December 2, 2008 - 10:07am
News

Breaking a glass ceiling: will New Jersey get a Latino Secretary of Agriculture?

The New Jersey Board of Agriculture -- seven men and one woman, all white -- will pick the state's new Secretary of Agriculture when Charles Kuperus retires at the end of the year.

The workers toiling in New Jersey's fields around Vineland are mostly Mexican, and because of that fact, Mayor Bob Romano acknowledges it might help to have a Latino serve as Secretary of Agriculture.

"I think it would be great idea," Romano said in response to the question, "as long as the person has the knowledge. You need somebody who's qualified. That's the main thing. We need someone who's going to be a strong advocate for keeping New Jersey farmers on their farms."

Acknowledging that many migrant workers in New Jersey come from Mexico and Central America, Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) jumped at the suggestion of a Latino state Secretary of Agriculture to succeed Charles Kuperus, who retires at the end of this month.

"I think a Latino would be very good for that position," said the veteran Newark senator.  "I'm sure New Jersey farmers understand the need to bring balance to that position. Diversity is our greatest strength, coupled with a candidate who would bring objectivity to the job."

However, state Board of Agriculture Vice President Robert Matarazzo says the Department of Agriculture - salvaged from the budget chopping block last year - remains in precarious shape in bad economic times. He doesn't see the recruitment of a Latino secretary, or anything else short of industry survival - as a priority.

"I'm a pretty liberal person," he told PolitickerNJ.com. "I'll look at everybody and I won't specifically look at anybody. But we're in a situation right now where we're trying to keep the industry. When you're talking about laborers, you're talking more specifically about the labor industry. In the case of a Secretary of Agriculture, when you're considering someone to represent the laborers, that's kind of like putting the cart before the horse. We're trying to preserve the industry. The person has the expertise, I don't care what nationality they are."

The nomination of a new Agriculture Secretary will be made by the all-white Board of Agriculture.  Gov. Jon Corzine can either approve or veto their choice. 

The New Jersey Farm Bureau is on the record in support of minority candidates to serve on the Board of Agriculture, where some people say the presence of a Latino labor representative would balance the input from a board that is currently made up of eight farm industry reps.

Kuperus points out that it is the specific purview of the Commissioner of Labor to oversee laborers' conditions.

As for the secretary of agriculture's position, "I wouldn't recommend a Latino or suggest that a Latino fill that job," said the newly elected Mayor Alex Blanco of Passaic. "The board should pick the most qualified person for the job."

"The issue of a minority serving as secretary is a total non-issue," agreed Board member Andrew Borisuk. "The question is, ‘is the person qualified or not?' Period."

 

Max Pizarro is a PolitickerNJ.com Reporter and can be reached via email at max@politicsnj.com.

Comments

It's not a glass ceiling


Zulima Farber was AG, Ida Castro was Commissioner of Personnel, Rolando Torres was Commissioner of Personnel, etc.

A Latino at the Department level is hardly a glass ceiling, since it's happened many times.

12/02/08 9:26 am

Again: New PolitickerNJ poll....


Who should Corzine appoint as the next Agriculture Commissioner?

 A.) Rocco Riccio: Corzine owes Carla Katz's brother-in-law a job.

 B.) Ellen "Ellie Mae" Karcher: the former Democrat state senator is a dirt farmer, according to her property tax records.

 C.) Steve Lipski: the Jersey City Democrat councilman is a human watering can.

 D.) Ray Lesniak: the Democrat state senator is full of manure and loves to tiptoe through the tulips.

 E.) Wayne Bryant: the convicted former Democrat Senate Budget chair could do the job from prison. Lord knows his taxpayer-funded pension could use some padding.

F.) Neil Cohen: the disgraced former Democrat Assemblyman loves animals (and children).

G.) Anne Milgram: Corzine's Attorney General is great at burying stuff.  

12/05/08 4:50 pm

Put your scorecards away


When are the Dem's going to appoint a straight, Catholic white male of Irish/Polish heritage who was born on an odd-numbered day in December of an even-numbered year?

Enough with the pandering already.  Can't we just appoint the best-qualified candidate?

"I figure people drift toward liberalism at a young age, and I always hope that they change when they see how the world really is.”
- Johnny Ramone

12/02/08 9:43 am

No Joe, they can't


Applicants must pass a "diversity test" to see if they are qualified to run an agency.

Just as Tom Kean promised in 1981 to do for New Jersey what Ronald Reagan was doing for America, Ron Rice wants to do for New Jersey what his gang of left wing diversity nuts did to Newark. And with Corzine, they have the perfect stooge.

12/02/08 10:07 am

MLK


Martin Luther King Jr's message is long gone in NJ.

We now celebrate candidates based on their skin color rather then their qualifications.

Just like African American's voted for Obama based on the color of his skin, rather then the content of his character.

12/02/08 11:02 am

where's the outrage?


the nj dept. of agriculture is a white guy place, huh?

12/02/08 11:26 am

Nonsense


When will this government appoint a left-handed, agnostic bi-sexual with one foot who can qualify for affordable housing?

I can't stand the racism.

Vote Column "A"- All the way!

12/02/08 2:00 pm

Produce Pete


would be my choice. At least he can identify veggies and fruits.

12/02/08 3:07 pm

amused


First off, all glory and honor to Atticus (above) whose comment above is genuinely hysterical and a tough act to follow..... but... the significance of a possible Latino/a chief at Ag is that (gasp) most of the people who work on our Garden state farms are themselves Hispanic. Granted such symbolism might be a too subtle for the jolly knuckleheads to notice, bless your hearts. But for sure it seems like a Latin Ag Chief would be most representative of the industry as a whole. p.s. Hablas Scott Garrett espaniol?

12/02/08 3:20 pm

Cookie


Are you really saying that a the next Ag Chief should be "Latin" because most of the industry is Latin? Seriously?

Should the government be run by white people because most of America is white? I mean, that would be "most representative of the (people) as a whole," right?

"I figure people drift toward liberalism at a young age, and I always hope that they change when they see how the world really is.”
- Johnny Ramone

12/03/08 9:59 pm

Atticus


Atticus has it right - that was great :-)

Thanks for the laugh my friend!

Veritas vos Liberabit
"Collecting more taxes than absolutely necessary is legalized robbery." - Calvin Coolidge

12/04/08 5:30 pm

This is a great plan sohbet


This is a great plan sohbet I hope it pans out. Possibly it would be built inside for year around viewing. thank's

03/05/09 3:01 am