Calif. Mayor Defends Office, Dancing Ban

AP ^ | 11/1/06 | GARANCE BURKE

[kiriath_jearim]

ORANGE COVE, Calif. -- During the two decades that Victor Lopez has been mayor of this citrus growing town, one rule has remained unchanged: no dancing in taverns.

But for the first time since taking office, the so-called mayor for life faces two serious challengers -- and one of them wants to boogie.

"People want to have fun," said Republican challenger Manuel Ferreira, who runs recycling programs in the city. "If they get up and dance, they're not going to drink as much at the bar and they're going to work it off on the dance floor. I don't know why the mayor is so against it."

Lopez loves country ballads but labels public dancing a social ill, something that encourages indecent behavior and even violence.

His opponents say the no-dancing policy exemplifies his stranglehold over the town. Two of his sons are on the city payroll, and his family's name adorns several municipal buildings.

"He's an intimidator. He's aggressive," said Democratic challenger Frank Martinez, a former vice-mayor and city councilman. "He'll shut you up or throw you out."

Martinez, however, supports the dancing ban because he says it helps keep a lid on gang violence.

Tucked up against the western edge of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Orange Cove packs almost 20 percent of California's orange crop and sends crates of citrus to Japan and Australia. About 40 percent of its 10,000 residents live below the federal poverty line. Most earn their living harvesting the rows of Navels and Valencias encircling the town.

"All my 13 family members, we were basically farmworkers," said Lopez, 58, who counts Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante as political allies. "I've got honors and plaques that could fill this room.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

We weren't dancing, honest; we were having sex standing up!

[Khepera]

Please tell me it is not a republican that supports this ban.

[akorahil]

Even if this was not a law, which it is, I'm afraid I would have a lot of difficulty endorsing an enterprise which is as fraught with genuine peril as I believe this one to be. Besides the liquor and the drugs which always seem to accompany such an event the thing that distresses me even more, Ren, is the spiritual corruption that can be involved. These dances and this kind of music can be destructive, and, uh, Ren, I'm afraid you're going to find most of the people in our community are gonna agree with me on this.

[newzjunkey]

The Democrat supports the ban.

The dancing ban only applies to bars. High school dances, even alcohol-serving events at a rented town hall are legal.

[fieldmarshaldj]

;-) Great movie.