By Rick Thomas
You don’t see this too often.
You don’t see a paid public administration employee, as in former Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley, go on television and trash her boss.
Her boss was Mayor Karen Bass.
“I’m not a politician,” Chief Crowley told Fox 11 News.
Um…maybe she should try to be political? Just sayin’…
“Yes it was cut,” she said when referring to the LAFD budget. “It did impact our ability to provide service.”
Well, that was not very ‘political.’
The former Chief went on a media tour. CNN, The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell. Newspaper, radio, and lots of other media hits where she… well…trashed her boss Karen Bass.
Then she got cut from the LAFD.
In any environment, it’s never, EVER an innovative idea to trash your boss. Do that with your team members…maybe. Do that with the union, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City… maybe.
It’s called being, well, “political.”
Even if you are 100% right, you don’t go all smackdown on your boss on Fox News.
“You’re fired,” as President Tariffs would say when he was hosting a reality show. The City Council voted unanimously to keep her as “former LAFD Fire Chief Kristin Crowley.”
The End.
Then I watched a real politician. Well, I’m not sure you can call Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker a real politician. Not after what he did, falling on his own sword at the City Council meeting where the former fire chief begged for her job.
Politicians cover their rear ends when issues like this pop up. That’s what politicians do.
Not Tim McOsker.
This day was different. This time, Tim McOsker, the human being posing as a politician, took a different turn and voted against reinstating Kristen Crowley.
A little story about the ONLY politician that has done anything for my area of the One-Five.
I moved into this community some 7 years ago. I wanted to get out of the lights, cameras, and Hollywood action of the entertainment business to live in a community. Where people lived with their families, worked hard, and built… well…community.
Kinda how I grew up in West Philly.
I learned quickly that our leaders completely underserved this community. Those people we call ‘politicians.’ They failed. I have said this too many times to anyone that will listen so here I go. Every Councilmember repping CD15’s area known as the Harbor Gateway South has done nothing for this community.
Nothing.
Not one positive thing can I post where Joe Buscaino, Janice Hahn, or any of past City Councilmembers have done on a positive basis for the Harbor Gateway South.
I get it. You’re going to take care of your own.
Since July 1, 1951, every Councilmember elected to represent this area came from San Pedro. I’m not a math major, but that’s close to 75 years.
So, again, you know what that means. All together now…”They’re going to take care of their own.” That is what politicians do; they take care of their own. They cover their rear ends to get re-elected.
Until Tim McOsker.
And he’s from San Pedro. I’ll detail what he’s done after he announces his run for a second term.
Refresh to the City Council meeting where Tim McOsker looked out for every stakeholder in the City of Los Angeles. Tim had a tough job. He was tasked with making final comments on Kristin Crowley’s future. Noting that Tim’s Dad and two brothers not only served as LAFD firefighters but also served on the board of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, I thought to myself, this wasn’t going to end well.
He’s going to take the side of the union.
And then…
“The most politically expedient thing for a guy like me would be to say the union is right,” Tim said.
Huh? I had to rewind the YouTube broadcast of this meeting.
“I’ve lived through circumstances where the Mayor and the head of a public safety unit didn’t see eye to eye,” he continued. “It can be disastrous.”
Huh?
Where’s Tim McOsker going with this?
“So, with a very, very heavy heart, I’m going to put the goal of public safety above what would be more politically expedient for me.”
I had to rewind and turn the TV volume up, loud.
“Because sometimes we need to risk our jobs to do our job,” he continued. “I’m going to support the power of the Mayor.”
You don’t see that attitude in a City Council that has had its challenges. OK ‘challenges’ is a soft word for a group that many see as corrupt with good reason. Just look at the list of Councilmembers indicted over the past four years and you can understand why people in Los Angeles don’t have any confidence in this group. Mitch Englander, Jose Huizar, Curren Price, and Mark Ridley-Thomas all jammed up on corruption charges. This post can only run a thousand words and that number is not enough to post all of the charges against them.
Throw in Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo, and Kevin de León and that’s almost half of the past LA City Council.
Yeah…corrupt.
From my perspective, there should be more indictments. When City Councilmembers take campaign donations from the likes of a crooked Torrance-based real estate developer or funnel Gang Alternative Program money to fund events in San Pedro, to me that is corrupt.
Tim McOsker started to change the image of the Los Angeles City Council in his five-minute closing at this City Council meeting. Or at least started that change in my mind. And that’s a tough ask but he did.
“The basic core of our job is to ensure public safety,” McOsker said. “The mission of providing public safety will require a tough choice.”
Don’t think about your political future. Think about the people you, City Council, represent in the 15 Council districts across the city of Los Angeles.
I texted Tim offering my support for what he did. “I 100% support you now and will 100% support you in the future,” my text read. “But I’m still gonna beat you up a little bit.”
I knew he’d come back at me.
“Keep at it – it is good for me to get beat up once in a while.”
Closed out this text thread like the “old Irishman” he said he was in a previous conversation with him. But instead of “once in a while” can we double it to twice in a while, Tim?