After last week’s release of the Department of Justice’s three year investigation, seventeen months of which was delayed by Arpaio’s typical stall tactics and outright refusal to cooperate, the Department of Homeland Security pulled the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office 287g certification which allowed them to check the legal status of suspected undocumented Immigrants.

There was some brief celebrating regarding the possibility of Joe Arpaio’s demise, perhaps one similar to the one Russell Pearce fell victim to, the will of the people working together in a concerted effort to remove a political cancer.

As the news developed rapidly many of us in the Immigrant community were met with the false hope that undocumented Immigrants would no longer be detained for processing by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

MCSO’s 287g agreement with the Feds allowed Arpaio’s detention officers to check the legal status of those detained in MCSO’s jails. The myth was that only criminal aliens were run through the Fed legal status verification system, however, even those detained for failure to present proper ID or for minor traffic violations were run through the system and detained for ICE. The damage to the Immigrant community is immeasurable. Families are split up and employers loose valued employees.

However Senator Jon Kyl wasn’t about to stand by and allow harmless Immigrants to be given a break. He immediately shipped a letter out to the Feds complaining about a possible lapse in the screening of Immigrants processed through MCSO’s jails. The Feds always willing to oblige a U.S. senator, and in order to avoid bringing on the wrath of the Republicans and those hell bent on making the Immigrants the scapegoats for this nation’s problems, responded with a letter outlining their plans for closing that void that might have been left by denying Joe Arpaio the 287g certification and access to the secure communities program.

In a detailed letter to Senator Kyle the DHS assured the senator that a gap in coverage due to MCSO losing their 287g certification would not occur. DHS indicated in part:

Although ICE has terminated its 287(g) agreement with MCSO, ICE will continue to advance our immigration enforcement and public safety efforts in Maricopa County. ICE has dedicated 50 federal immigration officers to screen, identify, apprehend, and remove criminal aliens found in the jails of Maricopa County. These ICE officers will perform the work previously conducted by 287(g) officers and will ensure that criminal aliens and other removable public safety threats are not released into the community. These federal officers will have full access to Secure Communities and will continue this work until such time as DOJ is satisfied that MCSO has remedied the unlawful practices outlined in the DOJ report. In short, there will be no gap in immigration enforcement in Maricopa County.

I’m sure that Kyl was thrilled that the good people of Maricopa County would not be at risk of harm from their dishwashers, landscapers, housekeepers and cooks.

Meanwhile families will continue to be separated and you might just find that the sushi or the steak that you love to eat might taste a little different. Well, that’s based on the fact that there’s now a new cook working at your favorite restaurant and the guy who normally cooks your food in that fine food restaurant might have been picked up for a traffic violation and is being held for processing by an ICE officer in Joe’s jails.

Jon Kyl

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and W60 AM Radio, Los Angeles, San Diego and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana and the Tucson Citizen in Arizona.

http://www.carlosgalindo.com

I was reading a news story today which I’m sure has repeated itself throughout the United States over the years. The difference is that in this case, the young man left explicative letters behind. Joaquin Luna committed suicide out of frustration and desperation because of his legal status in the United States.

Luna was brought here at a very young age and was fully integrated into what we consider the fabric of America. He did all the right things. He kept his nose clean, studied hard, and had dreams of becoming an engineer. The typical American kid with the typical American dream. However, that’s exactly what it was, a dream. Joaquin Luna was a Dreamer in a multifaceted sense of the word.

Young undocumented students are commonly referred to as Dreamers based on the proposed “Dream Act” legislation that would allow these kids to come out of the shadows and either enlist in the military or attend a post secondary school. They’re your teenagers friends, your neighbors, perhaps the kid who on weekends mows your lawn as he helps his dad out in his landscaping business. They are all around you! They speak perfect English. They’re bright and articulate, and for the most part, well informed. They are up on political issues. Well, for them, political awareness is survival.

Maybe that’s exactly what frustrated Joaquin so. Having the knowledge that last year the Dream Act failed by a handful of votes. Knowing he was about to graduate from high school and facing that very real fear that he wouldn’t be able to afford to attend a university because of the prohibitive costs for non residents, and knowing that he couldn’t work based on his social security number deficiency. If he worked, he would have had to use a false identification which as he well knew, is a crime. Imagine the frustration, loving the United States with all your heart, feeling like a patriotic American, yet living with the open secret that you are undocumented. I also want you to imagine feeling like an American, yet having to hear yourself described by extremists as an illegal, a leach, a dirty wetback who came here to live off welfare and become an Obama Democrat.

It’s no wonder that a young fragile mind facing such a haunting future would have felt that the only solution was to end his life. There are very few resources available for these young people. Without a social security number they can’t seek psychological assistance or even counseling from the normal channels that many of us Americans would traverse.

They’re caught in the middle, and they’re hearing the hype from both sides. Many pro Immigrant groups and “leaders” give them very little hope. Claiming instead that their President abandoned them and that they doubt Obama will do anything to help them or other undocumented Immigrants in their struggle to adjust their Immigration status. While at the same time they watch the anti-Immigrant groups aggressively lobby to shut not only the borders, but any door that may lend itself as a viable option for relief for these Dreamers. The politicians often refer to these Dreamers in their debates and in speeches on the campaign trail. They have masterfully polished the Immigration issue to get elected and reelected using all “illegals” as scapegoats for the nation’s problems.

