A diverse group of community leaders will meet on the grounds of the Orange County Board of Commissioners to demand answers. Last week Mayor Jacobs pulled from the agenda, a proposal to spend $340K to hire an outside expert attorney to fight the Latino Justice lawsuit, which demands a Latino/Puerto Rican Majority District be created in Orange, as required by Federal Law. The Orange Commission, in a 4 to 3 vote in 2011 had refused to allow for such a District and split the Hispanic vote into two Districts, making it a minority in both. The lawsuit is the result of that bad decision.
“This is the only country where politicians use people’s own tax dollars to fight the people’s will, I don’t understand”, said Raúl Ramos, former president of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce. “This is not about political parties, this is about fair representation,” affirmed Marco Peña, former Republican State Rep candidate. At the same time Peter Vivaldi, NaLEC representative shared, “we must focus on how this issue has brought division throughout the county – we must help create a fair resolution for all parties involved”.
“We want the Board of County Commissioners to respect the will of the community and settle the lawsuit with Latino Justice”, stated Carlos Guzman, longtime Orange County resident, to what Elias “Rico” Piccard, community activist from his hospital bed added, “Teresa, democracy is to be respected, not violated”.
Press Conference:
What: Diverse community press conference
Where: Front yard, OC Administration building 201 S Rosalind Ave, Orlando, 32801
When: Friday, May 10 at 11 a.m.
