Latino Clips
Democrats Support Latinos more than Republicans, EFE News Agency http://www.laraza.com/news.php?nid=24622 , http://www.orlandosentinel.com/elsentinel/vida/orl-8412126jul26,0,3018019.story
· Religious Latinos Reject Cornyn-Kyl Immigration Proposal, EFE News Agency
· Democrats Propose Savings Plan that Will Benefit Hispanics, EFE News Agency http://www.orlandosentinel.com/elsentinel/vida/orl-8412380jul26,0,4459813.story , http://www.terra.com/actualidad/articulo/html/act199050.htm
· U.S. Congress Approves CAFTA, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (Spanish Service, English translation below)
· Study Paints Bleak Picture Of Immigrant Health Care, Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/25/AR2005072501482.html
· McCain-Kennedy Bill Could Work, Says Immigration Reformer, Pacific News.Org
· Texas Minutemen head quits, cites racism in group, Houston Chronicle http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3285468
· Navy: Company Tried to Sway Vieques Vote, Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/28/AR2005072801623.html
· Hispanic Businesses Grow by 31 % in Five Years, EFE News Agency
Democrats Support Latinos more than Republicans
Washington, July 27, 2005
Democratic congressmen and women tend to favor Hispanics more than their counterparts, the Republicans, on legislative votes in Congress, according to a report published today by the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda.
"I am very happy that our Democratic senators received such high ratings because that is a result of our hard work and our promise to fight for the values that Hispanics in the United States respect and appreciate", said Harry Reid, Democratic Leader of the U.S. Senate, in a release.
The 34 page report entitled, "Report Card on the 108th Congress", analyzes 18 votes in the U.S. House of Representatives and six in the U.S. Senate during the years of 2003-4.
The votes selected refer to policy about economy, health, employment, education, lowering taxes to low income families and civil rights.
"This is the fifth report of this type that we published and it demonstrates that every day more legislators that support the policies that affect Hispanics at the same time that the other group acts against the Hispanic community and the people have to know who they are", said to EFE Ronald Blackburn Moreno, President of the NHLA.
The report stresses that in general the voting in the 108th Congressional session in matters that effect Hispanics are improving in respect to the 107th session that included the years of 2001-2.
Blackburn-Moreno maintained that, in general terms, the Democrats are more inclined to vote in favor of the interests of the Hispanics than the Republicans and added that one of the objectives of the report is to influence the moderate wing of the of Republican party that is inclined to support the Hispanic community.
In the report today, 40 percent of the senators and congressmen and women obtained a grade above 90 percent, what is considered positive for Hispanics, while less than a 30 percent of the congressmen and women of both houses received a grade below 20 percent, which is considered negative for the interests of the community.
The report rated with a score of 100 percent, the highest score, to the democratic senators Reid (Nevada), Hillary Clinton (New York), Edward Kennedy and John Kerry (Massachusetts), among others; while the Republican leader of the Senate, Bill Frist (Tennessee) obtained a grade of 33 percent, and the senators Rick Santorum (Pennsylvania) and Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) received 17 percent.
Tom Delay (Texas), the Republican leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, obtained a grade of 18 points, while the Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi (California) received a full grade of 100 percent.
The two worse congressmen rated by the study by the NHLA were Republicans Jack Kingtson and Rob Bishop (Utah) who received zero points for a rating; while Tom Tancredo (Colorado), one of the most conservative members of the U.S. House of Representatives received a rating of 11 points.
Among the congressmen, the Democratic member Bob Menéndez (New Jersey), Hilda Solis and Grace Napolitano (California) received a full rating of 100 points; and Republican brothers Lincoln and Mario Díaz-Balart and the congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (all three from Florida) received 33, 39 and 47 respective points.
"If the Democrats want to return to their districts promoting the report like they are doing, we are counting on the legislative achievements and the concrete evidence, like the fact that the economy is growing, unemployment is dropping, the dropout rate of Hispanic students is improving and every day there are more Latino owners of businesses" said to EFE Alex Burgos, the spokesperson of the Republican National Committee of the Congress.
In contrast, the Democratic congressman Luis Gutierrez (Illinois), who received a rating of 100 points, said the report leaves clear that the Democratic party is the one that works in favor of the interests of the Hispanic community.
