HispanicVista Columnists

By Randy Jurado Ertll

An unprecedented campaign result occurred in the City of Maywood where the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters endorsed candidates Thomas Martin, Felipe Aguirre, and Sergio Calderon won with 63% of the Maywood vote. This was an overwhelming environmental victory.

The City of Maywood is one of the smallest and most over populated cities in California. Even though it is small in geographic size, Maywood can no longer be ignored.

The community of Maywood’s overwhelming environmental victory will now serves as a model on how environmental issues can motivate people to vote in high numbers to protect their air quality and cleanse their drinking water.

Environmental issues, promoted by the L.A. League of Conservation Voters, is what won the Maywood elections. Of course, police brutality, inadequate housing, and the Propositions on the November 2005 ballots also motivated people to vote. But environmental protection is a top issue of concern for California Latinos.

Latinos in California have always cared about environmental protection. The California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) sponsored a poll in 1996 and found that the Latino electorate truly cared about clean air, clean water issues, and the creation of safe parks.

In 1996, several State Assembly and State Senate seats were won when CLCV crafted bilingual phone banks, direct mailings, and organized candidate community forums that emphasized environmental protection. CLCV helped mobilize new Latino voters and the turn out was in the range of 70% to 80%.

The model that was used in the 1996 election cycle also proved effective in 2005 at the local level in the City of Maywood. Updated voter list were used for the November 8 Maywood elections and a committed cadre of 40-50 volunteers from Padres Unidos de Maywood (PUMAs) helped to man bilingual phone banks and constant precinct walking.

Precinct leaders were identified and trained to get out the vote. Also, media coverage of this race helped to inform Maywood residents about the candidate’s positions on environmental protection.

The enthusiasm and commitment from the volunteers was contagious. The residents of Maywood clearly wanted a change in leadership at city hall. The Maywood residents were demanding clean drinking water and for clean and safe parks to be provided.

The federal government identified a Superfund site in this small (known as PEMACO), densely populated city, a site that is considered one of the top five most contaminated Superfund sites in the country.

The new city council members must now find ways to fully cleanup the PEMACO site with community input. Community members must take part in the discussions, plans, and options for the site. One current plan under consideration is the construction of a park on the former PEMACO site, but some critics argue that the park will be built on contaminated soil.

With the new city council member leadership, Maywood community members must be invited to become more active participants with issues, such as PEMACO and creation of park space.

Martin, Aguirre and Calderon have a tremendous opportunity to make positive changes in finding creative ways of addressing environmental clean up and protection issues. They can become the environmental protection champions in Southeast Los Angeles and set the example. The newly elected should establish an “Environmental Commission” for the City of Maywood. This Commission should review and make recommendations on issues related to environmental protection.

The Maywood electorate has found hope that these three newly elected officials will help to protect their environment and that they will advocate respect from the police towards all citizens.

The City of Maywood is a case study that environmental issues do resonate with voters and that people will get out to vote in order to protect the air they breathe and the water they drink.

This historical victory can now be duplicated in other small and medium size cities throughout Los Angeles County and beyond. Poor people can be motivated to vote through grassroots and electoral campaign organizing with a message of environmental protection.

Let’s not tolerate political neglect through more air and water contamination in these small cities. Let’s elect more pro environmental candidates in other Southeast Los Angeles cities and beyond.
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Randy Jurado Ertll, current board member of the L.A. League of Conservation Voters. Contact e-mail: randyertll@yahoo.com