As the years grind on and more doors are shut to these Dreamers, will we see a growing trend of frustration and acts of desperation on behalf of these Dreamers that for all practical purposes are great Americans, well, except for one slight problem, they were brought here unlawfully as toddlers by their parents from a country they don’t remember and have never returned to?

So many Dreamers feel they’re facing a dead end, at least that’s Joaquin Luna thought when he dressed up in a suit and tie, kissed his family goodbye and took a small caliber handgun into the bathroom of his family’s home and shot himself in the head, ending his life as a Dreamer.

The only thing young Joaquin left behind was his frustrations and shattered dreams as an “illegal”, all penned on paper for the world to see.

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and W60 AM Radio, Los Angeles, San Diego and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana and the Tucson Citizen. Arizona.

Listen to our live radio broadcast every Friday from 5-7 PM on The JOLT Tucson 1330 AM or via the web on http://www.carlosgalindo.com

The Obama administration by and through Janet Napolitano recently issued a memorandum of sorts, ordering a case by case study of the over 300,000 detainees in federal detention centers. This memo coupled with another memo issued on June 17, 2011 by the director of Homeland Security John Morton outlining the candidates for prosecutorial discretion was taken by those opposed to unlawful immigration as a back door amnesty. On the other hand, those who are pro-Immigrant ungratefully complained that it wasn’t enough demanding a shut down of the secure communities program by President Obama.

Two extreme sides that outline today’s reality regarding the precarious immigration issue. There are many who supported a broad and unrealistic immigration reform proposal tendered by Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois, 4th) last year. An unrealistic request from a congressman who claims to champion immigration reform. On the other hand the GOP and their extremist splinter called the Tea Party, label any attempt to bring forth the immigration issue as an attempt to grant amnesty to thousands of “illegals” [sic]. The same, claims, that these are illegal Democrats and that Obama will have instant voters if some sort of immigration reform were to be instituted.

The reality is that ignorance in general from both sides regarding the immigration issue lends itself to manipulation of the masses. The pseudo leaders in the Latino community tug on the immigrants heartstrings by telling them that Obama failed them and that he is responsible for Bush’s secure communities program. They have essentially placed blinders on the immigrant community and have dangled the immigration reform carrot in front of their noses, allowing them to drag them here and there. The GOP and the Tea Party has used a combination of tactics to lead the blind. In some cases they cater to the white supremacist claiming that we are being overrun by “illegals” [sic]. They can also tug on those racists heart strings by claiming that America isn’t what it used to be since the “illegals” [sic] came in. Yet others are deceived by catering to their xenophobic tendencies by claiming that “illegals” [sic] are bringing in disease and that they are like cockroaches, dirty and unkempt. They further the paranoia for all the previous categories by claiming that the immigrants breed like rabbits and that their children want to grow up to be gang members.

The United States has been undeniably polarized by the immigration issue. In the end, just like anything else, it’s going to require a financial interest to pass immigration reform and new leaders will have to emerge. The snake oil salesmen on both sides will need to retire into obscurity allowing a responsible and more centered leadership to egress.

Finally for those pro Immigrant critics of President Obama’s policies I have linked a recent article outlining the surging effect of the Obama administration’s new policy, and for those fear mongers who claim it’s a back door amnesty, understand this, what you are seeing is a responsible and centered approach to a much needed relief for those people you currently utilize to wash your cars, cook your food, mow your lawns and build your houses.

Wait! Read the memo first!

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana Arizona. www.nospinonair.com/http://www.carlosgalindo.com

Listen to our live radio broadcast every Friday from 5-7 PM on The JOLT Tucson 1330 AM or via the web on www.nospinonair.com

I received an urgent call this morning from someone reporting that Joe Arpaio, the Maricopa County Sheriff was executing a warrant at a workplace raid at the Days Inn on 7th Avenue & Camelback Rd. in Phoenix, AZ.

When I arrived I saw the familiar sheriff’s vehicles there. The mainstream media was there as well. The usual activists including Lydia Guzman was present granting her interviews to the Spanish language media. The usual garbage, preaching to the choir. Nothing new to say. You often see the same old tired faces spewing their usual nonsensical rhetoric and boring analysis of the Sheriff’s raid.

Univision tried to get Joe Arpaio to cough up information about the Obama administration’s new policy and procedure regarding prosecutorial discretion and the case by case scrutiny of the more than 300,000 detainees suspected of being in the country unlawfully. He bit his upper lip and refused to answer their question. It doesn’t matter, it would have probably been edited out by the producers or the reporter himself. When the initial story broke about the Obama administration’s change in Immigration policy, the Univision reporter did a terrible job in covering the story fairly, completely ignoring anyone supportive of the policy. Instead he focused on pessimistic Latinos who said President Obama wasn’t doing enough.

I was able to coax Arpaio in to responding to the question. It’s all in how you phrase it right? Imagine that, and I’m just a little old radio talk show host and political analyst.

