The Arizona Civil Rights Amendment, also known as Proposition 107 or HCR 2019, will be on the November, 2, 2010, ballot. Virtually identical to similar measures launched by Ward Connerly and passed by substantial margins in California, Washington, Michigan, and Nebraska, Prop. 107 would amend the Arizona constitution to prohibit the state from “discriminat[ing] against or grant[ing] preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting.”
Stay tuned; I’ll have a good deal more to say about Prop. 107, including the familiar but peculiar nature of the opposition to it. Meanwhile, the Arizona Republic editorializes that “Affirmative action no longer useful.”
Affirmative action was a catch-up plan, adding extra opportunity where it had been missing in education and the workplace. The time was going to come when affirmative action was no longer necessary.
That time is now.
….
Affirmative action has reached the point where its drawbacks outweigh its advantages. We need to stop putting a well-intended thumb on the scale.
Setting exact quotas for minorities and women in every category of job — as has been done at some universities — is just ludicrous.
Yes, it is. And Robert Shelton, the president of the University of Arizona, gave a good imitation of former Alabama Governor George Wallace standing in the schoolhouse door when, in comments to a panel on Monday, he threatened defiance of Prop. 107 if it passes. “‘We have not, we will not back off one bit,’ he said, from the goal to recruit minority students and employees.”
In reply, the Yes on 107! Campaign issued the following statement and challenge:
The university’s diversity goals, which are posted on [its] website, include hiring specified percentages of women and minorities. These hiring quotas include goals for women to comprise 63% of new Assistant Director Administrators, 73% of Animal Technicians, and 56% of the Faculty in Fine Arts. Goals for minority hires include 53% of General Maintenance positions and 59% of Supervisors in Service/Maintenance.
“President Shelton appears concerned that if Prop. 107 passes, the university won’t be able to put ‘diversity goals’ ahead of ‘most qualified’,” said Proposition 107 campaign chair, Rachel Alexander. “I bet there’s a woman or a ‘minority’ that meets the minimum qualifications to be president of the University. I challenge President Shelton to walk his own talk and step down for the sake of ‘diversity’. His $549,400 position could be given to an affirmative action applicant. Or perhaps he believes that discriminating quotas should only apply to other people, but not to him?”
There is no report, yet, of President Shelton having resigned his position.
