Fabian Núñez
Many Californians have a negative perception of the state Legislature, but this afternoon lawmakers will have an opportunity to bolster their public image. They will be given an opportunity to put aside bickering and hyper-partisanship, and complete their constitutional duty to confirm Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s nominee to the lieutenant governor’s office.
The governor’s choice for the post, a Latino moderate Republican senator named Abel Maldonado, will appear in front of a Senate panel to seek confirmation.
While it will be convenient for Democrats to object to a Republican taking a seat previously held by a Democrat, we must realize that more is at stake. Our credibility is on the line. Sen. Maldonado is all we could ask for of a Republican – a moderate with a history of working with our party to pass critical pieces of legislation. If the Legislature fails to confirm him, it will only be because of detestable partisanship and senseless infighting.
The disconnect between Sacramento and California’s voters is growing. Our state faces another billion-dollar budget deficit. Higher education is suffering, pension obligations are growing, and we still must find solutions to a pending health care crisis.
The voters need evidence that Sacramento is not run by inefficient ideologues who would rather fight over a simple appointment than address our most pressing issues. In fact, 93 percent of Americans said in a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll that politicians spend too much time on partisan infighting.
With the Legislature’s approval rating at an all-time low, it’s time for my former colleagues to once again earn the trust of voters and demonstrate that Sacramento is capable of negotiating in good faith.
Sen. Maldonado is a man of good faith. He has proven time and again that he is someone Democrats can count on to genuinely consider issues put before him without a partisan lens clouding his vision.
He’s shown the proven desire to govern for the people. Look no further than his support of raising the minimum wage. In 2006, Sen. Maldonado joined me and other Democrats to pass legislation that increased the minimum wage by $1.25. He took a courageous stand on the side of the working poor when most ran from the issue. He ignored party ideology and focused on the well-being of Californians.
Some will say this is the wrong time for Democrats to allow Republican to fill a position previously held by a Democrat. I say it’s absolutely the right time. Sen. Maldonado’s confirmation hearing will test our lawmakers’ credibility and shape my party’s reputation.
Even President Barack Obama implored lawmakers to stop the partisan mudslinging in his recent State of the Union address. He called on them to stop “treating every day like it’s election day” and demanded that “the confirmation of well-qualified public servants” stop being “held hostage to the pet projects or grudges of a few individual senators.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Voters won’t begin to trust lawmakers again until they can confirm a well-qualified candidate.
I call on my former colleagues on both sides of the aisle to heed the words of our president and take this opportunity to show the public it can judge candidates based on their merits.