Thread: Immigration reform supporters gather to write new playbook

Immigration reform supporters gather to write new playbook

Web Posted: 08/16/2007 09:27 PM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/ ... 8f181.html
John MacCormack
Express-News

Sharing only a common interest in immigration reform, an improbable collection of advocacy, business and political groups met for six hours Thursday in a first step toward hashing out a new alliance.
"Raul Yzaguirre is a Democrat. I'm a Republican. We had John Cornyn who voted against the immigration bill. We had Ciro Rodriguez who would have gladly voted for it," said Lionel Sosa, who hosted the event.

"The next step is for us to begin to craft a message. And within two years, if everything works out, the American pubic will be hearing from us in the media," said Sosa, a San Antonio consultant who formed the group Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together (MATT) to promote dialogue and reform.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-San Antonio, and Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, both appeared as invited speakers at the roundtable session held at the University of the Incarnate Word.

Among the diverse parties at the table were representatives of the Texas Farm Bureau, the Texas Vegetable Association, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the National Association of Manufacturers.

Much of the impetus for the meeting came from the recent defeat of a comprehensive immigration reform bill that had offered benefits sought by both business and immigrant rights groups.

"We believe the debate was one-sided. The "antis" were very shrill and had a simple message: This bill promotes amnesty, therefore it's wrong. So we got stomped," said Yzaguirre, former president of the National Council of La Raza.

"Today was a beginning. The fact that we could all sit in a room together for seven hours with a common goal was a significant first step," he said.

With the expectation that immigration reform someday will return as a legislative issue, the group intends to craft and promote a message that immigration is beneficial to the country economically, politically and morally.

"We're setting the table for the next round whenever that will be. We don't want to get caught off guard the next time," Sosa said.

And within two years, he predicted, tens of millions of dollars will have been raised to fund a broad media campaign driving the argument home to middle America.

For John Trasviña, president of MALDEF, there is no time to waste.

"This is not a theoretical discussion, it's a practical discussion driven by urgencies," he said afterward.

"Because of the defeat of the immigration bill, we're facing anti-immigrant local ordinances in Texas, Georgia, Virginia and elsewhere," he said.

Tamar Jacoby, representing the conservative Manhattan Institute, found plenty of common ground Thursday among the various liberal groups.

"Immigration has always been a divisive issue that has created strange bedfellows. No one can do it alone. No one has enough votes," she said.

"This was a good meeting across that divide. There were people who are very strong about humanitarian issues, and people who want to keep their businesses open. And there is a consensus we need reform," she said.

Much of what drives the call for more immigration is the notion---quite erroneous--that the United States has damaged the economies of other countries and created economic hardships for those countries' inhabitants who then must come to the US.

How do we counter this belief? I know many of the people who make up the open borders lobby---be they union activists, liberal religious leaders, globe trotting business people, hollywood-type know it alls, etc--would never darken the door of an evangelical or fundamentalist church. However, it is this latter segment of American society that has been going way beyond the call of ordinary duty to improve the lives of people in these other countries. I need to get some more exact statistics but I know American philanthropy runs in the hundreds of billions each year---a great portion goes to Latin America. There are hundreds of thousands of volunteers going there each year, But liberals do not know this---and when I bring it up they don't seem to care.

They are in denial because the facts challenge their cherished beliefs. I guess we need to inform the American people about how seriously wrong these people are. And of the agenda they wish to push upon the American people---all through their ignorance.

"We believe the debate was one-sided. The "antis" were very shrill and had a simple message: This bill promotes amnesty, therefore it's wrong. So we got stomped," said Yzaguirre, former president of the National Council of La Raza.

Doesn't he wish he could dismiss the American Majority so easily.

Bahhhhhhhh! He's just mad because his "non-profit" couldn't buy him what he wanted... amnesty.

Dixie

They call american citizens Anti's.The illegal immigrant advocates think they are right because of greed or because they don't want to obey our laws.

I can only hope come election day citizens remember the names of our traitorous government officials who dared to sit with these people and discuss - How TO By Pass The Will Of The People and Our Laws...

There is nothing "shrill" about enforcing the borders and upholding the rule of law, which La Raza and other separatist and OBL groups have been stomping on for years. And they think that by spending tens of millions dollars of special interest money they can fool "Middle America" into thinking that open borders and illegal immigration is good for OUR country when we are aleady the most generous nation on earth when it comes to immigration.

Well the OBL already vastly outspends us (La Raza is a currently about a $53 million organization, which dwarfs ALIPAC, FAIR, NumbersUSA etc.), but OUR side will always have the more powerful and righteous message. This may sound trite, but our side is the voice of the people.

Among the diverse parties at the table were representatives of the Texas Farm Bureau, the Texas Vegetable Association, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the National Association of Manufacturers.

Well now that sounds like a fair mix of interests for this fair and unpartial meeting. Let's see now they have agribusiness, they have Hispanic representation, and then they have manufacturers. Hmm, where is the representation for the majority of American citizens! I see exactly where Cornball's alegiance lies. With big business and the open border/pro-amnesty crowd. Texans unite against this. We need a Senator that will represent "We the People."

So we got stomped," said Yzaguirre, former president of the National Council of La Raza.

Darlin, you sure did! You got your sorry a$$ stomped but good. You want to go another round? Bring it on!

Former President of LA RAZA, RAUL YZAGUIERE????
LIONEL SOSA????
CIRO RODRIGUEZ????
LULAC????
MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATION FUND????
Employers of illegal aliens, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS????
President of MALDEF, JOHN TRASVINA????

Talk about the fox guarding the henhouse!!!

They are about as capable of immigration reform as a bunch of 6 year olds. How pathetic!