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Why Rick Perry is Good for Hispanics
Texas Tribune ^ | August 18, 2011 | Aaron Peña, R-Edinburg Texas

Posted on 08/26/2011 1:05:40 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

Whether you live where I do, in deep South Texas, or across our big and growing country, this is a time of historic significance. Hispanics will take the measure of a man not by what he says but what he does. Our community, like many, is suffering because Barack Obama continues to do the wrong things to end the jobs crisis.

Rick Perry’s record is not the empty rhetoric of hope. Rick Perry’s record gives us hope.

A week ago I asked the governor to comment on the opening of a customer service center and 400 jobs that his office helped locate to my hometown of Edinburg. Without a second thought, he talked about how important having a good job was to a family. He talked about how having the means to provide for your family was the basic building block of our society. He talked about families that have good jobs stay together. It seems simple, but it’s a message that resonates loud and clear.

Perry will be a great president because he shares our values — values rooted in deep family traditions — and principles like hard work and fair play that are rewards in and of themselves. He is a strong and decisive leader who wants to restore respect to each and every American by helping put them to work. Hispanics share the same hopes and dreams that other Americans do. It’s about jobs and creating a bright future for our children.

Communities along the border thrive because of our relationship with Mexico. Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo and El Paso are engines that drive the Texas economy. The governor understands that our ties to Mexico run deeper than trade and commerce. We are bound by family, culture and social traditions that have evolved over centuries of mutual respect and cooperation. A safe and prosperous Mexico is a safe and prosperous Texas. Over that last few years our friends in northern Mexico have endured the most horrific violence. Cartels have murdered, terrorized and run rampant across the region. At the height of the violence the governor led the call to Obama to authorize the deployment of the National Guard to the border. Security must not tilt the balance against commerce and trade. The governor has been sensitive to this issue and has championed the commitment of state and local law enforcement resources to that goal.

The respect that Perry has shown the Hispanic community extends to the record number of appointments he has had the opportunity to make. He has appointed the first Hispanic woman to the Supreme Court: Eva Guzman. Hope Andrade was the first Hispanic woman to be appointed secretary of state. Buddy Garcia leads the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Raymund Paredes is the commissioner of higher education. These men and women reflect the changing face of Texas and our governor’s commitment to the Hispanic community.

Democracy is a wonderful thing. My community will join Americans all across this great nation and make a choice about who will lead us out of these troubled times. Rick Perry is that leader. He understands that opportunity and jobs give people hope and optimism. But don’t take my word for it. Like you, I will measure the man by his record.

Perry’s Texas has created more than 40 percent of America’s net new jobs in the last two years. That’s a remarkable and humbling statistic: 40 percent of new jobs created by us, here, in our Lone Star State.

Hispanic-owned businesses have been experiencing explosive growth, their numbers expanding by 40 percent during the previous decade and, according to one study, generating $62 billion in revenue in 2007. The same study indicated Hispanic-owned businesses employed almost 400,000 Texans that year.

Why the growth and opportunity here in Texas? One reason may be that between 2000 and 2010, Hispanic enrollment in Texas universities increased 88 percent compared to a 48 percent increase overall. Over that same time frame, the number of bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificates earned by Hispanic students increased more than 102 percent.

If you are a Hispanic living in Texas, you are nine times more likely to be employed. You are two-and-a half times more likely to own your own small business. And you are 15 percent more likely to have obtained a bachelor’s degree than your peers around the country.

Obama’s record is burdened by a Washington that refuses to control federal spending and record debt. In 2006 the unemployment rate for Hispanics was 4.9 percent. In 2011 that rate has jumped to 11.3 percent. Two of every five dollars we spend is borrowed from creditors. Home values are almost one-third lower than they were five years ago.

Obama had his chance to lead. Like President Clinton, he could have put real compromise ahead of political posturing. Instead, he’s turned decidedly in the other direction.

There will be a lot said about Perry. People — mainly partisans with an agenda — will misstate the facts. They’ll make promises about government programs, government money and government control of all aspects of our lives. That’s not our way, and that’s not the way toward a bright future.

We have an historic opportunity to demonstrate our independence and push back against the tired politics of the past by electing Rick Perry president of the United States of America.

State Rep. Aaron Peña, R-Edinburg, has represented District 40 in the Texas House since 2002.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: amnestyfromperry; economy; education; hispanics; perry2012
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
It's a nice article, but fails to explain a lot of the negatives (for conservatives) about Perry and Hispanics. Most of us don't want a clone of W on this issue.

It does not deal with his biggest failing as a governor and as a candidate: His pandering to the open borders/amnesty/La Raza Hispanic crowd. That strikes me as pretty undesirable.

61 posted on 08/26/2011 1:55:34 PM PDT by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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To: mikhailovich

Most of the rest of us don’t LIVE in Texas. Or hasn’t that occurred to you?


