Yesterday the LA Times reported that Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez left the speakership as a result of term limits, and while he does have some notable accomplishments, he tarnished his image by spending campaign funds on lavish gifts.
Nuñez was able to build a working relationship with the Governator, helped craft a plan to cut California’s greenhouse emissions, helped raise the state’s minimum wage, and was instrumental in reducing prescription drug costs for uninsured Californians.
I feel that Nuñez’s arrogance in terms of lavish gifts for other politicians and fancy French wines for various events will loom in the back of voters’ minds, especially if he decides to seek another office in the future. This kind of behavior is reminiscent of the Latino patrón mentality. Just because he spent some of his formative years in Mexico doesn’t mean that he should have to emulate opulent Latin American politicians.
Photo Credit: LA Times
5 responses so far ↓
1 jammer // May 14, 2008 at 11:43 am
You got to love Latino politicians who lose their sense of raize when they get to high places. They become so predicatable. First they adopt all the white power affectations. Pricey name clothes,white girl friend/mistress, spend like a drunken sailor and then justify it as necessary to do the job to which they were elected. Nunez’s assertion that his spending was that of the average american tells us how much out of touch he became with average americans.
2 Wendy Carrillo // May 14, 2008 at 4:16 pm
What’s wrong with a little French wine and expensive bags?!
Poor Fabian… he did some very good things while in office, but some have also said he sold out to AT&T and closed out much of Public Access Television.
I personally, don’t appreciate the Dream Act battle between Fabian and “One Bill Gill” (Gill Cedillo).
There is so much disconnect between our Latino communities we can’t even decide to push one Dream Act. We have to have two!
They say Fabian’s Assembly bill will pass because of his relationship with the Governator… yet… I don’t know… only time will tell!
As far as he running again… what could he possibly run for?
Let’s see… with (the Mayor’s cousin) John Perez running for his seat, Huizar wont be going anywhere. De Leon is staying put. Wendy Gruel might move up to City Controller is Laura Chick runs for Mayor… I heard that Alarcon might run for Wendy’s seat…don’t know how that will work… leaving a seat on the city council… would Fabian be a councilmember? I think he is going to lay low for a long while…
3 Michaelr // May 14, 2008 at 6:05 pm
And he should lay low and permanently stay away from the public trough. He represents what is so ugly about Latino politicians and their distorted concept of civil service/self service. Maybe he can get Chevron to buy him a house in Bordeaux, France, that way he can drive out to the winery with Louis Vuitton, buy all that wine, stuff it in those designer handbags and save the California taxpayer the burden of reimbursing him for all his egocentric self-serving indulgences. Hopefully, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor will now think twice before they put monies generated from union dues behind another slimy male character with deep pockets.
4 the Kaiser // May 16, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Why are we talking about this slimy little man? This wannabe Boss Tweed. That stupid comment he made at UCR regarding anti-immigrant legislation. How did it go? “And those rednecks that are out there making decisions for the betterment of their communities will think twice before they push forward legislation against our community…so you can be as revolutionary as you want, you can be Chicano Nationalist, you can believe in the concept of Aztlan, you can believe in the concept of multi-culturalism, we don’t have to give our lives…we’re not at that point!” Who was he speaking to when he made that statement? Since when do the Minutemen push forward legislation? They are only interested in killing poor defenseless people of color. Maybe Fabian was having a momentary revolutionary flashback, and then he remembered that $1,800 meal he had in Paris that he eventually charged to the California taxpayer.
5 Bearguez // May 23, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Listening to Fabian Nunez on the ABC local newscast compare himself to a head of state and justify his taxpayer financed obscene purchases reeked of the ultimate conceit. And then he played the race card to example why this is all happening. Has this man any shame?
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