Posted on 01/03/2003 10:54:30 PM PST by lewislynn
br>Jan. 3, 2003, 10:38PM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration is starting a Spanish-language Web site designed to give 1.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses better access to information on government grants, trade and high-tech issues.
The Spanish site can be found at http://www.commerce.gov.
"The Hispanic community has an ally in President Bush," Commerce Secretary Don Evans said Friday.
It's a message Bush emphasized as a candidate for Texas governor and president, and one he hopes will win him support from the nation's fastest-growing ethnic minority as he heads toward a 2004 re-election campaign.
The number of U.S. Hispanics rose by 58 percent during the past decade to 35.3 million, according to census figures -- just under the 35.4 million figure for black Americans, the nation's largest minority. As many as 1 million Hispanics will be registered to vote by 2004.
The Web site is a sign of Bush's target within a community that has traditionally leaned Democratic: Hispanic business owners. Hispanics, especially women, form the nation's fastest-growing group of business owners.
"I think it's a good first step, a symbolic step, in recognizing the importance of the Hispanic community," said George Herrera, president of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which was consulted on the new site.
Although Bush, who speaks some Spanish, has pleased many Hispanics with his appointments, Herrera's group acknowledges that there's much ideological space to be bridged between Hispanics and the administration on such issues as raising the minimum wage and immigration reform for noncitizens who work in the United States.
Health care policy, too, is a prickly topic: Hispanics, just 11 percent of the U.S. population, account for 35 percent of those without health insurance.
"Thanks. You make a great point. Illegal aliens routinely violate this requirement."
Let me get this right, this has nothing to do with illegals. This has to do with Hispanic BUSINESS OWNERS accessing information in another language besides English. Well, I don't see any problem with that.
The same types that are exceptions to the laws against presenting fraudulent and stolen ID's. It's not considered a crime for certain people to buy and deal in stolen Social Security numbers but if an American citizen does it, it is a felony.
In that case get rid of the grants altogether, but I don't think that giving grants to some business owners while discriminating against other business owners solely on the basis of their Hispanic heritage is right. GW understands that economic freedom is what keeps America prosperous. He knows that private enterprise is the source of American prosperity, and that economic freedom isn't just a principle but an excellent policy.
As a matter of fact small businesses generate more than 50 percent of America's private sector output. They are the ones who are turning the economy around. America's prosperity comes from the millions of people who invest their time, energy, and their resources setting up new businesses and pursuing new ideas.
Anyone who comes to America regardless of where he/she comes from, as long as he/she has vision and determination to make it in this country is able to do so. That's the American way; and what we hope for is that the government lets businesses expand their economic freedom so they can keep on building a prosperous America, as with GW's tax relief package over 30 million business owners have benefited by putting more money into their businesses and new jobs, instead of sending it to Washington.
Well on it's way......
Well of course it doesn't Vicky. Why would anyone think this has anything to do with illegal aliens??? I just can't imagine!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.