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HispanicVista Columnists

By Raoul Lowery Contreras

January 2010

 

Democrats Dump Hispanics?

By Raoul Lowery Contreras

Romaualdo  Pacheco was sworn in as California Governor in February 1875. He was the first and only Hispanic Governor of California. He was also the first Hispanic State Treasurer from 1863 until 1867.  He was the first Hispanic California Lt. Governor from 1871 until 1875. He was also the first elected Hispanic U.S. Congressman and the first Hispanic ambassador to several foreign countries. He won all his elections and his ambassadorial appointments as a Republican.

Only one other Hispanic politician has ever won statewide office and that was Cruz Bustamante who was elected Lt. Governor in 1998 and was defeated by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the special election that recalled Governor Gray Davis in 2003.

And now comes Abel Maldonado, former state Assembly member and elected State Senator from Santa Maria. He failed in his first attempt for state office when he ran for State Controller because conservative republicans acted stupidly and beat him with an ethically challenged Tony Strickland a term limited Assembly man who plays funny games with his wife in dealing with campaign funds.

Maldonado’s parents were born in Mexico and migrated here a generation ago to work farms in Santa Maria.  They picked strawberries and other fruits and vegetables grown in the productive agricultural area of Santa Maria blessed with a temperate climate cooled by ocean breezes and moderate rains. Abel worked side by side after school picking strawberries. He continued to work the fields while attending Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. He was first elected to the State Assembly, then to the State senate, both times as a Republican.

A few days ago, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated Senator Maldonado to replace the elected Democrat Lt. Governor who was elected to the U.S. Congress in a special election.

He must be confirmed by the State Assembly and the State Senate with two-third majorities to serve out the term through January of 2011. If both houses do not vote to confirm or deny, he automatically becomes Lt. Governor.

If Maldonado was a Democrat there would be no issue and both houses of the legislature – controlled as they are by Democrats – would confirm him immediately. However, the uber partisan Democrats in the State Senate and assembly egged on by California clown State Democrat Party Chairman, the vulgar, pushy and bigoted John Burton has decried the appointment and vows to kill it. He is joined by the State senate President, a Democrat. In the Assembly, the Los Angeles based Speaker, Karen Bass, thinks otherwise.

On the Republican side of the Senate, several senators blast Maldonado as they did when he broke ranks and voted with the Governor’s approval for a Democrat budget that broke a stalemate and produced a budget that raised some taxes. Interestingly, the Senate Republican leader hasn’t jumped on the anti-Maldonado bandwagon.

They key to Maldonado’s confirmation is not with the Republicans, however, it is with majority Democrats.

Will they tow Burton’s party line to defeat the confirmation, or will they honor a colleague with confirmation despite party orders. Will they remember that Maldonado bucked his own party to pass THEIR budget, or will they simply reject the nomination because they don’t want a Republican holding statewide office in an election year giving him the power of incumbency and setting up a future run for governor?

What will the legislators of wither party do.

Hispanics will be the majority of California in less than 20 years. Already one in five California registered voters are Hispanic – like Maldonado – and that percentage is increasing every day. These Californians usually vote Democratic, a significant minority of Hispanics -- say about 40 percent – consistently vote Republican. A hefty percentage of them register or re-register as Independent, decline to State.

Influencing the issue is the possibility that the Democrats could possibly win Maldonado’s traditionally Republican seat in a special election to replace him thus cutting a Republican total that allows Republicans to block Democrat budgets.  California budgets and new taxes require super majorities of two thirds margins to pass.

So, how will the legislature vote on Maldonado’s confirmation?

It depends on what the Democrats do.  There will be no problem for them in 2010 and into the future if they vote for confirmation. But, any assembly member or senator that votes against Maldonado will suffer the wrath of Independents of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic persuasions. The reason is simple.

Abel Maldonado is not a partisan hack. He is not an ethnic bigot. He is an independent thinker who steps out in front on issues that affect all of California. On top of that, he is the political future of California. He may, in fact, be something that Cruz Bustamante turned out not to be, a potentially viable candidate for Governor. Abel Maldonado may be another Romualdo Pacheco .

Contreras’ books are available at www.amazon.com

  His speaking schedule is available by e-mailing him at sdraoul@att.net