PittsburghAfterDark
CAGiversary!
Protesters condemn governor's support of citizen border patrols
By Steve Geissinger, SACRAMENTO BUREAU
SACRAMENTO — Hundreds of chanting immigrants — joined by Democratic lawmakers — called Monday for the ouster of Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger because of his "terrible," "irresponsible" and "discriminatory" support of armed citizen patrols on the Mexico border.
"Today, we're here to fight back" against what President Bush has denounced as "vigilantes," said Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, a South Gate Democrat who was among several Southern California and San Francisco Bay Area lawmakers who addressed demonstrators outside the Capitol.
"We're here to yell and scream and stand up to the bullying that's coming out of that building," De La Torre said. "He needs to be careful about what kind of fear and what kind of anger you spread in a state as diverse as California."
With a gubernatorial election looming next year, Schwarzenegger has "become an embarrassment to our state," said Assemblyman Albert Torrico, D-Newark."He sneaks in and out of buildings through the back door because he's afraid of you, because he can't face the people," Torrico said.
"Let's show him the back door to the Capitol. Let's send him back to Hollywood," Torrico said, drawing thunderous approval from a crowd that waved signs such as, "Arnold said close the borders: Go home now."
Schwarzenegger spokesman Vince Sollitto said in an interview afterward that the governor, as an immigrant from Austria, understands the contributions that immigrants have made to California and the nation.
But the governor also "appreciates the difference between legal and illegal immigration" and the need for "public safety and homeland security."
Schwarzenegger first triggered controversy when he said California needed to close the border to control illegal immigration. After he was criticized, he apologized and said he meant government needed to do more to secure the borders.
The governor then praised the Minuteman Project, saying it reduced the flow of illegal immigrants in Arizona. He now says he didn't endorse the Minutemen but that the federal government is falling short of doing its job of securing borders.
Last questioned on the issue, Schwarzenegger sidestepped the matter by saying, "I love Mexico."
The so-called Minuteman Project involves hundreds of volunteers, some armed, who have been patrolling the Arizona border since April
1 to document and report incidents of illegal crossing. The group is planning its first California patrols near San Diego in August.
The Minutemen and governor's comments have revived the long-running debate in California over whether the costs of illegal immigration outweigh the benefits.
Schwarzenegger's supporters in the controversy, such as GOP Assemblyman Ray Haynes of Murrieta, say a federal act allows state and counties to negotiate pacts with the federal government to help enforce immigration laws. Haynes envisions a 2006 California ballot initiative to clear the way for a state border force.
"Comments by Gov. Schwarzenegger have drawn attention to immigrants' presence in a terribly negative way," said Reshma Shamasunder, director of the California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative. "Immigrants contribute in a major way to our great state."
Oakland Democratic Assemblywoman Wilma Chan said "this is a country of immigrants" so it's "very surprising there's still so much discrimination."
"We have to tell our governor we don't want vigilantes with guns standing on our borders," Chan said. "We want health care, we want decent education, we want care for our elderly. That's what we're fighting for today."
Chan's comments were aimed partially at the Democrats' deficit-spawned budget battles with Schwarzenegger, who plans to sidestep the Legislature and take several partisan issues to a special fall election ballot.
Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally,
D-Compton, who spoke during an earlier press conference held by protesters, said "Schwarzenegger supported (immigrant-rights limiting Proposition) 187. He wants vigilantes on the border. He wants to close the border."
"The governor is the biggest enemy in this state that immigrants have," Dymally said.
Link
You know, these tactics of painting a politician as "against" immigration won't work. There isn't a sizable sement of the American population on the left or right that can't discern the difference between legal and illegal immigration. That these Hispanic and Latino Democrats pretend they're the same are really just hurting their own cause.
There are few groups out there demanding a stop to all legal immigration. To be fair though it's not a modern phenomenon. We've had that forever.
I love how this is presented, that people crossing up the beaches, across rivers, stretches of desert evading the border patrol and law enforcement are just as viable an immigrant as an Indian, Vietnamese or Eastern Europeans are or have been recently that have real skills and entered legally. The racism card being played here is just such a desperate attempt by the La Raza types in a battle that is finally being joined by people outside border states and national politicians.
I could care less if our best immigrants, correction, best LEGAL immigrants are coming from El Salvador, Columbia, Brazil, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Poland or India. Immigration to me has never been about race but legality, willingness to adopt a common language and contributing to our country. Illegals show none of the above traits, even their contributions (Questionable.) don't result in taxation and frequently involve substantial payrolls leaving the country never to circulate again in the U.S. econcomy. I don't think there's one person on this board that feels illegals deserve the same social services citizens and legal alien do other than emergency medical care.
This is such a loser for any political party to support publicly or even tacitly. Too many people are finally waking up to the national security and financial costs of illegal immigration. I'm really surprised state and national chairs aren't all over these lawmakers like stink on shit.
