Race is to county land use as Imus is to Rutgers

The Salinas Californian
Guest Commentary
Posted April 27, 2007

By MAXIMO GOMEZ
     Community Columnist

I once had a lady tell me she was returning to Georgia because at least there hatred and prejudice were a lot more tangible. You knew who your enemies were. Here in the Salinas area, things are much more nebulous.

I don't want to make anyone paranoid, but there is a lot of truth in that. Just think about it for a minute. You see these people every day. Maybe it's a coworker or a neighbor. They smile at you, maybe even embrace you, but do you know how they really feel about you?

In recent weeks I have closely followed the dismissal of Don Imus' from WFAN radio in New York because freedom of expression is my passion and I consider it to be the true test of a democracy.

Is Imus a racist or an Aryan Nazi? I don't happen to think so. He may have been a bigger fool than he was a racist, but in spite of that, the man was crucified.
They had to make an example of him so that all of the real racists cloaking themselves behind a veil of political correctness can point the finger and say, "There's the bad guy!"

So let us compare Imus' infantile dribbling to the actions of our local politicians and voting constituency - actions that have far-reaching implications and more tragic consequences. I am speaking of the Community General Plan Initiative/Measure A coming up for a vote June 5.

OK, let's keep it simple. A few weeks ago, LandWatch Executive Director Chris Fitz accused Monterey County Supervisor Simón Salinas of playing the race card in a way that is not appropriate. Fitz said: "This is not about Latinos. It's about bad land-use planning."

First of all, Salinas called it right. When you reserve for yourself the right to dictate policy for an area you don't live in or care anything about, you're relegating its citizens to second-class status.
You can deny racism, but it is what it is.

Second, this is all about Latinos and about bad land-use planning - the Peninsula's.

You may not want to believe this, but this is what it boils down to. I love this because it is like unmasking the Phantom of The Opera.

As long as the Peninsuleros (Peninsula residents) have the political power, they won't allow affordable housing because real estate pricing determines demographics and the front lines have been drawn in Salinas and south county. They have to control housing development and real estate pricing here because if they fail, their nightmare is that one day Stepford Wives Bridge Club President Eunice Pennington III will look over her backyard fence in Pebble Beach to see a group of our brown faces drinking tequila while ranchera music blares from four large speakers.

That is their nightmare, not our reality. They don't mind us serving their food and cleaning up after their kids, but they sure don't want us living next to them or hanging out at Del Monte mall.

You might say, "Max Gomez is really reaching this time!"

Oh really? You haven't seen the looks I get, or the ever-familiar "Oh" every time I give my last name in Carmel or Pebble Beach.

Don't wet my leg and tell me its raining, brother.

They won't admit that it's about race because they don't have to - votes don't have faces. They don't have to come to Salinas and stand in front of Latinos to give an account of their voting.

Tell me it's not about race and I'll show you a pink saber-toothed tiger I want to sell you.

Imus? Compared to the dark forces manipulating this election, he comes out smelling like a rose.

MAXIMO GOMEZ is a longtime Salinas resident and published author employed with the Monterey County Office of Education. He writes a community column which is published on the first Wednesday of each month. Contact him in care of The Salinas Californian, P.O. Box 81091, Salinas, CA 93912. By Fax: (831) 754-4293. By e-mail: newsroom@thecalifornian.com.