← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · jay
Thread ID: 8131 | Posts: 4 | Started: 2003-07-15
2003-07-15 15:14 | User Profile
[url=http://www.statesman.com/asection/content/auto/epaper/editions/monday/news_f32155cb379da09a00c7.html]http://www.statesman.com/asection/content/...9da09a00c7.html[/url]
La Raza president calls Bush a 'major disappointment' In Austin, council's leader says president offers little substance
By Juan Castillo
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, July 14, 2003
The nation's 38 million Hispanics must control their destiny and not be fooled by broken promises and "piñata politics," the president of the National Council of La Raza said Sunday in a blistering attack on the Bush administration's record and on politicians of all stripes "who take our votes for granted."
"Fight when our community is threatened," Raul Yzaguirre said. "Let's summon the courage to make sure our families can get a good education, decent health care and a real economic opportunity for economic prosperity.
"The truth is that for the issues that matter to us, this administration has been a major disappointment for the Latino community," Yzaguirre said. color=red[/color] Not far from the Capitol, where he launched his run for the presidency, Bush was a prominent and repeated target. Earlier, Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry bashed Bush's record on health care, education and immigration.
"Last election, he promised so much to win your votes," Kerry said. "But President Bush won't be running on his rhetoric this time; he'll be running on his record."
Kerry's 45-minute speech before a standing-room-only audience, which was followed by a spirited standing ovation, represented a pitch for the country's Hispanic vote.
La Raza is a nonpartisan Washington-based think tank and advocacy group and does not endorse candidates. But with more than 300 affiliates and because it claims to work with a network of 30,000 groups and individuals, it represents a key slice of the Latino electorate.
The number of registered Latino voters increased 20 percent from 1996 to 2000. Hispanic voters are expected to increase by 2 million in 2004, according to the council.
The four-day annual conference of Hispanic leaders began Saturday at the Austin Convention Center and is expected to draw about 20,000 to Austin. Henry Cisneros, the former Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary and mayor of San Antonio, announced that the conference was the biggest ever at the Austin Convention Center.
"It's a Texas-sized gathering of our best and our brightest," Cisneros said before introducing Kerry, whom he has endorsed for president.
Yzaguirre said his disappointment was magnified because many in the Latino community had high hopes for Bush, based on his record as governor of Texas and his campaign promises.
"But these hopes turned out to be a false image, a mirage," Yzaguirre said. He said the president's plan to "win our votes comes down to taking as many pictures with us as possible."
"But in reality, these picture are what I call piñata politics. They blindfold you and hope you are satisfied with a few trinkets that fall to the ground."
Yzaguirre said Democrats must be held to the same standard.
"This is not about one president, one election or one political party. Democrats must and will be held to the same standard I hold President Bush today. **For too long, Democrats have received our votes without delivering much in the way of change." ** Yzaguirre said 7.3 million Latinos are not yet registered to vote and 1.6 million registered voters did not vote in 2000. "Turning this around is the key to realizing our destiny. But new voters are not enough, and even voting is not enough. We have to be better informed, ask tougher questions, make our views known early and band together on common interests."
In introducing Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, Cisneros said America needs a "legitimate, brave national debate on the important questions," including matters of national security and terrorist threats.
He said he was convinced that Kerry was the one candidate with the strength and stamina who could survive the political combat and who can say, "Mr. President, Mr. (Karl) Rove (one of Bush's top advisers), I've taken your best shot. Now you're going to have to explain to the American people how you've lost almost 3 million jobs, how you blew a (budget) surplus and turned it into a deficit."
**Kerry said that, if elected, he would fight to ensure health coverage for every child. **
"This president is accountable for making a mockery of the words `leave no child behind,' " Kerry said, noting that one in four Hispanic children in the United States is without health insurance.
He said he supports restoration of health benefits for all legal immigrant children. Kerry said he will sign the DREAM Act, which would make college more accessible to undocumented students. The act repeals a law that prevents these students, who have graduated from high school in the United States, from attending college in this country.
He said a program of earned legalization is the "only way to strengthen our homeland security." Undocumented workers who pay taxes should be allowed to earn an adjustment in their immigrant status.
**On a day when the conference paid tribute to Hispanics in the military and the valor of its war heroes, Kerry said he would support expediting citizenship for members of the armed forces. More than 37,000 service members are noncitizens, and about 10,000 of those are Hispanic. **
Later, speaking to reporters, Kerry said he didn't think it would be necessary to raise taxes to pay for the social service programs in his platform.
"If the Bush tax cut goes through, I'm going to have to do what I have to do when I'm elected (and repeal it)," Kerry said. "Now, they will say I'm raising taxes. Tough. I will fight that fight."
At the conference's afternoon symposium, La Raza honored the contributions that Hispanics, including 40 Congressional Medal of Honor winners, have made in the U.S. military.
The president of Spain, José MarÃÂa Aznar, who delivered the keynote speech, praised Hispanic Americans and the duality of their culture.
"You have had the wisdom to become the largest bilingual community on Earth," he said. "You have known to hold fast to the privilege of belonging to two great universal cultures. . . . You are a dynamic community, growing and making progress. You are part of a universe of over 400 million Spanish speakers."
The conference continues today with appearances by Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.
jcastillo@statesman.com
2003-07-15 15:45 | User Profile
So Kerry is basically promising that his immigration policy will be even more f***ed up than el Busho's.
**Kerry said that, if elected, he would fight to ensure health coverage for every child. **
Which means, effectively, free health care for everybody who even wants into the country.
2003-07-15 16:50 | User Profile
The "Wetbacks" were never going to vote for Bushie. Bush's selling out of America is not even getting him anything. What a Moron!
2003-07-15 21:48 | User Profile
Faust, he's not looking to gain "mexican votes" - he wants the political donations to come in from business who profits from his immivasion policies.
Eventually, he'll just move the GOP left on the political spectrum to gain nonwhite votes. The GOP in 20 years will resemble the NYC Republican Machine with Bloomberg/Giuliani: social liberals who fight for tax cuts and crime prevention.
(Except, Bloomberg just raised taxes. Guess the future GOP is in trouble, eh?)
-Jay
the truth is, the GOP will become as pro-diversity and anti-white as it takes to GET the Mexican vote in 20 years.