By Randy EconomyReporter
Los Cerritos Community News
www.loscerritosnews.net
The Cerritos College Board of Trustees voted to formally begin the process which will carve up the massive community college district into seven smaller “voting districts” that will change the way future elected board members are elected.
In spite of a recently filed lawsuit on behalf three long time local political activists including former Trustee Carmen Avalos, and past board candidates Tom Chavez and Leonard Zuniga, the Cerritos College board approved laying the ground work for a plan that will essentially allow candidates from smaller voting areas to be picked in future campaigns by smaller voting constituencies.
On Wednesday, the Board passed a resolution that now formally begins the process to create seven new trustees areas where a trustee will represent a specific area instead of being elected “at large” by the entire Cerritos College voting base.
“This action meets the legal requirements of the California Voter Rights Act,” Dr. Linda Lacy, President and Superintendent of Cerritos College told the Board of Trustees on Wednesday night.
"This legal action (law suit) is premature and does not recognize the Board's work on the election issue, and defending the district will be very costly to taxpayers while the Board is already taking a course of action. It is to
Image via Wikipediatally unnecessary," said Lacy. She also told Los Cerritos Community News, "especially at a time when we need every dollar we have to support educational programs at the college."
The Board will now petition the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization to change the District's electoral system, and upon approval, the proposed change of electoral system.
With the wheels now in motion, the Board of Trustees will being holding back to back public hearings, during their November and December scheduled meetings.
A final decision could be made on December 7, 2011 by the Cerritos College Board.
Because the District had already taken appropriate actions on the issue, the District is demanding that the lawsuit be withdrawn to avoid unnecessary costs to the college and taxpayers.
Board Vice President Robert Arthur of Norwalk called the lawsuit “political gimmickry” that will end up costing taxpayers “ten if not hundreds” of thousands of dollars to “fight in court.”
Arthur was referring to the Oakland-based law firm of Goldstein, Demchak, Baller, Borgen & Dardarian who is representing Avalos, Chavez and Zuniga.
Lead attorney Joaquin Avila said “I have studied and analyzed voting patterns in many communities in California, and the Cerritos Community College District presents about as strong a pattern of racially polarized voting and exclusion of Latino voters from fair political access because of the use of at-large elections as I’ve seen yet.”
Image via Wikipedia“Before filing this case we brought this problem to the attention of the District but it didn’t take the necessary steps to change, and therefore our clients are determined to change the election system through this legal action so that Board members are elected by districts where they reside, and will be more responsive to the needs of voters within their own districts,” Baller added.Arthur, who is also a former Norwalk City Council member and past Mayor, disputed the “motives” of the law firm and the law suit on Wednesday during the public meeting attended by around 50 local residents.
“This law firm ended up costing the taxpayers in the Modesto Community College District over $3.2 million dollars.”
He called for the California Bar Association to investigate the law firm for their “motives” and “tactics” and “practices.”
“We need every dollar for the classroom and for our students, not for law firms and attorney fees,” Arthur said.
Image by Just Us 3 via FlickrIn a statement to the media, the three plaintiffs claim that Cerritos College Board of Trustees is “controlled” by a “small minority of the District’s residents who live or are active in the City of Cerritos, although 12 cities are located entirely or partially within the District’s boundaries.”Avalos is the elected city clerk for South Gate.
Avalos and Chavez
Image via Wikipediaz lost the 2009 election to incumbents Robert Hughlett, a past two-time Mayor of Cerritos, and the late Robert Epple, from Bellflower who was a former long time trustee and elected member of the California State Assembly. Epple passed away in 2010 and his seat is now being held by appointed incumbent Jean McHatton, who is also a resident of Cerritos and a well known area educator with more than 30 years experience in the field of education and who has a long track record of involvement at Cerritos College.
Also elected in 2009 was Dr. Shin Liu, a popular college instructor from Rio Hondo College who is also a resident of Cerritos.
The lawsuit claims that “as a result of racially polarized voting, Latino voters, especially those in areas outside the City of Cerritos, are unable to elect candidates of their choice and candidates responsive to their interests in the District’s programs.”
"This legal action is premature and does not recognize the Board's work on the election issue, and defending the district in this lawsuit will be very costly to taxpayers while the Board is already taking a course of action. The lawsuit is totally unnecessary," said Dr. Linda Lacy, President/Superintendent of Cerritos College, "especially at a time when we need every dollar we have to support the educational program at the college."
Avalos, Zuniga and Chavez said that the 24,000 students who attend Cerritos College are “substantially over 50% Latino.” Cerritos College spokesperson Abelon confirmed that the current population of the student body is at 53% Latino.
Image via Wikipediactions.
“Racially polarized voting occurs when non-minority members of the electorate do not
support minority candidates, and when there is a large difference in the level of support for minority candidates between minority and non-minority portions of the electorate.,” Baller said in a statement to Los Cerritos Community News.
“All we want is a fair chance for all the voters of the District to elect representatives to the Board who will listen to our concerns and advocate policies that help all of the students of the District, and not just the interests of the small group from Cerritos that has always controlled the District’s Board and policies,” said Chavez.
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