Louisville GOP Chair Brad Cummings on Jerry Abramson’s “blacker” racist slip-up, from a press release:
“As Republicans, we are told that the Democratic Party is the party of minority populations,” said Chairman of the Jefferson County GOP Brad Cummings. “But it appears the Democratic Mayor of Louisville believes African-Americans are not desirable in large numbers when growing a major city. I find this completely reprehensible.”
“The Mayor offered an apology to anyone offended by his remarks, but that just isn’t good enough,” said Cummings. “Unless he is prepared to truly answer for his indefensible comments, he won’t be able to wiggle his way out.”
“He was talking in terms of the negatives of city growth. When mapping out the future of any metropolitan area, nearly all would agree that a town would want citizens to prosper and would covet a young, vibrant work force. However, as we continue to release the shackles of racism from our past, saying that a ‘blacker’ population is a bad thing only stunts racial progress.”
“Comments like these are hurtful to an important part of our community, a part with much potential for positive growth. I call on the Mayor to acknowledge the racism in his remarks and do what it takes to heal the wounds he has caused.”
Jerry couldn’t dig this hole deeper if he tried.
23 responses so far ↓
1 Blowin' in the wind // Jul 14, 2009 at 9:47 am
Hey, what about us golden oldies????? Oh, sigh, moan groan…Jerry doesn’t luv us?
2 E // Jul 14, 2009 at 9:49 am
We still need a viable candidate to step up from somewhere!
I hope he does as many have suggested, and just declines to run again. Should he decide to run, …remember Ray Nagin…the unmitigated fuck up mayor of New Orleans keeps getting re-elected.
We’re not out of this nightmare yet.
3 Steve // Jul 14, 2009 at 10:29 am
I’m a Dem, but GOP Chair Brad Cummings is cultivating a lot of credibility with me lately.
First, with his factual review of recent Abramsonian disappointments, and now, with his spot-on call for an explanation. The Mayor’s apology rings pretty hollow without an explanation.
We know what he said: Pre-merger, the city was becoming “poorer, blacker and older.”
But why was it a concern that black residency was increasing? The Mayor had already mentioned “poorer,” so why was “blacker” a bad thing?
What did you mean, Mr. Mayor? What were you thinking?!!
Maybe he was implying that more blacks = higher crime.
Or white flight. Or fear that lily-white surbanites would be too scared to venture downtown, with its darkening complexion.
It was a clumsy — make that buffoonish — statement, especially for someone who has held elective office for a quarter century — and a couple of years too long, evidently.
This latest brain-fart parfait was topped with a cherry of a non-apology apology. “If anyone was offended by my comments, I apologize.”
Of course people were offended — and Abramson knew it hours before he responded. It was all over the ‘net.
4 Bob // Jul 14, 2009 at 10:45 am
Abramson really is about to lose it. First organized labor slaps him around and now he explains that you can have too many Blacks in his city. Those are the folks who keep electing him–labor and minorities.
Abramson always has had a two-faced attitude toward Metro Afrincan Americans. He needs them in their numbers to stay in office, but he worries that finally an African American leader will be on the ballot against him.
Like Clinton, Abramson’s role as minority champion fades as the communities bring up their own leaders who are smarter and more savvy than he is.
5 Terri // Jul 14, 2009 at 11:40 am
That is a bullshit apology.
And, like, wow…the GOP has no room to talk on this one, though. Ever noticed which neighborhoods in Jefferson county always have GOP signs up? The white-flight ones.
6 3CardNana // Jul 14, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Do Republicans need to do a better job spreading their message to minority populations? Absolutely. I just don’t see what that has to do with the subject.
7 E // Jul 14, 2009 at 12:34 pm
This is a non-political but more a socio-economic oriented one;
Terri,
If all the whites still lived downtown as would be the case sans ‘white flight’…where would anyone else live?
For that matter, who is to blame for it?
Was it ‘white flight’ (i.e. racism) or was it a government orchestrated concentration of minorities and lower income persons (great society/public housing)?
