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Bush defends
Labor Secretary choice
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Jan. 9, 2001
Bush defends Labor Secretary choice
"I did not have employer-employee
relations with that woman," claims Chavez
by Victor Payan
Pocho Anti-Definition League Correspondent
Linda Chavez, President-neglect George W. Bush's appointment to head the
Department of Labor is up to her W-2s in controversy as critics continue
to demand answers regarding her extended work relationship with an undocumented
Guatemalan woman named Marta Mercado-Libre.
Despite the fact that Chavez housed Mercado-Libre and gave her regularly-dispersed
amounts of "spending money" in exchange for housework and other
chores, Chavez maintains innocence based on her interpretation of the definition
of the word "work."
"I did not have employer-employee relations with that woman,"
Chavez told reporters.
Chavez added that if she and Mercado-Libre actually had a "work"
relationship, then that would have involved paying "taxes," "minimum
wage" and "social security." Since none of those conditions
applied in this case, theirs could not legally be defined as a work relationship.
Chavez also told reporters that she had a longstanding relationship with
Mercado- Libre that spanned several years.
"I have been sending Marta money ever since she was a child...less
than the cost of a cup of coffee a day. I have photos and letters of appreciation
to prove it."
President-neglect Bush flew to Washington, DC today to defend his appointee
against the barrage of criticisms.
"As far as I'm concerned, Ms. Chavez has a fine record with labor,"
said Bush of his appointee. "In fact, I have always admired her work
in the UFW as well as with the Grape boycott of 1965."
Bush backed up his assertion that Chavez would be an ideal Labor Secretary
by asking, "Who knows more about being in labor than a Mexican woman?"
Chavez contends that she flew Mercado-Libre into the US simply to impress
her friends, but could not bring herself to send her back. Anonymous sources,
however,claim that what resulted was a less-than-admirable living arrangement,
one which in many respects resembled a form of indentured servitude.
When Bush was asked about the indentured servitude question, he replied,
"I am not aware as to whether Ms. Chavez bought the woman dentures
or any other form of orthopedic enhancements."
Speaking on her own behalf, Mercado-Libre told CNN that Chavez never technically
paid her for her work.
"Sometimes I cleaned the kitchen, mopped the floors. I vacuumed. I
did some laundry sometimes, some ironing, but it was not every day,"
said Mercado-Libre. "And Señora Linda, she said it wasn't real
work. It was only woman's work. Then she make me mop the floor again."
Over the last several days, Chavez has received severe criticism from Latina
organizations around the nation for exploiting a fellow Latina. And this
seems to be only the tip of the public relations iceberg.
President-neglect Bush, however, said he will stand behind Chavez no matter
what the outcome may be.
"I have always surrounded myself with secretaries who were easy on
the eyes," said Bush, "and I don't see any reason to change my
policy on that."
In related news, AFL-CIO executive vice president Linda Chavez-Thompson
challenged Linda Chavez to debate their views regarding labor policies on
an upcoming episode of 'Celebrity Death Match.'
©2001 Victor Payan |
