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Posted on 10/07/2003 3:44:30 PM PDT by TaxPayer2000
VISTA – Mayor Morris Vance named 12 Latinos yesterday to a 15-person panel that will study minority voting issues in light of a Department of Justice inquiry into possible discrimination against Latino voters and candidates.
The nominees still face council approval on Tuesday, though Vance and Councilman Bob Campbell will miss a special meeting called to consider them.
By phone yesterday, Vance said he did not interview anyone for the panel because he knew most of the applicants. He said he did not know two of them.
In all, 19 people met Wednesday's deadline to apply for the panel formed by the City Council two weeks ago. The filing period lasted eight days.
Councilman Paul Campo, who will lead Tuesday's meeting in the mayor's absence, said the list would likely be confirmed. The meeting begins at 2 p.m. in the council chambers, 600 Eucalyptus Ave.
The panel will explore whether Latinos feel disenfranchised from the political process or consider district elections a possible remedy. It will make recommendations on the use of voting districts, voter registration drives and voter outreach programs to give Latinos better government representation.
Latinos make up nearly 40 percent of the city's residents, but none has served on the City Council and just a few have been elected to the school board.
"I'm hopeful that this committee will begin the process of bringing the community together so that it's not a majority minority community," Vance said.
The panel will hold its first meeting one week later, then meet weekly through December before issuing a report to the City Council. Vance and City Manager Rita Geldert will serve in nonvoting capacities.
Its report is intended to coincide with the date City Attorney Wayne Dernetz expects to hear the outcome of the federal inquiry, which could lead to forced district elections and other changes.
In addition to naming 15 voting members, Vance suggested yesterday that Catherine Manis, the head of a Latino advocacy group, serve without a vote. Manis is executive director of the Vista Townsite Community Partnership and serves on the city's crime and substance abuse prevention commission.
Two other nominees to the advisory panel are officers for the Townsite partnership. They are president Salvador Aguilar and secretary Jessie Gidley.
Of the other nominees, seven serve or have served on other city commissions. They include former planning commissioner, former councilman and former mayor Bernard Rappaport; Traffic Commissioner Luis Martinez; John Aguilera of the investment advisory committee; Salvador Martinez, formerly of the crime and substance abuse prevention commission; Planning Commissioner Frank Lopez; Lenore Averell of the community block grant citizens advisory committee; and Jose Estrada of the environmental quality commission.
Other nominees are former state Assembly candidate John Herrera; Jayne "Teene" Miller, a director on the board of the Shadowridge Owners' Association; graphics designer Alan Cabrera; former council candidate Robert Martinez; contractor Fidel Cruz; and human resources administrator Rosie Lopez.
Geldert said Rappaport, Miller and Averell are the only non-Latino nominees.
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It sounds like they're very upset that their are ANY non-Latino nominees. It's just so unfair not to have 100% latinos?
In every city!
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