In spite of the evaluation of the NHLA that showed the Democrats historically vote in favor of Hispanics, more than the Republicans, in the presidential election in 2004 President George W. Bush received more than 40 percent of the Hispanic vote, a difference from the 2000 vote when he received 35 percent of the Latino vote.
The NHLA is a non partisan coalition that represents 40 of the principal Hispanic groups in the country.
Los demócratas favorecen más a los latinos que los republicanos
Por Sandino Martínez | Posted July 26, 2005
Washington, 26 jul -- Los congresistas demócratas tienden a favorecer más a los hispanos que sus pares republicanos en las votaciones del Congreso, según revela un informe publicado hoy por la Agenda Nacional de Liderazgo Hispano (NHLA).
"Estoy orgulloso de las altas calificaciones que nuestros senadores demócratas recibieron porque son el resultado de nuestro trabajo arduo y del compromiso de luchar por los valores que los hispanos en los Estados Unidos honran y aprecian", señaló en un comunicado el jefe de la bancada demócrata del Senado, Harry Reid.
El informe de 34 páginas denominado "Tarjeta de puntuación del 108 Congreso" analiza 18 votaciones en la Cámara de Representantes y seis en el Senado durante los años 2003 y 2004.
Las votaciones seleccionadas se refieren a políticas sobre economía, salud, empleos, educación, reducción de impuestos a familias de bajos recursos y derechos civiles.
"Este es el quinto informe de este tipo que publicamos, y demuestra que cada vez hay más legisladores que apoyan los asuntos que afectan a los hispanos, al tiempo que hay otro grupo que actúa en contra de la comunidad y la gente tiene que conocer quienes son", señaló a EFE Ronald Blackburn Moreno, presidente del NHLA.
El informe destaca que, en general, las votaciones en la sesión 108 del Congreso en asuntos que afectan a los hispanos mejoraron respecto a la sesión 107, que comprende a los años 2001 y 2002.
Blackburn-Moreno sostuvo que en términos generales los demócratas son más proclives a votar a favor de los intereses de los hispanos que los republicanos y agregó que uno de los objetivos del informe es influir en el ala moderada del Partido Republicano para que se incline a favor de la comunidad latina.
En el informe de hoy, el 40 por ciento de los senadores y congresistas obtuvo una puntuación por encima de los 90 puntos, lo que es considerado positivo para los hispanos, mientras que un 30 por ciento de los legisladores de ambas cámaras recibió una calificación por debajo de los 20 puntos, lo que es considerado negativo para los intereses de la comunidad.
El informe califica con cien puntos, la nota máxima, a senadores demócratas como Reid (Nevada), Hillary Clinton (New York), Edward Kennedy y John Kerry (Massachussets), entre otros; mientras que el líder republicano de la cámara alta Bill Frist (Tennessee) obtuvo una puntuación del 33 puntos, y los senadores Rick Santorum (Pensilvania) y Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) recibieron 17 puntos.
Tom Delay (Texas), líder republicano en la Cámara de Representantes, obtuvo una calificación de 18 puntos, mientras que la jefa de la bancada demócrata de la cámara baja, Nancy Pelosi (California) recibió una calificación de 100 puntos.
Los dos congresistas peor calificados por el estudio del NHLA fueron los republicanos Jack Kingston (Georgia) y Rob Bishop (Utah) quienes recibieron cero puntos de calificación; mientras que Tom Tancredo (Colorado), uno de los republicanos más conservadores de la cámara baja, recibió una calificación de 11 puntos.
Entre los congresistas latinos, los demócratas Bob Menéndez (New Jersey), Hilda Solis y Grace Napolitano (California) recibieron una calificación de 100 puntos; y los hermanos republicanos Lincon y Mario Díaz Balart, y la congresista Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (los tres de Florida) recibieron 33, 39 y 47 puntos respectivamente.
"Si los demócratas quieren regresar a sus distritos promoviendo informes como este que lo hagan, pero nosotros lo haremos contando los logros legislativos y la evidencia concreta, como son el hecho de que la economía está creciendo, el desempleo está bajando, el desempeño de los estudiantes hispanos está mejorando y que cada vez hay mas latinos que son propietarios", indicó a EFE Alex Burgos, portavoz del Comité Nacional Republicano del Congreso.
