Second Opinion / OTHER MEDIA : EASTSIDE SUN : How About a 15% Quota for White Males?

There’s got to be something in the California air that makes people propose the most preposterous solutions to imagined wrongs.

Take, for instance, the move by Assemblyman Bernie Richter (R-Chico) to introduce (a proposed state consitutional amendment which if passed would place an initiative on the November 1996 ballot to abolish the state’s affirmative action programs.

The initiative would prohibit “the state or any political subdivisions from using race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin as criterion for either discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group” (sound familiar?) in public education, employment or contracting.

It seems to have escaped Richter’s notice California is now the most diverse state in the nation. His initiative would eliminate most of the state’s residents from an equal opportunity to contribute to and benefit from their society.

Those who are supporting this initiative are facetiously calling it a move to a color-blind society. I thought we already had that kind of society in the past, with opportunity being granted and dispensed by people who were color-blind to every color but white.

I agree that we should not tolerate reverse discrimination of any kind; and, since white males are rapidly becoming a minority in this state, I suggest we start to develop goals and timetables for white guys in the areas of education, employment and contracting. I think a goal of 15% is appropriate for their numbers.

Think about this. In California today, more than 80% of the new jobs being generated in the state are by small businesses. So does it make sense to abolish the very programs which are helping to strengthen these companies?

Doesn’t it make sense to require prime contractors, a majority of which are probably from out of state, to sub-contract with small California businesses, thus making sure that some of our hard-earned dollars continue to circulate in this state’s economy rather than being sent out of state?

And what kind of sense does it make to abolish affirmative-action programs in employment and education? Perhaps Richter and his pals haven’t looked at the latest state demographics. In the future, do we want to have our fire and police departments entirely staffed by aging white (men), no matter how brilliant? The same goes for doctors, bus drivers, utility company employees, hospital personnel etc., all those providers that an aging population is so dependent on. Shouldn’t we be educating tomorrow’s workers today, so that tomorrow we can reap the benefits of their education?

So our state legislators and voters had better give it a lot of thought. I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t want to worry about who’s going to contribute to Social Security when I’m finally able to collect some benefits.

From a commentary by Dolores Sanchez in the Eastside Sun, an Latino-owned newspaper published Thursdays in Los Angeles.