Democrats, Senator Perata Shooting Self In The Foot With Black Community

Hardy L. Brown

Over the last few elections, Democratic leaders continue to further ignore and take for granted the African-American vote. As a part of the Black Press in this state, I have seen Democratic consultants convince campaign leaders that they don't need to spend any time or money on securing the Black vote. They continue to take our community for granted, in essence shooting themselves in the foot. A great example of this behavior is Phil Angelides and his unsuccessful campaign for governor last year. Not only did he lose the election, he lost a huge bloc of regular voters, because he ignored us and took our vote for granted. It was Timothy Simon, on the other hand, who convinced the Republican Schwarzenegger campaign to reach out to the African-American community through the Black media, gaining an unprecedented 31.9% of the Black vote. After reviewing Simon's appointments record and observing the administration's outreach methods, it's clear that the governor, his staff, and appointees may be much more inclusive than our current Democratic leadership.

Perata's staff seems to be leaking negative information and intentionally raising questions about Simon's integrity and qualifications. Not only does Simon have deep roots in the community. He was mentored by former Speaker of the House Willie Brown, who is responsible for initially referring him to the governor's office. According to an LA Times article Perata's office is raising questions about Simon's financial entanglements created by a divorce. However, the LA Sentinel has reported that the Legislative Black Caucus has signed letters of support for Simon's PUC appointment. Former Senator and Legislative Black Caucus member Kevin Murray of Los Angeles said, "the only reason for opposing a man of that caliber is the fact that a Republican governor appointed him." In trying to figure out Perata's motivation for blocking the appointment of this highly qualified Californian I can only wonder what future political plans he might be nurturing. We have all heard the rumors of Speaker Fabian Nunez and LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa positioning themselves for the next big move, maybe that's what Perata's doing as well. Didn't he just make headlines for locking three senators out of their offices because they were not playing by his rules?

Senator Perata we welcome the opportunity discuss our thoughts regarding the Simon appointment to the PUC and our belief that he will serve the interest of average consumers, like us while understanding the complexities of a fast changing industry. As a former employee of Southern California Edison, current consumer, and utility company stockholder, I understand the various aspects of the industry. Timothy Simon, with his knowledge of regulatory law, finance, and technology, is an excellent choice. And the fact that he comes from a middle class African-American community will allow him to see through different eyes...the eyes of the average consumer.

So remove the (political) gun from the direction of your foot and confirm Mr. Simon's appointment to the Public Utilities Commission. You might even help bridge the growing divide that's separating the Democratic Party from some its loyal party members.