As I said, more of a socio-economic query than politics or race baiting (as the phrase ‘white flight’ would be indicative of).
8 Conservative // Jul 14, 2009 at 12:51 pm
“White flight” occurred not because of racial issues, but because parents didn’t want their kids riding a school bus across town when there was a perfectly good school close to home for them to attend. I remember when Bullitt County’s population exploded after forced busing was implemented in Louisville. People weren’t afraid of having their kids going to school with black kids, they just wanted them to go to school closer to home.
9 jake // Jul 14, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Really? Is that why white people fled urban areas? Because their kids were being bused to other neighborhoods?
You’re usually pretty fucking absurd in everything you say, but this latest statement of yours takes the cake.
Merriam-Webster added “white flight” to its dictionary in 1967 with the definition: the departure of whites from places (as urban neighborhoods or schools) increasingly or predominantly populated by minorities
While there’s no way to say racial issues are the only reason for white flight, it’s damn absurd for you to suggest it’s purely because some kids were being bused across town– that that’s why white people fled to the east ends of the world.
Use some common sense. Or use the Google machine. Jesus fucking christ, people. Please think before you leave a comment.
Wow.
10 Steve // Jul 14, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I hadn’t known that Bullitt County’s population exploded because Jefferson County desegregated its schools and white people moved south.
But thanks for the info.
For all these years, I’ve been wondering how Bullitt County became what it is.
11 E // Jul 14, 2009 at 2:07 pm
“Flight” to Bullitt County, in this discussion is irrelevant…people in Bullitt don’t vote or have signs in their yard for the Louisville Mayor’s race.
Truth be told regarding busing…if a white family lived in the more urban areas…it would have been almost assured that they would have been able to attend the schools in their neighborhood…as their attendance would have helped the system hit it’s quotas.
I’m sure ‘white flight ‘ occurred, but so did increases in peoples’ mobility and home equity.
Terri’s assertion that the ‘white flight’ neighborhoods are the ones with the GOP signs…is equally as ridiculous.
I’d say a more accurate statement might be that GOP signs are much more prevalent in the neighborhoods of the upwardly mobile.
Lest you forget Terri…before the merger…all of those supposed GOP/White Flight areas in the county seemed to have no trouble electing Democrat County Commissioners.
Yeah…what the hell …lets argue about political affiliation and race instead of quality of life and fiscal responsibility!
12 Sirico // Jul 14, 2009 at 2:55 pm
“As Republicans, we are told that the Democratic Party is the party of minority populations,” said Chairman of the Jefferson County GOP Brad Cummings. “But it appears the Democratic Mayor of Louisville believes African-Americans are not desirable in large numbers when growing a major city. I find this completely reprehensible.”
=
Captain Renault: I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]
Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
Captain Renault: Oh, thank you very much.
Captain Renault: Everybody out at once!
13 Terri // Jul 14, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Are you an asshole or just willfully ignorant?
listen and learn
14 E // Jul 14, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Welcome to the real world…
…a snippet from the linked article;
http://openthedoorlouisville.org/2005/10/12/study-points-out-louisville-s-pockets-of-substantial-poverty
[Berube and Bruce Katz, director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy program, said such impoverished neighborhoods do not appear by accident.
They emerge for several reasons:
The federal government concentrated poor people by building public housing only in inner-city neighborhoods.
Federal, state and local tax money and policies "favor high-income suburban development over investment in urban neighborhoods."
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit has reinforced poverty concentration because developers are only eligible for the credits if they build in low-income areas.]
Maybe it’s just me…but all of that government platitude bullshit sounds great (puppies and rainbows, as Jake would say)…but the reality is much much uglier…whether intended or not.
But given the choices you offered me…I’ll take “asshole”…you can have “willfully ignorant” for yourself.
15 Always Amazed // Jul 14, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Terri is accurate in her “white flight” comment. In the 70’s, few white families in my east end neighborhood willingly sent their children to Central. Their kid suddenly developed some disease that required them to stay at their east end school on a hardship, or they sent their kids to private school or moved to Oldham County, Bullitt County or Spencer County.
