Thread: Wal-Mart and illegal immigrants a campaign issue

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ ... 9542c.html

Wal-Mart a campaign issue
Race for attorney general has quickly grown testy.
By Laura Mecoy -- Bee Los Angeles Bureau
Published 2:15 am PST Friday, March 3, 2006
Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, who is battling Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown for the Democratic nomination for state attorney general, expressed regrets Thursday about his role in recruiting Wal-Mart to Los Angeles.

Delgadillo, in a breakfast meeting with The Bee's Capitol Bureau, said he was unaware of Wal-Mart's critics in 1997, when he was a Los Angeles deputy mayor who helped bring the giant retailer to Panorama City.

A week ago, Delgadillo called Wal-Mart a "predator" on the middle class. His campaign also chastised Brown for bringing a Wal-Mart store to Oakland and accepting $10,600 in campaign contributions from Wal-Mart heir John Walton and his wife, Christy.

Brown, in response, resurrected a speech in which Delgadillo's former boss praised him for helping recruit Wal-Mart.

Delgadillo said Thursday that he was carrying out the wishes of his boss at the time, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.

"What's changed is the name on the door is different," Delgadillo said. "I was working for Mayor Riordan, and now I am working for me."

Ace Smith, Brown's consultant, called this the "I was following orders defense," and said voters hate "people who make excuses for their behavior."

Delgadillo said he still believes Wal-Mart is "stealing from the middle class" by forcing them to pick up the tab for health care of low-wage Wal-Mart workers.

The city attorney is portraying himself as the underdog in the June primary against the better-known Brown, California's governor from 1975 to 1983. Brown was known to 70 percent of registered California voters in a November Field Poll, while just 27 percent recognized Delgadillo.

Delgadillo hopes to raise his profile by contrasting his record with Brown's on the issues of abortion and crime. Both Democrats claim to support abortion rights, but Delgadillo portrayed Brown as "confused."

He cited a 1988 letter Brown wrote seeking clemency for an imprisoned anti-abortion activist who had stormed a Florida abortion clinic. The city attorney also sent a letter Thursday asking Brown for all his records relating to the clemency request.

In addition, Delgadillo's campaign cited a 1988 news story in which Brown is quoted as saying, "The killing of the unborn is crazy."

Smith, Brown's spokesman, said he didn't know the mayor's personal views on abortion but called Brown "pro-choice." He said Brown wrote the clemency request "out of compassion," and called Delgadillo's comments "a sad guilt-by-association smear tactic."

Delgadillo said the next attorney general could be asked to defend the state's abortion laws. "There is something of an assault on choice in America," he said.

Delgadillo also attacked Brown's crime-fighting record as governor and as mayor. He said Brown made gains in fighting crime at the outset of his mayoralty but said crime in Oakland has risen since then. He also cited past criticism of Brown's judicial appointments as governor.

In comparison, Delgadillo cited the 26 gang injunctions in effect in Los Angeles, saying they helped break street gangs' holds on some neighborhoods.

He also cited his support of the death penalty, a punishment Brown's spokesman said the mayor personally opposes but would enforce, as have other attorneys general with the same views.

Delgadillo said he was concerned about the disproportionate number of minorities on death row. He called for the creation of special courts with specially skilled staff to handle capital punishment cases.

"Somebody like me who happens to come from one of those neighborhoods can have a real impact on making sure that part of that is fair," he said.

Delgadillo, who grew up in East Los Angeles as the grandson of Mexican immigrants, called for creating a means for illegal residents to become legal ones and eventually U.S. citizens.

At the same time, he proposed tougher sanctions for employers of illegal workers to lessen the jobs luring them to this country.

Once they're here, Delgadillo said he supports issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants because he wants to be sure they can pass a driving test and can obtain insurance.

He also said he wouldn't ask law enforcement to report illegal immigrants to immigration officials for deportation - as some agencies have begun to do.

He said these notifications discourage crime victims and witnesses from coming forward with necessary information.

"To deal with illegal immigration, we are going to have to demonstrate some courage, and I am a fan of that," he said. "We're going to have to admit ... that there are people living here that we don't know live here, and there are a lot of them."

Yeah, Walmart Shoppers LOVE Walmart - from Communist Chinese factory outlet to preferred employer of ILLEGAL ALIENS. Walmart offshores back office IT work to - you guessed it - Bangalore, India! Anything at all American about Walmart?





Any justification for Walmart to fly the American flag?

Attention Walmart Shoppers, this is where the money goes! Oh, of course you don't mind, just keep on shopping!