http://www.nbc6.net

State Rep. Again Accused Of Making Racist Comments
Arza Allegedly Used Derogatory Term To Describe Black Superintendent

POSTED: 8:52 am EDT June 27, 2006

MIAMI -- A racially charged feud between state Rep. Ralph Arza and Miami-Dade Superintendent Rudy Crew has been reignited by another lawmaker.

Almost two months after Arza was allegedly heard using the "N" word to describe Crew, another politician says Arza used same word on his cell phone.

"It was derogatory comments toward Rudy Crew," said state Rep. Gus Barreiro, R-Miami Beach.

Barreiro said Arza left the message on his voice mail.

"I had an opportunity as chairman of the Dade delegation -- I went out of my way to make sure that I meant with him (Crew) before session," Barreiro said. "The thing that basically took me aback was that when he left me the message, it was more, 'Why did you meet with this 'N' individual. If people are going to start meeting with this 'N' individual, then I'm going to play my own games.'"

In early May, Arza made headlines for using a racial slur to describe Crew.

"He has no business saying the word at all," Crew said in May.

Arza went on record apologizing, saying he was misinterpreted.

"In Spanish, we have a word negro. Negro means black. You know, like black person, white person or Hispanic person," Arza said.

A House rule committee dismissed Crew's complaint filed against Arza because he had not personally heard the slur himself.

Barreiro said he erased the message from his voice mail and he is considering filing an ethnic complaint against Arza.

"I think those comments are racist comments, which have no place in politics and no place in our society," Barreiro said.

NBC 6 tried to contact Arza, but he was not available for comment.