Why do media outlets label Republican Latinos as key players in the Immigration reform dialogue? I am sick of seeing the likes of Marco Rubio (R) Florida and Raul Labrador (R) Idaho advanced as somehow representative of Latinos throughout the United States.

Not only are Rubio and Labrador not representative of the Latinos in the U.S., they certainly are not representative of the Immigrants in America. Rubio with Cuban roots and Labrador born in Puerto Rico have no idea what it’s like to suffer in the United States. I would best be represented by a white man with a good grasp on the complexity of Latino issues than two politicians that have been placed at the forefront of this Immigration debate because of their affiliation to communities that have been labeled by some as being Hispanic or Latino, such as the Cuban and Puerto Rican communities have been. Rubio and Labrador represent and understand the necessities of today’s Immigrants about as much as Black politicians understand the needs and the plight of the current Haitian or African Immigrant. Just because the pigment of their skin is identical, that doesn’t mean the modern day black politician can remember or relate to what their ancestors felt when they were brought here as Immigrant slaves in the seventeenth century.

Rubio and Labrador are so far removed from the day to day struggle of the modern Immigrant and Latino, that they couldn’t possibly understand the needs or the intricacies involved with today’s Immigrant community. That detachment and their insistence on utilizing code words floated by Republican politicians and pundits creates a credibility problem for Rubio and Labrador. Your average Latino, and most definitely today’s Immigrant doesn’t recognize Rubio or Labrador as politicians looking to serve the best interest of the Latino community.

As an Immigrant from Mexico and as an active member of the Immigrant community in Arizona, I find it truly offensive every time I see a news story referencing either of these two politicians as key players. Why does the Republican party feel a need to pick someone who at best shares the same pigmentation I do to take the lead on an issue that affects my community?

Here’s where we can separate Rubio and Labrador and define them by lack of knowledge and extreme hypocrisy. Rubio is riding the political wave, and after years of trying to blend in to Anglo communities and political mixers with a name like “Marco Rubio”, he’s willing to be labeled the key Latino of the Republican party. It’s all about political opportunism and advancement for Rubio, who I’m sure aspires to be the first Latino POTUS. Rubio’s willing to take one for the team as long as he is accepted as “one of them” in the Republican party.

As for Labrador, we can go one further. Labrador is a blatant hypocrite. After working for years as an Immigration attorney representing clients who yearn to adjust their legal status in the United States, Labrador pleads ignorance when it comes to understanding the Immigration process. What else can I deduce when Labrador utilizes rhetoric like “get at the back of the line” and his comments during the 2012 campaign in which Labrador indicated that the Republican party needed to be an inclusive party, a “party of legal immigration.”

On his congressional page he states his position in this manner:

In order for us to have real immigration reform, our top priority needs to be to first secure our nation’s borders and start enforcing the immigration laws already enacted. To do so we must give our law enforcement officials the resources they need to enforce the laws on the books and secure our borders. I also believe that undocumented immigrants must return to their country of origin and then reapply to legally come to the United States. Finally, I believe that we need a guest worker program that actually works because guest workers play an important role in the American economy and more specifically in the state of Idaho. This guest worker program will not include a pathway to citizenship or amnesty.

Why is Labrador’s hard stance on Immigration hypocritical you might ask? Well, primarily because as an Immigration attorney for 15 years, Labrador claims to have had undocumented workers as clients. One has to assume that if in fact these workers were undocumented, they either stole someone’s identity, invented a social security number or borrowed a friend or relatives identity. In any event that would mean that Labrador was assisting people he knew to be in the country unlawfully in requesting a pardon (amnesty in Republican rhetoric) from a Federal Immigration Judge. I can’t think of a more hypocritical situation, one in which you claim to want legal Immigration, yet you are part and parcel to filing paperwork for undocumented workers to request a pardon for what many call criminal behavior. Can we assume then that Labrador feels that undocumented workers that can afford to pay an attorney like him are exempt from prosecution and do not in fact have to get at the “back of the line”, wherever that may be?

Fact: The Republican party is replete with hypocrites, and Rubio and Labrador are simply part of that same system. The difference is, the rest of the party is comprised primarily of old white men that don’t hide their disdain for Immigrants, legal or otherwise, Rubio and Labrador on the other hand lend themselves to being the brown skinned snake oil salesmen for the GOP.

If I haven’t made it clear enough yet, as an Immigrant, a Latino, a U.S. Citizen, and current President of the Immigrant Advocacy Foundation, Inc., I will repeat it, Marco Rubio and Raul Labrador do not represent us.

Oh, and don’t even get me started on Rafael “Ted” Cruz (R) Texas. That’s a blog in itself.

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. Carlos Galindo is a founding member and President of the Immigrant Advocacy Foundation, Inc.

http://www.carlosgalindo.com

It is our people (I say that as an Immigrant that has worked the agricultural fields of this country), that work these jobs that require great risk for low pay. It’s the work displayed in this video that allows golf course members to enjoy the beauty of the grounds that surround them as they seek to place that little ball in that hole in the ground while they down their beers and sip their wine oblivious to the work that was done by an army of immigrants at the break of dawn.

Yet, many in the U.S. continue hell bent on removing us, or eradicating us, as you would a cockroach that has infested your cupboards. Yet, it’s us, the immigrant labor, that fills those cupboards with our backbreaking work as white employers hire us conscious of our lack of legal status.

Frankly, we are the bottom card in a house of cards, as you attempt to remove us, the house of cards will fall. We are the infrastructure of these, the United States. It’s amazing to watch the racist, xenophobe, white supremacist, or the so called conservative, attempt to remove us, completely oblivious to the fact that they are harming themselves in the process. All based on their ignorance, hatred and hypocrisy.