En tanto, el congresista demócrata Luis Gutierrez (Illinois), quien recibió una calificación de 100 puntos, sostuvo que el informe deja claro que su partido es quien trabaja a favor de los intereses de la comunidad hispana.
A pesar de que la evaluación de la NHLA señala que los demócratas cuentan con un mejor historial de votaciones a favor de los hispanos que los republicanos, las elecciones nacionales de 2004 el presidente George W. Bush obtuvo más del 40 por ciento del voto hispano, a diferencia de los comicios del 2000, donde recibió el 35 por ciento del sufragio latino.
La NHLA es una coalición no partidista que representa a 40 de los principales grupos hispanos del país. EFE
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Religiosos latinos repudian propuesta migratoria Cornyn-Kyl
Nueva York, 25 jul (EFE).- La Coalición Nacional de Ministros Hispanos (CONLAMIC) repudió hoy un proyecto de ley de reforma migratoria de los senadores republicanos John Cornyn y Joh Kyl, que exige la repatriación de indocumentados.
Para los senadores Cornyn, de Texas, y Kyl, de Arizona, se trata del proyecto migratorio de "mayor alcance" en EEUU, pero para los ministros evangélicos "es absurdo, antiinmigrante y antifamiliar".
El reverendo Miguel Rivera, líder de la Coalición, dijo a EFE que el comité ejecutivo de la organización evaluó por varias horas la propuesta de ley, presentada el martes, y decidió repudiarlo.
Según los senadores, los fondos y recursos que pide la medida ayudarán a atacar la inmigración indocumentada desde todos los frentes: en la frontera, en el interior del país y en los centros de trabajo.
Aseguraron que su propuesta responde a los que señalaron como una amenaza para la seguridad nacional y la urgencia de reformar el fallido sistema migratorio nacional.
La medida propone establecer un programa de "trabajadores huéspedes", pero tendrían que renovar el permiso cada dos años y sólo pueden solicitar en tres ocasiones.
El inmigrante tendría que aceptar una deportación voluntaria -de lo contrario se impone una multa de 2.000 dólares al año- antes de que se le conceda el último permiso de trabajo, luego de lo cual serían repatriados, comentó el reverendo, que dijo haber leído detenidamente la medida.
Durante el tiempo que permanezca con la visa de trabajo (un máximo de seis años) sólo se permitirá a su familia visitarlo en una ocasión, por un periodo de 30 días.
El afectado tendría que esperar un año para poder solicitar una visa de regreso a EEUU, y si se le concede tiene el "absurdo requisito" de que el Gobierno de su país tiene que proveerle de un plan médico, pagarlo el inmigrante o el patrono que le contrate, si es que regresa por trabajo, comentó Rivera.
Agregó que la propuesta de ley no incluye sin embargo ampliar el número de visas para los países afectados. De acuerdo con CONLAMIC, lo que busca esta propuesta es deportar a los 10 millones de indocumentados que se estima viven en EEUU.
No obstante, destacó, la medida propone aumentar el número de camas en los centros de detención y 50 millones de dólares para contratar 10.000 agentes para reforzar la patrulla fronteriza.
"CONLAMIC no tiene desacuerdo en eso porque consideramos apropiado mejorar" la vigilancia, pero, -agregó- también pide se asignen agentes para investigar negocios que contratan indocumentados, que serían penalizados con multas.
"Eso es inapropiado porque afectará la economía del país, sobre todo en áreas como la agricultura. La intención de esto es intimidar al patrono", sostuvo Rivera.
"Esta propuesta es inaceptable, la repudiamos enérgicamente. Le hemos enviado una carta a Cornyn y Kyl, con copia a la Casa Blanca, expresando nuestro repudio. Lo consideramos una bofetada a la dignidad de los trabajadores latinos", reiteró Rivera.
Indicó además que la organización de ministros mantiene su apoyo a la propuesta de los senadores John McCain y de Edward Kennedy "porque trae una solución que beneficia a la economía, a la comunidad indocumentada y a la unión familiar".
Cornyn y Kyl, cuyos estados representan el 85 por ciento de la frontera sur de EEUU, confían en que su medida logrará imponerse porque responde a los puntos más vulnerables del sistema migratorio.
