Michael Tubbs’ Treatment of His Own Brother Proves He’s a Fraud

OPINION

By RJ Durand

I read an article on 209times about Antony Tubbs, the unknown half brother of our current Mayor Michael Tubbs. Needless to say this left me deeply saddened. I honestly can’t understand how someone’s whole political career has been predicated on assisting young men of color escape the cradle to prison pipeline, yet our Mayor can not be compelled to assist his own half brother to improve his station in life. Some of his supporters can try and dismiss it as a family situation or personal differences (which Anthony has eliminated as a motive in his in) but, the real true problem is Michael Tubbs has been exposed as hypocrite.

On one hand Michael promotes himself as a youth who overcame Stockton’s odds to go on to get a Stanford education and return home to help his city (as a politician) because his cousin got murdered. He claims he never had his father because he was in prison. He co-chairs My Brother’s Keeper initiative started by President Obama along with another grifter Sammy Nunez of Fathers & Families. It seems they have both both found a way to use the plight of Stockton’s youth as a vehicle to self promotion, politics, and pay days.

Anthony is the archetype for an at-risk youth our Mayor has spent his political career claiming to assist. He is the one who really has been living the life and surviving the struggles Michael claims to have. He did grow up around gangs and struggles to find employment. He did drop out of school because he had no positive influences and support system like Michael did in the International Baccalaureate program and Stanford and now mayor.

As a black man myself and someone who has a younger brother I am appalled of the actions or lack of actions taken to help Mr Anthony Tubbs by our Mayor, not only as his brother but, by someone in a position to do so who fashions themselves as a champion of “boys and men of color”. Despite his brother Anthony fitting the bill of exactly what an at-risk youth is, Michael has chosen to ignore him while living only minutes away for 20 years. While Michael goes around giving speeches, Anthony continues to live on the border line of being a statistic. If we can’t rely on Michael Tubbs to be his own brother’s keeper how can we possibly rely on him to “reinvent” our community?

Without a doubt I am convinced now that Michael Tubbs is a fraud.