Well according to what “Sheriff Joe” told me, he was looking for ten people accused of identity theft who were working at the hotel. He shared with me that they had not updated their intelligence and thought that all the employees were in full work mode when they arrived at around 8:00 AM. It turns out that because of cutbacks in hours based on the pitiful economy, they had been asked to report at 10:00 AM. Oops! misfire! Joe was only able to capture one housekeeper accused of being in the country unlawfully and usurping someone else’s identity. Wow! once again, thousands of dollars spent to capture one, or a handful of low skilled labor. Not exactly how I want my tax dollars spent.

I will note that Arpaio plans on trying to locate the AWOL employees at their homes. This is his M.O. for workplace raids. If he doesn’t locate them there, he goes to their homes. Normally they will even pursue ex-employees, if, after seizing the workplace records, they determine that previous employees were possibly using false identities.

An interesting note on this raid, is the comments that Joe Arpaio shared with me and which the mainstream media missed, was the fact that according to his investigation, this may be a good case for prosecution under the existing employer sanction law that was passed in 2007 by the legislature and that until a couple of months ago was tied up in the Supreme Court. SCOTUS upheld the employer sanction law paving the way for possible civil prosecution of employers. Something that many employers have feared since the law went into effect. We haven’t seen these employers push for immigration reform, they just invested thousands of dollars into fighting the law to avoid possible sanctions.

Could this possibly be a change in Arpaio’s strategy? Pursuing employers? I doubt it! After all these are the same people that sponsor his campaigns when reelection rolls around.

Oh, and talking about reelection, I asked Arpaio if he was preparing himself for a 2012 run for Sheriff. He was quick to correct me. “For sheriff he asked?”, “Why not for the U.S. Senate?”, “I’ve been asked to run you know?” I laughed and said “OK”, Arpaio quickly came back with ” well, either way, if I don’t run for the senate, I’ll definitely run for sheriff again.”

I do have to point out that Arpaio lashed out at me when he first saw me, stating, “I’m not happy with you”, “I saw you talking about me on TV.” “You’re getting involved in politics now” he quipped. I laughed and just shook my head. Poor guy, he forgets from one day to the next what’s going on around him. After all, I’m a radio talk show host and political analyst, that my job for God’s sake!

As he got into his brand new Chrysler Joe shouted, “hey, do you anyone that can get me a good deal on a 300?” Referring to the Chrysler 300 he used to be chauffeured in by his favorite deputies.

“Nope, I yelled, besides that, you might check their legal status knowing you.” He responded with a chuckle, “yeah, they might drive off with my car”, and off he went to chase more cooks, car washers, landscapers, housekeepers, bread makers, butchers, did I miss any of his recent raids?

Thousands of dollars spent, to chase that labor force that Arizona desperately needs, hired by hypocritical employers that hold a double standard.

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana and the Tucson Citizen. Arizona. www.nospinonair.com/http://www.carlosgalindo.com

Listen to our live radio broadcast every Friday from 5-7 PM on The JOLT Tucson 1330 AM or via the web on www.nospinonair.com

Pearce’s hypocrisy was confirmed today when I received a copy of documents filed by Tom Tancredo the ex Colorado congressman and chairman of Team America PAC. Tancredo has entered the “stop the Pearce recall efforts” by forming a committee to oppose the recall. Essentially a money making machine that will fight tooth and nail alongside Pearce to allow his political survival. Know this, Tancredo is a true extremist. He has attended Tea Party rallies in Arizona in the past and has shared the stage with his controversial friend Russell Pearce.

The hypocrisy comes in watching Stan Barnes the ex legislator and official Pearce arse kisser on Sunday Square Off the other day complaining about this Pearce recall being influenced by outside sources, I knew it wouldn’t be long before the dirty laundry would be aired regarding Pearce’s true backing. Well here it is Monday and we have a copy of the documents filed by Tancredo with the Arizona Secretary of State. Well if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black!

Tancredo’s nativism and extremism is founded in part by his comments that have ranged from claiming the Pope wants to welcome illegal immigrants to boost church membership to claiming that Miami is becoming a third world country. He is an ardent border wall supporter like Pearce and has even gone so far as to display his anger at Mayors in U.S. border cities that didn’t want the border affecting their relationship with Mexico by stating that the border should then be built North of those cities, to keep those cities out of the United States.

In 2010 Tancredo said this:

In April, during the keynote address at a Tea Party rally in South Carolina, Tancredo told a crowd that we’re “going to have to pray that we can hold on to this country.” And added this about the president: “If his wife says Kenya is his homeland, why don’t we just send him back?”

I’m sure we’ll see many more Tancredo types surface and join up with the gang of xenophobes, nativists, racists and those that call themselves true patriots just trying to do what’s right for Arizona and America.

Can someone hand me my popcorn. This movie plays like something out of the old days. Let’s see, who’s going to play Bull Connor?

Angry Nativist Tom Tancredo

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana and the Tucson Citizen. Arizona. www.nospinonair.com/http://www.carlosgalindo.com

Listen to our live radio broadcast every Friday from 5-7 PM on The JOLT Tucson 1330 AM or via the web on www.nospinonair.com

I think the obvious answer is yes. Well, let’s clarify what president I’m referring to. I’m in fact referring to Russell Pearce, Arizona’s senate president. According to Pearce, in a letter sent out to his supporters, he calls himself the senate Tea Party president. What an absolute joke. This man is like a leech on an a jack-ass’ arse. He’ll bleed anything around him so long as he can survive and fill his spineless body with that much needed blood.