CONLAMIC envió además una carta al presidente George W. Bush pidiendo que "bajo ningún concepto" respalde esta propuesta de reforma migratoria.
"Nos preocupa que Cornyn viene del mismo estado que Bush, es miembro de la Comisión Judicial, preside el comité de asuntos de inmigración del Senado y que la propuesta tiene cierta similitud con la presentó el presidente en el 2003", argumentó el ministro.
Por otra parte, los religiosos también enviaron una misiva a Bush felicitándolo por la designación de John Roberts para ocupar la vacante en el Tribunal Supremo.
"Consideramos que cumple con los requisitos que pedimos de ser un juez conservador y no es activista, sino un fiel intérprete de la ley moderna", afirmó.EFE
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Deutsche Presse-Agentur
(U.S. Spanish Language Service)
July 28, 2005, Thursday
U.S. Congress Approves CAFTA
Washington July 27
(summarized translation)
The U.S. House of Representatives approved today a free trade treaty with Central America and the Dominican Republic (CAFTA), which completes the ratification process for it.
CAFTA was approved with 217 votes in favor and 215 against, after one tense hour of waiting in the House floor with the recorded vote open.
Even Vice President Dick Cheney spearheaded the last minute negotiations in Congress to approve the treaty, since the Bush Administration and the Republicans were determined to avoid a defeat on this the legislation.
Democrats denounced that the White House offered to build bridges, highways, maintain military bases and other benefits financed by the federal government in exchange for voting for the treaty.
CAFTA had already been approved by the Senate last month by 54 votes in favor against 45, which means that the treaty has now been ratified by the U.S. CAFTA was also approved by the Congresses of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but it has yet to be ratified by Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.
The House debate reiterated the same arguments that the Senate discussed. The ones who favor the accord proclaimed that it would be beneficial for agricultural producers, businesses, workers and consumers of all the partner countries.
También critican que se hayan reducido los estándares laborales y medioambientales respecto a otros tratados de libre comercio, ya que en el CAFTA se permitirá a los países cumplir exclusivamente con las leyes nacionales, sin requisito de que cumplan con los convenios internacionales.
The Democratic Leader in the lower house, Nancy Pelosi, said that CAFTA "allows multinational corporations to sue the governments, including ours, to charge compensation if the environmental laws reduce the value of their investments or their profits."
"CAFTA does not give any value to the environmental health of the Americas," said Pelosi.
But the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Republican Bill Thomas, said that he is proud to have brought the day when Republicans have become the "progressive" force that votes for a "good neighbor" bill that benefits Central America.
dpa mi ar
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
July 28, 2005, Thursday
Congreso de EEUU aprueba el CAFTA
Washington, 27 jul
La Camara de Representantes de Estados Unidos aprobo hoy el tratado de libre comercio con America Central y Republica Dominicana (CAFTA), con lo cual se completo el tramite de ratificacion legislativa.
El CAFTA fue aprobado con 217 votos a favor y 215 en contra, despues de una hora de tensa espera en el plenario de la Camara Baja con la votacion electronica abierta.
La votacion se abrio a las 11 de la noche (hora local en Washington) por un plazo inicial de 15 minutos, pero a esa altura, despues de un ano de haber firmado el CAFTA y tras horas de debate en el Capitolio, aun habia legisladores sin definirse, por lo cual la votacion se debio dejar abierta hasta pasada la medianoche.
Durante mas de media hora, la votacion estuvo trabada con 214 votos a favor y 210 en contra, y el resultado final quedo en manos de los ocho legisladores que faltaban votar: siete republicanos y un democrata.
El propio vicepresidente de Estados Unidos, Dick Cheney, encabezo las negociaciones de ultimo momento en la sede del Congreso para lograr la aprobacion de este tratado, ya que la administracion del presidente George W. Bush y el Partido Republicano estaban determinados a no permitir un naufragio de esta legislacion.
Los democratas denunciaron que la Casa Blanca ofrecio la construccion de puentes, carreteras, mantenimiento de bases militares y otros beneficios financiados por el gobierno federal a cambio de un voto de apoyo a este tratado.
