Daily Newspapers en español

EDLP reports on how “sanctuary cities” have become a target of criticism by Republican presidential candidates. The paper specifically refers to Thompson and Romney The paper draws a comparison between the crime rate in New York City where police officers cannot ask someone their immigration status and Boston where they can, according to the article.

El Diario/La Prensa reports on negative reaction to New York Governor Spitzer’s proposal of a lower-grade driver’s license. New York State Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco’s is quoted making the “acid” complaint that those who favor driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants won’t be satisfied until they get “the whole enchilada.” EDLP says the “culinary reference was repudiated by other legislators who considered it disrespectful and inappropriate.” La Opinión carries an editorial in favor of New York Governor Spitzer’s proposal of a lower-grade driver’s license calling it an “undeniable and important step in the right direction.”

La Opinión cites data from the California Office of Emergency Services that of the 130 people injured by the fires at least fifty were undocumented immigrants. At the University of California, San Diego Burn Center four of the seventeen patients are firemen and eleven are believed to be undocumented immigrants.

El Nuevo Herald reports on the deportation of Julio and Liliana Gómez parents of Alex and Juan Gómez. The Gómez family was ordered in July to return to their native Colombia. Juan’s high school classmates rallied round his cause and lobbied on his behalf in Washington, D.C. The Gómez brothers won a temporary reprieve thanks to a private bill submitted to Congress by Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart.

http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/290318.html

More on City of East Los Angeles Cityhood

A new study funded by the East Los Angeles Residents Association argues cityhood for East Los Angeles is financially feasible.

The 62-page Initial Fiscal Analysis, by Burr Consulting of Los Angeles, said that a City of East Los Angeles would generate about $51 million in revenues and possibly more in the future.

That would be enough to cover the services the city would contract from the county, including police, fire, library, water and schools, and support its own municipal government, according to the study.

The area includes a great deal of tax-exempt land and a small tax base. However, the report argues that it’s central location, freeway frontage, and underutilized commercial space, there is potential for East Los Angeles to develop commercial uses that would enhance the future tax base and finance increased service levels.

East Los Angeles Residents Association is pushing to hold a referendum next year on whether to incorporate as a city. The community is currently an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, but is not part of the City of Los Angeles.

Some 95 percent of East L.A.’s 126,000 residents are Latino. The community has a 27 percent poverty rate.

- Christina Hoag

Giuliani Response to Clinton on Driver’s Licenses

Rudy Giulian’s press office sent out this partial transcript of his appearance on Glenn Beck’s show:

GLENN BECK: “Did you watch with your mouth opening thinking, ‘I don’t even know what that answer about driver’s licenses even means from Hillary Clinton?’”

MAYOR GIULIANI: “You know, she was being attacked all night for taking different positions in front of different audiences and then by the end of the night, she took different positions in front of the same audience. It was pretty amazing. I mean, in politics I’ve never quite seen that before. I know there are some politicians like Hillary. They say different things to different people. They use different accents in different parts of the country. I’m used to that about her now. I had never seen it happen all in one place, in one minute. And Glenn, this is not a tough issue.”

BECK: “Ok. Tell me the answer to this issue.”

MAYOR GIULIANI: “The answer is no. Or if you believe the opposite the answer is yes. Obama gave the answer yes. Ok. I disagree with that. I think it’s a big mistake. I respect the man for having a position. My answer to it is no. Of course you don’t give out driver’s licenses to illegals. Among other things, it’ll make it even more difficult to deal with all the fraud, all the forgery that’s going on.”

Clinton-Dodd Exchange on Immigration and Driver’s Licenses

In last night’s debate, NBC anchor Tim Russert asked Senator Hillary Clinton, “Why does it make a lot of sense to give an illegal immigrant a driver’s license?” To which, the Senator responded:

“CLINTON: Well, what Governor Spitzer is trying to do is fill the vacuum left by the failure of this administration to bring about comprehensive immigration reform. We know in New York we have several million at any one time who are in New York illegally. They are undocumented workers. They are driving on our roads. The possibility of them having an accident that harms themselves or others is just a matter of the odds. It’s probability.

“… I believe we need to get back to comprehensive immigration reform because no state, no matter how well intentioned, can fill this gap. There needs to be federal action on immigration reform.”

Senator Chris Dodd then argued against issuing driver’s licenses to those entered the country illegally:

“DODD: This is a privilege. And, look, I’m as forthright and progressive on immigration policy as anyone here. But we’re dealing with a serious problem here, we need to have people come forward. The idea that we’re going to extend this privilege here of a driver’s license I think is troublesome, and I think the American people are reacting to it.

“We need to deal with security on our borders. We need to deal with the attraction that draws people here. We need to deal fairly with those who are here.

“But this is a privilege. Talk about health care, I have a different opinion. That affects the public health of all of us.

“But a license is a privilege, and that ought not to be extended, in my view.”

And then Senators Clinton and Dodd got into the following exchange:

“CLINTON: Well, I just want to add, I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do…

“(UNKNOWN): Wait a minute…

“CLINTON: And we have failed. We have failed.

“DODD: No, no, no. You said — you said yes…

“CLINTON: No.

“DODD: … you thought it made sense to do it.

“CLINTON: No, I didn’t, Chris. But the point is, what are we going to do with all these illegal immigrants who are driving…”

Tim Russert then pressed Senator Clinton to answer whether she supports the Spitzer proposal

“CLINTON: You know, Tim, this is where everybody plays “gotcha.” It makes a lot of sense. What is the governor supposed to do? He is dealing with a serious problems. We have failed. And George Bush has failed. Do I think this is the best thing for any governor to do? No. But do I understand the sense of real desperation, trying to get a handle on this? Remember, in New York, we want to know who’s in New York. We want people to come out of the shadows.