In the 90s, when forced busing became “managed choice”, the traditional and magnet schools were created to keep the white flight from reigniting. Those schools hide behind slogans like “we have a more patriotic curiculum and strict codes of conduct”, but they really mean “we sort out all the bad apples before we allow them in the door”, with bad= poor and black.
That’s why its so pathetic everytime we get a school board candidate in the east end who attends Southeast Christian church whose main plank is that we need more traditional schools. Puke!
The GOP’s claim that they are offended by Abramson’s statement is the pot calling the kettle black! Move on to another issue because you don’t have any credibility on this one.
16 E // Jul 14, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Well…it would certainly seem that MOST white kids did in fact attend the schools mandated by ‘desegregation’…otherwise the school system would have been in violation of a Federal Court Order.
I’m sure some chose not to participate via migration, medical exemption, or private school attendance. But obviously far and away MOST of the kids/families went along with the desegregation.
17 Terri // Jul 14, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Wow, E. Funny how you mention redlining or historical context leading up to the 2005 study exactly nowhere.
18 Always Amazed // Jul 14, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Yeah, E, it was mostly the white parents who couldn’t afford to do otherwise who complied, mixed in wth a few socially conscious ones who complied because it was the right thing to do. And since it was only based on the first letter of your last name instead of the 50/15 quota now, do you have records for just how many white students did comply? Your argument is baseless.
19 slim // Jul 14, 2009 at 7:01 pm
My question for Jerry is this: how many blacks are too many?
20 E // Jul 14, 2009 at 7:09 pm
AA…quite simply, enough white students complied to reach the mandated percentages…otherwise the system would have had to make adjustments to ensure that the quotas were met…I’m not sure how to make it any easier for you to understand.
JCPS would have kept busing more whites and blacks across town until the percentages mandated were met…what about that don’t you understand?
Also, AA try to keep things in context…this little tangent is about Terri making the claim that GOP signs (mayoral) were only in “WF” communities.
You actually help make my point as to the errant nature of that comment…by noting as did someone else…that “WF” communities (where people were altogether fleeing forced busing) would in fact have been Oldham, Spencer, and Bullitt counties…where Mayoral/Louisville politics do NOT apply…and the Louisville GOP would not have an interest in the signs Terri alleges exist.
Terri…what’s up? Hurt your feelings by slapping LBJ and the government statements and proclamations of equality, with a healthy dose of the reality that the same government that made such wonderful sounding proclamations…in fact facilitated segregation and the concentration of poverty/minorities?
Your lack of defense of government actions that effectively consolidated poor people into specific areas…speaks volumes. You can buy into government platitudes if you like…I don’t.
21 E // Jul 14, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Also Terri…There are myriad problems and issues concerning poverty/education/race. Funny how you try to make an issue out of ONE issue/problem that wasn’t even part of the discussion earlier.
Simply put…government policy, well intentioned or not, is/was the single biggest factor in segregation and poverty. But if you don’t want to believe it…just keep reading the government talking points.
Some credit is due the government though…after 40 years, and multiple lost/trapped generations…they FINALLY realized that they may have effed things up…and are trying to correct some of the tragic mistakes.
Can’t help but wonder what solutions we’re undertaking today will be looked upon as mistakes a few decades from now.
22 Conservative // Jul 14, 2009 at 11:19 pm
I don’t particularly care what you think of my comments, Jake. I’m educated, informed, in the loop on lots of stuff and significantly older than you with relatives in and around that shithole called Jefferson County. Unlike you and several others, I was actually alive and have memory of what the outlying areas (outside the Watterson) were like before forced busing. I don’t particularly care what dictionary definition of “white flight” you or Terri want to cite, I saw what happened with my own two eyes and heard about it with my own two ears.
23 jake // Jul 14, 2009 at 11:25 pm
HAHAHAHA.
Prove it.
Never let something like the facts (as mentioned by several in this discussion) get in the way of what you think you saw and think you heard… even though you have never lived in Jefferson County. Niiiice.
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