By Steve Geissinger, SACRAMENTO BUREAU
SACRAMENTO — Hundreds of chanting immigrants — joined by Democratic lawmakers — called Monday for the ouster of Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger because of his "terrible," "irresponsible" and "discriminatory" support of armed citizen patrols on the Mexico border.
"Today, we're here to fight back" against what President Bush has denounced as "vigilantes," said Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, a South Gate Democrat who was among several Southern California and San Francisco Bay Area lawmakers who addressed demonstrators outside the Capitol.
"We're here to yell and scream and stand up to the bullying that's coming out of that building," De La Torre said. "He needs to be careful about what kind of fear and what kind of anger you spread in a state as diverse as California."
With a gubernatorial election looming next year, Schwarzenegger has "become an embarrassment to our state," said Assemblyman Albert Torrico, D-Newark."He sneaks in and out of buildings through the back door because he's afraid of you, because he can't face the people," Torrico said.
"Let's show him the back door to the Capitol. Let's send him back to Hollywood," Torrico said, drawing thunderous approval from a crowd that waved signs such as, "Arnold said close the borders: Go home now."
Schwarzenegger spokesman Vince Sollitto said in an interview afterward that the governor, as an immigrant from Austria, understands the contributions that immigrants have made to California and the nation.
But the governor also "appreciates the difference between legal and illegal immigration" and the need for "public safety and homeland security."
Schwarzenegger first triggered controversy when he said California needed to close the border to control illegal immigration. After he was criticized, he apologized and said he meant government needed to do more to secure the borders.
The governor then praised the Minuteman Project, saying it reduced the flow of illegal immigrants in Arizona. He now says he didn't endorse the Minutemen but that the federal government is falling short of doing its job of securing borders.
Last questioned on the issue, Schwarzenegger sidestepped the matter by saying, "I love Mexico."
The so-called Minuteman Project involves hundreds of volunteers, some armed, who have been patrolling the Arizona border since April
1 to document and report incidents of illegal crossing. The group is planning its first California patrols near San Diego in August.
The Minutemen and governor's comments have revived the long-running debate in California over whether the costs of illegal immigration outweigh the benefits.
Schwarzenegger's supporters in the controversy, such as GOP Assemblyman Ray Haynes of Murrieta, say a federal act allows state and counties to negotiate pacts with the federal government to help enforce immigration laws. Haynes envisions a 2006 California ballot initiative to clear the way for a state border force.
"Comments by Gov. Schwarzenegger have drawn attention to immigrants' presence in a terribly negative way," said Reshma Shamasunder, director of the California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative. "Immigrants contribute in a major way to our great state."
Oakland Democratic Assemblywoman Wilma Chan said "this is a country of immigrants" so it's "very surprising there's still so much discrimination."
"We have to tell our governor we don't want vigilantes with guns standing on our borders," Chan said. "We want health care, we want decent education, we want care for our elderly. That's what we're fighting for today."
Chan's comments were aimed partially at the Democrats' deficit-spawned budget battles with Schwarzenegger, who plans to sidestep the Legislature and take several partisan issues to a special fall election ballot.
Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally,
D-Compton, who spoke during an earlier press conference held by protesters, said "Schwarzenegger supported (immigrant-rights limiting Proposition) 187. He wants vigilantes on the border. He wants to close the border."
"The governor is the biggest enemy in this state that immigrants have," Dymally said.
Link
You know, these tactics of painting a politician as "against" immigration won't work. There isn't a sizable sement of the American population on the left or right that can't discern the difference between legal and illegal immigration. That these Hispanic and Latino Democrats pretend they're the same are really just hurting their own cause.
There are few groups out there demanding a stop to all legal immigration. To be fair though it's not a modern phenomenon. We've had that forever.
I love how this is presented, that people crossing up the beaches, across rivers, stretches of desert evading the border patrol and law enforcement are just as viable an immigrant as an Indian, Vietnamese or Eastern Europeans are or have been recently that have real skills and entered legally. The racism card being played here is just such a desperate attempt by the La Raza types in a battle that is finally being joined by people outside border states and national politicians.
I could care less if our best immigrants, correction, best LEGAL immigrants are coming from El Salvador, Columbia, Brazil, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Poland or India. Immigration to me has never been about race but legality, willingness to adopt a common language and contributing to our country. Illegals show none of the above traits, even their contributions (Questionable.) don't result in taxation and frequently involve substantial payrolls leaving the country never to circulate again in the U.S. econcomy. I don't think there's one person on this board that feels illegals deserve the same social services citizens and legal alien do other than emergency medical care.
This is such a loser for any political party to support publicly or even tacitly. Too many people are finally waking up to the national security and financial costs of illegal immigration. I'm really surprised state and national chairs aren't all over these lawmakers like stink on shit.
