Socialist Feminist Activist Tosses Her Beret Into The Ring

By Wendy McPherson

My name is Wendy McPherson, and I am an Echo Park resident and a socialist feminist running for Los Angeles City Council District #13.

I have been a city worker for the past 15 years, both in Los Angeles and previously in Seattle. I am also a longtime activist in the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, a current delegate to the L.A. County Federation of Labor, and a member of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, Pride At Work and the Labor Party. I am an outspoken lesbian, and have been involved in many issues affecting people of color, women and youth.

This past fall I testified at a City Council meeting in support of the striking MTA bus drivers. I have organized against anti-gay hysteria and immigrant bashing, from the murder of Matthew Shepard to the dangerous rightwing agenda of Dr. Laura Schlessinger's radio and TV talk shows. I have picketed the Federal Building to demand an end to the war and the bombing of Yugoslavia, and have marched in front of abortion clinics to protect them from anti-choice thugs.

I have also joined protests of police abuse by the LAPD, and particularly by their Rampart Division, which is located in the heart of my district and colludes with the INS to deport my neighbors.

As an advocate for fairness, I have stood up on the job for free speech, affirmative action, cultural diversity, and better service to the Echo Park community where I work as a young adult librarian.

Last August I was actively involved in the massive demonstrations against the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the downtown Staples Center and joined others in demanding a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal, an end to sweatshops locally and internationally, and a halt to harassment of immigrants regardless of legal status.

I was appalled to read Mayor Riordan's threats to demonstrators in his July L.A. Times column, "A Fair Warning To All: Don't Disrupt Our City." When I recently heard that the Los Angeles City Council had overspent their already-inflated DNC budget by $14.1 million, I definitely decided I had to run.

How can our current council justify spending $35.8 million of our money on a big party for wealthy Democratic Party donors, for the benefit of big business and the downtown hotels?

Especially galling was $11.6 million spent for the LAPD's military-type operations against protesters legally exercising their First Amendment rights. The City Council approved this police misconduct, even after a federal court ordered them to respect the U.S. Constitution by permitting all marches. I and other Los Angelenos were outraged that politicians could find the money for their political pals when funds are desperately needed for services such as low-income housing, healthcare, job training for youth, drug rehabilitation programs, more and better libraries, and safe schools with more and better-paid teachers.

Now we learn they so mismanaged our money--with no accountability--that they squandered millions of tax dollars. I have a drastically different and far more logical solution to the city's budget woes. Eliminate tax escapes and increase taxes for big business and use that money to provide decent food, medical/dental care, education and training, transportation and social services for all who need them.

The LAPD's legacy of murdering innocent people, like Margaret Mitchell, a homeless woman, and Black actor Anthony Dwain Lee, is a national scandal. Add the Rampart CRASH unit's reign of terror, much of it against youth, in the 13th District and you have countless lives ruined. Additionally, the City--meaning we taxpayers--must pay for rightful settlements to the victims' families.

Here's a more democratic and cheaper solution: the City Council should institute an elected civilian review board over the police with the power to prosecute and fire corrupt cops--and the officials who give them orders.

Why am I running for City Council? It is simple, I plan to end the insanity caused by mismanagement of public funds, stop waste resulting from expensive anti-labor and anti-human rights practices, and halt police corruption and abuse--especially against immigrants, people of color, lesbians and gays, strikers and all working folks. And I plan to keep the mayor accountable not only to the City Council but to the community as well.