Jeffrey Miron - The Tea Party’s Cynical Opposition to Immigration Reform

Last month, the Senate adopted immigration reform by a 68-32 vote, with 14 Republicans in favor. Prospects for reform are still grim, however, because Tea Party Republicans in the House are dead set against the bill’s “path to citizenship.” At a minimum, these members insist a path cannot occur without “enforceable” triggers that confirm the effectiveness of the bill’s new border security measures.

 The Senate’s bill has real flaws — insufficient legal immigration, and grotesque over-complexity — but the Tea Party’s objections are misguided and cynical. Tea Partiers claim that a path to citizenship is wrong because it rewards people who have broken the rules to immigrate. This perspective has a grain of truth. Other things equal, policy should promote respect for the law and avoid rewarding those who break it. In this instance, however, other factors are more important.

Continue Reading: http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/tea-partys-cynical-opposition-immigration-reform

Immigration Myths with Ben Powell

Latino Republicans at the March 2013 California Republican Convention

Latinos had a significant presence at the March California Republican Convention in Sacramento, including a large showing by startup group GROW Elect—a Latino Republican candidate recruitment PAC.

Devastating losses in the 2012 election cycle has caused party leadership to pay closer attention to Latinos, the fastest growing minority in America and soon to be the largest ethnic group in California.

Mark Stefanos for CalWatchdog interviews Republican Latinos attending the convention.

Peter King Won’t Attend Republican Dinner Headlined By Sen. Ted Cruz

“I don’t think we should be acknowledging people who are voting against us in our hour of need,” King said. The dinner will raise money for the state Republican Party. ~ Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y

WASHINGTON — New York Republican Peter King is boycotting a state party dinner tomorrow night featuring Sen. Ted Cruz over the Texas conservative’s efforts to defeat a Hurricane Sandy bill earlier this year. “I don’t think we should be acknowledging people who are voting against us in our hour of need,” King told BuzzFeed of his decision to not attend the dinner. King has loudly criticized Republicans like Cruz who come to New York to raise money but voted against the Hurricane Sandy bill, and has urged other Republicans to freeze out opponents to the relief bill.

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/katenocera/peter-king-wont-attend-republican-dinner-headlined-by-ted-cr

Republican Party Taps Jennifer Sevilla Korn as New Hispanic Outreach Director

GOP strategist Jennifer Sevilla Korn 

The Republican National Committee is tapping veteran GOP strategist Jennifer Sevilla Korn to lead the party's effort to become competitive again with Latino voters, it announced on Tuesday.

 Korn will hold the titles Deputy Political Director and National Field Director for Hispanic Initiatives. Her selection comes as the GOP is looking for ways to rebuild its credibility with Latino voters after taking a shellacking in the 2012 presidential election, when President Obama won over seven in ten Latino votes.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/republican-national-committee-taps-news-hispanic-outreach-director/story?id=19267548#.UaVCs2OnbD0

HLN Executive Director Jennifer Korn interview 

Shikha Dalmia: 5 Reasons Why Low Skilled Immigrants

Susana Martinez | TIME 100: The Most Influential People in the World

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has been named by Time magazine to its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. At 18 and armed with a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum, Susana Martinez guarded parking lots at church bingo nights for her parents’ security business.

She later attended law school, becoming a prosecutor and handling child-abuse and homicide cases. Fired by her boss after being called to testify against him, she challenged him at the polls, eventually winning four terms as Doña Ana County district attorney.

 Read more: http://time100.time.com/2013/04/18/time-100/slide/susana-martinez/#ixzz2TpU4rsIJ

Rich Valdes: Obama courts Hispanic support using ‘jobs’ pretext, Leaders skeptical

NEW JERSEY, May 10, 2013 ― President Obama traveled to Mexico and Costa Rica just days before the Cinco de Mayo celebration as part of his “Latin America” and “Jobs” tour, then headed to Texas Thursday morning.

With the Hispanic or Latino demographic category as the largest minority group in the U.S. (about 50,478,000, or 16.5 percent of the population) and the fastest-growing voting bloc, one can understand why the President wants to make nice with this group.

However, leaders in Latin America are skeptical about Obama and his intentions.

Read more: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/-list-americanism/2013/may/10/obama-courts-hispanic-support-using-jobs-pretext-m/#ixzz2TpPTUHzq 

Jose Fulgencio: My Interview with George McDonald

Last week (May 10, 2013) I had the honor to interview George McDonald, 2013 Republican candidate for the Mayor of New York City. I asked George, which he prefers to be called, a series of questions on his campaign platform for Mayor and his views on what it means to be Mayor for New York City.

George does not speak the usual political talk and instead uses his experience as an entrepreneur, founder and CEO of The Doe Fund, which is a non-profit organization that helps homeless and formerly incarcerated New Yorkers change their life through the power of work, spirit to his candidacy and his passion to help the community reach its highest potential is set forth in his platform.

George is disturbed by the commonality of Americans and with the government saying that it is all right to stay in the middle class. George mentions how there is nothing wrong with an individual wanting to reach higher than just middle class. If one can set their mind to it then there is nothing one cannot achieve.

When asked if there is a platform to outreach the Latino communities of New York City George mentions how he want’s to reach out to every community because he wants to help everyone not just specialize on one group. Yet he did mention how the Latino communities play an important part of New York City and how Latino immigrant’s hard work ethnic has transformed them into successful entrepreneurs and benefited New York City.

George wants to instill the entrepreneurial spirit by turning human capital into capital. One of the major platforms that George wants to do is create business opportunities and have full employment. George also wants to make NYC a business friendly environment and making it a better environment for small businesses to start and for the current small businesses to prosper.

George wants to lessen regulations on businesses to create more revenue for the city through payroll tax incentives. As Mayor, George would appoint a Deputy Mayor for Workforce Development to make sure jobs are being created, lessen the regulations on businesses and that there is an increase of businesses being created.

When asked about fighting crime in New York City George wants to continue to keep New York City as the safest city in America from terrorism and violence in the communities. George wants to make a “focus impact” by assigning the responsibility of the community to the people of the community.

George also wants to get the trust of the communities and to make sure that former inmates get jobs out of prison and to lessen the impact of crime by replacing it with jobs.

On the education front as mayor George wants to make sure that the department of education educates the students of New York City. Education is an important part of being mayor and George wants the education of every child in the city to be of value because it translates into a better society and higher quality workforce.

To learn more about George, his platform, volunteer opportunities, donate to his campaign or to be part of his campaign visit www.mcdonald2013.com

- Interviewed by Jose Fulgencio, former Editor in Chief of El Republicanos (HHR’s Spanish Blog)  Follow on Twitter @jful51

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Jose Fulgencio is currently a Lecturer in the Political Science Department at Oklahoma State University, a graduate student finishing his M.S. in Entrepreneurship (May 2013) and is in the process of launching his third business venture with the guidance of the School of Entrepreneurship faculty at Oklahoma State University.