September 12, 2003 - Cruz Bustamante, A Cure Worse Than The Disease.

For those of you following the Recall-o-rama current taking place in California, this Rant should be particularly timely.  For those of you who either live on another planet, or just ignore California all together (as the Bush Administration does – if it cannot squeeze higher energy prices out of us for its friends in corrupt energy companies, it doesn’t seem to know we exist or care about our issues) – there is a recall election going on here.  And things are getting scarier by the moment for the vast majority of Californians who are otherwise known as moderates.

Gray Davis has done a pretty bad job as California's Governor, while pimping himself out to the highest campaign contributor, and selling our state out to his financial supporters in the process.  Couple this political opportunism with him understating the state’s budget deficit by billions of dollars, serving the interests of special interests over the people’s interest and interjecting himself into the Republican Primary (thereby defeating his strongest challenger, Richard Riordan, thanks in large part to wackos in the far right of the California Republican Party, who will not play with anyone who is not a hard-core, far-right conservative) and you have a pretty pissed-off population.  Enter the Recall.

With the Recall, we have two choices to make:  first, whether or not to vote Yes on the Recall (which means you want Gray Davis removed); second, who to vote for as Governor if in fact Davis is removed from office.  If more than 50% of the voters vote “Yes” on the Recall, then whoever gets the most votes of the available candidates on the recall ballot becomes the next Governor of California.  This is where things get interesting, and for me, a bit scary.

California is a predominately a Democratic state.  The Democrats have one major candidate running in the recall election – Cruz Bustamante – a career politician who seems to be leaning further and further to the left and the south as his political aspirations grow.  For those of you not wanting to read something that may be deemed politically incorrect, I suggest you stop now – because what I am about to say is my personal opinion, and may not sit well with some folks.  OK - I warned you, here goes . . . I do not trust Cruz Bustamante.  I honestly believe that Cruz Bustamante is more interest in advancing the needs of the immigrant population, whether that population is legal or illegal, than on the legal residents and citizens of this state.  In short, if Cruz Bustamante becomes the next Governor of California, I will consider moving out of the state (I did say consider – no absolutes here, remember, I am a lawyer).  This, coming from a native Californian, registered Democrat.

When push comes to shove, I do not believe Cruz Bustamante will do anything to protect or advance my interests.  I am white, upper-middle class, with a car that costs just over $20,000 – to him, I am a tax base waiting to be further exploited.  The thing is, I do not mind paying taxes to support legal immigrants and those in need.  Hell, I am paying (we all are paying) for a war nobody wants in Iraq - I just do not want to continue to subsidize Mexico's economy with my tax dollars.  I do not want the State of California to basically say illegal immigration is OK.  A part of me fears that this is what will happen in fact happen if Cruz Bustamante becomes Governor:  he will put the interests of "undocumented workers" (otherwise known as illegal aliens) over those of legal residents and citizens.  And, I want no part of it. 

Cruz Bustamante has received a lot of attention because of his past affiliation with an organization called Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan  also know as “MEChA,” which he joined when he was in college.  MEChA, depending on who you talk to, is either a social club advocating Chicano education and pride (a good thing), or a racist organization advocating the interests of its race over any other (a bad thing).  I don’t really care which part of MEChA Cruz felt a kindred spirit with in college.   What concerns me is that as an adult, as Lt. Governor of California, and a candidate for Governor, he has refused to repudiate the extremist portion of MEChA political agenda.  That just scares the shit out of me.

MEChA, in the worst case, fear mongering scenario, advocates the independence of the American Southwest from the U.S., (a territory MEChA calls “Aztlan”) by armed struggle if necessary and by political subversion if possible.  If you follow this extremist scenario, MEChA advocates returning  Aztlan to the Hispanics, and not the ''foreign Europeans.''  MEChA also advocates the interest of the Hispanic community over any other, specifically rejecting cultural assimilation with the rest of the US by Hispanic immigrants.  When the Nation of Islam or the KKK makes such statements, we condemn the groups, and call them racists. In a state as big and as diverse as California, such statements cannot be tolerated.

Do I believe that Cruz Bustamante has a deep seeded goal to return Aztlan to its people – no, I do not.  But, does his refusal to repudiate MEChA’s most extreme aspirations worry me – yes, tremendously.  Do I think that his support (as well as Gray Davis, and a host of Latino politicians who also joined MEChA in college) of granting illegal immigrants driver’s licenses is part of a larger, more devious agenda to have illegal immigrants register to vote and influence the political process by subversion?  No, but then . . . and there's the trouble.  It is those “but thens” that are getting to me.  All of these issues create doubt in my mind: doubt about who Cruz Bustamante really serves: the citizens and legal residents of this state, or a larger, undocumented constituency.   

Do I think that Cruz Bustamante will look out for my interests, care about my issues, and worry about how his decisions affect me – no I do not.  Based upon his rhetoric, his tax plan, and his failure to distance himself from MEChA, a part of me to believe that the color of my skin, the money that I make, and the status of my citizenship put me at odds with his policies.  Which leads me to the present quandary - what do I do if Cruz Bustamante becomes Governor of California?  More importantly, if a moderate Democrat like me feels this way, what do you think is going on in the minds of California’s business owners?   What does it say about me?  I do not like feeling these ways and asking these questions.  What does it say about almost every other person I have talked to who agrees with me?  I don't know.  But I know it is how I feel.  To me, it says that California will be in serious trouble if Cruz Bustamante becomes our next Governor.  It is sad to say that Gray Davis, a failed, compromised, sell-out of a Governor never looked so palatable.   Regardless or whether you vote yes or no to recall Gray Davis, Cruz Bustamante is not the answer for California’s problems.