You can almost hear, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” playing in the background of Nury Martinez’ resignation statement.

On Monday, after the leaked conversation showed Martinez was the driver of racist, homophobic, and classist comments, along with targeting the poor, Black child of her colleague Mike Bonin, Martinez reluctantly resigned as Los Angeles City Council President and planned to take a leave of absence.

The people of Los Angeles actually stood up and said this wasn’t enough. First they protested at her home over the weekend, and in a contentious Tuesday City Council meeting, many protestors demanded she resign her council seat. On Wednesday, Martinez reluctantly resigned from her CD 6 seat, issuing the below statement. It is long. Less a statement of apology, and more a declaration of how hard she worked for her community and for the city of Los Angeles.

I kept my promiiiissssse… now keep your distance.

As my colleague Bob Hoge said,

“Her, ‘thank yous’ sound like she is at an awards show. What the hell, you’re leaving office in disgrace, not accepting an Oscar.”

For real, not to mention she failed to mention anything about the people and groups who she offended.

The statement begins,

It is with a broken heart that I resign my seat for Council District 6, the community I grew up in and my home.

Martinez is heartbroken all right. Heartbroken that she got caught.

When I ran in 2013, I wanted to see a change in my community and fight for my neighbors. That is what it has been about all along. No one expected me to win, but with the support of residents throughout the district I overcame that challenge and won the seat for Council District 6. I had the honor of serving in the role of a lifetime: being the representative for my neighbors.

I have spent time driving around and through this district. I have friends who live there. Trust me, it wasn’t a challenge or that hard. She had the right ethnicity, pure and simple.

And what a friggin’ narcissist this woman is. How many times did she say, “I” in that paragraph? It was all about her from Day One—nothing about her “neighbors” who she was supposed to serve.

Over the last 9 years, I’ve had the honor of working with communities across Los Angeles to fight for policies that uplift working families. For the families who can’t make it out of poverty, struggling everyday, you are the reason why I get up in the morning and do what I do. To represent and fight for the people who don’t have a voice. To the workers, the housekeepers, the nannies, to the people who get up to ride the bus to work in the morning. You have been the backbone of our city throughout this pandemic, but you were the backbone long before. I went to work for you. You have been my mission and my guiding principle.

If that was the case, then why was she in the California Federation of Labor headquarters carving out slices of the Los Angeles district pie in order to consolidate Hispanic power, while plotting to push Black representation aside? That’s a hell of an interesting mission, and reflects a really warped “guiding principle.”

The last almost three years, have been unimaginably difficult. When I was elected President of the Council, I served for three months before the pandemic came crashing down. As the first Latina Council President, I strived to serve with compassion and to give a larger platform to the communities I felt had been left behind.

Martinez was also instrumental in ensuring Mark Ridley-Thomas was denied his pension and that a puppet who would do her bidding was installed in his place in CD 10. That’s leading with compassion, for sure.

This Council has made a difference in the lives of millions across the city. We launched the largest renters relief program in the nation, brought equity in our city’s budget, created tenant protections, pushed for equality for women in the workplace, worked to phase out of oil, created a new department around families and community investment, created the largest guaranteed basic income program in the country, launched a new homeowner program, fought for human trafficking victims, and so much more. In Council District 6, we planned the revitalization of the Sepulveda Basin and the Van Nuys Civic Center, we distributed thousands of boxes at our monthly food and diaper giveaways, rented out laundromats for families in need and led the way in building housing for our homeless neighbors in the Valley.

To my constituents – Serving you has been a privilege and one that I don’t give up lightly.

Yeah, we have noticed that. Had Martinez’ fingers not been pried off the CD 6 seat, she would still be sitting this out, waiting for the protests to blow over.

You are my neighbors, my friends, and the reason for this service. Throughout these 9 years, we’ve been able to work together to fix our parks, our streets, our sidewalks, and improve the overall quality of life for our neighborhoods. I hope you stay engaged and continue to fight for your fair share of the city’s resources. It’s hard to say goodbye, but please know that I have in this fight for you.

Doubt it was for them: more for the power, and that over a quarter of a million dollar paycheck plus the perks and kickbacks.

With L.A. there are always kickbacks. More on that at another time.

To my colleagues – I know we’ve had a hard couple of years and I know this work hasn’t always been easy for us. My only goal as Council President has been to champion a families first agenda that we can all be proud of. Each of you have worked hard on policies and programs that uplift Angelenos across this city. I hope that this work continues and that workers and working class families remain in the forefront of the priorities of this Council. While I leave with a heavy heart, now that I wish you all the best and I have faith in your strength to unite this city.

