On the Brownside, Looking In

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Just in time for the kickoff of Latino Heritage month the Governor announced… drum roll please … absolutely nothing of substance for Latinos.

You see, Arnold’s a “follow-through” kind of guy. He’s been staying the course of not appointing any qualified Latinos to judgeships, his cabinet or his senior advisors.

It must have been difficult for Arnold to ignore all those capable Latinos while continuing to ask for their support, but somehow he found a way. And now we get to see the results of his steadfastness.

Today, the Los Angeles Times reports that “as he prepares to launch his reelection bid, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is facing attack from a group of fellow Republicans who condemn his record on Latino appointments and assail the state GOP as ‘morally wrong and politically stupid’ in its treatment of Latino candidates.” (“Latinos Souring on Gov. and His Party,” 9/15/05)

In an unusual open letter drafted for release today, the Latino Republican activists offer a litany of political grievances and assert that “the California Republican Party and its key leaders are systematically excluding Latinos from any kind of meaningful role in the state party or state government.”

The letter noted that Schwarzenegger has no Latinos in his cabinet or in senior positions. It said that the governor and prominent state GOP leaders have endorsed non-Latino candidates over “qualified, credible and competitive” Latinos in statewide races in recent years, contrasting that approach with President Bush’s aggressive courtship of Latino voters. It also said that just one of Schwarzenegger’s first 56 judicial appointments was Latino - a claim that could not be independently verified because there is no precise record. [A Sacramento Bee story dated June 9, 2005, found only one Latino judge appointed by the Governor. A review of the Governor’s press releases since then found no new Latino judges]

“The California Republican Party’s exclusion of Latinos is morally wrong and politically stupid,” the letter states and urges “dramatic action to change course before it’s too late for our party and our state.”

Mark Baldassare, research director at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute, sums it up best by saying the Governor and Latino voters are “worlds apart” when it comes to fiscal issues and the size and responsibilities of state government.

When you don’t have any Latinos in your “world,” what do you expect?

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