Thread: Corzine lavishes praise on Hispanic businesses

Corzine lavishes praise on Hispanic businesses
Saturday, October 20, 2007
By CAROL FLETCHER
STAFF WRITER

New Jersey is striving to keep the fast-growing Hispanic business community here to help strengthen the state's global competitive edge.

That was Governor Corzine's message Friday to the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey's 17th annual Convention Expo and Career Fair at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark.

Corzine said Hispanic businesses are worth $24 billion and are experiencing a strong growth rate, making them "one of the most important segments of New Jersey." With 52,000 members, the Hispanic chamber is the state's largest.

"New Jersey is blessed because you're here," Corzine said. "It is an incredible, incredible cauldron of activity."

He used that comment in summarizing recommendations released Oct. 15 by the Working Group on Latino Affairs, a state-appointed task force established a year ago to improve Hispanics' access to health care, education and public safety and make it easier for them to live and do business in New Jersey.

One recommendation Corzine highlighted would direct state agencies to help non-English-speaking Hispanics get access to information in their language, and hold business expos so Hispanic businesses could partner with community groups for state funding and related contracts. Another would create a panel on immigration policy that, among other things, would explore promoting economic opportunities for immigrants.

Corzine explained that the state, the chamber and its members should nurture their combined competitive advantage in dealing with increasing global competition.

"We are in partnership for the future together," he said.

Further, Corzine brought attention to the recently created Division of Minority and Women Business Development within the Office of Smart Growth to address the number of state contracts those companies receive. Minority and women-owned businesses receive 3 percent of the contracts from the state and get less than 2 percent of the total amount spent by New Jersey, according to Corzine.

The chamber also presented Secaucus-based Goya Foods Inc. President Robert Unanue with its Presidents Award. Goya is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States.

E-mail: fletcher@northjersey.com
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qst ... VFeXkyMg==
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Two questions immediately come to mind:

1.) Are these businesses that the governor is so enthralled with legal, legitimite and owned and operated by either U.S. citizens or legal resident visa holders?

2.) Do these businesses ONLY employ U.S. citizens or those that hold LEGAL visas that allow them to work in the U.S.?

If the good governor cannot state with certainty and emphatic YES to both above questions, then his statements and stance are a criminal sham.

There is NO PROBLEM with legitimate hispanic companies.......UNLESS THEY EMPLOY ILLEGALS.

If these companies are started by LEGAL immigrants AND HIRE AMERICAN CITIZENS AND LEGAL IMMIGRANTS, that is good news. And these companies should be supported.