Posted on 01/27/2004 10:50:21 AM PST by Spiff
MESA, AZ (Talon News) -- In direct response to President George W. Bush's recent call for a temporary worker program for illegal aliens in the United States, the Arizona Republican Party overwhelmingly supported a resolution that would protect Arizona taxpayers from the financial impact this would place on them.
During the Arizona Republican Party convention on Saturday, delegates voted 317-109 for the Protect Arizona Now (PAN) petition, which was drafted to help protect taxpayers against the consequences of granting amnesty to illegal aliens including overcrowded hospitals, increased crime rates, rise in prison populations and escalating health care costs, among other things.
The petition itself states that it wants to prevent "abuse or fraud" by illegal aliens of the government services paid for by Arizona taxpayers.
Supporters of the PAN petition are hoping to get the initiative on the November ballot. If the measure is voted into law by Arizonians, then it would require proof of citizenship to be shown prior to receiving government support and benefits.
However, despite the immense support for the PAN petition by most Arizona Republicans, it is not favored by either state or national GOP leaders.
Regardless, state Rep. Randy Graf, a PAN supporter, said voting for this measure equates to upholding the rule of law by ensuring the rights of all Arizona taxpayers and voters.
"This initiative protects the sacred right of voting in this state," Graf stated. "This has nothing to do with any federal law or guest worker program. It is simply about protecting citizens."
However, state Sen. Carolyn Allen expressed her concern that supporting PAN would ultimately be detrimental to the Bush campaign.
"We want to re-elect George Bush and Dick Cheney in this state," Allen explained. "If this passes, we will suffer."
Allen added that the Bush administration is not happy with this proposal.
"The White House is very concerned about this initiative," she said. "This is not going to help our president in this state."
State House candidate J.T. Ready said concerned Republicans should realize that PAN is a common sense approach to dealing with the problem of illegal aliens.
"Why shouldn't we pass this?" inquired Ready. "After all, Blockbuster Video requires two forms of ID to rent a video."
Ready is extremely concerned that Bush appears to be circumventing the law with his proposal to allow for a temporary worker program for illegal aliens.
"I support the president, but the question is if he supports the U.S. Constitution," Ready expressed.
Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ) told the GOP activists in remarks made early in the convention that his meetings with Bush, Vice-President Dick Cheney and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft helped educate him on the proposed national Temporary Worker Program.
"My suggestion is as Republicans, we take a breath, gather the facts and not criticize the president other than in our opinions," Kyl instructed.
Kyl admitted that while "virtually all Americans oppose amnesty," Bush's proposal would actually help minimize the continued influx of illegal aliens by holding employers more accountable for who they hire.
"We try hard on the border to keep illegal immigrants out," Kyl stated. "We could do a better job, but we are winking at those hiring illegals. There is a disrespect for the rule of law. It's not good for everybody or the taxpayers who end up subsidizing lower wages."
Arizona Republican Party Chairman Bob Fannin even expressed his concern that the rift between conservatives and GOP leadership over illegal immigration should not be divisive and encouraged the state executive committeemen to support Bush's plan.
Yet Fannin's call for unity was met with criticism and disgust by the committeemen. They believe Fannin should be addressing their sincere concerns with the Temporary Worker Program with the Bush administration directly.
GOPUSA Arizona Editor Dennis Durband warned national GOP leaders to listen to the concerns of the base or else risk losing them as voters in November.
"The lesson to the story is that the Republican Party needs to take in opinions and information from below and give rank and file Republicans legitimate consideration -- as opposed to dictating unpopular policy on an unwilling constituency," Durband wrote.
He continued, "The White House had better start listening to the people and re-thinking its position, because a lot of Republicans are saying Bush will not get their vote as things currently stand. The White House can choose this day whom it will serve. If the White House gets behind PAN, Arizona is in the bag for the president's re-election chances. It's that simple."
Talon News will continue to follow developments in this story.
Copyright © 2004 Talon News -- All rights reserved.
The issue is beginning to resonate nationally. Politicians who support amnesties may not have their jobs much longer.
Why?
I forgot to mention that I heard one of his promos during Rush's show today. He sounded real good.
My understanding is the law will have to be changed to allow more opportunity for immigrants.
It's obvious that immigrants often bring their values --- especially when large numbers immigrate together. It would be interesting to visit Germany and then visit Mexico and see the difference. In a Mexican town near here, they just dug up 11 fresh bodies in one man's yard --- all tortured to death. You look at the houses and stores ---- ALL have iron bars on the windows and doors, ALL have those high fences, many with barbed wire and broken glass along the top. The USA side is starting to look the same in many places. Outside Mexico City and Juarez you can see the garbage dumps --- where families live and make their living, find their food. In every Mexican city you see many street kids --- kids abandoned by their families --- thrown out to whatever awaits them on the streets. I never went to Germany --- but I have a feeling it's different.
