Constituent Non-Service

At least one caucus member might be saying goodbye for a long time. In February, state Sen. Ron Calderon was handed a 24-count federal indictment. Calderon allegedly accepted $100,000 worth of bribes, trips and cushy jobs for his children in exchange for pushing legislation that benefited a hospital engaged in billing fraud and participated in a film industry tax scheme that was really an FBI sting. Calderon, who has denied wrongdoing and refused to resign, was suspended in March.

I've written about Latino lawmakers for a quarter-century, not only in California but also in Texas and Arizona. And stories like these still disappoint me.

The legislators usually wind up far removed from the constituency they're supposed to represent. The chasm is made wider by their arrogance, the feeling that they're something special. Many seem astonished that they've gotten this far in life. So, as with many other elected officials, the goal becomes simply to get re-elected. This means steering away from controversial subjects and not challenging the powerful, and so they rarely get anything done. One day, they'll retire, and no one will remember them.

Here's what people shouldn't forget. Latinos no longer have the luxury of putting up with misbehavior and mediocrity from those they elect to represent them. Under siege over immigration, underserved by both parties, and underwater when it comes to educational attainment, economic prosperity and political power, America's largest minority needs serious leadership provided by serious people. Those who aren't serious ought to be bounced from office.

When he was released from jail, Hueso initially told reporters that he planned to "pursue [his] innocence." Less than an hour later, he issued a statement apologizing for "unacceptably poor personal judgment" and taking "complete personal responsibility for my actions."

Speaking of poor judgment, there is one more actor in this telenovela. It was Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, who took the photo of the five amigos -- including Hueso -- drinking and singing on the Capitol balcony. She then proudly posted the photo on Twitter at 11:19 p.m., with the caption: "Loving my Latino Caucus boys." The next morning, after word got out that Hueso had been arrested, the love was gone -- and the photo deleted from the legislator's Twitter account. Gonzalez spent the rest of the day ducking reporters.

#Oops. #Embarrassing. #Latinoleadersmakingusproud.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.