PHOENIX (By Teclo Garcia, Arizona
Republic) Jun. 10, 2005 - It's been the rallying cry for Phoenix's
politically connected Hispanics for close to two years now: We need to get a
Hispanic back on the City Council.
I've heard it at power lunches, political rallies and pachangas. What I'm still waiting to hear is exactly why this is such a pressing need.
Generally speaking, electing a Hispanic/a to the Phoenix City Council would be good thing. After all, the city's Hispanics make up about 35 percent of the population, and we want leadership to reflect the community.
But while Hispanic political leaders are lathering up the faithful and the ambitious look west to Antonio Villaraigosa's mayoral victory in LA, competent and well-liked non-Hispanic councilmen who won their seats fair and square, such as District 4's Tom Simplot, District 5's Claude Mattox and District 7's Doug Lingner, scratch their heads.
What's more, it seems like it would make perfect sense for the city's Hispanic power players to carry out their best candidate to run in the District 8 race in September against incumbent Michael Johnson, who has announced his intention to run again. District 8 is easily a Hispanic dominant district, and its issues can be easily defined.
But you won't see that happen.
The political reality is that the city's Hispanic leaders won't back a Hispanic to run against Johnson, an African-American. It's almost as if the Hispanic establishment has awarded that seat to Johnson or either of his two African-American opponents.
By most accounts, Johnson, a former cop, has done a respectable job in south Phoenix and downtown, but he's certainly not untouchable. However, the Hispanic power base instead will line up behind Hispanic candidates to run in Districts 4, 5, and 7 this year and down the road. Of these districts, only Johnson's and Simplot's are up this fall.
No one will talk about this in public, but the situation is well-known inside political circles and City Hall.
Here's something I'm having trouble understanding: If getting a Hispanic on the City Council is so important, so paramount, why not try and get one elected to represent one of the city's oldest and largest Hispanic neighborhoods?
Because if you don't push for a Hispanic in District 8, it would seem like you couldn't push for one in any other Hispanic-heavy district. If a Hispanic can't represent District 8, why would a Hispanic represent Laveen and Estrella Village?
And even if a Hispanic or two were elected to the City Council, there are no guarantees this person would suddenly improve the fortunes of Hispanics across the city. Hispanics have been on the council before. Additionally, although Mayor Phil Gordon, Johnson, Simplot and others have run afoul of Hispanic groups now and again, no can argue that this city and its council don't take Hispanics, and issues that affect them, seriously.
One can't simply will a Hispanic to the City Council; a candidate has to win a political contest. Give credit to Johnson, Simplot, Lingner and Mattox for understanding the issues, appealing to Hispanic voters and mobilizing their bases.
Any Hispanic candidate must understand that in multicultural Phoenix, even in the south or west Phoenix, you can't win on name alone. To win, issues must be understood and voters, many different types of voters, have to be convinced and ballots have to be earned - in any district.
I've heard it at power lunches, political rallies and pachangas. What I'm still waiting to hear is exactly why this is such a pressing need.
Generally speaking, electing a Hispanic/a to the Phoenix City Council would be good thing. After all, the city's Hispanics make up about 35 percent of the population, and we want leadership to reflect the community.
But while Hispanic political leaders are lathering up the faithful and the ambitious look west to Antonio Villaraigosa's mayoral victory in LA, competent and well-liked non-Hispanic councilmen who won their seats fair and square, such as District 4's Tom Simplot, District 5's Claude Mattox and District 7's Doug Lingner, scratch their heads.
What's more, it seems like it would make perfect sense for the city's Hispanic power players to carry out their best candidate to run in the District 8 race in September against incumbent Michael Johnson, who has announced his intention to run again. District 8 is easily a Hispanic dominant district, and its issues can be easily defined.
But you won't see that happen.
The political reality is that the city's Hispanic leaders won't back a Hispanic to run against Johnson, an African-American. It's almost as if the Hispanic establishment has awarded that seat to Johnson or either of his two African-American opponents.
By most accounts, Johnson, a former cop, has done a respectable job in south Phoenix and downtown, but he's certainly not untouchable. However, the Hispanic power base instead will line up behind Hispanic candidates to run in Districts 4, 5, and 7 this year and down the road. Of these districts, only Johnson's and Simplot's are up this fall.
No one will talk about this in public, but the situation is well-known inside political circles and City Hall.
Here's something I'm having trouble understanding: If getting a Hispanic on the City Council is so important, so paramount, why not try and get one elected to represent one of the city's oldest and largest Hispanic neighborhoods?
Because if you don't push for a Hispanic in District 8, it would seem like you couldn't push for one in any other Hispanic-heavy district. If a Hispanic can't represent District 8, why would a Hispanic represent Laveen and Estrella Village?
And even if a Hispanic or two were elected to the City Council, there are no guarantees this person would suddenly improve the fortunes of Hispanics across the city. Hispanics have been on the council before. Additionally, although Mayor Phil Gordon, Johnson, Simplot and others have run afoul of Hispanic groups now and again, no can argue that this city and its council don't take Hispanics, and issues that affect them, seriously.
One can't simply will a Hispanic to the City Council; a candidate has to win a political contest. Give credit to Johnson, Simplot, Lingner and Mattox for understanding the issues, appealing to Hispanic voters and mobilizing their bases.
Any Hispanic candidate must understand that in multicultural Phoenix, even in the south or west Phoenix, you can't win on name alone. To win, issues must be understood and voters, many different types of voters, have to be convinced and ballots have to be earned - in any district.