Looks like Fox was told to hush up, not that it matters because if the program goes through he'll get everything he wants over time anyway. Not only will 25 million relatives of those here now come in, but after 10 million more illegals get past the border they too will be amnestied. Eventually half of Mexico will be in the US.
I have no problems with immigrants coming here legally within a controlled LEGAL immigration system. By controlled, I mean that the numbers and types of immigrants allowed in are thought out instead of the floodgates being thrown wide open. It was Ted Kennedy's immigration reform bill in the 60's that put immigration at over 1 million per year and ended the quota system of the nations from which we were allowing immigrants. Immigrants need to be assessed upon the number that have already come annually from their country, the skills and education level that they bring, and their viability to become a productive member and asset to society. As it is now, our LEGAL immigration system lacks any sort of intelligent control (thanks to Ted Kennedy and a Democrat-controlled Congress) and our ILLEGAL immigration is totally OUT OF CONTROL.
Any form of amnesty is unfair to the LEGAL immigrants who worked so hard, waited so long, and paid so much to come here LEGALLY. I would rather pay $20 per head of lettuce then to screw a single LEGAL immigrant in such a manner.
I agree that conditions in some countries leads their citizens to look at the opportunities in the United States and want to come here. There is a LEGAL way to do it. However, we can't let every one of them in. It isn't possible or practical. The majority of immigration comes from Mexico - a nation that has the 9th largest economy in the world. Almost every other nation in the world is worse off than Mexico. Why should we let immigrants from Mexico go to the front of the line? 5 billion people in the world are worse off than most citizens Mexico Why should Mexican immigrants get special treatment?
Even if we doubled our current LEGAL immigration rate to 2 million or so, we still would not even put a dent in the 5 billion that would be better off in the U.S. In fact, that 5 billion produces more new population (births-deaths=new population) than that 2 million. There's no way we can keep up with that. How many would you let in?
It is obvious that an intelligent immigration system would let in the best and the brightest and leave out those who would be a burden on our resources and society. But if we only let in the best and the brightest, and the brain drain continues from their origin nations, then conditions will WORSEN there and MORE immigrants will want to come, not less. Shouldn't we leave the best and the brightest home to improve conditions in their origin nations?
The bottom line is that we need to absolutely control immigration. All illegal immigrants lost their chance when the first thing they did when they touched US soil was to violate our laws. Bye-bye, thanks for playing. Next, we need to put a moratorium on any more legal immigration until we can again enact a logical, intelligent immigration program. In the meantime, we need to lock down our borders to prevent any further illegal immigration and to enhance our national security. Then, we need to re-open LEGAL immigration and enact a system which is somewhat similar to what Bush is proposing (matching willing workers with employers) but that system must not reward lawbreakers, displace American workers, depress wages, or do anything but put AMERICANS FIRST. Bush's proposal is doing things in the WRONG order. Did we not learn a thing from Reagan's unfortunate amnesty?
* Shortage of classrooms and the teachers and other staff to run them
* Overtaxed hospital emergency rooms, the costs get rolled into my insurance expences
* Large swaths of my metro area [Atlanta} are becoming all Latino, the apartments and strip malls are non-white territory
* Increasing home owner taxes each year, the 'migrants' live in apts. and pay little of the tax burden they cause
* Increased gov't. costs at all levels to deal with people who can't/won't learn English
* Increased auto insurance premiums to pay for the high rate of the uninsured illegal aliens
* Increased crime/gang activity burdening law enforcement, the courts and jails/prisons
* Any attempt to deal with the illegals immediately brings the race card RACIST
I can't see anything but onrushing doom from Bush's amnesty, a plan which will only accelerate these horrid distortions of our already stressed society. On this most crucial matter, Bush is the most disappointing U.S. President of my life.
***Reluctantly, an ex-Republican base voter***
The invaders have gotten away with it in the name of tolerance and diversity. That's why we have to publish ballots in so many languages. Gee that does not match the requirements to be a US citizen and to have the Right to vote. Hmmmm!
Remember, LIBERALISM makes Slaves of Free men.
Yep. So true.
First you'll have to convince me that's true, I'm not there yet.
That old GOP trick doesn't work for me anymore.
Liberals I've survived: Kennedy (less liberal than Nixon), Johnson, Nixon, yes Richard wage and price controls, nationalized 55MPH speed limit, set your thermostats to 68 in the winter and 78 in the summer, let's be friends with China Nixon, Carter, Clinton, Gray Davis and at the current trend, if we follow your advice the next Republicans won't be any better.
We need to send everyone who refuses to understand what changes will happen in their community down to stay with you for two months....before November!
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