I Yell Because I Care: The Passion and Politics of John Burton, California's Liberal Warrior

(Hardback)

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Profane, irascible, and beloved, California political icon John Burton has stood for nearly 60 years as the state Democratic Party's beating heart and one of its leading voices for social justice.
As an assemblyman, congressman, state senator, party chairman and street-fighting activist from San Francisco, Burton as a blue-collar liberal has been at the forefront of the mainstream Democratic movement in its battles on behalf of the poor, against a disastrous foreign war, and in favor of the environment and working people from even before he ran and won his first elected office in 1964.

In this book, Burton shows how he fought and won on behalf of working people, the environment, people of color, the peace movement, and most of all, for the poor and underprivileged. Hard-nosed and acerbic, Burton still shared a common humanity with his political adversaries, most notably Ronald Reagan. Despite his battles with conservatives, he occasionally earned their votes to pass his own bills that created the first special education program for autistic children in California and reformed the state's confiscatory police asset-seizure practices. His life's record provides a template to bridge the polarization of the current political era that his torn the country apart.

Reviews

John Burton is a favorite son of San Francisco and a singular figure in California political history. In the pages that follow, you'll be treated to stories from a lifetime in a righteous fight---told in the blunt, colorful prose for which John is renowned. He is a leader at times to be feared, always to be respected, and certainly to be loved. And that, I think, is a highly effective combination in politics. We always know John yells because he cares. -- Nancy Pelosi, former U.S. Speaker of the House * From the foreword *
There is a person who says it like it is, puts their money where their mouth and heart is, cares deeply about America and her citizens and fights the good fight every day of his life. I fucking LOVE him. -- Jamie Lee Curtis * actress *
Someone once told me I had the voice of an angel and the mouth of a dockworker. My friend John Burton has the mouth of a dockworker and a heart of gold. Steadfastly on the side of good, and willing to publicly put himself in jeopardy of being vilified, not to mention of losing his job, he caused consternation among many who wished theyd had the moral strength to follow suit. And, as readers of this book will discover, John is self-effacing to a fault, and also very funny. I happen to enjoy sarcasm, and like our conversations, the stories here are peppered with bawdy language, humor, and insight in true Burton fashion, nothing is sacred, no one is spared. -- Joan Baez * musician *
John Burton, a singular figure in American politics, has an amazing story to tell of rising, falling and rising to even greater heights. That he teamed with Andy Furillo, one of the very best story tellers I know, makes (title) a compelling tale of determination, redemption, and most of all the shrewd use of power to help people who most need it. -- Dan Morain * author of Kamala's Way: An American Life *
John is one of my true heroes and he is a hero to anyone who cares about the underserved. He has literally spent his entire career fighting for those less fortunate. This insightful biography captures Johns unique blend of intelligence, irreverence, honesty, fearlessness, and passion for doing the right thing. After reading the book, youll end up admiring him as much as I do. -- Sherry Lansing * former CEO of Paramount Pictures *
John Burton is one of California's most influential political leaders of the past half-century, and Andy Furillo is one of the most insightful journalists to follow his career. A superb pairing of subject and writer yields a terrific read and a rich contribution to the history of the era. -- Jerry Roberts * Biographer of Dianne Feinstein: Never Let Them See You Cry *

Author Bio

John Burton has been a leading liberal force in government and politics for sixty-seven years. In 1956, he volunteered on his brother, Phillip's, successful campaign for the California Assembly, and he has been active in politics ever since. Mr. Burton won an Assembly seat in 1964, and he held assorted elected offices for thirty-six of the next forty years. He twice served as chairman of the California Democratic Party. In 2004, he founded John Burton Advocates for Youth, a policy and research organization focused on the betterment of young adults who "age out" of the foster care system. As a lawmaker, he authorized the first bill that entitled autistic children access to special education programs in California. He played important roles in promoting early political careers of former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. Ms. Pelosi has described Mr. Burton as "the chief architect of the Democrats' dominance in California." Mr. Burton lives in San Francisco.

Andy Furillo covered crime and punishment and also sports, politics and other beats during his 44-year newspaper career in California for the Sacramento Bee, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and other papers. He won several awards, including the Heywood Broun Award in 2002 for his investigation into a Sacramento neighborhood's deterioration into poverty and crime. Furillo, a native of Downey, CA, is the author of The Steamer: Bud Furillo and the Golden Age of LA Sports. He is an alumnus of Cerritos College and a political science graduate of UC Santa Barbara.