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The Westchester Guardian THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010Page 13POLITICSLatino Community Rallies for Support from State GovernorBy Bary Alyssa JohnsonNew York-basedLatino groups acrossthe state have cometogether to create alist of recommendationsto help Governor-Elect AndrewCuomo and Lt. Governor-Elect RobertDuffy implement policies to help alleviatethe current living and working conditionsin the Latino community.The recommendations came in theform of a letter signed by GuillermoA. Martinez, President of the LatinoSociety of New York and co-signed byfifteen additional Latino group leaders.It outlines twelve steps that this groupof exemplary individuals feel should bemade policy under the incoming Cuomoadministration. The letter was madeavailable to the public today.“The future of New York’s Latinocommunities is inextricably tied to thesuccess of your administration,” Martinezwrote in the letter. “The Latino communityis anticipating systematic andstructural changes that will allow thetalent in our communities to participatein meaningful and important roles in youradministration.”Following are just a few of the majorhighlights that the Latino communityseeks help to implement and uphold:• “It is imperative to have Hispanicsnamed to agencies as Commissioners,Deputy Executive Commissioners,Counsels, Government Affairs Liaisonsand Department Heads.”According to Martinez, the Cuomoadministration is urged to avoid theappointment of a few “token” Hispanicsto commissionerships of agencies, asthat has lead to minimal impact on ahealthy Hispanic economy in the past.Prior Latino leaders holding these titlesremained impotent in policy changes, asthey didn’t have their own teams to helpin managing state agencies.• “The Cuomo administration mustappoint Hispanics to high-level positionson the staff of the Governor andLt. Governors Office.”Martinez elaborates that in the pastsixteen years only two high-level Latinoappointments were made to state government.Aside from that, Hispanics haven’thad the opportunity to hold significant orinfluential positions in New York’s executivebranch of government.• “The Cuomo administration must…require that the Office of MinorityHealth report directly to theCommissioner of the Department ofHealth and the Governor’s DeputySecretary for Health and HumanServices.”Additionally, Martinez recommendsthat this Office is well-fundedand well-staffed to meet the needs of thecommunity. Currently Martinez describesthe role of the Office of Minority Healthin the New York State Department ofHealth as operative in relative obscurity.• “The Cuomo administration mustmove to strengthen diversity effortsat the State University of New York(SUNY) by creating the position ofVice-Chancellor for Diversity andrequiring SUNY to hire an AffirmativeAction Officer.”According to Martinez, SUNY is thelargest system of higher education in ourcountry without these positions beingheld. Additionally he warns that with onlyten in one hundred Hispanics graduatingcollege, the economic impact in terms oflow wages, low tax collection and costlysocial services may prove a danger to NewYork’s long-term economic stability.• “The Cuomo administration must…assess the quality of programsfunded through state allocations…offunds targeted to English LanguageLearners (ELL) and LimitedEnglish Proficient (LEP) students.”Martinez went on to say that our educationsystem is simultaneously strugglingand failing when it comes to teaching ELLand LEP students. He calls the educationaloutcomes of these failures “horrific,” with70 percent of New York ELL studentsnever graduating high school.• “The Cuomo administration needsto use the resources and powers of theState Police to…investigate patterns ofcivil rights violations and bias-relatedcrimes throughout New York State.”RADIOLatino press conference leaders.Martinez shed light on a recentfederal investigation of claims that NewYork’s Suffolk County Police Departmenthas violated the civil rights of Hispanicresidents. He goes on to elaborate thatwith the current anti-immigrant situationgrowing worse in our state and country, itis critical that State Police are used to helpaddress and investigate similar crimes.Martinez holds the support of severalLatino-oriented organizations whoco-signed his letter to the Governor.Among them: The National HispanicChamber of Commerce on Health,Grand Council of Hispanic Societiesin Public Service, The Greater CapitalRegion Minority Business Association,Hispanic Heritage Month Committee,The New York Latino Democrats andmany, many more. These groups holdhigh hopes that Governor-Elect Cuomoand Lt. Governor-Elect Duffy act ascatalysts for all of the recommendationsstated in the above-referenced letter.Regarding the Latino community andcall for equal rights in school, governmentand all other areas of living, Martinezquotes Cuban poet Jose Mart, who wrote“Like stones rolling down hills, fair ideasreach their objectives despite all obstaclesand barriers. It may be possible to speed orhinder them, but impossible to stop them.”Local resident Bary Alyssa Johnson coversLarchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye, and RyeBrook, as well as the evolving world of electronicsand technology.On the Level with Narog and ArisNew Rochelle, NY -- Joan Gronowski,Yonkcers City Councilwoman representingthe 3rd District is Richard Narog’s and HeziAris’ guest this Tuesday, December 14th, from10 am through 11 am, on WVOX-1460 AMon your radio dial and worldwide on www.WVOX.com. The Hon. Nick Spano with betheir guest on December 21st.Listeners and readers are invited to senda question to WHYTeditor@gmail.com for possible use prior to any shows’ airingand even during the course of an interview.Wednesday mornings at 8:37 am when he and Bob Marrone discuss issues onthe Good Morning Westchester radio program hosted by Bob Marrone.LETTERS TO THE EDITORPlease submit your Letter to the Editor electronically, that is bydirecting email to WHYTeditor@gmail.com Please confine your writingto between 350 and 500 words. Your name, address, and telephonecontact is requested for verification purpose only. A Letter to theEditor will be accepted at the editor’s discretion when space permits. Amaximum of one submission per month may be accepted.