“He’s making an honest effort to do it. We should have passed immigration reform.”

Edwards and Obama then proceeded to attack Clinton for trying to have it both ways.

The whole exchange lent weight to Rahm Emanuel’s description of immigration “as the third rail of American politics.“

Obama Telenovela

Miguel Orozco still holds the title for the most innovative piece of Latino political marketing in this campaign to date. Orozco produced a catchy reggaetón jingle on his own dime to promote the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama.

Now he has put together “a web-based mini-novela series” for the same purpose. Right now, all that’s available is a preview clip:

For more information about this story, read here.
Obama

Blogobarrio II

Sorry for the delay in posting this second paseo por el blogobarrio.

“Adventures of the Coconut Caucus: We Put the PANIC in Hispanic” highlights a somewhat bizarre incident reported by the Frederick News-Post. The original article reads, in part:

“Mauricio R. Arellano and three friends were eager to get to Charles Town, W.Va. last December. They planned to spend a few hours gambling together at the casino.

“Since some of the men had been drinking before they left their houses in Anne Arundel County, Arellano, who was sober, agreed to drive. That decision ended up landing him in jail.

“As the men headed west on U.S. 340 at about 11:30 p.m., they were stopped by a deputy with the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.

“Why?

“The car Arellano was driving had too many air fresheners hanging from the rear view mirror, according to prosecutors.”

This is a new twist to Driving While Latino. The article goes on:

“Guy Djoken, president of the Frederick branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said members have questions about how the authority will be used. While they support deportation of illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, they want to ensure the civil rights of Hispanic residents are not violated.

“Some people seem to confuse being Hispanic with being an illegal immigrant or a criminal, Djoken said.

“… To help ensure profiling doesn’t occur, members of the Frederick County branch of the NAACP will meet today with the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.”

Adventures reacts to the article saying:

“Well, while the people at La Raza (which continues to call itself the largest Hispanic civil rights organization) are busy throwing galas to honor Alberto GONEzales and raising money from Wall-Mart, the NAACP is out defending our gente…”

“Good thing they have some time left over for us….”

Coincidentally, Tony’s Kansas City writes “Increasingly, in the Midwest politics is becoming a struggle that’s fought across racial lines. In Kansas, Blacks and Latinos are working together to challenge some of the more hostile legislation in the works.”

This article from the Journal Record in Oklahoma bolsters TKC’s argument as it mentions the local NAACP chapter’s opposition to the “Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act.”

The prolific TKC also writes about “Driving Dolores Huerta.” See here for background relevant to that post.

LatinaLista says “Anti-Latino rhetoric has become so rampant in the last few days that it rivals the speed and ferocity of the San Diego fires.”

Rahm Emanuel’s comments to the Washington Post about immigration being the “third rail of American politics” reverberated through el blogobarrio. Of América writes:

“Talk of a “third rail” coming from one of the top Democrats-one who is central to plotting strategy and raising money towards their 08 campaigns - is nothing less than dangerous. Such statements mean that candidates and incumbents not only need to stay away from immigration issues; such talk means that some Democrats will feel encouraged to follow the anti-immigrant path trod by some of their peers previously. Consider the crop of recently elected “pragmatists” like Montana’s Senator John Tester and Missouri’s Senator Claire McCaskill. Both ran to the hard right of even the most basic immigration reform earlier this year. And when the Dream Act came up for a vote Tuesday, they joined the Republicans in denying the Dream to immigrant students.”

Dos Centavos adds “It almost seems like Rahm Emanuel is getting set to allow Democrats to roll over and take it from the right-wing on immigration.”

Dos Centavos also writes about new immigration legislation that Congressman Sensenbrenner is planning to introduce:

“How the Democrats respond will be of interest. Will they do anything for a vote? Or will they take the Latino electorate seriously and fight?

“Meanwhile, keep an eye on Emanuel and the “leadership.”

On an entirely different topic, Babalú Blog cites

“another example of a Hollywood favorite that has not allowed himself to be blinded by the castro/che love-fest so popular on the left coast. In this question and answer session in the Charlotte Observer, actor/director/writer/producer John Waters even takes a stab at his Hollywood friends.

“Q. If the United States is destined to be the world’s policeman, where should we send our troops next — and why?

“A. To Cuba, to find the people who were mean to gay people and locked them up and punished them, just the way we (went after) the Nazis. We’re supposed to forget that? I can’t, and that’s the only thing I’m right-wing on; Che Guevara was horrible to gay people. And something about my rich liberal friends going to Cuba rubs me the wrong way, because Cuban people can’t do what we do there and spend the money we spend.”

And la última y nos vamos, “Mi blog es tu blog” riffs amusingly in response to an earlier item posted at La Política about independent presidential candidate Daniel Imperato:

“Frankly, I didn’t know Mr. Imperato before today, but he might want to take a cue from a bodega-owner in my neighborhood, José Liberato, whose shop’s slogan is simply brilliant: ‘Su nombre, José Liberato… Su destino, Vender Barato.’”

“Think about it, a combination with the presidential hopeful can result in a beautiful slogan for both, the bodega and the campaign:

“‘Su nombre, José Liberato… Su destino, Vender Barato… Su Candidato, Daniel Imperato!’”