Parks and Ridley-Thomas square off

It is shaping up to be one of the most hotly contested races in  all of Los Angeles County. Eighth district Councilman Bernard Parks and  State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas have emerged as the two front-runners  for the Second District Supervisorial seat that will be vacated by  Yvonne B. Burke in November.
The two candidates squared off at Our  Weeklys Second Supervisorial District forum Saturday at Bethel A.M.E.  Church that drew a diverse cross section of community residents,  political pundits and candidate supporters eager to listen to the  candidates weigh in on such hotbed topics as economic development,  education, the reopening of Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital, and  interracial violence.
Natalie Cole, publisher of Our Weekly, observed  that the Second Supervisorial seat was perhaps the most powerful  position in one of the most diverse areas in the county. This county  covers 4,000 square miles with a population of 10 million residents and  an annual budget of $22.5 billion. The candidates before us today have  demonstrated a real commitment to this race.
Political insiders have  noted that although the two candidates possess different styles, both  candidates bring a wealth of experience ensuring a close race to the  finish.  Parks, 64, considered a Democrat with conservative fiscal  leanings, has captured the endorsements of Supervisors Burke, Councilman  Michael Antonovich and Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina. He  chairs the Budget and Finance Committee in the city council and comes  with many years of experience as a former police chief of the Los  Angeles Police Department.
Ridley-Thomas, 53, steeped in years of  civil rights activism, chairs the Business, Professions and Economic  Development Committee in the State Senate.  He was executive director of  the Southern Christian Leadership Conference before joining the City  Council and later, the state Legislature. A liberal Democrat, he has  been endorsed by a number of unions, including the firefighters,  teachers and police and sheriffs deputies as well as the Los Angeles  County Federation of Labor.  He has received the endorsements of Los  Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, Congresswoman Dianne Watson, and  incoming Assembly Speaker Karen Bass.
L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca  has endorsed both Parks and Ridley-Thomas for the position.
Despite  differing political backgrounds, both candidates expressed their  commitment and dedication to the Second District. Both vowed that if  elected, they would work to attract jobs, economic development and a  better quality of life to the district.
Rev. Lewis E. Logan, senior  pastor of Bethel A.M.E., blessed the event. Kathy Williamson, OW Editor  in Chief, served as moderator.
Panelists for the event were Dr.  Melina Abdullah, Ph.D., assistant professor of the Department of Pan  African Studies at California State University Los Angeles and David L.  Horne, Ph.D., professor of Critical Thinking and African History at  California State Universities at Dominguez Hills and Northridge. Panel  questions ranged from health care to the Iraq war.
Dr. Abdullah  pointed out the expansive size and diverse interests of the district  stakeholders that is home to a number of constituents. She asked how  each candidate would implement a plan that would speak above the  systemic and service needs of the constituents.
There has to be  movement within our communities to inform people of what the issues  are, declared Ridley-Thomas. Thats what empowerment at the  fundamental level is.
Ridley-Thomas pointed out that the  neighborhood councils, groups formed within his district that tackle  quality of life issues, were intrinsically important in educating  constituents about government issues. Why? Because that is the only  opportunity in a significant way that individuals have a chance to  access their elected officials, learn whats going on and do something  about it, he declared.  In other words, you educate people with a  range of systemic issues and you demystify the government. That is to  say, they get to find out whats going on in Building and Safety, in the  County Sheriffs Department, or in the County Health Department and a  range of other departments. Then you go back into the boardroom and have  conversations based on the input that you get from constituents.
Parks  answered, I think the experience that Ive gained in running a large  department with a $1.6 billion dollar budget and 13,000 employees as  well as providing service for four million people has given me  experience. You have to organize to the point that you are equally  efficient in providing services, Parks pointed out. As an individual,  you cant be out there handling every other problem.  You have to make  sure that the county services are centralized. These are the things you  get from learning how to be a manager-how to get things done.
Dr.  Horne expressed his concern about the educational system, citing that 50  percent of students are dropping out of school. He asked each candidate  how they would improve the countys participation in public education  so that children remain in school.
Parks pointed out that having  resources available plays an important part in combating the drop out  rate.
You have put money into programs and make sure the programs  are viable so that they reduce those results, Parks observed. We often  wait until the tail end of the problem to talk about the drop out rate,  but we need to investigate the beginning of the system and ask the  tough questions–why arent kids in preschool? Why arent kids being  given homework?  Why arent hours in school expanded? Why arent we  looking at ways in which parents can become more involved and more  active in school?  Why arent communities adopting schools so that they  can play a role in the system?  We need to continue to look at most of  the preventative nature of our efforts and make sure that young people  dont drop out before being rehabilitated. Programs such as the ones  offered in Parks and Recreation play a major role in what young people  do after school. We have to stop looking at the drop out rate and saying  that it is a failure.
Ridley-Thomas felt that forging partnerships  were key in combating drop out rates. Education is a high priority for  all of us and if you want an educational agenda that makes sense, all of  us have to be invested in it, he urged. The first thing we need to do  is to build effective partnerships with those who are on the front  lines, he pointed out, adding that he had recently secured the  endorsement of the Los Angeles County Teachers Association and the  probation officers of the County of Los Angeles. You have to garner the  support and the affirmation of those who are on the front lines doing  the work… Governor Schwarzeneggers proposed budget has resulted in  ten percent across the board cuts with some 57,000 teachers in the state  of California losing their jobs.  Im not supporting the governors  cuts because if you want education, you have to have teachers employed.
For many Angelenos, the recent rise in black and brown violence  is a growing concern. There are some very real tensions that exist  between blacks and Latinos, noted Dr. Abdullah. What role can the  county play in encouraging dialogue between blacks and Latinos?