Martinez, like so many good progressives, throw around the phrases, “families first” and “working families,” as if they are some magic talisman. The rampant homelessness in her district and others, coupled with the attacks on small businesses in Los Angeles prove this to be a lie.

To the City employees – you have been my second family. From the start of my presidency, you rallied around me and embraced my families first agenda. You work hard every day and show up for this City’s residents. During the pandemic, when everyone stayed safe at home, you came to work, you delivered services, you became disaster workers, essential workers, and you got this city through our hardest times. I thank you and this city thanks you.

Martinez voted to furlough 15,000 Los Angeles city employees during the pandemic because of a budget shortfall. I doubt these people are shedding any tears for her.

To my staff – I’m sorry that we’re ending it this way. This is no reflection on you. I know you all will continue to do great work and fight for our district. I’ll be cheering you on.

That Latinx Scandal conversation shows that Martinez will more than likely be looking to undermine them, especially if it involves a comeback for her.

To my family, to my daughter, and to my mom – You have been my support system, my shoulder to cry on, and my biggest cheerleaders throughout my time in office.

There have been many long nights, dinners missed, homework not checked over, dishes not washed because of this role that I took on. To my husband, my right hand man and my confidant, I cannot thank you enough for being my partner through this.

To my daughter, I know I have fallen short recently of the expectations we have for our family. I vow to you that I will strive to be a better woman to make you proud.

Martinez now has the time to do that, but has a lot of work ahead of her, beginning with cleaning up her mouth.

One wonders how Martinez would feel if someone demeaned her daughter in the same way she demeaned Mike Bonin’s son?

Inquiring minds want to know.

To my mom, you give me strength and you center me. I’ve only ever wanted to make you proud. To my sister, thank you for all you do, you have stepped in to take care of our family when I could not be there. To my dad in heaven, siempre seras mi inspiracion.

Why is she appealing to her dead father? “You will always be my inspiration”? One wonders what he inspired her to. Just weird.

And last, to all little Latina girls across this city – I hope I’ve inspired you to dream beyond that which you can see.

this is my favorite part of nury martinez's statement… the tone is like she won a nobel prize… the mother teresa of being racist… pic.twitter.com/XoFX9ALORz

— broti gupta (@BrotiGupta) October 13, 2022

So does dreaming “beyond that which you can see” involve undercutting other people in order to maintain your power? If that’s the case, Martinez is setting a really low bar <insert *eyeroll* emoji>.

While I take the time to look inwards and reflect, I ask that you give me space and privacy.

Los Angeles collectively says, “Miss me on that.”

What I find most fascinating is how progressive journalists and politicians are dragging her and dancing on her grave—big time.

Nury apologized to Dist. 6, her family, Latina girls … but notably, no apologies to the Black child, ‘the Blacks,’ Jews, Oaxacan families, LGBTQ community, or other ppl she disparaged.

Telling.

— in lemon color 🍋 (@Seth_Lemon) October 12, 2022

Then there is former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. After Tubbs drove Stockton into the ground, Governor Hair Gel tapped him to be his “Special” advisor for Economic Mobility and Opportunity.

You cannot make this stuff up.

Tubbs also weighed in on Martinez’ fauxpology, but he chose to limit it to certain fellow travelers. Good thing I have friends in high places who can get me screenshots.

Tubbs calls her resignation garbage. Well, he should know.

It is apparent the radical progressives are intent on eating the moderate progressives. Martinez has done herself no favors in pissing off Blacks. We may roll over for most Democrats, but we have a long history of animus with Hispanics. Trust me, this will not be forgotten.

Then there are the ones already waiting in the wings to fill her stilettos. Eunisses Hernandez wrested Gil Cedillo’s CD 01 seat from his grasp. An avowed Democrat Socialist, she is paving the way for her vision of Latino power.

Nury Martinez
Kevin de Leon
Gil Cedillo

Resign now. What are you waiting for?

I’m so embarrassed by you three. https://t.co/dL3sEITdCQ

— Eunisses (@EunissesH) October 12, 2022

And Isaac Bryan, who is purported to be Mark Ridley-Thomas’ hand-picked choice for his replacement in CD 10, is stomping in the dirt on Martinez’ political grave, fashioning himself as one who can be part of the healing.

Los Angeles is a City that leads with hope, opportunity, compassion, and solidarity.

There is no divide today. There is only a unified call to do what is right and embed ourselves in the necessary work to heal our people and our institutions. pic.twitter.com/HctalB4WbL

— Isaac G. Bryan (@ib2_real) October 11, 2022

Uh-huh. Martinez may be out of the picture for now, and DeLeon may well follow. But the ones looking to replace them are even more dangerous to actual accountability, leadership, and governance in Los Angeles.

The cure may well be worse than the disease.