In a recent email to Pearce & Brewer supporters, Janice K. Brewer, Arizona’s 22nd governor, didn’t just ask, but plead for money for her boss hog of the state of Arizona. We all know what this is all about.

It’s obvious Jan Brewer is stepping up to the plate for Pearce because she owes him big time. After all it was his anti-immigrant legislation SB1070 that propelled this inept, ex secretary of state, and worthless ex legislator to the top. Brewer has never denied it. Brewer is in fact the “sitting” governor of the state of Arizona, and that’s about as far as it goes. She is allowed to sit on the throne, but Pearce is actually our defacto Arizona governor. Pearce made his position very clear during a Sunday Square Off interview in which he said he was a co-partner in running this state and that, according to Pearce, “you can’t ignore the fact that senate bill 1070 had an impact on the governor’s race.” Anyway you want to spin that comment, politically it means one thing, you owe me big time guv.

So now that Pearce is in trouble, well, let me rephrase that, now that he has been placed in the predicament of a hasty election in November, Janice is groveling for money for her “dance partner”, of course he’s taken the lead as any self respecting chauvinistic Tea Party politician would in this political tango.

Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive the people of Arizona using false statistics and fear mongering while maintaining an intimate relationship with the corporate corrections giants. Maybe Pearce can turn to them for funding, after all, he’s made them a pretty penny in Arizona. Perhaps he can get some more bowl tickets and auction them off to not just the highest bidder, but the most racist of the bidders.

In any event Jan Brewer’s intervention in the upcoming November 8, 2011 election is barefaced and unapologetic, after all, she owes a debt. It’s quid pro quo time and Pearce has called in his chips, and Brewer has diligently responded like any cheap ballerina would with, what’s your song of choice Mr. Pearce? (make sure you read that with a southern drawl)

Pearce takes the lead in this political tango

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana and the Tucson Citizen. Arizona. www.nospinonair.com/http://www.carlosgalindo.com

Listen to our live radio broadcast every Friday from 5-7 PM on The JOLT Tucson 1330 AM and every Saturday from 9-11 AM on KXXT 1010 AM Phoenix or via the web on www.nospinonair.com

As the judge laid down the sentence for convicted killer, Gary Thomas Kelley, you could hear the frustration in her voice and it even seemed like she was choking back a couple of tears. Judge Susan Brnovich is not a newcomer to the Superior Court of the State of Arizona. She previously served as a Commissioner and was subsequently appointed to the position of Judge by Governor Janet Napolitano. She entered handling domestic battles and now handles murder cases.

For Brnovich to be visibly upset by this case I feel displays the frustration she has with Arizona’s current climate. At the same time, I think that Brnovich, a Republican, thinks as a Republican would, and when Gary Thomas Kelley gave his final arguments, pleading for leniency prior to sentencing, he defiantly stated “I don’t hate Mexicans” as he pointed to the Varela family members sitting in the pews. Brnovich, prior to declaring the sentence stated “you’re justified in saying you’re not a racist, however you are a murderer.”

You see, that’s the problem with the conservative mindset. They will go out of their way to declare someone, not a racist, yet they will call them a murderer, without flinching.

However, Kelley is just that, a racist and a murderer. When Kelley approached Juan Varela on May 6, 2010, he had one thing in mind, and he articulated it loud and clear. “Go back to Mexico wetback”, Kelley said, followed by “you’re going to die today.” Varela’s 78 year old mother Paula stood by and watched as Kelley blurted profanity after profanity while he stood there unbeknownst to Varela, with a snub nose revolver hidden in his waistband.

Varela’s brother Antonio yelled at Kelley, told him to, “go home.” Kelley was interested in just one thing, murdering a wetback! According to Kelley himself and in accordance with the Defense’s opening statements witnessed by yous truly, Kelley had approached Varela aggressively, questioning whether or not Varela had been at an SB1070 rally. Varela a fifth generation American whose family lived in Texas and moved to Arizona over 40 years ago are representative of the well known phrase, “We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us.” Varela told Kelley to go away, but Kelley would have no such thing, Kelley continued with the threats and coaxed Varela out of his yard, where he pointed the loaded weapon an fired a single shot killing Juan Varela, a husband, brother, son, uncle and little league coach.

Varela was representative of America, a U.S. Citizen, who coached little league and drove his daughter to and from school daily. He tended to his garden as he sang Christian hymns in front of his South Phoenix home.

It was amazing to watch the Phoenix Police screw up the investigation in this racially motivated crime. According to the family, within fifteen minutes of the Phoenix Police arriving, Sgt. Tommy Thompson held a press conference and announced this matter to be a dispute between neighbors and nothing more. The family was furious at Thompson and the Phoenix Police Department who not only didn’t call it right from the beginning, according to the family, they did a shoddy job on the investigation, if you can call it an investigation.

