First and foremost, San Benito County LULAC extends our thanks to the Hollister City Council and city attorney for not taking action on moving forward with a plan that could have been perceived as a retrogessive action under the Voter Rights Act against Latino voters.
Our thanks also to Dr. Jeanne Gobalet for doing the research and coming up with the same answers that LULAC received from experts in the field of district elections.
I write to you and readers of your newspaper to inform you on the recommendation LULAC presented to the city council during the council Meeting of July 28. There has been some mention of LULAC threatening the city with litigation on action that may have occurred during this meeting should the city council had approved a resolution presented to them for a vote. LULAC is often advised on federal law, which oversees actions by city and county governments that negatively impact Latino communities nationwide. The Voter Rights Act happens to be one of the most important civil rights laws in the nation and in American history. Some who do not understand the meaning of federal law violations may want to consider reading the Voter Rights Act.
LULAC informs government agencies on what actions that may be considered violations at no cost - we are not in the business of litigation; we are a service community organization that has in the past, and will continue to, defended the rights of the Latino community against any violations. In some local cases we have informed the City of Hollister and County of San Benito governments, among other agencies, on possible violations which federal agencies became involved.
During the beginning of our presentation to the city council on July 28, it was clearly stated that LULAC was not present to address the idea of electing a mayor; nor did we not support the idea that had yet to be presented to our organization by the member community committee.
History of issue
Several years ago, LULAC along with several other community members, researched and presented the equal opportunity concept of Latinos participating in the political process within the City of Hollister. In order to accomplish a historical electoral report on the city, LULAC formed a research team under the direction of Joaquin Avila, a voter rights attorney and expert in the field of redistricting. The historical report presented to the city council included the past 33 years in which Latinos who ran for political office would not be elected, even after they had accomplished experience in city government involvement by the virtue of an appointment. The Voting Rights Act became apparent in this case which indicated that a violation had occurred locally and through the means of litigation the plan of at large elections could now be challenged. LULAC made it clear that we did not want litigation but rather support to follow through on a new concept of electing our city officials. The challenge of the elimination of at large elections and concept of district elections was then presented to the Hollister City Council.
The LULAC organization was supported by community members who felt this would be the best solution to elect city council members within the City of Hollister. It was through the dedicated work of the LULAC membership, MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund), NALEO (National Association of Elected Officials), and Southwest Voter Registration Project who stood by us at all times, were we were able to accomplish the concept of district elections to go to the voters by council action and voters of this city approved and passed it.
This city gained district elections without the city being sued as other surrounding Cities were all because we were able to work together on a concept that would encourage all city residents to run within their districts and be elected by their neighborhood residents. We worked together and made it work.
Retrogressive action
Now as we approach the year 2010 census, it is somewhat bewildering to have been informed that in a current city estimated population of 36,690, a committee comprised of five or six community members can represent the views of all city residents on the reduction of current districts, knowing very well that should the city council had voted on the resolution put forth during this meeting. The city would have been in violation of the Federal Voting Rights Act. The city council may have taken a historical step back in history and reversed all that was voted in by the residents of this city.
As mentioned by Dr. Jeanne Gobalet, the city hired a demographer who was very clear on the retrogressive action of a potential reduction of election districts that provide Latinos with an effective opportunity to elect candidates of their choice would lead to a violation of Section 2 of the Federal Voting Rights Act.
Our presentation this evening was to warn against violations of federal law, not to take a position on a future elected mayor.
We must all keep in mind, the city adopted district elections due to the approving vote of city residents. By moving forward with another plan to eliminate the current districts would be a plan in reverse rather than a plan for the future.
LULAC thanks the city council for their decision not to proceed, but rather to consider the revision of these districts at a time when other cities will be doing the same, after the 2010 census. Not only will we have the new population numbers, but we will have the time to be inclusive of the city citizens who may want to be part of a redistricting committee such as other cities now have in place.
Thank you for taking the time to read LULAC's motive to empower citizens to run for office at a lesser expense and to empower all citizens to understand the importance of their vote within their respective districts.
Mickie Luna is a Hollister resident and a leader with the local chapter of LULAC.
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