Thread: TX: Port Arthur Mayoral Candidate Defends Herself Against ..

April 17, 2007 - 7:12PM
Port Arthur Mayoral Candidate Defends Herself Against Allegations She's Registering Illegals To Vote
Angel San Juan


Comfortable shoes have become part of Zulema Escobedo's regular attire on the campaign trail,
Escobedo says, "I wear my tennis shoes all day because I'm out walking the streets because I want people to know that I care".
Escobedo, who's a businesswoman, is aiming high in her first bid for public office, she's running for Port Arthur mayor.
Another lofty goal of her campaign is recruiting new voters.
Escobedo says, "That's our job, if we're the leaders we need to tell them you need to go out and vote, and tell them why."
That's what Escobedo was doing Tuesday afternoon at the O.W. Collins Apartments, spreading the message that voting is important.
It's a message she's emphasizing to members of the Hispanic community, like Antonio Salomon.
Mr. Salomon tells Escobedo there are alot of Hispanics in Port Arthur and he says it's time they begin shaking things up, and bringing change to city government.
And that's exactly what Escobedo's been doing, but some believe she might be shaking things up too much.
Escobedo says, "I was a little sad because I thought I was doing the right thing by encouraging people to get registered, so when I was called it kind of put me down a little."
Escobedo says Jefferson County's voter registrar Miriam Johnson called her after Johnson received a complaint that Escobedo was registering illegal aliens to vote.
Johnson says she contacted Escobedo just to make sure she and her supporters were doing what they were supposed to do.
Johnson says, "I didn't know if they were in fact in violation or not, I was simply passing out information."
Escobedo tells us she's checked and found no other mayoral candidate who received such a warning, and she says she's not the only candidate reaching out to Hispanics for their vote.
But Escobedo says she doesn't focus on their status in the U.S.
Escobedo says, "I don't think that's my job to run a background check on them, and find out their legal status in the U.S.
Escobedo tells KFDM, "I don't think that's my job to run a background check on them, and find out their legal status, I think that's probably immigration."
KFDM News has learned there's little, if anything, a candidate or voter registrar can do to prevent a non-citizen from voting.
Johnson says, "I can see where it would be a concern of the public, we really don't have a way to go back and check to see if every person that registers is a United States citizen, but it is a felony to register and not be a citizen, so if you're caught, it's not going to be good."
We spoke to Scott Haywood in the Texas Secretary of State's office.
He told us people registering to vote must provide a Texas driver's license number or the last 4 digits of their social security number.
Those numbers are checked with the Department of Public Safety and the Social Security Office.
Haywood says if applicants don't have a license or social security card, they must affirm they are a U.S. citizen, but they don't have to show any proof of citizenship.
He says the state legislature is debating bills to require proof of citizenship to vote.
Escobedo is not letting the controversy slow her down, because she says she's not doing anything wrong.
She says the American Way is to make sure people of all races and ethnicities feel their voice is important.

http://www.kfdm.com/articles/_19980___a ... tml/_.html

Dirty word, dirty word, dirty word....

Di ie

Escobedo is not letting the controversy slow her down, because she says she's not doing anything wrong.

What? A Hispanic person who thinks whatever they do is never wrong? I don't believe it. I mean you would never hear of a Hispanic person breaking the law by coming here illegally, working illegally or say, driving without a license or insurance. I am totally shocked that this mayor has even been charged with doing anything illegal or unethical, they are all honest, law abiding people. I recently heard one politician calling illegal aliens 'undocumented U.S. citizens'. All she's doing is registering these undocumented citizens, that's all. What's the big deal?

But Escobedo says she doesn't focus on their status in the U.S.
Escobedo says, "I don't think that's my job to run a background check on them, and find out their legal status in the U.S.

Can we say " vote for me and I'll make a sanctuary city"