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.
I'm trying to get a copy of the exact wording of the resolution passed by the Maricopa County GOP (the largest GOP organization in the state of Arizona) which opposed all forms of amnesty. It passed on the 17th of January in opposition to the county GOP chair, the state GOP chair, and Republican members of the AZ GOP delegation, and even against the White House.
Once I get the wording I think that everyone should get ths resolution passed in their local GOP organizations. If you're a Precinct Committeeman, your local organization should allow you to propose a resolution at a regular meeting. If you're not a Republican PC, you should be, dammit.
But I do expect an honest President who is willing to uphold the U.S.Constitution and stand 4-square behind the Rule of Law.
If George Bush refuses to do that he will NOT get my vote.
No, they just want Kerry or Dean to be President. >sarcasm<
Can't you have an honest disagreement with him over this? He sincerely believes that his proposal will help stem the flow of undocumented workers into this country. You know as well as I do that he DOES have the national interest at heart. He has with most every thing he's proposed. Why not give him the benefit of the doubt here? Hasnt he earned your trust?
As I told my friends last election:
"Globalist-Gore will take us off the cliff at a screamin' 180mph, but Globalist-George will only take us off the cliff at 110."
At least that gives us a little more time to instill some sense of National Sovereignty into his Yaley/Haavad addled brain.
Oh, but we DO have an "Honest Disagreement"...the majority of those polled have it too...but it seems the "Nanny State" is hell-bent on making us do what we KNOW is wrong!
He sincerely believes that his proposal will help stem the flow of undocumented workers into this country.
Really? Is this such a complete plan that we will not have troops of ILLEGALS crossing in huge numbers daily...or will we see what we have now, an INCREASE in the ILLEGALS looking for Uncle Sucker to foot the bill for them and their families?!
You know as well as I do that he DOES have the national interest at heart. He has with most every thing he's proposed. Why not give him the benefit of the doubt here? Hasnt he earned your trust?
No, because there is no WAY that this is in the "best interest" of the Country...just as Reagan's "Amnesty" was a HUGE mistake!
Since when is it in the "national Interest" to simply disregard the option of ENFORCING the existing laws, and allow the violators to skate? Is there any other crime (bank-robbing, rame, murder) that this should appy to?
This is nothing more than a sop to the Business Community that demands "slave-labor at Slave wages" so that others can have cheaper produce/goods...and IMO, probably blackmail by Vincente Fox, along the lines of "If you do not give me what I want "Jorge", I will pull a Mariel Boatlift, and flood you with my unwanted more than I do now!" Hell, our borders are such a sieve, we even know that Islamazis and other hostile nations are smuggling agents and other contraband in on a daily basis!
THESE reasons are more likely that this being in the "National Interest"
This is the ONE item where President Bush and I split the sheet. There is NOTHING that will have more affect on our country than this one issue outside of a nuclear bomb.
This will affect every single part of American business, the economy, the education system, the availability of water, the roads and highways, the educational system, all city and county services, the entire medical system top to bottom, our political system, our military forces, the housing industry, television and radio, jails and prison, law enforcement nationwide, food stores, food supplies, the trucking industry, farming, ranching, you name it and I can give you a change that will have to be made to accomodate the approximately 70 million non-English speaking aliens, from you select the country, that will literally invade the United States in a much too short of a time period to even consider assimilating into our culture.
Just the name should give you a clue. "Temporary Workers Plan". These people will not be putting down roots and allegiance to the Constitution, the US flag or any other part of America that we have fought and died for!
They will be bringing with them their own cultures, their own standards of what is right and what's wrong, their own dialects, their own demands for food types and sources, their own values as to what is polite and what isn't, their own standards about when children/young adults should begin sexual relationships.
Think about what I've written here. Ask yourself if you know how we are going to deal with all these changes. Ask yourself if you will be able to cope with them and then ask yourself if you are willing to pay the bill for the new experiments that will be tried, retried and retried again, because the previous ideas were failures.
Immigrants are supposed to assimilate into the cultures of the country they are moving to, not bring their own and refuse to change because they don't have nor intend to put solid roots down into the new country.
What we're seeing here is population balancing. In other words SOCIAL ENGINEERING on a scale which we have never attempted before.
When ten thousand people move into an area within 18 months there's new babies everywhere. Then 18 months later there the next batch of new babies. Start to wonder how long it will be before they outnumber your race in your area. Then ask yourself how long it will be before they control the political system, who decides who will pay what rate of taxes for the new schools, new roads, new hospitals, you name it.
You'll get a front row seat at the destruction of middle class America. You will assimilate into their culture because you'll have to!
There is something fundamentally flawed with this picture in the first place. WHY hasn't this been required as a matter of course ALL ALONG? Americans have to show proof of who they are to receive any kind of benefits, so it stands to reason that if someone can't prove who they are, then obviously they are illegals and should be denied benefits, just as any American would be given the same circumstances. This is nothing more than deliberately turning a blind eye to these parasitic lawbreakers!
I wouldn't get my hopes up. I heard your governor on Dennis Miller last night and it sure sounded to me like he was trying to make people believe that these people are a benefit instead of a plague. Is it just me, or has Arnold done a complete 180 since he was elected?
But it really is that simple...
If George Bush refuses to do that he will NOT get my vote.
My sentiments exactly.
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