Glendale Council member, Dan Brotman, and his commission appointee sidekick, Alek Bartrosouf, often try to portray themselves as running “grassroots” campaigns. Unfortunately, this catchphrase has become nothing more than a political sales pitch easily debunked by the politicians’ own social media.
By definition: A grassroots movement is a social or political campaign driven by ordinary citizens rather than leaders.
That doesn’t describe the “scene” at a recent posh party fundraiser for Dan Brotman and attached beg session for Alek Bartrosouf. After a “meet and greet” for Dan Brotman, Elen Asatryan, and Alek Bartrosouf on Country Club Drive, across the street from Glendale’s Oakmont Country Club, two slate-mates met again for an exclusive fundraiser with a cast of political elites and attended by private donors hoping to own a piece of a politician. These are no “grassroots” or “ordinary citizens.”
The cast of power-holder elites at Brotman’s expensive party were:
–Rafi Manukian, unopposed Glendale Treasurer for 12 years, currently running for another term.
–Frank Quintero, former City Council member and current appointee to the Airport Commission
–Ardy Kassakhian, City Council member, big pork-spender, and former City Clerk for 15 years
–Dan Brotman, City Council member, big pet project spender, and fisher of big donors
–Laura Friedman, Congresswoman, former State Assembly and City Council, stumping hard for Brotman
–Sasha Renée Pérez, State senator, working the donor crowd for Brotman
–SuZie Abajian, Glendale City Clerk known for politicizing and polarizing her position
After a night of checks, pledges, and money-grabbing, Dan Brotman thanked his big whale donors with a professionally produced post on Instagram. In it we see several of his tax-spending friends bragging about Brotman and telling donors to part with their money. Brotman also pitched his political twin, and planted commissioner, Alek Bartrosouf, taking the begging into overtime.
It’s clear that Brotman sells his activism as “grassroots” to his audience of ordinary voters lower on the socioeconomic scale. Their reward will be winning higher taxes, fees, and utility rates for themselves. For his wealthy donors, their reward will be something more tangible and profitable.
Brotman’s video can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/danforglendale/reel/DWoqnH0DUv1/
We’ve produced our own version of the same video with some funny (but truthful) inserts.
This is what it looks like when the people preaching “No Kings” live like kings.
Can you guess who ultimately pays for it?
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