Thats  a big question, but its an important question, Ridley-Thomas  responded.  I sensed that there was an uptake in interracial violence  well over a year ago.  Many people chose to ignore it or deny it–Why?   Because, frankly, were afraid of it.  Problems of violence between and  among gangs are horrible enough–but problems in terms of violence and  crime between the races is even more of a problem for our society.  We  do have serious challenges and I have introduced legislation to combat  it.  A hate crime is a hate crime and gang related activity that is  based on hate ought to be dealt with in a special category and should be  confronted.  We need to do scared straight talk around race relations  and racial sensitivity.
Parks placed the racial tensions in a  historical context, pointing out that several years ago tensions existed  between blacks and Koreans and decades earlier, blacks and Jews  experienced racial strife.
I was the first police chief to deliver  monitored crime statistics by racial impact, Parks pointed out. We  cant ignore the fact that there are serious incidents that people are  using as a basis for crime-such as when one person is wearing a red  shirt as opposed to a blue shirt.
I took the Human Relations  Commission to Crenshaw High School and started the Prevention  Intervention and Education program, (PIE) where I brought in different  ethnicity groups to talk to our students. We knock on wood everyday  because there has yet to be a racial incident. You have to bring in  human relations to provide those (preventative) services.
An  audience member questioned the candidates as how the proposed budget  cuts in the Second district will impact the African-American community.
With  a $16 billion dollar deficit, the County of Los Angeles is seriously  challenged with respect to the cuts and resources.  The Department of  Health Services is a huge, huge problem.  The governor proposed a 10  percent budget cut but the worst news is that the legislative analysts  came forward with a proposal saying that the impact is three times more  severe in terms of cuts to the County of Los Angeles.
We need to  organize and fight to resist these cuts that emanate from the state so  that it will trickle down to the county.  We will be organizing so that  we can save the olympian resources that we have that affect the quality  of life in the Second District.  This issue is very, very serious,  Ridley-Thomas shared.
Parks said that setting priorities and  monitoring the budget were extremely important in leveraging funds for  the Second district.  So often in government, there is a tendency to  allocate programs without ensuring that they get results, he pointed  out.  So its important that we think about priorities and the  accountability and responsibility as it relates to our community, he  observed.  Once those priorities are set and you put funding behind  those priorities, the money has to be set aside for specific programs.  It cannot be used for any other source except that particular kind of  service.
We have to look at ways to leverage those dollars,  including grant money.  Our number one issue should be that once the  money is allocated, the county employees will actually supply the  community with services.  So often in government, there is a tendency to  allocate programs and not ensure that they run efficiently and get  results.  So it is important that we think about priorities, as well as  accountability and its responsibility as it relates to our community. At  the end of the day, it is with the budget that we actually achieve  these goals.
Another audience member was concerned about the lack of  health facilities in South Los Angeles, inquiring whether the  candidates would work to get the emergency rooms reopened, especially at  Martin Luther King Jr. hospital.
For the prospective supervisor,  the number one issue that has to be addressed is the reopening of MLK  hospital, Ridley-Thomas declared. Why?  Because it not only affects  the Watts/Willowbrook community, but the entire seat of the county  health networks is at stake. The impact on the Watts/Willowbrook  community is beyond healthcare.  It is economic. There are 47,000  patient visits at MLK, and there are economic impacts that will cause  businesses to close.  What happens when businesses are closing and the  economy is bad, what do you have?  You have an uptake in crime.
Parks  said that the first priority is to elect a president who believes in  universal health care.  The next thing to make sure of is that Medical  and Medicare are stipends.  Martin Luther King Jr. hospital has to open  up a first class hospital–not a pilot.  We have to make sure that MLK  hospital returns as a first class hospital on a long term basis.  The  lack of services will impact the rest of the emergency room system. It  will begin to cause Harbor General, Cedars Sinai and White Memorial to  also collapse if we do not rebuild that hospital.  So its important  that we set up a structural financial building of medical care to pay  those costs so that we as a community will continue to have health care  and medical care.
With the community facing high unemployment, the  issue of bringing jobs into South Los Angeles was a top priority for  many attendees. A question as to what each candidate would do to bring  jobs into the community was posed.
We have to make sure that we have  a climate that invites businesses into the community, Parks observed.   We have to make sure that we have the full spectrum of jobs and that  when they put businesses into our community, its something that we  clearly need.  We also need to make sure that we get a return on our tax  dollar to get the advantages of using all the capital that is  available.
Ridley-Thomas agreed. What we need are good, living wage  jobs where people can make an honest living and at the same time enjoy  decent benefits. Beyond that, we need to talk about economic  development. As a member of the Los Angeles City Council and the state  legislature, my focus has been on the issue of job creation. I know how  to get deals done and build jobs, said Ridley-Thomas.  There is a  reason to have public capital to inspire economic development so that we  capitalize and synthesize the developers who come into the community.  We want to build projects and create jobs to elevate the quality of  life, he pointed out.
With the country marking the fifth anniversary  of the Iraq war and the loss of the lives of 4,000 soldiers, a question  was asked if the candidates are willing to commit to and to advance the  interest of constituents regarding the war.
Its a serious question  and a sobering one, observed Ridley-Thomas. The moral tone of this  nation has been so badly tainted until its practically  incomprehensible.  I entered a resolution in the legislature to get rid  of torture, which is a violation of state, federal and international  law.
Parks felt that throwing his support to Democratic candidate  Barak Obama was critical to bring the war to an end. Im going to put  my energy behind Obama because hes the only candidate that said he  wanted to stop the war, he said.
With each candidate more than  qualified to fill the shoes of the County Supervisor of the Second  District, voters will spend considerable thought when choosing who will  fill one of the most important and powerful seats in California.