El CAFTA ya habia sido aprobado en el Senado el mes pasado por 54 votos a favor contra 45, por lo cual quedo ratificado por Estados Unidos. El CAFTA ya fue aprobado tambien por los Congresos de Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras, pero para que entre en vigor falta que se cumpla el mismo tramite en Nicaragua, Costa Rica y Republica Dominicana.
En el debate en la Camara, se reiteraron los argumentos esgrimidos en el Senado. Los defensores del acuerdo proclaman que sera beneficioso para productores agricolas, empresarios, trabajadores y consumidores en todos los paises socios.
Los detractores, por su parte, aseguran que los trabajadores y productores agricolas estadounidenses perderan empleos, y que en America Central aumentara la pobreza y solo se enriqueceran las empresas y las elites.
Tambien critican que se hayan reducido los estandares laborales y medioambientales respecto a otros tratados de libre comercio, ya que en el CAFTA se permitira a los paises cumplir exclusivamente con las leyes nacionales, sin requisito de que cumplan con los convenios internacionales.
La lider democrata en la Camara Baja, Nancy Pelosi, dijo que el CAFTA "permite a las corporaciones multinacionales demandar a los gobiernos, incluido el nuestro, para cobrar compensacion si las leyes de proteccion ambiental reducen el valor de sus inversiones o sus ganancias".
"CAFTA no da ningun valor a la salud ambiental de las Americas", dijo Pelosi.
Pero el presidente del Comite de Medios y Arbitrios, el republicano Bill Thomas, dijo que esta orgulloso de haber llegado a ver el dia en que los republicanos se convirtieron en la fuerza "progresista" que vota por una ley de "buenos vecinos" que beneficiara a America Central.
dpa mi ar
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Study Paints Bleak Picture Of Immigrant Health Care
By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 26, 2005; Page A11
Regardless of age, legal status or insurance coverage, immigrants, on average, receive about half the health care services provided to native-born Americans, according to findings released yesterday that immediately fueled the debate over tightening immigration policies.
Immigrants received an average of $1,139 worth of care, compared with $2,564 for non-immigrants, according to the analysis, published in the August issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The gap was especially pronounced among immigrant children, who received one-quarter the care given to U.S.-born youngsters.
"Our study lays to rest the myth that expensive care for immigrants is responsible for our nation's high health costs," said co-author Sarita Mohanty, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Southern California. "The truth is, immigrants get far less care than other Americans."
The report is based on government data that tabulated health spending for 21,000 people in 1998, the most recent year for which figures were available. The analysis includes legal and illegal immigrants.
"If we think our high health care costs are due to immigrants flocking to our shores, we're wrong," said co-author David Himmelstein of Harvard Medical School. Although immigrants accounted for 10 percent of the population, they consumed 8 percent of total health services, the study found.
Some immigration experts, however, said that tracking per capita spending ignores the larger societal costs of a growing immigrant population that is far less likely to have health insurance.
"The fact that immigrants, when uninsured, might use 27 percent less medical care doesn't change the fact that they're 200 percent more likely to be uninsured in the first place," said Steven Camarota, research director at the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank that favors strict controls on immigration. "Why have a system that allows in so many people who aren't self-sufficient?"
Immigrants account for 18 percent of the costs associated with the uninsured -- expenses likely to be borne by taxpayers and charities, Camarota said.
Both sides said financial, cultural and language differences all make it hard for immigrants to afford care, understand medical advice or embrace recommendations from American doctors and nurses.
A much higher percentage of adult immigrants lack a high school education, which makes it difficult for them to navigate the health care system, said Elena Rios, president of the National Hispanic Medical Association.
"They don't understand the lingo," such as what a cholesterol reading signifies, she said. "Because of limited education levels, you can't connect the dots and think about what prevention like physical exercise means in terms of the future and things like heart disease and cancer."
Immigrants often live in low-income neighborhoods with fewer hospitals, clinics, physicians and pharmacies, she said. And many Latin Americans, coming from countries with government-run health systems, are unfamiliar with the concept of buying insurance.
In addition, many immigrants do not qualify for government health programs that are targeted at specific groups such as retirees, American Indians and veterans, Camarota said.