The family was equally shocked to see Vice Mayor Michael Nowakowski and councilman Michael Johnson show up at the scene. According to Antonio Varela councilman Johnson claimed that he didn’t want this incident to be seen as a racial bias crime, but just a dispute between neighbors. The family felt this was part of a coverup to avoid further enraging the South Phoenix community that would at later date suffer the loss of one of it’s unarmed residents at the hands of an accused rogue cop Richard Chrisman that had been involved in a prior incident of planting evidence on a disabled African American woman.

Arizona has been a polarized state since the attack upon the Immigrant community commenced shortly after 911. Things gradually got worse and Arizona became the pitre dish for the rest of the nation. Laws targeting Immigrants and affecting the constitutional rights of people of Mexican descent or with similar characteristics were passed through Arizona’s Republican controlled legislature like pizzas coming out of a delivery joint.

Arizona’s governor Jan Brewer signed two crucial bills that were complicit in the Varela murder. Brewer signed SB1070 and a concealed weapon law that nixed any licensing to carry a gun concealed.

By signing those laws and with the help of the media, Arizonans like Kelley felt empowered to take the law into their own hands. Although neither law had actually gone into effect, Kelley, while downing beers and perhaps listening to conservative talk radio and observing images of Jan Brewer on Fox news stating that Arizona was under invasion, coupled with pictures of individuals trekking through the desert, was sufficient to push an unstable and angry Kelley to murder. After all, Kelley felt it was his duty to lash out at what he thought was a “wetback” that had somehow invaded his country.

To add insult to injury, Latino “leaders” refused to get behind the grieving family. Some “leaders” went so far as to denounce this case, later determined to be absolutely SB1070 related and charged as a hate crime.

Lydia Guzman the ex President of Somos America and current director of Respect/Respeto said this to Nicholas Riccardi of the L.A. Times.

Lydia Guzman, a prominent local immigrants-rights activist, said she and others organizing protests against SB 1070 were wary of the case. “This guy did not get shot because he was Mexican,” Guzman said

At a time when local Arizona “activists” and “leaders” could have rubbed this awful murder in Jan Brewer’s face for signing such a law, they instead backed off from what should have been put front and center as the first SB1070 related murder, to being complicit by negating it’s existence and refusing to talk about it publicly. After all it was, without a doubt SB1070 related. The validity of the claim that this atrocious murder was directly related to Arizona’s “show me your papers” law was later verified by the defendant’s own testimony from the witness stand.

After what seemed like an eternity for the grieving Varela family, and after being kicked around by local politicians, police chiefs, mayors, vice mayors, councilmen, and those who were supposedly on their side representing the best interest of the Latino community in Arizona, the Varela’s received partial justice in the form of a guilty verdict. Well sort of, but not before going through an initial trial that ended in a deadlocked jury, that was subsequently, declared a mistrial.

An all white jury was deadlocked nine in favor of conviction and three against, when according to family members quoting prosecutor Heather Wicht, one of the three seeking to dismiss charges against the murderer stated to another jury member, (Paraphrasing) “if I had a knife, I would cut you up.” Obviously the jury deliberations had reached a climatic and polarizing moment, very similar to the current conditions in the state of Arizona nowadays, where people fall on one side or the other of the SB1070 issue, and many are willing to go to the death to support their position. Apparently that was sufficient for Judge Brnovich to call it a mistrial, which of course resulted in starting the process all over again from jury selection to a brand new trial. Which meant family members were forced to relive their pain all over again on the stand while their loved one’s killer sat there shaking his head and making faces. After all, what’s the big deal? He was just a “wetback” according to Gary Thomas Kelley.

The second trial carried the same testimony with Kelley admitting he murdered Juan Varela and confirming that Varela did not possess any weapons. The jury deliberated for a very short three hours, coming back with a guilty verdict which included aggravating factors that unfortunately did not include the racial bias enhancement charge. I truly believe that this jury did what everyone else has irresponsibly done in this case. They have wanted to lessen the outrage of the community in an attempt to depolarize an already black and white state, replacing black with brown of course.

Gary Thomas Kelley was a U.S. Citizen just like Juan Varela. The difference is, one was a cold blooded killer who hated Mexicans and felt empowered by this state’s acceptance of overt racism billed as political differences by those who are reaping the benefits, whether it’s pundits on conservative talk radio, corrupt Republican politicians or the private prison industry.

On July 5, 2011 approximately 14 months after Kelley killed Varela he received a sentence of twenty seven and a half years. A slight sentence for what many consider a premeditated murder given the fact that Kelley came over, gun concealed, with one thing in mind. To kill a “wetback.”

I spoke to Antonio Varela shortly after the sentencing. He was devastated and shared his feelings regarding the lack of support from members of the Latino community and the nightmare the family had gone through in seeking justice for his beloved brother Juan Varela. Antonio was right next to Juan when Kelley killed him and was threatened by Kelley with the same gun he used to kill Juan.

This morning I had Susie Mendoza on my Spanish language radio program. Susie is Juan Varela’s sister and has taken the lead as the matriarch of the family since Paula Varela, Juan’s mother has grown weaker and much more ill since the murder of her beloved son. Susie shared her thoughts with me and was thankful for a system that in the end worked, but didn’t necessarily give the family the relief they sought. She was thankful for the Prosecutors ardent work in prosecuting the case and appreciated the Judge’s passion as she sentenced a convicted murderer.

