(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) A public hearing for San Francisco’s African American Reparations Advisory Committee was postponed until next month because city Supervisor Shamann Walton was having issues returning from a vacation in South America.
Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the reparations hearing directly resulted from a resolution written by Walton in 2020, which commissioned a study into the harm the city had caused the black community, the San Francisco Standard reported.
Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin said he became aware that Walton would be missing via text.
“I was informed he was not able to get back to San Francisco from Colombia on time because his flight was canceled,” Peskin said.
Walton proposed March 14 for the rescheduled hearing, despite being able to host it earlier. The complications will also result in the delay of another matter involving law enforcement.
Walton, who is the only black member of the board, said he went to the South American country of Colombia with a group of friends, at least two of whom were celebrating birthdays.
“Our flight was delayed on Copa Airlines, and we couldn’t make the connecting flight,” he wrote in a text message to the Standard.
“This is not a delay for reparations,” he added. “The final report is due in June. Most certainly, I have no control over the airlines and flight delays.”
On Tuesday, however, he posted a picture from a Hooters restaurant in the city of Medellín, one of several stops on the trip, where his entourage was seen partying with several scantily-clad waitresses.
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The reparations committee’s outlandish proposals reportedly include a plan to give $5 million to every black San Franciscan, fueling questions about how it would go about authenticating such claims.
Already, they have been the subject of ridicule from outlets like the Babylon Bee, which suggested rampant fraud may ensue if the proposals were to be enacted from people falsely identifying as black.
'Greetings, Fellow Persons Of Color!' Says Justin Trudeau Arriving In San Francisco https://t.co/43USlZ12e9
— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) January 20, 2023
But the public will now have to wait more than a month for committee members to plead their case before the board.
Members of the committee, such as Reverend Amos Brown, did not take the news kindly.
“I’m stunned,” Brown told the Standard. “Well, still, there need to be reparations for the people’s sake. The black population in this county is on life support.”
