How Much Truth Is Enough?

What Williams said and didn�t say about his troubled youth

Comments (0) By Howard Blume Thursday, May 8 2003

...continued from page 3

In our description of the candidates, when we have to say how they view the Parks situation, we have to recapitulate what you said. So are you saying you can see the justification for new leadership, but you decline to state specifically whether you would have voted for or against keeping Parks? How do we recast that when it is our job to restate what you said?

ANOTHER PANEL MEMBER: How about a simple yes or no answer on Parks?

It’s a tough question. Right now I want to move forward. Right now, we have a new chief of police I want to work closely with . . . My goal and my focus is to move forward and work closely with the residents of our city.

[THE CONCLUSION OF THE INTERVIEW:]

L.A. WEEKLY:Who would be good to talk to about you – people who are familiar with your work?

DERON WILLIAMS: My wife. You can talk to [he names his campaign aide who is in the room]. She can tell you things I’ve done.

OK. Who else?

You can talk to any and every person in that news release. [He indicates a list of business community supporters.] You can talk to them about some things that I’ve done . . .

Who are your heroes?

My heroes? Wow. I really don’t know. I don’t have a hero, to be honest. God is my hero, who I put first in my life.

You don’t have any person that you admire?

I don’t have any heroes. If you was raised the way I was raised. Looking at that glass right there. [He points at a glass water pitcher and some plastic cups.] It wasn’t a glass growing up. A glass to me was a mayonnaise jar. A cup to me was a Campbell soup can. So when you talk about a hero, I don’t let people disappoint me, so I don’t get caught up in people. Even I look at them and take their likes and good things. I don’t use men as a guide for my life. I use God.

[Do you admire or model yourself after] any elected public officials you’ve known?

I’ve worked with Herb Wesson [at Holden’s office]. He was my boss for several years. He’s sharp. He knows how to get things done. Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, she’s sharp. She knows how to get things done. I like Magic Johnson – business savvy.