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Letters

STANDING UP FOR DEMS, LATINOS

I was disappointed to read in your November edition that a Latina has been fooled by the rhetoric of the Republicans and has joined the party that ignores the needs of minorities (Latina, Proud and Republican, My Perspective, November 2005).

As a Legislator serving in the Arizona House of Representatives, I see many Republicans at the Capitol pushing an anti-Latino agenda. Many Republicans in the Arizona Legislature are trying to penalize anyone with a Latino last name. They spend hours posturing on immigration with the goal of making it a wedge issue to win elections. On the other hand, Arizona House Democrats have always stood shoulder to shoulder with Latinos. We are fighting to exempt English-language learners from any AIMS high-school graduation test requirement until the state has met the court mandate in Flores v. Arizona. We do not want students penalized for the rest of their lives if they do not pass this one test. We are fighting to fund all-day kindergarten programs. An Arizona Department of Education report concludes full-day kindergarten may help reduce the achievement gap between minority or low-socioeconomic children and non-disadvantaged students.

We are backing the DREAM Act in Congress, which would allow undocumented students to attend colleges and universities. We think all people in America have a right to pursue a better life for themselves and one of the best ways to do that is through higher education. We are fighting to raise the minimum wage to $7.10 an hour with an automatic adjustment each year to compensate for inflation. Working families deserve a livable wage for an honest day's work.

Let's make a decision today that we, as a community, will be honest about the motives behind the Republicans' agenda. Their goal is to advance the causes of the people who fit into their mold and leave everyone else behind. Rep. Steve Gallardo, District 13-Phoenix Democrat, Arizona House of Representatives

Rep. Steve Gallardo, District 13-Phoenix
Democrat, Arizona House of Representatives

BILL WOULD DISRUPT

(The following letter was sent to the Arizona Congressional delegation):

The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AZHCC) represents the growing Hispanic small business community in Arizona.

I am writing to bring your attention to the House Immigration Enforcement Bill (HR-4437) recently introduced by Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. By focusing strictly on the enforcement side of immigration, this bill, as it stands today, would have a devastating impact on the growth potential of our thriving small business community.

The bill would convert an existing voluntary employment eligibility verification program, known as "Basic Pilot," into a mandatory program for all businesses to verify whether or not their employees are legal within two years. Specifically, the legislation requires all employers within two years of enactment to use an automated or Web-based program to check the name and Social Security number provided by the employee on the current Employment Eligibility Verification form against Social Security Administration and Homeland Security databases.

This new legislation would place the burden of verification requirements on employers, dramatically increasing penalties and paperwork for both large and small employers Ð up to $25,000 per individual employee.

This bill does not provide for the creation of an accountable guest worker program that would provide a strong viable workforce to meet the demands of our growing economy. The guest worker component is a key element in the AZHCC Immigration Reform initiative supported by the (AZHCC) Board of Directors.

As you know, small businesses are the backbone of our national, economy employing more than 92 percent of all workers. Hispanic small businesses are growing at a rate three times that of the national average. Latina-owned businesses have grown at twice this rate between 1997 and 2002. This trend is further reflection of the passion, energy and entrepreneurial spirit of our Hispanic business community and our potential for continued growth and influence is enormous.

As a leading Member of Congress, we urge you to oppose the mandatory employer verification requirements included in the "Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005" introduced by Rep. James Sensenbrenner.

Jessica Pacheco, board member
on behalf of the Arizona Hispanic