Journal News
Now that a federal judge has declared the village elections unfair to Hispanics, the question is how to change the system.
And it's not clear whether anything will happen in time for the next election March 18, when five of six village board seats are up for a vote.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Robinson ruled last week that the way Port Chester elects trustees - to serve at large, rather than representing individual districts - prevents Hispanics from participating equally in local politics. Only two Hispanics have ever run for village board, and both lost. Hispanics account for 46 percent of the population and at least 22 percent of voting-age citizens.
"I'm disappointed that the judge didn't make a decision one way or another on whether or not the March elections are going to be held," said Michael Scarola, the Republican village chair. His Democratic counterpart, Gary Stracuzzi, said his party will ask the judge on Friday to put a hold on the election and caucuses because there's no valid election system to follow.
Robinson, in his Jan. 17 decision, ordered all parties to submit a proposed remedy by Feb. 7. He is certain to receive conflicting proposals
The judge agreed with arguments to carve the village into six districts, each represented by a trustee. That would create a Hispanic voting majority in a neighborhood at the center of town....
...Some communities have settled on cumulative voting as a remedy, but not without the agreement of all the parties involved, he said.
"It can be agreed to, but we're not in favor of it, and we see no reason why we should adopt such a radical approach to voting rights in the village of Port Chester," McLaughlin said.
Yesterday the mayor praised the village's diversity as "our towering strength" and tried out his Spanish with a Telemundo television crew.
But Ruiz, after listening, said the village's proposal won't solve anything for Latino voters.
He lives in the area of town that would become a mostly Hispanic district under a Department of Justice plan. By creating districts, he said, candidates would be able to campaign in one area and be held accountable to those residents.
Last year's election was canceled because of the lawsuit. Despite the uncertainty this year, Republicans made an effort to find candidates in the proposed districts, Scarola said. Democrat Stracuzzi noted that it's not clear where the district lines would fall. Each party is required to name its candidates by Jan. 29.
"It's tough to get people to run anyway for public office," Stracuzzi said. "When you throw in all these other variables ... anybody intelligent is basically going to say: 'I'll wait till the dust settles before I put my name out there.' And some people don't want to be nominated in a system that's in violation of the Voting Rights Act."
Reported By: Leah Rae at lrae@lohud.com or 914-694-3526.
Read reactions to this story:
GOARMYBEATNAVY wrote:
o.k.- I'm going to take a ride though through Mt. Kisco and Brewster just to make sure your right.
cj10801 wrote:
I respectfully disagree... Based on the empty beer cans I see littering roadways in affluent towns like Rye Harrison, and Greenwich, I would have to say that Budweiser is the new clear choice of the majority of Mexican landscaping crews ...check it out. Much to my surprise, Coors Light seems to be number 2. Maybe I am wrong ...perhaps the residents of these areas, are drinking Bud, and then throwing the cans on their neighbors front lawns?
GOARMYBEATNAVY wrote:
Not Budweiser cj10801 Corona's or El Presidente's!!!
cj10801 wrote:
I imagine that free Budweiser Beers would drive the voting way up in Port Chester.
GOARMYBEATNAVY wrote:
Just don't vote anymore. Put all Hispanics in the Port Chester Gov't. This will make that A$$ Hole judge, all the illegals and the rest of the hispanic whiners happy. Afterwards, anyone not hispanic should move out because when this happens Port Chester will look like some dumpy Mexican town. Oh that's right, it already does.
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