One thing’s for sure, the first SB1070 related murder has flown under the radar. Victim of an attempt to sweep Arizona’s dirty little open secret under the political rug. As the saying goes, “All that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph is for enough good men to do nothing.”

As the Varela family grieves every day, Latino leaders stand by idle, politicians continue furthering the great lie that Arizona is under an invasion, and every night, Arizonans like Gary Thomas Kelley settle down in front of their televisions and their radios with their beer in tow wondering what it would be like to kill a “wetback.”

Juan Varela R.I.P.

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana Arizona. www.nospinonair.com/http://www.carlosgalindo.com

Listen to our live radio broadcast every Friday from 5-7 PM on The JOLT Tucson 1330 AM or via the web on www.nospinonair.com

Within the next couple of weeks the Arizona Department of Corrections will be recommending the company or companies that will be awarded a contract with the State of Arizona. That private detention corporation(s) will be charged with building a couple of new facilities to house inmates.

Although we’ve seen a decline in crime and a decline in a need for new facilities, the private prison industry continues to expand their operations in Arizona by and through relationships like the one they maintain with Chuck Coughlin who owns and runs High Ground Public Affairs and who in turn lobbies for Corrections Corporation of America. Coughlin, amazingly enough, is Governor Jan Brewer’s top political adviser. Although much of this may be a refresher course for many of you, it’s crucial to set the foundation for those who may not be aware of these very highly publicized facts.

In a declining market, a bad economy, and desperately trying to pull out of a recession, we find that the private prison industry has established ties that have allowed it to continue profiting to the tune of 5 billion dollars per year. Like a game of chess, the pawns were put in place while many Arizonans were sleeping on the political job. Once established these private corrections corporations have been able to maintain many states in a virtual checkmate.

As an example of failed policies and unneeded private prisons or as many of us call them, concentration camps, we need to look at Littlefield Texas who bought into the idea of building a private prison. Hell the idea seemed good enough. The private corrections corporation would build the prison at their own cost. There would be no subsidiaries in the form of taxpayer money and everything would be done up to code. Once built, profits would be shared, it would create jobs, it sounded like a great plan, especially given the fact that many of these prisons depend on undocumented Immigrants to fill them, and of course, officials in Littlefield are well aware of Texas’ stand on illegal immigration and the enacting of laws that are aimed at the undocumented Immigrant, therefore creating more prisoners to fill those jails.

Somehow the perfect model collapsed and Littlefield is stuck with a private prison that nobody wants and that is actually costing them money to maintain. In fact for the last couple of years Littlefield is having to dish out $65,000.00 a month to pay the note on the prison. The corrections corporation giant GEO bailed out and the contractors and snake oil salesmen all made their money leaving Littlefield holding the jailer’s keys.

What Littlefield and those in the private prison industry did not take into consideration is the fact that creating these laws would cause panic amongst their potential dweller, which would in turn caused a massive exodus from those states who would most likely benefit from incarcerating these potential inmates.

Another factor not considered by the private prison industry or those seeking to profit from the incarceration of Immigrants is the fact that securing the border has swayed many from making that dangerous trek across our border. Therefore denying the private prison industry of the desperately needed fodder for their private prisons.

I would imagine that there must be a behind the scenes struggle between the private prison industry who seeks a porous border in order to allow their favorite customers in and the Tea Party driven politician who insists that they want an even more secure border further damaging profits for private corrections purveyors.

In any event, Arizona is hell bent on building more private prisons. They have a commitment to those correctional giants and by golly they plan on keeping their word. So who’s going to be building these new prisons? Who get’s the latest contract? They’ve all got horrible track records, from escape, to abusing inmates, although, I don’t think Clarence Thomas would object to the latter, seeing as how he has displayed his support for inmate abuse by rendering dissenting opinions on such matters from the SCOTUS bench, however, that’s another story for another time. Let’s take a look at the bidders’ track record.

The bidders

Those companies are:

- Geo Group Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla. A publicly-traded company, Geo operates about 80,000 prison beds at 116 federal, state and local prisons and treatment facilities in the U.S. and three other countries. It reported $62.8 million in net income on $1.27 billion in revenues for its most recent fiscal year ending Jan. 2. It operates three prisons under contract with the Arizona Department of Corrections: the Central Arizona Correctional Facility (medium security) in Florence, and the minimum-security Phoenix West and Florence West prisons.

Geo has had at least 27 escapes in the past seven years, according to press accounts, including one three years ago that led to a murder in a convenience store in Houston. In 2007, Texas canceled an $8 million contract with Geo and closed the Coke County Juvenile Justice Center, citing filthy conditions. The company is currently fighting a suit by the American Civil Liberties Union alleging the use of excessive force, and unconstitutional and barbaric conditions at its Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in Walnut Grove, Miss. Meanwhile, the FBI and a federal grand jury are investigating alleged illegalities in the appropriations and the construction of Geo’s $120 million Blackwater River Correctional Facility in Florida. The company did not respond to calls and e-mails seeking comment.

- Management & Training Corp., of Centerville, Utah. A privately-held company, MTC operates 20 prisons in seven states, with a capacity of 26,000 prisoners. It does not publicly release financial data. It began in 1981 operating federal Job Corps centers. MTC operates two prisons under contract with the Arizona Department of Corrections, a medium/minimum security facility in Kingman and a minimum-security facility at Marana.

