Grimy Gatto (VI) Strikes Again
Friday, January 18th, 2013
Grimy Gatto (VI) Strikes Again
BY GAREN YEGPARIAN
A Blown Opportunity
January 12 marked the date of the California Democratic Party’s 43rd
Assembly District Election Meeting. At this and 79 similar meetings
held during that weekend, six men and six women were elected to
represent each of California’s assembly districts at state conventions
in 2013 and 2014. In addition, one executive board member was elected
from each district who will be more actively engaged in the party’s
ongoing affairs.
Over the last decade, Armenian participation in this biennial election
has increased, in large part due to the ANCA’s efforts. More Armenians
have gotten elected to office each time, working towards the day when
our community will be represented in proportion to its growing size
and participation in civic life within the borders of the 43rd
Assembly District, which includes Burbank, parts of the Crescenta
Valley, Glendale, and parts of Hollywood.
Seven of us from ANCA circles (yes, for full disclosure I was a
candidate to serve as a delegate from the 43rd) cooperated and worked
to turn out our friends to vote. There were other Armenian candidates
as well with whom some of us coordinated efforts at the last minute.
There were at least two other slates of candidates. The largest was a
full complement of twelve fielded by Assemblymember Mike Gatto. We
reached out to Gatto to cooperate but were rebuffed. This was yet
another effort to improve the strained relations between this elected
official and our community. It constitutes the missed opportunity on
Gatto’s part.
The matter referenced by the author
So far, so good, right? It all seems like normal, if not optimal,
behaviors in the context of an election. But beyond this, it gets
ugly.
Gatto’s minions had come prepared. His modus operandi is to always
attack viciously, and this time, I was a specific target. You can see
for yourself, in the accompanying picture, what they were
distributing. You can also see how misleading the whole attack is. The
handout refers to `good’ Democrats. But Mike Gatto is far from being
such a person. He has engaged in all kinds of shenanigans, as I’ve
chronicled, all very unbecoming of a Democrat.
Among those misbehaviors is subtle voter suppression (see `Solution
Seeking Problem’ in the November 19, 2011 Asbarez) , something his
cohort did again at this delegate election. Led by a top Gatto aide,
35 Armenians who had come to vote were `challenged’, i.e. their right
to vote questioned. You might think this is legitimate, especially
since a few of them turned out to be registered as `No party
preference’ and had evidently forgotten that status. But this course
of action takes on a decidedly more questionable hue when I am told
that one of those rejected, upon later verification, turns out to have
been a Democrat. That individual is planning to file a complaint with
the Democratic Party. It all becomes crystal-clear when one of the
people challenged by the aide turns out to be a board member of the
California Armenia American Democrats (CAAD), someone the aide knows
is serving in that position, especially since the aide is a member of
CAAD. The point of challenging so many people, it becomes obvious, is
not sincere concern, but intimidation and harassment, probably in the
hopes of discouraging them from voting. This is the disrespect with
which Gatto and his fellow travelers treat Armenians. Oh, and guess
what, on the Gatto slate, there was one Armenian, one of his
employees, no less. That’s one out of twelve, just over 8% in a
district that is well over 25% Armenian.
The day after the election, a posting appeared on a local (to the
district) blog known best for it’s being a front operation for Mike
Gatto. It vilifies, usually without grounds, people and groups who are
on Gatto’s enemies list. This posting denigrated the ANCA, likening
the organization to the Lyndon Larouche supporters within the
Democratic Party (a group that is looked upon with great disdain) and
effectively claiming the ANCA is anti-Semitic. It is obvious to me
that this was a `hit’ in response to the seven of us `daring’ to run
for the delegate positions against his candidates, since, of course,
we should all be sniveling underlings to his magnificence…
But it gets worse. On the same day, many people in the community
received an e-mail from Lori Adams, president of the Burbank Teachers
Association. This e-mail was addressed to Gatto, and revealed that
Gatto had threatened the leader of the slate she was on. As a result,
this person felt obliged to not attend the election. For a change, the
LATimes, (`Head of Burbank teachers union clashes with Assemblyman
Mike Gatto,’) along with its local affiliate, The Burbank Leader,
reported on Assemblymember Mike Gatto’s misdeeds, although only
on-line, and not in print, as of this writing. They have tended not to
expose his improprieties as thoroughly as they might.
Gatto’s slate won. But he’s probably concerned that he may not be able
to pull of the same feat in two years. Given his patterns of behavior,
including not reaching for the hand extended in cooperation in this
case as so many times in the past, he will probably continue to
antagonize his constituents instead of being decent and magnanimous in
victory; instead of being a leader; instead of working for the
betterment of the close to half a million people in the district he is
supposed to represent.
You might consider reaching out to Mike and telling him how
objectionable you find all this. Here’s his contact info:
300 East Magnolia Boulevard Suite 504
Burbank, CA 91502
818/558-3043
http://asbarez.com/107747/grimy-gatto-vi-strikes-again/