Northwest Indiana Discussion

Dominguez thinks Hoosiers will accept Latino governor

Obama's election broke barriers, Lake sheriff says

What makes the sheriff of Lake County so convinced that Indiana voters are ready to select a governor named "Rogelio Dominguez?"

In part, it's the fact that U.S. voters last year chose a president named Barack Obama, which Sheriff "Roy" Dominguez sees as evidence of a significant change in the mindset of the electorate when it comes to political people who do not present a clear-cut Anglo image.

"The ground truly has shifted with the election of Barack Obama," said Dominguez, who is considering running for the Democratic nomination for Indiana governor in the 2012 elections. "The current population is now capable of looking at candidates as individuals.

"He (Obama) made it possible for people to look beyond ethnicity and to see the person behind the name," said Dominguez in an appearance Thursday at a Mexican Independence Day heritage program at the East Chicago Public Library.

Dominguez behaved like a candidate for higher office while appearing before the roughly 200 people who came to the library to see a ethnic show of dances, music and food.

Dominguez said he is interested in Latino political empowerment, and tossed out a charge against Gov. Mitch Daniels.

"This governor would limit funding for public education programs," he said.

Dominguez told the crowd he thought striving for personal political advancement, rather than settling for less in life, was the proper way for all Latinos to pay tribute to the struggles their ancestors endured moving to a foreign country.

"My parents didn't teach me to say, 'I got mine, you get yours,'" Dominguez said. "As we proceed to move forward, our culture and memories require us to move forward and honor sacrifice."

Dominguez said he is about six months away from making a decision on a running for governor. Meanwhile, he is touring rural parts of the state to get his name better known outside of Lake County.

He expects that if he gets into the race, he will be able to come up with the roughly $3 million he estimates will be needed for a Democratic primary, and $12 million for a general election.

"I'm confident I can raise the money when we get to that point," Dominguez said.

I guess he is unaware of the amount of "buyer's remorse" many obama supporters are now feeling. Even among blacks.

Looking back, I guess Reagan broke the Hollywood barrier. Clinton scored one for adulterers. Bush 1 showed you can be a coward and win. Bush 2 proved stupid people also can surprise us and O'Bama is the great pretender. I guess that would be a combo category of Hollywood and liars. (All politicians are liars.)

call him what you will, but can you really consider someone who flew TBM Avenger torpedo bombers off the USS San Jacinto in WWI AND was shot down during combat to be a coward?


.

You say what you want but the man was a WWII fighter pilot, got shot down over the Pacific and lived to tell.



Once again, this man was able to fly a jet powered fighter plane, and had a higher GPA at Harvard than his opponent John Kerry.

Roy...you can't be pulling moves like this if you wanna be the Gov.



[url=http://nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_b583c318-5365-5c7d-a00c-516ddd9fc6cf.html]Suit: Sheriff fired cop as reprisal

Former officer says union clash behind termination[/url]



HAMMOND | A new federal lawsuit claims Lake County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez fired a department manager over animosity between the sheriff and the county police union.

Ronald Kurth claims Dominguez fired him from his job supervising the work-release program for letting one of his subordinates, Lake County Police Union President Sgt. Dan Murchek, attend a union meeting in August 2008. The suit claims Dominguez "screamed" at Kurth for letting Murchek, who has clashed publically with Dominguez, go to the meeting. The suit claims Murchek contractually is allowed to attend union meetings.

After the alleged rebuke from Dominguez, Kurth sent a letter asking Dominguez to demote him from his managerial post, according to the suit. In September 2008, Kurth filed a grievance with the Lake County Grievance Review Board, seeking to clarify his job status with the county, the suit states. The review board met in October, without Kurth's presence, and dismissed the grievance, Kurth claims. Board attorney Jewel Harris Jr. sent Kurth a letter in November saying noncounty employees can't go before the board, according to the suit.

The lawsuit doesn't spell out when or whether Kurth was officially fired, but the suit claims Dominguez "unlawfully retaliated by terminating Kurth."

Neither Dominguez nor Kurth nor their lawyers could be reached Friday for comment. Review board lawyer Casey McCloskey said he is investigating the lawsuit.

Murchek's highest-profile conflict with the sheriff came after Murchek was reassigned to a job watching work-release inmates perform menial tasks. Murchek accused the department's top administrators of sticking him with a dull job as payback for his union work and support of former Sheriff John Buncich.

Kurth has made news before. He sued a Crown Point detective and the city after a confrontation outside an underage drinking party attended by Kurth's son. Kurth briefly was detained at the scene. Kurth and his wife eventually settled the lawsuit.

The new federal suit was filed in Lake County court, but the defendants filed a motion that kicked the suit into federal court. A federal judge will have to accept jurisdiction over the case.

It's not his name that'll do him in. It's his status as a Lake County dem.