Over the long term, Himmelstein said, the potential ramifications for children are most alarming. The data showed immigrant children had fewer doctor visits, took less medication and made fewer trips to the emergency room. But their emergency room costs were nearly triple those for non-immigrant children, suggesting that immigrant families missed routine checkups and waited until a condition was more serious before seeking treatment, Himmelstein said.
It is far more likely, he said, that immigrant children do not receive standard vaccinations and let chronic problems such as asthma go untreated.
Even better-educated, insured immigrants -- and U.S.-born minorities -- received less care, probably because of racism and cultural differences, Mohanty said.
The paper's authors, who are active in the liberal Physicians for a National Health Program, said one solution would be to provide everyone with basic health coverage. Short of that, they advocated lifting restrictions on government health programs and easing entry into employer-provided health plans.
Camarota, who agreed that legal immigrants should have greater access to care, said lawmakers need to take a more critical look at who is allowed into the United States. He said, "The solution to the problem is make them go home or not let them in the first place."
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McCAIN-KENNEDY BILL COULD WORK, SAYS IMMIGRATION REFORMER
EDITOR'S NOTE: The debate over immigration reform -- there are 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. -- is about to heat up in the Senate. A bipartisan bill, the "2005 Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act," sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass), which calls for a path to legalization for undocumented workers, has gained the support of immigrant rights advocates. PNS editor Rene Ciria-Cruz spoke with Frank Sharry, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Immigration Forum, on the merits of the McCain-Kennedy bill and its chances of passage.
BY RENE P. CIRIA-CRUZ, PACIFIC NEWS SERVICE
PNS: Why a bipartisan bill at all? Why not a party-line split?
SHARRY: Both left and right have tensions over immigration. The division on the right is more visible these days. On the left, there are those who see immigrants as competing with American workers. Democrats on the whole vote more sympathetically to immigrants. But we're happy about bipartisan efforts because it's obvious that Republicans dominate both Senate and the House, and there's a Republican in the White House. A bill with only Democratic support will not be considered serious.
Q: Does the McCain-Kennedy bill have a good chance of passing?
A: It's got to be bipartisan to pass and comprehensive to work. We got Sen. John McCain, who's a maverick, Sen. Ted Kennedy and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), a social conservative as co-sponsors. We believe there's a bipartisan majority for comprehensive reform that could lead to a much better treatment of immigrants. But carving that out, given tensions between parties and the more visible anti-immgrant sentiments in the GOP, will be tough. We'll give it our best shot.
Q: Is the bill good enough for immigrant rights advocates to support?
A: Here's what's needed. A path to legal residency for the workers already in U.S. More family visas to reduce the backlog for reunification. A worker-friendly approach to worker visas rather than old-style guest worker programs that lead to abuse. Smart enforcement that works rather than heavy-handed enforcement that sounds tough but doesn't work. Programs that help immigrants learn English and become productive citizens. We looked at McCain-Kennedy and, you know what? It basically matches up with the principles we base our work on.
Q: What if McCain-Kennedy gets pulled to the right as a compromise with conservatives?
A: The big question for conservatives is -- yes, they want tougher enforcement, and they're struggling with what to do with the 11 million unauthorized workers here. When they see that McCain-Kennedy offers a path to legalization -- even if it will take years and immigrants must go through the hoops, and it really doesn't give any advantage over the people waiting in line -- they think it's an amnesty program and they're spooked. Let's see. If they recognize that a path to legalization is needed, otherwise the undocumented won't come forward, then that's good. But if they say, yeah, immigrants can work but then they must go home, well that's a non-starter.
Q: The bill recently introduced by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) is a work-and-return program, or as critics say, a "report and deport" program. Will that fly?
A: The tensions within the GOP could be more pronounced if there's a hard line that says unauthorized workers have to go home. Who's most worried about "work and return" is the business community, which is afraid that the most trained workers will have to leave.
Q: So that's why employer sanctions aren't working?
A: The interesting thing is, under the current system, both business and labor are opposed to sanctions. If you have a legalized system and take away opportunities for widespread abuse and exploitation by employers, a secure electronic verification system supported by both business and labor could work.
Q: Is the tension on the left over immigration reform coming from unions?