MTC currently faces lawsuits over the deaths of an Oklahoma couple killed after three inmates escaped from its Kingman prison last year. The company has also had escapes from prisons it operates in Texas and Utah. In two separate instances, it has been ordered by the U.S. Department of Labor to repay a total of more than $650,000 in back wages to officers from whom it withheld overtime pay in Texas and four other states. MTC spokeswoman Issa Arnita noted that the Utah escapees were inmates working outside the prison. And she said MTC added razor wire – not then required by Texas at minimum-security facilities – after the Texas escapes. She said that after the Department of Labor determination, MTC voluntarily audited all its facilities and compensated any employees who were due back wages.

- Correctional Corp. of America, of Nashville, Tenn. CCA is the largest private-prison company in the U.S., housing about 80,000 federal and state prisoners in 66 facilities across 19 states and the District of Columbia. A publicly-traded company, CCA reported net income of $157 million on $1.67 billion in revenues for 2010. It has no contracts with the Arizona Department of Corrections, but houses federal inmates and inmates from Hawaii, California and Washington at six prisons in Eloy and Florence.

CCA has had at least 21 escapes at various facilities over the past decade, including several that have led to assaults and other crimes. CCA also faces several lawsuits over its Idaho Correctional Center, dubbed the “Gladiator School” for allegations that guards and supervisors there regularly allowed violent inmates to assault and beat other inmates during 2009 and 2010. In January 2010, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear ordered hundreds of female prisoners removed from CCA’s Otter Creek Correctional Complex after a series of charges that guards regularly sexually assaulted female inmates there. CCA did not respond to calls and e-mails seeking comment.

- Emerald Correctional Management, of Lafayette, La. A privately-held company, Emerald operates about 3,800 beds at six federal, state and local prisons. It has no contracts with the Arizona Department of Corrections, but operates the San Luis Regional Detention Center south of Yuma in partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It has had at least five escapes in the past decade.

Last year, the Houston Chronicle, reporting on the death of a Cuban immigrant, investigated the company’s Rolling Plains Regional Jail and Detention Center in Texas. It noted that the company had no doctors to care for more than 500 immigration detainees at the facility, using only poorly supervised vocational nurses. Emerald did not respond to calls for comment.

- LaSalle Southwest Corrections, of Ruston, La. A privately-held company, LaSalle operates about 7,700 beds at 12 prisons in Texas and Louisiana. It has no contracts with the Arizona Department of Corrections. It has had eight escapes in the past six years, including three of minimum-security prisoners who walked away while on work crews outside the prisons.

Source: www.azcentral.com

The corporate giant’s on this list have successfully bought their way into Arizona politics utilizing the hot button issue nowadays “immigration”, while funding local corrupt and profoundly racist politicians. I really doubt that Arizona will end up with a Littlefield, Texas problem, especially given the fact that if anything does go wrong, Arizona’s Republican led administration will ensure that you, the tax payer, flip the bill for their mistakes.

Welcome to Arizona, where everything is for sale to the highest bidder, from the Arizona State Capitol Building that’s already been sold, to the politicians contained within that are bought and sold daily, to our Immigrant labor that can be used for profit by corporations involved in manufacturing, agriculture, food, or the latest, the correctional industry.

America Tangled In The Private Prison Industry

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana Arizona. www.nospinonair.com/http://www.carlosgalindo.com
Listen to our live radio broadcast every Friday from 5-7 PM on The JOLT Tucson 1330 AM or via the web on www.nospinonair.com

It didn’t surprise me to see the current governor of North Carolina sign an aggressive anti-Immigrant bill. I fully expected her to follow the status quo for states like Arizona who have devalued the Immigrant and the Latino in the United States. I liken it to the blacks in the 1800′s, they were valued at 3/5 of a man. Nowadays brown is the new black, and we Latinos are feeling the full brunt of the attack from racists, xenophobes and politicians who know how to incite emotional outrage over the Immigration issue to ensure votes for their otherwise failed campaigns.

The buzz is about the economy and the Immigrants, and as usual, they blame the economy and spending on the Immigrants. Tangled like dolphin in a Tuna fisherman’s net, U.S. Citizens that bear semblance to people Indigenous to this continent such as the Mexican or Central American’s are harassed, asked for I.D., and detained until their legal status is determined by overzealous and angry law enforcement officials who’s emotions have been primed by pundits on conservative talk radio and by anti-Immigrant propaganda displayed on “conservative” television shows.

There’s a growing trend that has emerged lately. It appears that certain politicians, either Immigrants themselves or children of Immigrants, feel they need to reversely overcompensate for what they represent. They seem to think that the best way to set the record straight on the fact that they are fully assimilated foreigners, or children of foreigners, is to create laws or support laws that adversely pursue the very thing they symbolize.

Nimrata “Nikki” Randhawa Haley, South Carolina’s 116th governor is the daughter of Dr. Ajit and Raj Randhawa, Sikh immigrants from Amritsar, Punjab, India. However, for Nimrata, being an Immigrant whose parents benefited by coming to this country and in turn benefited her, doesn’t faze the Republican Sikh Methodist woman who is more interested in pandering to the South’s racist than doing what might be best for South Carolina and it’s desperate need for Immigrant labor to cultivate their main crop, tobacco.

