced to us in an attempt to get our support, which is difficult to do since no one has ever seen her and wouldn’t know her from a hole in the ground.
But, Mama Burke is trying to remedy that. First, the pair showed up at a recent ministers’ meeting where the mama sought to make some kind of impression on our religious leaders. Then last Saturday mama Burke showed up at Rep. Karen Bass’ house for her fundraising party for Assembly candidate Sebastian Ridley-Thomas with her daughter in tow and began introducing her to the political and community leaders whose mouths dropped at the very sight of both of them. Being a gracious hostess, Bass was congenial to her unexpected guests, but her other guests were more than annoyed by what they regarded as a blatant attempt to curry support for a young lady they had never seen before and knew nothing about. “Her whole demeanor was wrong and she was out of place,” one guest said. “The child didn’t say a thing. All she did was follow her mother around, and after about an hour of trailing behind Yvonne, the two of them left. The child does not behave like somebody running for public office, as she had nothing to say about anything.”
But you know who likes Autumn Burke? The California Legislative Black Caucus — the empty suit capital of the world! Yes, the CLBC formally endorsed her this week. In its press release to me about this freaky endorsement, the group provided the first and only piece of information as to what this Autumn person has done. And here it is, straight from the Black Caucus’ press release:
“Autumn Burke is a partner with Mandeville Group, LLC, a Los Angeles-area minority and woman-owned firm specializing in public-private partnerships and strategic planning. She formerly served as vice president of LA Events. As a consultant, she worked with the city of Chino to convert a community park’s lighting system to low-energy LED lights. She helped the nonprofit Brigitte and Bobby Sherman Children’s Foundation build a self-sustaining orphanage in Ghana. Autumn Burke is the daughter of Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, former L.A. County supervisor, former U.S. Representative and former state Assembly member; and William Burke Ed.D., chairman, South Coast Air Quality Management District. She will seek election to the 62nd Assembly District in 2014.”
Now I ask you, what part of the above paragraph makes you think Autumn Burke would make a fine representative of the 62nd Assembly District? There is another African-American female in that race — Gloria Gray — whose bonafides we will discuss and compare with Burke’s next week.
ENDORSEMENTS AND FAVORITES — The CLBC endorsed this week a total of six Assembly candidates, all of whom are better qualified than Burke, with the most qualified being, of course, Sebastian Ridley-Thomas for the 54th District. Ridley-Thomas, whose special election is slated for Dec. 3, also gained the endorsement of former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the California Professional Firefighters Association and Assemblyman Adam Gray, chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. … Another one of our favorites, Bob Hertzberg, received the endorsement of the Los Angeles Police Protective League for his state Senate bid. (I still say Hertzberg should have been mayor, and I’m still trying to get over it.)
STUPID! — I heard that your mayor, Eric Garcetti, took a lot of heat for having unceremoniously and revengefully removed city icon John Mack from the Police Commission. I suppose, in an attempt to turn down the heat, Garcetti just appointed Mack to the Planning Commission. Garcetti had removed Richard Katz from the Transportation Commission and just put him on the Planning Commission, too. Both these men have no more business on the Planning Commission than I do! Both these men were seasoned experts in their former commission seats. They knew everything there is know about police and transportation matters and were exactly the kind of people one would look for to fill their former seats. But no, your mayor takes them out of the area of their expertise and puts them in planning?!! That’s stupid. In fact, everything your mayor does is stupid. He’s treating the city commissioners like Lego people — just taking them out of slots where they belong and sticking them into any hole whether they fit in them or not, depending on whatever whim might strike him. And he’s also filling commission seats with people who don’t know nothing about nothing, let alone the specifics of the commission to which they’ve been appointed! Proven public servants deserve better than this. And we tax-paying residents of the city of Los Angeles deserve better than this; we deserve — and are paying for — people in policy-making and decision-making positions who know what the hell they’re doing, not a bunch of neophyte hacks who are out of their elements and must learn how to handle issues with which they are unfamiliar. All of Garcetti’s commissions are like that. I can’t stand it; I need to get out of here.
VICTORY IN LONG BEACH — The parents and students within the jurisdiction of the Long Beach Unified School District have been dealing with the same problem that plagued (plagues?) the Los Angeles Unified School District: exclusionary school disciplinary policies that result in students of color being disproportionately suspended and expelled from schools. Protests against these policies were successful to the point that the LBUSD board actually drafted a resolution calling for the creation of positive alternatives to suspensions and expulsions in Long Beach schools.
Well, last week, hundreds of youth, community leaders, parents, teachers and administrators held a rally at the school board’s headquarters pressing for the passage of the board’s resolution. Then Tuesday night, the board did it. Board members passed a district-wide resolution calling for “LBUSD schools to provide alternatives to suspensions and expulsions by expanding restorative justice programs that support all students in becoming healthy, thriving adults.” That’s the second step in the right direction. Congratulations, Long Beach.
AND FINALLY — City Councilman Curren Price is scheduled to meet this weekend with leaders of the Black activist groups to discuss his attitude about the availability of alcohol in his district and plans he has to ensure that South L.A. does not revert to its previous liquor-sodden condition. This meeting was requested by the activists.
creolemommie posted at 3:25 pm on Thu, Oct 10, 2013.
What can be done to get the requirements to run changed? With the increased amount of public officials getting caught with their hands in the cookie jar, clearly reform is needed on the qualifications to run for office. Although the community is talking about it, they need to back it up by voting for someone qualified based on their work in the community. Orphanages in Africa are needed, but what is she doing for the poor in America, let alone in the district she wants to represent?
Race Man posted at 6:51 pm on Fri, Oct 11, 2013.
Betty, how come you didn’t attend the Ridley-Thomas fundraiser? No money? Did Ms. Bass forget to invite you or did she just not want to have you in her house?
Excuse me Betty, but what has Sebastian Ridley-Thomas done? By the way, is that his real name? Has he ever been elected to anything?
His resume is a series of jobs arranged by is father, whose only claim to fame is what? What has his father accomplished for the community?
Unfortunately for the community, his father has found a way to scare off qualified candidates for the open 54 Assembly District seat. The list of politicians endorsing this obviously unaccomplished young man should be ashamed. Either they owe Ridley-Thomas Sr. a favor or they expect to receive one from him.
Anyone left in the race has a good chance of winning. Wait until the first debate. Have you heard Sebastian talk?
Betty, your lack of perspective is disturbing. But that’s why they call you Ugly Betty.