Voters in Pt. Chester, New York, elected the first-ever
Hispanic village board of trustees member.
Hispanics were allowed to vote early and often for the
candidate of their choice - six times to be exact.
A U.S. District Judge sided with the U.S. Department of
Justice, which complained in a 2006 lawsuit that the fact
that board members - similar to city councilmen - are
elected at large is a violation of the Voting Rights Act.
Though 49 percent of the population is Hispanic, a much
smaller percentage of them are citizens and are qualified to
vote.
The judge disallowed district elections, which would have
guaranteed a Hispanic representative would have been elected
from the area of the town that is primarily populated by
Hispanics. Pt. Chester is a Westchester County community
located about 25 miles north of New York City and has a
population of 28,000.
Instead, Judge Robinson ordered that Hispanics be allowed to
pull the lever six times for the candidate of their choice
under a mathematical formula worked out by U.S. Attorneys
called "cumulative voting." He also ordered an educational
program in the schools that included the distribution of t-
shirts and literature in both Spanish and English to
familiarize kids and their parents with the procedures to be
followed in voting.
Luiz Marino, a Repubican and an immigrant from Peru, claimed
victory over another Hispanic, a Democrat.
As soon as Judge Robinson's order became effective, the hue
and cry went up all over the nation on internet bulletin
boards and websites that he should be impeached by the U.S.
Congress.
There is no need for that.
The New York City law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher
& Flom, LLP, hired him off the federal bench to become a
litigator. The judge begins his new job this month.
President George W. Bush appointed Judge Robinson to the
federal bench in 2003 after he had a distinguished career as the
U.S. Attorney for Connecticut. President Bill Clinton appointed
him to that position.
Hispanic village board of trustees member.
Hispanics were allowed to vote early and often for the
candidate of their choice - six times to be exact.
A U.S. District Judge sided with the U.S. Department of
Justice, which complained in a 2006 lawsuit that the fact
that board members - similar to city councilmen - are
elected at large is a violation of the Voting Rights Act.
Though 49 percent of the population is Hispanic, a much
smaller percentage of them are citizens and are qualified to
vote.
The judge disallowed district elections, which would have
guaranteed a Hispanic representative would have been elected
from the area of the town that is primarily populated by
Hispanics. Pt. Chester is a Westchester County community
located about 25 miles north of New York City and has a
population of 28,000.
Instead, Judge Robinson ordered that Hispanics be allowed to
pull the lever six times for the candidate of their choice
under a mathematical formula worked out by U.S. Attorneys
called "cumulative voting." He also ordered an educational
program in the schools that included the distribution of t-
shirts and literature in both Spanish and English to
familiarize kids and their parents with the procedures to be
followed in voting.
Luiz Marino, a Repubican and an immigrant from Peru, claimed
victory over another Hispanic, a Democrat.
As soon as Judge Robinson's order became effective, the hue
and cry went up all over the nation on internet bulletin
boards and websites that he should be impeached by the U.S.
Congress.
There is no need for that.
The New York City law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher
& Flom, LLP, hired him off the federal bench to become a
litigator. The judge begins his new job this month.
President George W. Bush appointed Judge Robinson to the
federal bench in 2003 after he had a distinguished career as the
U.S. Attorney for Connecticut. President Bill Clinton appointed
him to that position.
This is unbelievable. We can save millions by eliminating redistricting and all the legislature has to do is decide how may votes everyone gets. Unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteWe can fix that with the stroke of a pen, man. Just allow everyone to vote six times - white, black, brown, red, yellow or polka dotted people are all as equal as equal can be. Six votes for everyone!
ReplyDeleteThat ought to hold them.
The Legendary
p.s. In towns where they have a high percentage of unregistered voters unqualified to vote because they are not citizens, we have to raise the number of votes allowed to a dirty dozen or a baker's dozen of 13 unless there is a leap year in that solar cycle, in which case we will be required to allow every third voter in line or those with driver's license numbers ending in odd digits, to do their civic duty and vote 100 times.
Becaue, you see, some are more equal than others and we can't refine that. We will just acknowledge it and go on from here.
Yeah.
TLJP