‘Audrey’: Pride and Prejudice
April 29, 2005
PROUD TO BE ‘CHINKY’?: Latest disappointment is that KoreAm-owned glossy Audrey, “The Asian American Women’s Lifestyle Magazine,” ran a not-so-cheeky cover teaser, “Chinky and Proud: It’s APA Heritage Month.” … FI FOE FUME: S.F. Supervisor Fiona Ma supporters of her California 12th District Assembly candidacy are steamed at ’04 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry for making an appearance for foe Janet Reilly. Ma and Rep. Mike Honda (who’s endorsed Ma) traveled to battleground states, delivering solid APA vote overwhelmingly for the Senator. However, Kerry reassured Ma supporters that it wasn’t a Reilly endorsement. … DONKEY ENOUGH?: The move is to shore up Reilly’s credentials as a Democrat, given her real estate magnate-husband Clint was a chief backer of pro-Green S.F. supervisors in 2000… SING FOR S.F. ASSESSOR: Outside of ex-Deputy Assessor Ron Chun or City Administrator Bill Lee, the newest buzz for Mayor Gavin Newsom’s appointment to Assessor-Recorder is retired Judge Lillian Sing. Sing strengths: Ex-judge who can fairly weigh controversial property assessments. Her impeccable judicial credentials would help restore credibility to an office that’s been investigated by the FBI and state agencies. She ran successfully citywide in the 1980s and was supported by Newsom in her losing ’04 district supervisor race. Sing weaknesses: Future political plans. Office is not a lily pad to run for another office. Also, the seat is for someone near retirement from elective politics. … SLIDE SLOWS: Slide in APA S.F. department heads slowed last week when the Building Inspection Commission anointed Amy Lee, a Korean American, as director by a 4-3 vote. Phil Ting was a swing vote in a squeeze between women’s groups and anti-Lee forces led by influential Residential Builder Association president Joe O’Donoghue, who was criticized for making sexist and discriminatory remarks against Lee. … POLITICAL TIPTOEING: Ting’s the ED of Asian Law Caucus (ALC), which has been on the hate crime frontline for the Sunset Five (see last week’s column) but also criticized for misspending $45,000 in city voter outreach funds. … GET WHACKED: Ting, a potential candidate for supervisor, has to be very careful as a commissioner. Mayor Willie Brown in 1996 slashed $400,000 in small business development funds for late Harold Yee’s ASIAN, Inc. In 1995, ASIAN, Inc. allies were supporting Frank Jordan for Mayor over Brown. Some say the housing/small business development agency has never recovered. Even the Chinatown Youth Center took a budget hit years ago after its director ran for supervisor. “We always run that risk,” said Ting, whose agency has supported immigrants by taking on City Hall and suing the Housing Authority. More than one-sixth of ALC’s $1.3 million in 2003 revenue came from government grants. … HALL MARK OF SEXISM: Commish on Status of Women ED Emily Murase is reversing course after criticizing Treasure Island Development Director Tony Hall for his disparaging sexist remarks of Amy Lee. Hall, who defeated Mabel Teng in a racially divisive supervisor contest in 2000, is on the rampage, denouncing Murase’s accusations.
Samson Wong can be reached at (415) 321-5886, faxed at (415) 397-7258 or e-mailed at swong@asianweek.com.
Comments
Got something to say?