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| PEREZ: A high bar to meet |
As
in the number of Latinos whom President Barack Obama has holding positions of
authority in his cabinet.
DURING
HIS FIRST four-year term, Obama had two people with ethnic ties to Latin
America – yet both of them wound up being among those who decided that one
presidential term was enough in terms of federal government service.
Both
Ken Salazar and Hilda Solis decided there are other opportunities for
themselves in their professional lives. Creating even more vacancies that Obama
needs to fill as he goes through a second four-year term of work in the Oval
Office.
If
the reports are at all accurate, it would seem that Solis is being succeeded as
Labor secretary by Thomas Perez.
He
has worked for some time in the Department of Justice, after having been the
head of the labor department in Maryland state government, and also once having
served on the staff of now-late Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts.
WHICH
ISN’T EXACTLY the lowest of profile positions. The national economy is still
far from sound. And there’s a good chance that Labor will have a strong say in
the implementation of any immigration reform proposal – particularly since many
of the ideologues are concerned that these people are willing to work much
harder than they are.
But
Perez also is going to carry a load in being the only Latino official in that
cabinet. If anything, he becomes the highest-ranking Latino in the U.S.
government.
Which
can be a burden that drags down many officials. Let’s only hope that Perez is
up to the work load, both within his agency and the responsibilities he winds
up having to take on overall.
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