MEMO
From: Mr. Charles
Dear Councilmembers,
In the near future you will be asked to vote to appoint Mr.
Kevin James to the Los Angeles Board of Public Works in your role as a Los
Angeles City Councilman.
I do not know if you were aware of the insensitive comments
Mr. James has made about Latino’s on his radio show or not, but you may want to
reconsider your vote in approving his appointment when it comes to the full
City Council.
As you can see below Mr. James said some things that could
be construed as insensitive to the Latino community. Which is why I have cc’d the MALDEF, NCLR,
CHIRLA, ANSWER-LA, LAANE and LA VOICE.
I am sure newly sworn in Mayor Eric Garcetti was unaware of former
Mayoral candidate Kevin James statements regarding the Latino community, but
the good news here is that there is time to fix this by asking Mayor Garcetti
to withdrawal his appointment of Kevin James and appoint someone who celebrates
the diversity in Los Angeles. Also, what
Kevin James says about your fellow Councilmembers and African-Americans is akin
to something you would hear on the Rush Limbaugh show, not in the corridors of
Los Angeles City Hall.
Councilmembers, if Rush Limbaugh ran for Mayor of Los
Angeles, came up short and then endorsed Eric Garcetti for Mayor would you
appoint him to the Board of Public Works?
Mr. James for the last several years has been auditioning as a LA version
of Mini-Me Rush Limbaugh, but now expects folks to appoint him for attending
one NALEO conference and claiming to have seen the light. Don’t let him use political whiteout in an
attempt to now claim legitimacy. Has he
attended a conference on sensitivity towards African-Americans and asked for
your forgiveness yet?
Kevin James’s
Racist Rhetoric Over the Years
1. Said
Obama Should Appoint Daffy Duck to Supreme Court
Kevin James outlandishly suggested
that the president should appoint Daffy Duck to the Supreme Court to replace
outgoing Justice Souter because Daffy fits all of the minority criteria, chief
among them; he’s a black duck.
“I am convinced that President Obama’s choice is obvious. ‘Daffy Duck’
should replace Justice Souter.
[…]
1. We have never had a duck sit on the Supreme Court. I am sure that
our nation has a history of insensitivity toward “duck rights.”
2. Daffy is a black duck. Therefore, Daffy’s selection will satisfy
those calling on the President to select a minority.
3. Daffy could be a gender neutral duck. While I recognize that we have
assumed for more than a generation that Daffy is male, the name ‘Daffy’ could
be short for “Daphne”, and although Daffy almost always appears without
clothing, I don’t know of anyone that can actually prove Daffy is male. This
only adds to the satisfaction of those calling on the President to choose a
minority.
4. Daffy is a disabled duck. Daffy has a severe speech impediment.
Although Daffy’s lisp could become fodder for the late-night talk show circuit
and “Saturday Night Live” when Daffy asks important questions of high-profile
attorneys during Court hearings and has back-and-forth debate with those
lawyers, it will certainly be worth any potential embarrassment as Daffy’s
selection will satisfy President Obama’s goal stated on Friday that he wants a
Justice “with ‘empathy’ for ‘people’s hopes and struggles.’” (Town Hall, May
4, 2009)[i]
Fanned Birther Flames
James also, according to a
second-hand blog source, stoked the flames of the President Obama birth
certificate story by pushing images that allegedly cast doubt on the president’s
citizenship. (Stoked
Birther Controversy)
2. Extreme
Anti-Immigration Stances
Enforcement First Platform
No workshop can make the
anti-immigrant words Kevin James said on the air go away. James has advocated
for a 700-mile wall, not fence, to be built in six months along the United
States-Mexican border. In an op-ed meant to give advice to John McCain’s
campaign, not only did he call for the wall, but called for more 800 more
border patrol agents and an “enforcement first” Republican Party platform.
But McCain, as the second-highest ranking minority member of the Senate
Commerce Committee, is in a position to link the funding and progress of other
politician’s cherished projects with real support for a REAL fence. [Note: I
would prefer a wall].
