DOLORES HUERTA, the long-time activist who helped organize the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez, was named to fill out the rest of the term of Norman Pattiz on the University of California Board of Regents. The term expires March 1. Pattiz, meanwhile, was appointed to a seat with a 12-year term.

After the Senate approved Davis' nominees Thursday, Huerta promised to help "increase diversity on college campuses not only among the students, but also the faculty."

Her appointment came after state Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, threatened to use her swing vote to block Pattiz' nomination unless Davis does something to increase diversity to the 26-member Board of Regents, one of the most respected and powerful bodies in the state.

"You look at that list of regents, it's like a who's who of donors in California," Romero told a reporter. Indeed, Pattiz, owner of Westwood One, the nation's largest radio network, had contributed generously to Davis and the Democratic Party.

The board "is like a who's who of wealthy white men in California," said Romero. Not quite. Of the 26 regents, 18 are appointed. Six of the 18 appointed members are African-American, Latino or Asian-American.

Huerta will bring the perspective of "working people, working poor, women and people of color to the board," she told a reporter. "It may be a perspective that hasn't been widely represented."

At 73 years of age, she has earned her place in history through countless strikes, marches and fasts on behalf of all workers. The mother of 11 children and a former teacher, she still serves the UFW as secretary-treasurer. In 1999, she was given the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award by President Bill Clinton.

An intriguing scenario emerges when she takes her seat on the board. She will most likely be sitting next to Regent Ward Connerly, author of Proposition 54 on this October's ballot and spokesman for Prop. 209, which ended affirmative action on California's college campuses. She opposes both of those measures and Huerta is not shy about voicing her opinions.

The only real issue surrounding this appointment is its timing. It has raised questions by Republicans who believe the governor is once again pandering to California's Latino electorate as a means of helping him keep his job in the Oct. 7 recall election.

But those criticisms against Davis, valid or not, should not taint Huerta's appointment. Instead, we should ask why it took so long.