How Do You Say 'Façade' In Spanish?

---

After getting drubbed like a rented burro in the press, the polls and by members of his own party for his complete and utter disregard for California’s Latino community, Gov. Schwarzenegger and his compadres today unveiled a laughable attempt to salvage what little support they have left.

I’m not sure rolling out the only two Latinos of stature (and I use that term loosely) in the Republican Party, throwing up a few Spanish pages on your website and calling that a “Latino Coalition” is going to do the trick, but I guess ya gotta start somewhere.

Unfortunately, Team Arnold’s problem isn’t that “Candidate” Schwarzenegger has been slighting Latinos, it’s that “Governor” Schwarzenegger has been slighting Latinos.

We already know that his awful record on key Latino appointments has been an issue. La Opinion, the nation’s largest Spanish-language newspaper, said in a recent editorial:

“From the beginning up to today, the Governor’s Administration seems to read like a script from an upcoming film, "A Day Without Latinos." The absence of Hispanics in his cabinet and other important posts reflects an absolute disinterestedness in nourishing his government with the experience and the point of view of a community that represents a third of the state population.” (La Opinion, September 19, 2005, translation mine)

But even as he unveils another fake coalition today, the Governor continues to demonstrate how out of touch he is with Latinos and the rest of Californians.

For example, today it was reported the Governor is sticking to his position in favor of the border vigilantes, the Minutemen:

“‘It's no different than if you have a neighborhood watch person there that's watching your children at the playground. I don't see it any different,’ he said. ‘Or, if I have my personal guards at the house, because I feel like the police (are) not going to be able to take care of the job because they are overwhelmed.” (San Francisco Chronicle, September 22, 2005)

Set aside the fact that the rest of us don’t have the experience of “personal guards” at our house as a reference point, a recent Field Poll (9/8/05) showed that 56 percent of Californians and 84 percent of California Latinos reject the idea of private citizen patrols on the border.

Unless Senator Maldonado and former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin (sounds better than failed senatorial candidate and Integrated Waste Management Board member Rosario Marin doesn’t it?) can get him to move on issues that really matter to Latinos, no amount of campaign hype is going to move California’s Latino voters toward the Governor.

###