"I have declared war on Schwarzenegger"
says Fabian Nunez
New Speaker of the California Assembly vows to terminate the 'terminator' if he continues with his anti-immigrant ways
by
Hector Carreon
La Voz de Aztlan
Los Angeles, Alta California - December 8, 2003 - (ACN) Fabian Nunez, who was just sworn into office as Assemblyman for the Los Angeles 46th district on December 2002, has risen rapidly. In his freshman year, 36 year old Nunez was appointed Majority Whip, making history as one of the youngest members to hold the position. Now he is about to take over the Speakership of the 80 member Alta California Assembly next month.
Fabian Nunez first came into prominence in the Mexican-American community in 1994 when he led a 100,000 voter movement to defeat the anti-Mexican Proposition 187 which among others things proposed to deny public school education and medical care to children of immigrant parents. When an anti-immigrant Republican coalition managed to pass the proposition, Fabian Nunez, was one of the principal Mexican-American leaders that, three years later, persuaded the California Supreme Court to declare Proposition 187 unconstitutional.
In an interview with Alejandro Sanchez of La Cronica newspaper of Mexico City, Fabian Nunez said that he is ready to wage political war on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger if he continues implementing policies that targets immigrants and "Californios". It looks like Alta California is going to see lots of fireworks in Sacramento next year.
One of the first things that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger did when he took office was to repeal SB 60, a law that allowed tourists, temporary visitors and undocumented workers in California to apply for an automobile driver's license. The repeal was actually meant to target Mexican immigrants. The campaign to repeal SB 60 was led by people like ex-Governor of California Peter Wilson and other xenophobes. The California Republican Assembly ran a series of viciously racist adds meant to demean the large Mexican-American population. One notorious add is published at "Mexifornia Bandido".
Also, Schwarzenegger teamed up, during his campaign, with one of the most disliked politicians in the history of Alta California, ex-Governor Peter Wilson. Schwarzenegger demonstrated his fond feelings for this bigot in a disgusting photograph where he is shown smooching with Peter Wilson. The photograph, published at "Schwarzenegger smooching Wilson" clearly shows Schwarzenegger groping Peter Wilson's derriere.
Alta California Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez, who lived the first eight years of his life in Baja California, said to La Cronica, "Ya le declare personalmente la guerra política a Schwarzenegger… para eso me eligieron mis companeros" ( I have already personally declared political war on Schwarzenegger . . . that is the reason I was elected by my supporters). "Es solo el inicio de las confrontaciones con el gobernador Schwarzenegger. En una reunión que tuve con el se lo adverti y le adelante que los democratas no vamos a dejar que pisotee nuestros principios, que son defender a los migrantes y a los californianos" ( This is only the beginning of the confrontations with Governor Schwarzenegger. In a meeting I had with him, I advised him that the Democrats will not allow him to step on our principles which are to defend the rights of immigrants and the Californios).
Speaker of the Assembly, Fabian Nunez, had very humble beginnings. He is the son of a seamstress and a day laborer. He was brought up in the mostly Mexican-American community of San Diego called Logan Heights. He is one of twelve children from a Mexican immigrant family. Fabian Nunez has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Education from Pitzer College and today lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three young children.
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