Was it something I said or done
That made him pack his bags up and run
He’s breaking up a happy home.
Mister, can you tell me where my love has gone
He’s a Japanese Boy
— “Japanese Boy,” by the Scottish singer Aneka
I have, or at least had, a Paul Tanaka crush.
In a Griffith Park press conference, retired – not ousted – County Undersheriff Paul Tanaka announced his run for Sheriff against his former boss Lee Baca. A Republican, the mayor of Gardena thrice elected, Mr. Tanaka did not campaign actively in that Democratic stronghold, yet he still won. Chances are most people in Gardena don’t read what the Los Angeles Times says about him.
Gardena is one key section of the 66th Assembly District, currently represented by a former Torrance School Board member who carried the district by six points last year following an execrable, union-backed lie-fest against his opponent. He won because he carried Gardena (and because Presidential candidate Mitt Romney failed to get out the vote on election night).
I was hoping that Japanese Boy Tanaka would run for state Assembly against the other incumbent Al Muratsuchi in 2014.
[img]2101|right|Mr. Tanaka||no_popup[/img]I still can imagine the national headlines. Mr. Tanaka would have been the perfect contender. An accountant and police officer, he did not settle for policing the beach city of El Segundo, but moved on and up in the Sheriff’s Dept. Until this year, he also worked as undersheriff, overseeing its $3 billion budget. He also serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Go For Broke Foundation, which teaches people about the internment of the Japanese-Americans during World War II.
And the News Says…
Paul’s been in the news lately, relating to allegations that Undersheriff Tanaka fostered a culture of abuse in the County jails. Even the LA Weekly slashed and burned him as the Bad Cop co-conspirator behind all the jailhouse abuse written up and exposed on incumbent Sheriff Baca’s watch. Of course, every society must be judged by the treatment of its prisoners. Frankly, I am not going to get into that rat’s nest except to wonder why anyone would want to be Sheriff in the face of so many problems? What could one prove?
I wish Mr. Tanaka had reconsidered, packed his bags, and run for the Assembly. He would have been the perfect match-up against incumbent Mr. Muratsuchi. The Gardena mayor has connections with law enforcement. He had their support when elected mayor of The City of Opportunity. His campaign for Assembly would have given Republicans, the South Bay, and the state an opportunity to have a strong, statewide voice speaking from experience (on the beat and managerial) on public safety.
His run would have upended the public sector union dominance in the state of California, as well.
The South Bay is the hotbed of California politics, with the 66th Assembly seat up for grabs next year, evenly split among Democrat, Republican, and Independent registration. The California Democratic party likely will spend $2 million to hold onto this seat, most of it union money. Mr. Muratsuchi has a war chest. Mr. Tanaka also has a war chest, one dedicated to taking down Sheriff Baca and taking over the department.
Speaking of Accusers
I sympathize with Mr. Tanaka’s frustrations. Assuming that the retired undersheriff did his best, it’s unjust that he still got the boot. However, I believe that one’s reputation, whether in the press or attempting to impress, is ultimately never one’s problem. The Times is going bankrupt, and the LA Weekly will print anything that smacks of controversy. Don’t get me wrong. The Culver City-based alternative newspaper should be commended for exposing public school corruption and promoting education reform. Their spotlight piece on Hermosa Beach Mayor Kit Bobko’s tough stance on pension reform was timeless and timely, too.
Mr. Tanaka has the support of men and women in uniform, officers who have walked precincts for him before. Just as the Torrance Police Dept. had endorsed Mr. Muratsuchi’s opponent in 2012, I believe they would have endorsed Mr. Tanaka had he run for Assembly next year. With the seat on his resumé, Mr. Tanaka could have then run for Sheriff in four years, with clouds of scandal abated by his growing record of public service.
Instead, Mr. Tanaka took his turf war to the press, and announced his run for Sheriff. His decision taught me that in spite of all my fears and hopes, politics is more than spinning great ideas through your head. It’s about men and women running on platforms, walking precincts, standing on principle, and settling scores.
Gardena's Japanese Boy candidate has me breaking up because he chose to run for Sheriff. I understand what he is doing and why. If he can bring order to the Sheriff’s Dept., good luck.
Arthur Christopher Schaper is a teacher-turned-writer on topics both timeless and timely; political, cultural, and eternal. A lifelong Southern California resident, he currently lives in Torrance.
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