[…]
But, since platforms are a part of our political tradition, McCain
should demand that an enforcement-first approach to border control/security be
a principal theme of the platform. Border security should be the first issue
addressed in the body of the text. In fact, the subject fits squarely under an
important title every American understands: “National Security.” (Town Hall, March 6, 2008)[ii]
Opponent of Special
Order 40, “It’s a Shield for Illegal Aliens and their Lobby”
Gang violence has long been a top
priority of the Los Angeles City Council, but Kevin James was appalled by what
he saw as a lack of concern from elected officials. James believed Special
Order 40 needed to be ended by the Los Angeles Police Department. James said:
“It
has been used as a political shield, a political tool for the illegal alien
supporters and their lobby to hide behind. To just as you described, protect
the criminals from law enforcement.” (YouTube Clip)[iii]
Path to Citizenship is
Crap According to Kevin James
On his radio, he called the path to
citizenship, “crap” and “a lie” and the only way to become a citizen of the
United States is to “come here legally.” (Kevin
James Show, 12-15-09 Hour 3 Seg 2) [iv]
James Wants
Arpaio-Like Police Chief
Kevin James often launched a
full-throated defense of Walter Moore’s mayoral campaign. He also stated that
he would prefer to see Moore in office because he would replace Chief Bratton
with a Joe Arpaio-like police chief. (Kevin James Show, 09-22-08 Hour
2 Seg 4)[v]
Protesters Are Illegal
Thug Aliens
On the air, after the brutal Mayday
Melee rally in MacArthur Park, Kevin James callously called the victims of
police brutality, “illegal thug aliens.” (Kevin James Show, 09-22-08 Hour
2 Seg 1)[vi]
Praised Bill Supporting English
Only Workplace and Mocks DREAM Benefits
In another of his opinion pieces on
the Town Hall website, Kevin James praised the wisdom of Senator Lamar
Alexander from Tennessee, who attached an amendment that would bar the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission from filing lawsuits against employers that
require English in the workplace. In the same piece, he criticizes benefits for
immigrants as something lawmakers “DREAM up.”
“The best shot we have received in the past two years was in March 2006
when more than 500,000 illegal aliens and/or illegal alien supporters marched
through the streets of Los Angeles carrying flags of other nations, yelling
chants in other languages, and demanding that the American people provide
immediate amnesty (complete with all of the taxpayer-funded benefits they could
DREAM up). Since then, Congress attempted amnesty (twice), and New York
Governor Eliot Spitzer attempted to provide driver’s licenses to illegal aliens
in his State – and darn near turned the Hillary Clinton campaign upside down in
the process!
Not to be outdone by Spitzer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-North
Korea) succeeded (at least temporarily) in keeping life difficult for
employers, particularly small businesses. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) had
drafted a short but sweet amendment to a budget bill which would have
prohibited the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) -- the federal
government’s civil rights watchdog – from using funds appropriated by the bill
to finance lawsuits against businesses which require employees to speak English
on the job.” (Town Hall, December
7, 2007)[vii]
Name Calling
(radio links do not exist – archived)
1.
Backed Chris Essel for City Council against
Assemblyman Paul Krekorian
“I mean have you ever trusted anyone named Paul Krekorian? He is a shill for the Democratic Party and
its disgusting that these so-called Assemblymembers want to pollute City Hall
with their corrupt style of governing”
(Kevin James Show 2010)
2.
Made inflammatory remarks against Councilman
Joe Buscaino for being Italian
Anytime I’ve dealt with high profile Italians in my career they tend to
have mafia-like tendencies this Joe Buscaino running for Council may have some
of the same. (Kevin James Show 2011)
3.
Compared the height of Councilman Wesson and
Englander.
I am pretty sure one of them wears lifts, imagine anyone being shorter
than Councilman Wesson? (Kevin James
Show 2011)
4.
Made rude comments about Eric Bauman Chair of
the LA County Democratic Party.
