People’s spokesman
Monday morning, right after arriving in the office, I received an email from one of my most reliable sources. In the message, my informant advised me someone saw a Calexico politician in the El Centro hospital, where she reportedly was taken under the influence and right after a traffic accident.
The incident in which the elected official was involved had occurred by Highway 111, an area under jurisdiction of the California Highway Patrol.
The next step was to verify with the internationally accredited law enforcement agency that Calexico City Councilwoman Rosie Arreola Fernández was involved in the accident. We were temporarily unfortunate in learning the local public information officer would not be available for few days. However, we were able to get assistance from a sergeant who confirmed the rumor.
With a little writing based on the information released and a bit of background from weeks ago, voilà!
The story was posted on our websites and shared on our social media pages. The story blew up. Social media users shared the content in their own pages, while many others “Liked” the story.
The most interesting part of the story was the comments made by readers about the second controversial incident involving the elected official in a vehicle in two months.
In case readers do not recall, Fernández was involved in an accident in May that left a stop sign down and a white Mini Cooper damaged. The councilwoman was linked to the accident thanks to a home surveillance camera and the vehicle’s plates that were left behind.
So here we are, two months later, and Rosie has struck again. My readers are wondering what will happen next.
Well, that depends on her and her constituents. Many expect that she will step down. Certainly that is a possibility. However, given her indifferent remarks following her last audition for demolition derby, she might just try to gut it out until the storm passes.
Unless, of course, voters decide enough is enough and fill a recall petition and force a special election at a cost of tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars. Honestly, I don’t really expect that to happen.
On the other hand, some are questioning the councilwoman’s health. For these readers (and many more on the street) it is more than obvious the politician has an alcohol problem she must personally address through a rehabilitation program.
Alcohol was rumored to be a contributing factor in Fernández’s accident in May. But that was purely speculation. This time the allegation appears to be true. With her reckless behavior and apparent addiction the politician has become a danger to herself and others.
On Saturday morning her errors cost only damages to a trailer. If no action is taken in the future, a life could be claimed by this illegal conduct. It has to stop. Now. That is precisely what Calexicans demand. I am only their spokesman.