What Nimrata has done, is not just sign a draconian law into effect, she has enacted a special police force in compliance with provisions within South Carolina’s SB20 specifically under section 23-6-60. This “special” force will wear “special” badges and insignia that will identify them separately as the “Illegal Immigration Enforcement Unit.” They will also use cars with specific emblems identifying the vehicles as that of the special Immigrant hunting force of South carolina.

Let’s see where have I seen this before? Special laws created to pursue a certain sector of the community that has always been there serving as that country’s workforce. A secret or “special” police force that wears certain emblems with “special” vehicles that clearly identify them as someone you should fear and for God’s sake, never question.

Oh, that’s right, Nazi Germany carried on in the same exact fashion. The police force was called “The Gestapo.” They were charged with ensuring that Jews were rounded up and that anyone who facilitated the movement of Jews would be likewise prosecuted. The same provisions contained within SB20 and the same ones that are found within it’s precursor, Arizona’s SB1070. Seriously, what’s next? Tattoos on the forearm?

I will venture to answer the question, would Adolf have been proud of Nimrata? Well of course, she has acted as any other good political leader would in the United States today right? Invoke fear and hatred towards a certain sector of the community citing them as the root of all evil in this country, create laws that will ensure attrition by enforcement, cause “good” citizens to inform on each other and ensure that these citizens are kept in line with a special police force.

In the Adolf era they called it Nazism, today we call it Americanism.

Apparently The Confederacy Lives On In South Carolina

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana Arizona. www.nospinonair.com/http://www.carlosgalindo.com

Listen to our live radio broadcast every Friday from 5-7 PM on The JOLT Tucson 1330 AM or via the web on www.nospinonair.com

Victoria Falcone-Camey asked:

Carlos what do you think about those saying no support for Obama until he stops deporting?

My response may make some of you angry, but at least you know I am honest. I say what many of you think, but are not willing to say. By the way, the Rethuglicans need not jump on board. You are what’s wrong with Arizona and the United States.

So here is my response to the aforementioned question:

It’s the typical shoot yourself in the foot mentality. Let’s see what’s the alternative? Romney? Nah, don’t think he’ll stop the deportations! Oh, I know, Herman Cain, oh…he is afraid of Muslims and he said they shouldn’t permit birthright citizenship for children of undocumented parents, Ron Paul said the same! So he’s not the guy! Should I go on?

We all know there won’t be opposition from the Dems in the primary, so……. It’s Obama and whomever the Rethuglicans nominate. So would we want any of those thugs sitting as Commander in Chief. Will they stop the deportations? NO….We know how much the GOP uses the undocumented people issue to rev up their base!

All these nay sayers are hurting because of what is happening to our people. I am too. Believe me I advocate every day and have been arrested and threatened and my wife was even assaulted, However, I’m a pragmatist while still allowing myself to dream at least a little. These nay sayers that claim they won’t support President Obama should just stop with their support of the Rethuglicans! Oh, did I say that out loud?

Any negative feedback for President Obama lends credibility to the right’s complaints and fuels the fire. It’s time the Dem lights and the failed leaders shut up! They didn’t do a damn thing when Bush was in office! Most of these policies, including the “secure communities” program were put in place under Bush’s administration.

These pseudo leaders and pseudo activists ran their non-profits, marched people in the streets and refused to register them to vote. Then they expected to bully their way through the political system. For years they profited from the oppressed who yearn for CIR. They have failed to properly lead and meet the needs of our beloved undocumented friends and family members. They didn’t stop to realize that the Blacks were in line, the gays were in line, the people demanding health care were in line, the Dems with power who supported Obama were in line. Everyone had and has had their hand out. No! They’ve had their fists out! They have been pounding it, insisting they will bail out on any support for President Obama if he doesn’t cough up what they want.

Victoria, just stop and think, if each state would have had the proper leadership, and had they been pragmatists when they saw what Bush was doing and how Immigrants were being used as scapegoats, they could have and should have prevented this attack at a state level.

However, you see these same activists in bed with the police chiefs who are more harmful with their police forces than Joe Arpaio! Daily they detain and arrest our people for things that are absurd, e.g. broken tail lights, broken windshields etc. They then take them to the local jail for processing through the 287g program. You have never seen these pseudo activists or pseudo leaders go after the local politicians, such as the mayors who hold hands with these police chiefs. They don’t go after the city council members who pass city rules that deny the acceptance of the matricula consular as an alternative identification to present to police officers, like they did here in Phoenix many years before the actual matricula law was passed this legislative session.

No Victoria, this is a much more complex issue. The local pseudo leaders and activists in each state and each “Latino” organization like to point fingers and yell at President Obama.

In the end, it diverts attention from their failed leadership.

In solidarity,

Carlos E. Galindo

What's your option? A Rethuglican?

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana Arizona. www.nospinonair.com/http://www.carlosgalindo.com
Listen to our live radio broadcast every Friday from 5-7 PM on The JOLT Tucson 1330 AM or via the web on www.nospinonair.com