“Does anyone know this very shady guy I saw on television last night on
Channel 11 doing election coverage? His
name is Eric Bauman, let me just say he gave me the creeps instantly.” (Kevin
James Show 2010)
James Strong
Advocate for Part-Time City Council, But Wants Commission Seat
Kevin James has long
been a strong advocate for a part time Los Angeles City Council, saying; “The
Los Angeles City Council clearly has lots of time on its hands. The high
salaries, slush funds, bloated staffs, and attractive perks all derive from the
council’s full-time status.” (City Journal, September 8, 2011)[viii]
But how does Kevin James justify receiving a six-figure
salary for being a member of a body that meets three times a week? It is the
embodiment of a part time job. The Public Works Commission is the only Los
Angeles commission that receives a salary. His stance is hypocritical to say
the least.
Controversial
Views
1. Global
Warming a Farce
Kevin James is a global warming
denier. In a piece from Town Hall titled, “Global Warming: The All-Purpose
Farce to Control Your Life.” He made the argument that there is scientific
evidence from the Medieval Era that debunks global warming. James also mocks
people who believe climate change is a real event.
By the mid-1990s, the liberals had turned their attention to “global
warming.” Problem: the theory of human-caused global warming is challenged by
the fact, among others, that average temperatures were higher during the
Medieval Warm Period a thousand years ago.
Never ones to let facts stand in their way, the liberals changed their
slogan a few years ago to “climate change,” which had the advantage of being
impossible to disprove. Hotter or colder today than yesterday? We are
destroying the planet! Our kids will have no air to breathe, no water to drink!
Call out the National Guard! (Town Hall, January 21, 2008)[ix]
2. Staunch
Tea Party Supporter
Kevin James was an outspoken
advocate for the Tea Party, culminating in a speaking appearance at the April
15, 2009 Van Nuys Tea Party. He said, “we’re scaring them” and also advocated
at the 7:16 mark for the audience to hold politicians to a strict no tax
pledge. (Van Nuys Tea Party, April 15, 2009)[x]
3. Desalination
Way to Solve Water Crisis
Kevin James believes the solution
to the water crisis is desalination, which is also a boondoggle. Kevin James
wrote on his mayoral campaign website that:
Desalination is the process of turning seawater into fresh drinking
water. We must find new ways to provide safe water to Los Angeles and the
region. We should consider desalination. More and more cities around
California are building desalination plants. While I recognize that there
are cost concerns related to desalination, and environmental concerns
surrounding desalination plants, including energy consumption and potential harm
to certain fish and marine life, finding new sources of water is now an
absolute necessity and technology in this area is advancing at a rapid
pace. (Kevin James for Mayor, Kevin on the Environment)
However, the Los Angeles Times wrote an article during the peak of the mayoral
campaign, showing the follies of desalination. It highlights a story from
Australia, where six desalination plants were constructed at a very high cost
and were ultimately unnecessary. All but two of the plants are currently shut
down. The energy required to desalinate the water is massive and ultimately not
cost effective. It creates a relationship with energy and water, so that when
the price of energy rises, so would the price of water from a desalination plant.
(Los Angeles Times, February
17, 2013)[xi]
4. Supported
Meg Whitman for Governor
James actively campaigned for Meg
Whitman, and in this YouTube video, he praised her for outraising Governor
Brown and offered effusive praise of her campaign. (Meg Whitman YouTube Video,
6:20 mark)[xii]
[ii]
Town Hall, March 6, 2008)
[iii]
YouTube Clip
[iv]
Kevin James Show, 12-15-09 Hour 3 Seg 2
[v]
Kevin James Show, 09-22-08 Hour 2 Seg 4
[vi] Kevin
James Show, 09-22-08 Hour 2 Seg 1
[vii]
Town Hall, December 7, 2007
[viii]
City Journal, September 8, 2011
[ix]
Town Hall, January 21, 2008
[x]
Van Nuys Tea Party, April 15, 2009
[xi] Los Angeles Times, February 17, 2013
[xii] Meg
Whitman YouTube Video, 6:20 mark
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