Bloodless Coup in the City of Martinez

It's been a little while since I dusted off this blog and put it to use. However, my hometown newspaper, The Martinez News-Gazette has been knocked offline by hackers in the midst of a highly contentious debate regarding the breaking up of at large elections into by district elections. Here are my most recent thoughts on this process in a letter to the editor printed in today's paper: 

I intend to be at the next meeting but will prepare my comments ahead of time if I can't make it. Of the three, I personally favor the Orange map. It is important to me that my elected officials have an equal stake in and are accountable to the entirety of the city, as they do today. From a geographic and demographic standpoint the Orange map accomplishes this at scale. 

While I haven't been physically in chambers, I do watch the videos after. I take great exception to the characterization of how this process should go, what the process should entail, and I deeply resent outside voices interjecting themselves into our matters of local governance. 

For those who have co-opted this force of law, this action was brought under the pretense of leveling the electoral map to benefit one very specific minority group, Hispanics. I resent attempts at leveraging my heritage and identity by non-Hispanics as they posture about fairness, and equity. The consequence of this action is neither. 

As Councilmen Ross rightly pointed out, my Hispanic voice has not been elevated as a result of this action, rather it has been diminished by 75%. And adding insult to injury, there is a push to steal an even greater percentage of my voice and vote. 

To the provocateurs; you have stolen my votes because you lack the capacity to inspire and are visionless. You are not leaders, you have no fire in your bellies, you are small minded thieves with deception and lust in your hearts. 

Personally I don't like bringing race into a public discussion, however, this discussion began as an indictment over equal access and race. I will not allow those who instigated this action to forget. The audacity of this move to suppress votes by those who wrap themselves in a mantel of progressive ideals is galling.