Re “Metro Board’s Allusion to Crenshaw Is ‘a Blatant Falsehood’”
After 45 truth-twisting months of choking on President Obama in the White House – he didn’t have the maturity to wait until Mr. Bush left – we should be inured against lying by those chosen to lead us.
Fortunately, there are young, strong-willed role models among us who are self-motivated to swing back when government agencies lie.
Damien Goodmon is today’s hero.
He is a politically promising 30ish leader of serious activist groups courageously battling government bigotry and lying in South Los Angeles and Crenshaw.
He fought the swaggering, remote, chronically insensitive and undefeated Metro board two days ago, and by yesterday he was pronounced the winner.
Irresistible Temptation
Metro was trying to sell something. Like many politicians, they deliberately, sneakily oversold. If we peons had committed the same act, we would have been charged with lying. More gently, Mr. Goodmon called Metro’s lie “a blatant falsehood,” a euphonic euphemism softer on the ears and the soul.
Addressing his widely emailed complaint to Metro board members, CEO Art Leahy, County Planning Director Martha Welborne and Communications Officer Lynda Bybee, Mr. Goodmon pointed out that the staff report hyping a proposed 30-year extension of the sales tax known as Measure R, just happened to include his neighborhood, the Crenshaw Transit Corridor, among the beneficiaries.
It will not be, he insisted.
Mr. Leahy, who sits with a swagger, sniffed. Ms. Bybee attempted to memorize the ceiling.
At 11:17 yesterday morning, Ms. Welborne sent the following cryptic email to one Cosette Polena Stark, Metro’s Research & Development Director:
Cosette:
Could you please respond to this so everyone is up to speed.
Many thanks,
Martha
At 5:39 yesterday afternoon, Mr. Goodmon received this fudge-minded missive from Ms. Stark:
Dear Mr. Goodman—
Thank you for notifying us about the error in the Measure R Extension Information Set presented at the Board meeting yesterday. The Fact Sheet will be corrected to read the Green Line Extension to LAX. For the record, the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project remains on schedule to commence construction in advance of all of the projects being considered for acceleration through the Measure R Extension. The map and bar chart graphics are correct as you noted.
Best Regards,
Cosette Stark
If you are searching for a motivational speaker for your group, consider Mr. Goodmon. He may be reached at damienwg@gmail.com
