A FEW MOMENTS WITH AUNTIE MAE

My Dear Friends,

My name is Auntie Mae, and I recently retired from a long career with the City of Los Angeles. I devoted my entire life to my work, along with raising my dear nephew Russell, after his parents were killed in an accident. For all my years of loyal service to Los Angeles, I now face the reality of barely making ends meet on a meager pension. I have tried to fill my days surrounding myself with friends, and although I love them dearly, there is only so much of playing bridge and exercise classes at the senior center I can tolerate! I have begun to spend a great deal of time at the local library trying to learn about things I never had the time to while I was working all these years, and raising my dear nephew Russell. Recently, I read for the first time in years Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address; "Government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth". President Lincoln certainly wasn't the most handsome man, but he had a special insight of how government should work. I spoke to my dear friend Clara about the Gettysburg Address the other day, while we were taking our afternoon walk at the park. I told her that I wondered what President Lincoln would think of the way government is run today? Especially cities like Los Angeles, where it has become government of the bought and paid for, by the lobbyists, for the privileged and special interest groups? It appears that the kind of government President Lincoln spoke about in the Gettysburg Address has in fact perished from the earth!

As many of my dear friends and colleagues in local government, I feared the consequence of speaking out about the corruption, incompetence, and the "good-old-boy style of government, where those with the best connections, rather than the best qualifications, get the job! We are trained like circus animals to perform our tasks in our government jobs, and to conform to what we are told is expected of us, and not to question anything that our conscious tells us is wrong. Now that I am retired, I no longer feel the restraint of fear keeping me from speaking out. I may have to struggle on a meager city pension, but I have my self-respect back, and I will no longer be silent!

My dear nephew Russell suggested that I start a blog. I told him that I had no idea what a blog was, and that it sounded like something I would have found in his soiled diaper when he was a baby. In his usual patient style with me, my dear nephew Russell explained to me that a blog was a new way to share ideas and thoughts. He told me that a blog was similar to my occasional afternoon tea with friends at the senior center, where we get together and talk about different subjects. What my dear nephew Russell doesn't know, and I hope we can keep just between us, is that we spice up that tea with a touch of Scotch whiskey, and sometimes we can't remember what we talked about! I told by dear nephew Russell that with his help, I would give blogging a try. I give you all my word that I will not drink any of my special tea while I am writing, but may have a sip or two after I am finished. Incidentally, if there are any nice young ladies out there looking for a smart, handsome young man, my dear nephew Russell is still single, and I would love very much to spend the twilight years of my life surrounded by lots of grand-nieces and nephews.

My dear nephew Russell set up this blog and has named it "LOS ANGELES EXPOSED!", which he assures me is an appropriate name for what I have in mind. However, I would like to make it very clear to everyone that "LOS ANGELES EXPOSED!" is not a blog about the most recent celebrity who doesn't wear underwear! I was brought up with Christian values, and if you are reading this blog because you thought it was , shame on you!

I may not be able to run a marathon at my age, and sometimes forget where I put my reading glasses, but my mind is as sharp as ever, and this old gal doesn't intend to remain silent anymore! I have asked the many dear friends I have made over the years in local government to share with me their concerns of the outrages they see going on every day. A few of my dear friends have agreed to assist me as contributing reporters. We intend to be the voice for all the dear good people we know, and all the dear new friends we will make on here, that must remain silent for fear of risking their careers in local government. I remained silent for many years, watching as politicians and government official worked endlessly for wealthy special interest groups and their lobbyists, rather than for the citizens of this City! I have witnessed over and over again, the wasting of taxpayer monies by incompetent appointed government officials, who receive promotion after promotion, while those government workers, doing the actual work for all of us, are passed over for promotions, because they won't sell out their self-respect! My dear friend Clara says "you can't fight city hall." I intend to prove my dear friend Clara is wrong! We plan to share with all of you the truth about what is going on in local government, and maybe together we can make Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address a reality in the City of Los Angeles, and give government back to the people!

This is your Auntie Mae, wishing all of you a wonderful day!