62 posted on 08/26/2011 1:55:40 PM PDT by MestaMachine (If the truth hurts, prepare yourself for a LOT of pain.)
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To: MestaMachine
You've demonstrated yourself as a fringe racist already. You want an all-white society, but it ain't gonna happen. The country has diversified 10-fold since we were kids and its time you moved into the 2011's and out of the 1970's, Archie.

Like I've been saying for months now, Rick Perry has played his cards like a poker player. The pay-off is about to reveal itself. The big loser is gonna be B. Obama and the rest of us win big-time. Including you. Get ready for it.

63 posted on 08/26/2011 1:58:05 PM PDT by mikhailovich
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To: Zhang Fei

And your point is?


64 posted on 08/26/2011 1:58:10 PM PDT by MestaMachine (If the truth hurts, prepare yourself for a LOT of pain.)
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To: mikhailovich

YOU are an idiot.


65 posted on 08/26/2011 1:59:23 PM PDT by MestaMachine (If the truth hurts, prepare yourself for a LOT of pain.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

If we don’t get rain soon, we may all have to pack up and move out of here.


66 posted on 08/26/2011 1:59:38 PM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (Dear God, please let it rain in Texas. Amen.)
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To: MestaMachine

Hahahaha! Hazleton, PA!! You’re kidding, right? Give us a call when his district becomes 47% Hispanic. You people really are hilarious.


67 posted on 08/26/2011 2:00:48 PM PDT by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
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To: MestaMachine

Do you hate Hispanics?

Do you believe all Hispanics are illegal?

Do you?


68 posted on 08/26/2011 2:00:57 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears

Yes, CW is a tireless DEFENDER of Perry’s betrayals of conservative principles.

Not minimizing them, actually *defending* them!

Quite a thing to behold.

Take a look at CW's posting history. Cincinatus' wife is a one-person proganda machine for Rick Perry. There are an unbelievable number of posts -- much more than a full-time job for this misguided Perry fanatic.

.

69 posted on 08/26/2011 2:01:07 PM PDT by bobk333
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To: CaptainK
Just like I said. Cut rate subsided tuition for non-citizen students.

No. They pay full instate tuition. BY FEDERAL LAW they were not asked if they were citizens in the public school system (that liberals and unions love) so now what?

70 posted on 08/26/2011 2:03:20 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; MestaMachine

Good grief. That’s uncalled for.


71 posted on 08/26/2011 2:04:13 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Your post is just tragic, CW. Shame on you for going so low so fast. It isn’t even worthy of a response, let alone worthy of Free Republic.


72 posted on 08/26/2011 2:04:52 PM PDT by MestaMachine (If the truth hurts, prepare yourself for a LOT of pain.)
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To: free me
But, but Palin loves Perry! GAME ON!!!

(and you're a liar)

73 posted on 08/26/2011 2:05:34 PM PDT by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
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To: Lakeshark

I find it interesting that all the same anti-Perry posters show up together.

What’s wrong?

Your candidate not doing so well?


74 posted on 08/26/2011 2:06:17 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: MestaMachine

You crack me up.

You think that your opinion of me matters to me?


75 posted on 08/26/2011 2:08:31 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: MestaMachine
Ok so I'm an idiot. This idiot has a question for you.

If hispanic support helped Obama to get elected, then how is hispanic support BAD if it helps Perry to get elected?

I'm not including any reservations about this and that, the amnesty lie, and other hispanic issues. I'm focusing purely on the hispanic VOTE. Perry has balanced Texas and hispanics very well, as the congressman testified to his hispanic audience.

That's going to KICK SOME ASS when its election time. Don't you get it? Probably not, because you want Palin and an all-white society free of Mexicans and the negro.

Right?

76 posted on 08/26/2011 2:09:14 PM PDT by mikhailovich
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To: carjic

He told LaRaza that there would be no immigration reform until the border is secure and the influx of illegals stops, and he also told them that they need to get in line and get here legally.


77 posted on 08/26/2011 2:09:53 PM PDT by RowdyFFC
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
I see you're doing your favorite dodge, not answering the problem you should have with Perry's open border/amnesty/La Raza pandering. Do you think we won't notice?

It's his achilles heel, it's the one big thing most of us don't like about him, and it's an issue that's not going away by snarking about other candidates.

78 posted on 08/26/2011 2:11:11 PM PDT by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Do you hate Hispanics? Do you believe all Hispanics are illegal? Do you?

Well I've read enough...nothing intelligent to see here...move along...

79 posted on 08/26/2011 2:11:35 PM PDT by Niteflyr ("The number one goal in life is to parent yourself" Carl Jung)
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To: mikhailovich; MestaMachine
You want an all-white society, but it ain't gonna happen.

Perry's new campaign slogan?


80 posted on 08/26/2011 2:12:49 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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