SAN FRANCISCO — Chinese Americans are divided over accusations against Supervisor Ed Jew claiming he took $40,000 in a reported FBI sting operation and, in a separate case, that he does not live in the district he represents.
On May 18, the FBI raided Jew’s supervisor’s office, home and florist store, after he received $40,000 from businessmen trying to obtain permits for Quickly shops. Then the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Jew did not live in his Sunset District home. Last week, District Attorney Kamala Harris filed criminal felony charges against Jew over his alleged non-residency in the district. This week, City Attorney Dennis Herrera referred the matter to California Attorney General Jerry Brown.
Some in the community have called for his immediate resignation while others have demanded he be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Many have denounced the affair as a conspiracy led by a ruthless political establishment and fed by racism in the local news media.
“I don’t know about the criminal investigation. On its face, it looks bad, but there may be a tape recording, and if there is, the tape will clarify a lot of stuff. His bigger problem is the residency issue,” said retired California Court of Appeal Justice and former Police Commission President Harry Low.
“I’ve had some experience in residency issues when I was at the state Attorney General’s office,” Low said. “It’s somewhat blurry, fluid and complex. A person might not factually be living there, but if his intent was to live there he may be able to establish residency. Appearance of impropriety will be an issue, (but) he wants to stay and at this point, that decision should be respected.”
However, longtime community activist Rose Pak of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce called the episode “devastating to our community because he ran as a voice for small business and parents. Then he turns around and goes after the same small businesses he claims to represent, asking for fees in exchange for permit assistance.”
Pak added that Jew needed to be more straightforward about living in the district.
“I’m not condemning [him] to jail, but please produce the documents or resign,” Pak stated. “How much longer do we have to be subject to this kind of agony?”
Still, many felt that there was a double standard for Chinese American leaders.
“The mainstream media has been totally unfair to the Chinese American community, especially those who choose to serve through politics,” said Harrison Lim, presiding president of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, adding that Jew should not resign.
Jew’s attorney, Bill Fazio, says Jew is innocent of all charges and is being targeted and ostracized because he is the lone elected voice against the city’s political establishment.
“Why are you wasting the energy of two city agencies? It seems like each agency is trying to outdo the other for attention from the public,” Fazio said.
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DON’T RESIGN |
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“I want to remind people of what happened to Vincent Chin. I want to remind people of what happened to Wen Ho Lee. Not enough people came to their aid. If we don’t stop this lynching of Ed Jew’s rights, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. You cannot judge a man by how many utilities he uses.” — Calvin Louie, President, Chinese American Democratic Club statement |
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“Mainstream media, particularly the Chronicle, are always condemning and rushing to judgment about our community without thorough knowledge and facts. Ed should not resign until all facts are in. We will obey the law and the courts. In spirit, we fully support Ed Jew.” — Harrison Lim, presiding president, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association |
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JEW SHOULD GO |
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“The so-called community leaders said that Ed was being subject to racist attacks, collusion by his colleagues to get rid of him and a media lynch mob… this has absolutely nothing to do with race. All the Wen Ho Lee comparisons are just our leaders burying their head in the sand.”
— Rose Pak, senior consultant, Chinese Chamber of Commerce |
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“An important aspect of our participation in the political process [is that] with more involvement and sophistication comes responsibility. Maybe it’s a cultural thing, that we lack that understanding. In the public sector, the appearance of malfeasance can be extremely damaging. Ed Jew really needs to examine his resignation in relationship to this critical issue.” — Alicia Wang, vice chairman, California Democratic Party |
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THE SYSTEM |
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“I feel badly for Ed and his family. In many ways, this reflects badly on any Chinese elected official in the city. We have to deal with the media sensationalism around the issue and also have to be as transparent and ethical as possible. Let’s hear his side. Let him tell his side in a court of law.” — Eric Mar, school board member and attorney “Clearly the situation Supervisor Jew is embroiled in is already a tragedy for him, his family and the community. Whatever the final outcome, let it not be said that we ‘rushed to judgment,’ for that judgment will come in due course and, we pray, with due process.” — Lawrence Wong, SF Community College Board “[Supervisor Ed Jew] is not a drug dealer. He’s not a murderer. He’s not a drive-by shooter. How could it be nine felony charges?… It’s way overcharged. Ed Jew is the only [fiscal] watchdog for the Board of Supervisors.” — Norman Young, businessman and Sunset resident |
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THE COMMUNITY |
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“I have a lot more questions than answers. I don’t want to say anything bad about Ed [but] I feel more sympathetic than anything. In my profession, I meet people who make mistakes for various reasons, not political. The impact on a family or a community is a lot larger than people realize.” — Rev. Norman Fong “Before the D.A. charged him with nine felonies, many Asian American voters in the Sunset were on the sidelines holding back judgment. The mood has begun to change. Voters are starting to make up their minds about Supervisor Jew. Supervisor Jew owes an honest and satisfactory answer to the voters who elected him to be their voice in City Hall.” — David Lee, Chinese American Voters Education Committee “While most people are anxious to learn about the facts and not jump to conclusion, there has been an increasing sense of frustration over the daily reports on the front page and the impact on perception of our community.” — Claudine Cheng, former national president of Organization of Chinese Americans “While racism clearly remains a part of society, knee-jerk allegations of discrimination can undermine the long-term credibility of our community. We need to resist blind ethnic loyalty while understanding racial undertones that typically influence public debate.” — Vincent Pan, executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action |