August 13, 1999
Voters can write off the name of Coun-cilman Juan Vargas as a potential candidate for the 79th Assembly Seat currently held by Assemblywoman Denise Ducheny. His trial balloon that he launched Saturday, August 7, 1999, does not have enough gas to fly for very long.
Now and then he has showed some flair as a councilman when working on specific issues. However, his forays into real politics were mostly ill-conceived and not based on logic or facts. Though representing a district with a heavy minority population, economically depressed, under-educated, under-served by government, and laboring under the load of over-representation of individuals and families who may be legal residents but are not citizens, he threw his support to the establishment even though it was inimical to the interests of the residents of Council District Eight
Councilman Vargas faced with challenges to lay a solid foundation for the political future of upcoming Mexican Americans, Black, Asian, Filipino Americans and all other de-enfranchised minorities, was incapable of living up to the challenge. He chose, instead, to tie his political future to the mostly Anglo American, Republican power brokers and their political interests. He basically ignored his political base except when it suited the power brokers needs.
Elected by mostly Democratic voters, he ran against their only Democratic Congressman attempting to unseat him with the financial support of the Republican establishment. This was a costly error and showed a basic weakness in his makeup. He was willing to sacrifice the needs of the district and of the 50th Congressional District that incorporates the 79th Assembly district and his 8th and 4th Council districts. In one swoop he alienated the Blacks, Mexicans, Filipinos, Asians, and the entire Democratic party.
Believing he was the most favorite Latino of the Republican White Establishment, Councilman first tried to fly a trail balloon to become the next Mayor of San Diego. That balloon went down in flames and he made the hideous discovery that those folks don't like "sell-outs anymore than we do"!
Perhaps Mr. Vargas should seek some other type of employment where loyalty, honor, and respect are not a pre- requisite for employment.
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