A: The labor movement deserves a lot of credit for changing its position. Are there difficulties with some unions and some members? Yes. Are there low-wage workers who see immigrants as a threat? Yes. Wages haven't gone up, and there's an exaggerated perception that some industries are dominated by immigrants. But in 2000, the Sports Arena in L.A. was filled with 20,000 people in a pro-immigrant rally organized by labor. Labor spearheaded the immigrant workers freedom ride, a historic mobilization. Over the last five years labor has moved much more firmly into the pro-immigrant camp.
Q: But an "illegal-immigrant-friendly" legislation is still a tough sell.
A: There is, of course, the sentiment in Congress and the public that the undocumented are lawbreakers and should be punished. It's easy to say, "What part of illegal don't you understand." But if you ask people, "Are we really going to round up those 11 million and send them out of the country?" many will say, "Wait a minute, that's not very practical or even possible. Besides they work and often have the toughest jobs no one likes. They families, most are law-abiding, let's get real." I think we've made some progress in the public discussion.
Q: But do we really need more immigrants, although legal, now?
A: We're not talking about increasing immigration, we're talking about increasing the legality of immigration. We must modernize the system by recognizing that we have an increasingly integrated labor market with Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean where 80 percent of unauthorized workers come from.
We have a booming service sector. We have fewer Americans to begin with because of lower birth rates, and the native-born are going to college to have jobs that aren't in the service sector. Our economy is increasingly depending on immigrants -- this shouldn't take place in the black market. It should take place under the rule of law.
A: How is the balance of forces looking right now for comprehensive reform?
Q: To get something passed would take everything going just right -- a Senate bill that passes with a big majority, a president that implores House GOP leaders to get real and bring immigration under control. That's a lot to imagine. But if it doesn't get resolved by the 2006 elections or 2007, it will be prominent again in the 2008 elections. Despite the odds in the short term, we're convinced it's not a matter of if, but when.
If you're serious in a post-9/11 world, your policies must match with the reality. Most people get that just being tough makes you feel good at first but doesn't do the job. We have a 21st century immigration reality. We've been dealing with it with a 1950s set of attitudes and policies.
Q: How would you like to frame the public discourse?
A: We must confront the American people with the question, "What's your solution? Instead of complaining about our broken system, let's talk about solutions. Will your solution make workers come out of the shadows and register with the the government? Will people who would've come illegally be able to come legally with rights, labor protection and family members? Will your solution turn a system that's that broken and rife with illegality and abuse into a system that's orderly, safe and regulated?
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/28/AR2005072801623.html
Navy: Company Tried to Sway Vieques Vote
By JOHN J. LUMPKIN
The Associated Press
Thursday, July 28, 2005; 7:27 PM
WASHINGTON -- A communications company hired by the Navy only briefly performed work aimed at influencing the outcome of a vote on the island of Vieques in 2001 before Navy officials deemed the effort improper and stopped it, a Navy spokesman said Thursday.
In a July 2001 modification to a $1.6 million contract between the Navy and the Rendon Group of Washington, the Navy asked Rendon to "conduct public outreach to build grassroots support" for continued Navy training on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques.
At the time, the question of whether to keep using the range for Navy bombing practice was to be subject to a vote by island residents. The referendum was eventually scrapped by Congress after President Bush halted the bombing practice, and the range closed in 2003.
On Thursday, Rear Adm. T.L. McCreary, a Navy spokesman, provided a copy of an additional modification to the Rendon contract, signed in October 2001, that replaced the earlier language. It told Rendon instead to provide factual information about the Navy's operations on the island.
McCreary said Rendon only did the work under the July 2001 modification for "a short period," and Navy officials stopped it well before the October 2001 revision.
"The 20 July modification was done in error, caught by the leadership of the Navy, and changed in October 2001 to what is appropriate to inform citizens on Vieques," he said. He said he did not have more specific information about what work Rendon may have done.
According to documents obtained by the watchdog group Judicial Watch and provided to The Associated Press last week, the Navy's Fleet and Industrial Supply Center in Norfolk, Va., initially contracted with Rendon Group for advice on "dissemination of accurate information" to Vieques residents on whether to keep part of the island as a training range.
Under language in the July 2001 modification that was later removed, Rendon was to "develop methods and tracking procedures to increase support among citizens in Vieques to support and vote in the 6 November 2001 referendum for the option of continued Navy training at Vieques."
