Thread: San Diego talk-show host, fans take immig demands to D.C.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nati ... lobby.html

S.D. talk-show host, fans take immigration demands to D.C.

By Dana Wilkie
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
April 28, 2005

WASHINGTON – LaVerne Hidden no longer wanders her Dulzura property without a gun. A.D. McFarlane wants to ensure that his six grandchildren can find jobs. And a Chula Vista woman who goes only by "Mary" is annoyed when she hears store clerks speaking Spanish.

MICHAEL TEMCHINE
San Diego radio talk-show host Roger Hedgecock pumped up his audience before going on the air in Washington, D.C., to pressure Congress to stop illegal immigration.

These three were among hundreds of San Diegans who followed radio talk-show host Roger Hedgecock to the nation's capital this week to pressure Congress to stop illegal immigration. As lawmakers prepared to debate various immigration measures, Hedgecock and his supporters – from high-schoolers to retired Border Patrol agents – hit the airwaves with stories of rude senators, lobbying successes, and what Hedgecock called a federal government "on the take."

"I didn't particularly want to come to Washington and talk about the border," said Hedgecock, who for 10 years has participated in the anti-immigration radio blitz dubbed "Hold Their Feet to the Fire." "But the fact is that the listeners were absolutely adamant that we do this."

Hedgecock, who has never had the 200-plus following of San Diegans that he had this week, joined Lars Larson, Melanie Morgan, Michael Graham, Alan Nathan, Terry Anderson and other radio talk-show hosts during the six-day lobby-and-radio event that is heard by millions of listeners and is designed to draw national attention to the ills associated with illegal immigration.

The radio hosts, from California, Texas, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Ohio and Washington state, aired their shows live from a Holiday Inn meeting room just steps from the U.S. Capitol.

Not only did the sheer number of hosts, 17, and their fans, 400, illustrate how immigration concerns have spread beyond border cities, it also underscored how radio hosts have evolved from opinionated entertainers to political activists whose familiar voices can galvanize growing numbers of people to their causes.

"Typically, talk radio is the front line of citizen reaction to issues," said Hedgecock, whose show has also helped ignite movements to recall former Gov. Gray Davis and keep the Mount Soledad cross on its La Jolla perch. "We hear about (issues) first, before it really becomes news to lots of other people."

Critics called the radio blitz "a lot more noise than heat."

"I think the talk-show airwaves have been taken over by many of these folks," said Jeanne Butterfield, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "Their sound bite – 'The borders are out of control!' – is easy to gravitate to, but unless it's coupled with meaningful reform, it's going to be an endless cycle of not enough money, bigger fences and more military."

Nonetheless, many conservative lawmakers, including Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Escondido, and Sen. George Allen, R-Va., are eager to participate in the broadcasts.

When the former San Diego mayor takes his show to Capitol Hill and booms his baritone disgust at congressional immigration policy, Hedgecock's show sounds something like this:

"Can we turn on the corrupt government for just 10 minutes here?"

"The federal government's on the take."

"I'm so on edge about this, I can't stand it."

"Let me say this to all the listeners back in San Diego. What you need to do is sit down and write your letter, write your e-mail, make the phone call."

Hedgecock is angered by reports that lawmakers turn a blind eye to employers of illegal immigrants who allegedly escape prosecution because they are paying taxes on phony Social Security numbers, allowing Washington to collect funds that will not have to be repaid in retirement benefits.

At least 200 San Diegans did more than just listen, write or phone. They followed Hedgecock to Washington to press lawmakers to reject amnesty and driver licenses for illegal immigrants, to crack down on employers who hire illegals and to provide money for more detention space.

Many of the San Diegans were retirees. There was a substitute schoolteacher. A former immigration judge. A retired Border Patrol agent. And 15 students from Escondido Charter High School who raised traveling money by selling San Diego Padres tickets.

Their concerns about illegal immigration were personal, political and philosophical.

Hidden, who can see Tecate from her kitchen window, has had illegal immigrants knock on her door at 3 a.m., asking for assistance.

"They're human beings and I won't deny them water, but then I call the Border Patrol to come get them," she said.

Mead Massa, a 77-year-old retired Navy captain who used to live in downtown San Diego, had more frightening run-ins: Once, his 12-year-old son discovered 11 illegal immigrants under the family's porch. Another time, Massa came home to find two illegal immigrants, who were later apprehended, trying to break into his home.

"I feel very strongly about illegal immigrants for these reasons," said Massa, who now lives in Carlsbad.

McFarlane, a 74-year-old retired General Dynamics engineer from San Carlos, worries that illegal immigrants are taking construction and farming jobs, and he wants to ensure that his grandchildren's "lives are not damaged by the financial and criminal impact" of illegal immigration.

Mary, who would only give her first name, lives in Chula Vista and seethes when store clerks speak a language – usually Spanish, she says – that she can't understand.

"This is the United States, and we speak English," she said.

With the help of the Federation for American Immigration Reform – which is pushing for laws to stem illegal immigration – the San Diegans got a crash course on lobbying, broke into teams of five, got a list of lawmakers to visit, and anointed a "team leader" to do the talking and a "team note-taker" to record any happenings that might make good radio fodder. Then they hit the halls.

How did it go?

There was the occasional rude lawmaker, like the one that Sigurd Wathne of Santa Barbara encountered.

"It was so depressing. I just want to go somewhere and get drunk," Wathne told Hedgecock during a break in programming.

I sure would like to know who the rude lawmakers were. They need to feel the wrath of the American public who support them as they grovel at the public trough for their lack of respect for that very public.

AMEN TO THAT

RR

I went on Sunday and Monday. Alot of lawmakers tried to blow us off on Monday, but the two I remember being the most rude were Mark Green and Jerry Lewis office. Both are Reps. Green from WI and Lewis from CA. Green refused to see us because none of us were constituents which I said was bs because I know the rules don't apply to lobbyists. Lewis had a spokehole by the name of Spect that stated even if you put all the Republicans on the border as minuteman, 80 percent of the rest of America could care less.

Here’s the contact info for some of the hacks that gave the Angry Mob grief during the march on Washington DC.

Feel free to contact them, and have an intelligent discourse regarding illegal immigration.

Contact info for Greg Davis, spokeshole for Ruben Hinojosa (D - TX)
202 226 8010 - Greg’s direct line
202 225 2531 - greg.davis@mail.house.gov
956 682 5545

Jim Specht, the Press Secretary for Jerry Lewis (R-CA 41st).
202 225 3390 - jim.specht@mail.house.gov

Representative Jane Harman’s (D-CA 36th) Spokeshole Jonathan Kossak
202 225 8220 - jonathan.kossak@mail.house.gov

Rob Bishop (R - UT)
202 225 0453

"I think the talk-show airwaves have been taken over by many of these folks," said Jeanne Butterfield, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "Their sound bite – 'The borders are out of control!' – is easy to gravitate to, but unless it's coupled with meaningful reform, it's going to be an endless cycle of not enough money, bigger fences and more military."

Meaningful reform?????
Just enforce the law!!!!!!!!!

Lewis had a spokehole by the name of Spect

btw dman1200, did you ask Mr. Spect what Mr. Lewis's plans were when he loses the next election?