New Mexico mayor quits, says ‘white people’ stealing Latino power

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LOS ANGELES – Raton Mayor Charles Starkovich insists the form of government in his northern New Mexico city is rife with racism and discrimination against Latino residents. He says the “white people in the country club” control all the power, even though the small community of 6,800 people is 60% Hispanic.

So the 61-year-old mayor is taking a stand: He quit.

Starkovich said in a letter delivered to City Hall on Wednesday that he was resigning as mayor and city commissioner in protest to Raton's at-large voting system. Starkovich said the system violates the federal Voting Rights Act and that he plans to file a formal complaint with the U.S. Justice Department.

“It’s a silent form of racism,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “And it waters down voting strength of a particular class of people.”…Read More

SOURCE : Los Angeles

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