Bobby Wagner is wrong in his Dec. 17 letter to the Acorn. Our 2022 city election worked well and according to law.
It’s sad there was very little notice that Martha Martinez-Bravo is the first Latina City Council member and the first Hispanic person of either gender in over 40 years.
This in a city with about 27% Hispanic population.
The last Hispanic council member was during the late 1970s. City staff is so biased they could not and did not make any effort to note the wonderful accomplishment.
In 2018 during the last at-large election, the three elected candidates won only 45% of the citywide vote collectively. Fifty-five percent voted against the three seated members.
Bias and voter suppression work and still work today.
After 50-plus years of systemic biased voter suppression by at-large voting in Camarillo, Hispanic voters still feel disconnected from our city elections.
By rights and in an unbiased election system we would have— should have had—at least one Hispanic council member every election for the last 40 years based on 20% population.
And note in 2022, one candidate made open use of biased anti-minority campaign information.
Now complaining that we finally have a Latina fairly elected smacks of bias.
If anyone actually believes in democracy they will celebrate— no, not the City of Camarillo staff—the inclusion of representation for 27% of our voters.
Some may superficially brandish what is meant to be a motto of our people and a strong recognition of the Mexican heritage of this city, “Las Personas Son la Ciudad.”
To make that motto more than a faux PR ploy, the City Council and city staff may have been ready for a real celebration of a wonderful achievement after 50 years of exclusion.
Michael Collie Camarillo