The Navy had used Vieques as its main Atlantic Coast training range for more than 50 years, but protests grew after an off-target bomb killed a civilian guard working at the range in 1999. The Navy said it needed the range to train its sailors to defend the country, but opponents said the bombing harmed the environment and the health of Vieques' 9,100 residents.
More about The Rendon Group:
http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/2001Q4/rendon.html
Empresas latinas aumentaron 31 por ciento en cinco años
Washington, 28 jul (EFE).- Las empresas hispanas y de otras minorías crecen más rápido que la media nacional, según revela un estudio de la Oficina del Censo de EEEUU que indica que los negocios latinos crecieron un 31 por ciento entre 1997 y 2002.
"El estudio deja claro que los hispanos tienen un gran futuro en este país", dijo a EFE Janet Murguía, presidenta del Consejo Nacional de La Raza (NCLR).
El informe, que analiza el período 1997-2002, señala que frente al aumento del 31 por ciento de los negocios hispanos, el crecimiento medio nacional se quedó en 10 por ciento.
En 1997 había 1.199.896 firmas latinas en el país, pero cinco años más tarde las empresas con dueños hispanos eran 1.574.159, según los datos que maneja el censo.
Esos mismos datos sostienen que los negocios hispanos obtuvieron un aumento de sus ganancias del 22 por ciento: mientras en 1997 generaron ingresos de 186.000 millones de dólares, en 2002 recibieron 226.000 millones de dólares, 40.000 millones más.
Cerca del 40 por ciento de las empresas latinas en 2002, según el estudio, operaban en los sectores administrativo, industrial y de cuidados sanitarios, mientras que 13 por ciento se dedicaba a la construcción.
Los estados que registraron un mayor aumento de los negocios hispanos fueron Nuevo México, Texas, Florida y California.
Según el informe, en estos cuatro estados las firmas hispanas pasaron de controlar el 15 por ciento al 22 por ciento de los negocios.
El estudio agrega que en 2002 los afroamericanos eran los dueños del 25 por ciento de las compañías de Washington DC y entre 12 y 15 por ciento de las empresas en Maryland, Georgia, Misisipi y Luisiana.
Ese mismo año, los asiáticos eran dueños del 45 por ciento de los negocios de Hawai, del 13 por ciento de las empresas en California y del 9 por ciento en Nueva York.
Mientras que los indígenas nativos y de Alaska eran los dueños del 8 por ciento de las firmas comerciales en ese estado, y del 5 por ciento en Oklahoma y Nuevo México.
Murguía señaló que el crecimiento de la comunidad hispana no le quita espacio a ningún otro grupo minoritario, y destacó que si las minorías se unen podrán mejorar su calidad de vida de un modo más rápido.
"Todos compartimos los mismos objetivos comunes de crecimiento y bienestar para nuestras comunidades, por lo tanto es lógico que unamos nuestros esfuerzos", agregó.
El reporte sostiene que el grupo étnico de mayor crecimiento durante este quinquenio fueron los nativos de Hawai y otras islas del Océano Pacífico, que vieron aumentar sus negocios en un 67 por ciento.
En segundo lugar se ubicaron los negocios afroamericanos con un aumento del 45 por ciento, seguidos por los latinos con un 31 por ciento.
Los negocios de los indígenas nativos y de Alaska crecieron un 24 por ciento y los de los blancos no hispanos, un 8 por ciento.
El estudio señala que mientras las empresas encabezadas por hombres aumentaron al mismo ritmo que la media nacional -10 por ciento-, los negocios dirigidos por mujeres registraron un crecimiento del 20 por ciento.
Los negocios hispanos con empleados fueron los únicos que registraron un crecimiento negativo, con una caída del 6 por ciento.
Mientras en 1997 había 211.884 empresas latinas que habían contratado mano de obra, en 2002 el número bajó a 199.725.
Por el contrario, el reporte señala que hubo un aumento del 39 por ciento de hispanos propietarios de empresas sin empleados, que pasaron de 988.012 negocios en 1997 a 1.374.434 en 2002.
Según la Oficina del Censo, los latinos son la primera minoría del país y alcanzan los 41 millones de personas, lo que equivale al 13 por ciento de la población total. EFE
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