We’ve always wondered why the most visible mouthpiece for critics of the revitalization of the failed former Chinese Cultural Center site in Phoenix was an Anglo, and a convicted felon. There is more info on that here.
Tom Simon’s failures in this case and felonious behavior previously could be the reason notable sympathizers like former Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, respected attorneys Paul Gilbert and Don Bivens, have fallen by the wayside as legal, political and common sense losses mount.
Is Dr. Anthony Yeung, a respected Valley doctor next? Perhaps. We couldn’t help but be amazed at the Simon screed below ripping Yeung just a week after appearing with him in videos touting his earnestness. It’s quite the read.
Civil War was the title of the last Captain America movie and an apt description of what’s now taking place in some parts of the Chinese community in Phoenix thanks to Captain Tom.
But another part of Simon Says caught our eye. Check out his full-throttle defense of Dennis and Jack Wilenchik, attorneys racking up loss after loss after loss in this matter. Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise us that the Wilenchiks want to be peas in a pod with Simon. After all Dennis Wilenchik once said, “I look forward to the many nights and mornings when you think of my name and squeal . . . Check out the movie Deliverance, ” according to a Phoenix New Times article.
The Wilenchiks are often the kind of attorneys who take things on when others won’t. Think Goldberg & Osborne meets Michael Cohen or Michael Avenatti. Their involvement here is an example. It doesn’t matter if your legal arguments are dogs throw anything and everything out there just to get your name in the media.
But even we feel sorry for the Wilenchiks now. It’s like they just got an endorsement from Eric Schneiderman. It’s also worth noting that Mr. Simon consistently misspells Wilenchik in his emails.
After this is all over, losing won’t be what people remember about the Wilenchiks most. It will be that they decided to bunk with Tom Simon long after others rightfully left his scene.
Tom Simon Email:
My Opinion: Dr. Yeung is NOT the Answer!!
Why You Need to be Careful About Who You Support In the Effort to Take Back the Chinese Cultural Center
Since his involvement four weeks ago, Dr Yeung has become somewhat infamous for his brash talk and loose familiarity with acceptable speech in the public forum. He tells hard-working volunteers they are stupid and to shut-up. He swears in front of fifteen year old girls and worries his children with his inappropriate conduct, so much so that they write me asking that I not release his public comments to others.
(Here’s a copy of an email sent to me by his children Kim and Chris after an embarrassing performance by Dr Yeung in front of the Chinese Linguistics School last Sunday):
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Hi Tom,
Thanks for filming the commencement address today. I didn’t know if I was going to make it until the last minute. I’m glad I was able to hear it – the students seemed pretty inspired by it.
My brother, Chris, and I were just talking. With your reporting/PR background, we know that you have the sense of what should and should not be said in public. We know that our dad can have some
inflammatory, sometimes inappropriate, comments from the PR point of view. We would just like to trust that you will guide him and even edit out portions of videos that could get him in any legal trouble.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Thanks,
Kim and Chris
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Question: If Dr. Yeung’s own children don’t trust him not to make “inappropriate comments” in public, how can we trust him to speak for the Chinese community. Answer: We can’t!
Because I represent the group publicly, it is my responsibility to try to tamp down speech that would potentially hurt the drive to “Take Back the Chinese Cultural Center.” On several occasions I have told Anthony Yeung that he is wrong on issues. I’ve told him directly that he needs to watch how he talks to volunteers—and women in particular. His response to my counsel has been negative.
Now Mr. Yeung is attempting to have me replaced as spokesman for the cause. Upset because in his words “you’re the only one who has challenged me,” Yeung has taken to attacking me personally. He has also repeatedly attacked our attorney Jack Wilenchek.
To be clear, Jack is an excellent attorney, he has won significant battles for us, and he continues to represent us at great cost to himself. Dr Yeung, with absolutely no legal experience at all, continues to disparage Jack at every opportunity. He called him stupid and says he was outsmarted by the other side. Additionally, he claims that Jack has disrespected you the Chinese community because Michael at Szechwan Palace hired the father not the son, while in fact, Michael hired both. I was at the initial meeting between Jack and his father and Michael in September of last year. It was clear from that restaurant table that Michael was employing both Dennis and Jack Wilenchek.
When I advised Yeung that he was incorrect about his accusation, he shrugged it off, and continues to this day to assert that the Wilencheks disrespected the Chinese community and the father was hired not the son. This is not only untrue, if not corrected it could expose us to legal consequences…the very thing Dr Yeung’s children tried to warn me about in their email.
The video campaign we launched two weeks ago has also been a bone of contention with Dr Yeung. With cooperation from Lirong Huang of AZCTV.com we have produced many videos directed at exposing the brand of True North and its subsidiaries, Realty Executives, Passport Health and Pump It Up Fun Brands. These videos have produced tens of thousands of views. Dr. Yeung took their success personally.
You’ll remember, Dr Yeung promised that his protégé would produce videos that would go worldwide. Problem? The two videos they produced received less than 2,600 views—and one of them only received about 300 views. This poor performance was a result of amateur filming, editing and producing, by the person who claims to be a former Hollywood photographer.
Upset that we received over 50,000 views to his 2,500 the first week, Ty—who calls himself the twin brother of Anthony Yeung, and claims to be “trained in the martial arts”—sent this email to others as well as me:
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(Email from Ty)
If Tom spent as much time actually doing his job as he does with his daily promoting of himself and Lirong to the group, we’d probably be further along in the fight.
No one else in the population announces daily reports on how well of a job that they’re doing each day.
It’s an obvious whorish attempt at pandering for money from the group !
It’s great what Tom and Lirong are doing, but you have to wonder why they weren’t doing this before Tony and Ty showed up !
Report the news, not yourself, quit pandering and leave my name out of your reports !
Ty
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Since that day, upset that I don’t allow him to talk badly to the Chinese community volunteers, angry that his prediction of videos going worldwide was exposed as a lie, the good doctor has made it his mission to destroy all we have done to keep the Chinese Cultural Center standing. He is dangerous to the cause and he is wrong!
This is a long hard fight. We will win the fight, but we must stick together. You have had an opportunity the last 10 months to view my work ethic. You have had the opportunity to see the results that come from honest, hard work, and transparency. I have always and will always treat you with the upmost respect.
As the adviser and public voice of the group, I have carried the mantle to the extent of being sued by the other side for doing so. Now, in the midst of the battle, at a time when we are inching closer to the prize of “Taking Back the Center,” enter stage left an old guy with loose, disrespectful lips, a faint acquaintance with the truth, and a lot of cash. He says inappropriate things to women, tells people like Charles, Elizabeth and Jennifer to “shut up…your stupid,” and tells me if I oppose him he’ll have his sidekick kill me, because “you know he’s trained by Bruce Lee.” So I ask you, is this the kind of man that should be speaking for the Chinese Community?
In closing, thank you for giving me the privilege of representing you for the last 10 months. If you want to know if we’ve been successful, drive to the Center today. Look up for your answer, the Phoenix Chinese Cultural Center is still standing, because of your efforts, our efforts, Jack’s efforts and my efforts.
We are on the other side of the mountain with fresh water ahead. Please don’t give up, and please, based on my body of work on your behalf, give me your continued support.
Best wishes,
Thomas M. Simon