KPBS Midday Edition

Latinos In Escondido Threaten Suit For Lack Of Representation On Council

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Megan Burke / News Editor

Published December 13, 2011 at 8:26 AM PST

This story was published more than 13 years ago.

Latino Group Threatens To Sue Escondido For Violating Voting Rights

GuestsJim Finberg is an attorney representing clients in Escondido threatening the lawsuit. Cesar Diaz, the legislative director of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California. Deborah Seiler, San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

The City of Escondido has been put on notice: Change the way City Council members are elected, or get sued.

Civil rights attorneys say the city may be in violation of California election law, because Latinos are not being adequately represented on the council.

Escondido's mayor disagrees, and has been quoted saying the threat is an effort to overturn the voters will.

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“They elected me as mayor,” Abed said. “I am a minority, so what’s the problem? The problem is very simple: It’s political. They disagree with our policy on the checkpoints. We are not going to change that. We are supporting the traffic safety checkpoints because of public safety."

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Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Megan Burke

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Megan Burke is an Emmy-award winning news editor overseeing the environment, health, and racial justice and social equity reporting beats. Prior to her current role as editor, Megan spent more than a decade as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition, a daily radio news magazine and podcast. Other news production credits include KPBS Evening Edition, KPBS Roundtable, and San Diego’s DNA, a two-part documentary highlighting the region’s oldest traditions and culture using personal artifacts and oral histories of San Diegans.

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