Articles on Randall Bacon

Former MTA head Franklin White is out the door; Police Chief Willie Williams has been knocked to his knees; and it looks like I’m scheduled to be next. I have been the subject of three recent articles and an editorial in The Times designed to smear and malign my name and reputation under the guise of a concerned public. This is another despicable example of the cavalier manner in which the press deals with African Americans in high-level positions, without regard to their professional or community status. The press does not do this with other ethnic groups, meaning it is nothing more than subtle racism.

The Los Angeles Department of General Services, of which I am general manager, is a low-key agency with little public contact that primarily serves other city departments. The real reason for the articles was to raise the issue as to whether or not I should be managing the agency at all. Does that theme sound familiar?

The first article (Dec. 26) purported to review the history of the General Services Department. Actually, it only talked about several incidents, all of which occurred while I have been general manager, and all with a clearly negative slant. It was full of half-truths and innuendoes. For example, it referred to a helicopter crash which killed two police officers a few years ago. The story told about General Services mechanics being responsible for maintaining the helicopter and implied that they, under my supervision, might have been responsible for the engine malfunctioning. Nothing can be further from the truth! The article conveniently left out the fact that the city received a multimillion-dollar settlement from the company that sold the city the engine because it was defective. This settlement was noted in the newspapers when it occurred and is a matter of public record. However, that information didn’t fit into the underlying purpose of the article, so it was not included.

The second article (Jan. 14), which was followed up by a third, focused on my absences from the job during 1995, with particular emphasis on the number of sick days taken off. There was absolutely no recognition that these were earned sick days, or that they could have been used for legitimate and necessary reasons. The reporter couldn’t get past the fact that I refused to tell him for what purpose I took sick days off. It is clearly none of his business, nor is the public really interested in that kind of detail. He made it appear as though I had done something criminal, when in fact I had only exercised the rights and benefits which are a condition of my employment. Fortunately, the mayor and the several City Council members I have talked with recognized that The Times was walking on very thin ice.

Bottom line: Racism is alive and well in Los Angeles, and The Times is doing its part to keep it that way.

RANDALL C. BACON

Los Angeles