This country was built on immigrants, no one has defined it as “legal” immigrants. The reason that it’s never quite been defined as legal immigrants, is because we’ve never worried about checking the legal status of the immigrant, as long as they are willing to work in our fields, clean our toilets, empty our septic tanks, mow our lawns, cook our food and wipe our kids butts.

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. Carlos Galindo is President and founder of the Immigrant Advocacy Foundation, Inc.

http://www.carlosgalindo.com

It sure looked like Marco Rubio was going to be the guy that Romney picked to be on the GOP ticket for November. Romney was heavily floating the idea that Rubio might be his man, mostly based on his desire to attract the Latino vote. In turn, Rubio was floating the idea of a Dream Act that would convince the “Dreamers”, that they in turn, should convince others, that he was their savior.

Here in Arizona I heard some of the “leaders” of these Dreamers on Spanish language media outlets stating that they would support whomever gave them the Dream Act. Wow, talk about betraying the Latino community! Judas Escariot betrayed Jesus for thirty pence, I suppose the Dream Act for some of these Dreamers is their thirty pence. I mean, after all, it’s the GOP that has systematically created laws to attack not just the Dreamers, but their parents as well. It was Willard that said he would unequivocally veto the Dream Act. Yet when Romney saw an opportunity to use a “Latino” U.S. Senator to attract the Latino vote, he jumped on it like flies on a steaming pile of dung on an hot Arizona summer day.

Willard & Marco didn’t count on the fact that Obama was plotting and planning to make a move to seize the Latino vote, and in one fell swoop a series of incidents occurred that essentially assured Obama the 2012 Latino vote. It was almost as if the stars had aligned. Obama declares that the Dreamers would be able to come out of the shadows and receive a work permit that can be renewed every two years indefinitely, then SCOTUS rules on SB1070 striking most provisions as unconstitutional and allowing the show me your papers portion of the law to take effect, Obama, as if dueling with Arizona and the GOP, immediately pulls the 287g certification from Arizona’s law enforcement agencies and further states that ICE officers will not pickup undocumented Immigrants being held for suspicion of being in the country unlawfully unless they were being charged with a felony. Romney’s response? An attempt to one up President Obama by stating that it was not enough and that he would seek a longer term solution for the Dreamers.

Very few Latinos believed Romney, well, I suppose their are still those Dreamers looking for their thirty pence, but for the most part Romney is toast with the Latinos. There is less and less talk about Rubio being part of the veepstakes.

That’s not stopping Rubio though. He’s clearly still coveting that spot on the GOP ticket, and he’s making sure that the conservative folk see him. I suppose it would be hard to miss him with his new sales tactic. He’s pounding the street town by town as any self serving politician would do, selling his propaganda, I mean book, “An American Son.” What makes this book tour interesting is Rubio’s attempt to make sure you can’t miss him, he’s cruising around on a huge tour bus with his mug and his name plastered prominently on the side. It might as well say, An American Son looking to be an American Vice President.

Now that Rubio can’t bring Romney the Latino vote, I suspect Romney’s advisors will steer him towards someone who has more experience, can bring in the moderates and conservatives. Shall we say, someone, a bit more vanilla.

Hey, look at me!

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. Carlos Galindo is President and founder of the Immigrant Advocacy Foundation, Inc.

http://www.carlosgalindo.com

Ever since Barack Obama took office Latinos have been pounding on his door. It seems to me that President Obama could hear them, after all they have been vocal enough. The problem was, the general feeling of dislike for Latinos by the majority. Keep in mind, the President is the President of the United States, not of just the Latino community, the gay community, the African community or of women. However, it sure seems like the groups I just mentioned were much more valued than the Latinos.

I suppose that if you’ve been depreciating something for years, it simply loses it’s value. If you bought a brand new car and over the years you allowed people to walk by and hit it with a bat, plug some buckshot into it, broke the windows and keyed it, and on top of that, from the day you bought it, you claimed it was a gas hog that cost you dearly, that it was draining your budget, it was inefficient, it smelled, it looked ugly and you just couldn’t stand it’s color, it would surely depreciate. It just wouldn’t have the value that other same model cars of a different color might have, now would it?

The same is the case with Latinos throughout the United States. Especially immigrants! After years of beating them up, defaming them, frowning at the color of their skin, calling them disease carriers, lazy, job thieves and leeches, to name a few, the Latino has been devalued.

This is akin to the 1700′s, when slave owners wanted to count their slaves in order to broaden their representation in congress. The more populous the state, the more representation in congress. They found themselves with a dilemma. These were slaves! Their white slave owners didn’t treat them or consider them to be a man. They were simply sub human beings, that if rated at all, would rate on the lowest rung of the social ladder. They were used to create profit for the wealthy white plantation owners.

I suppose I’m starting to sound a bit militant, using words like white masters and black slaves and stirring up the ugly history we all want to forget. I’m simply trying to put into perspective the reasoning behind the desire to determine the value of a “sub human.” Well, after a knock down drag out fight, congress, in order to appease the wealthy white slave owners, decided to value these slaves as 3/5 of a man, changing the dynamics of the representation these slave owners received, and allowing them to further profit financially from their black skinned property.

Fast forward to modern times and examine the much depended on immigrant labor and what many of us call the modernized slave labor force that responds in a very similar way to their white employers.

In 2010 the U.S. Census was heavily banked on by local, state and federal government entities. The census is a decennial financial windfall for state and local governments.

An astounding $340 million dollars was spent to promote the U.S. Census in 2010. Everyone tried to get a piece of the pie. The local radio and television stations were littered with ads promoting the census. More importantly, and related to this article, the Spanish language media was all over it. The ads targeting Latinos, and specifically undocumented Latinos, were trust specific. They assured the Spanish language viewer or listener that their information would be kept completely private and confidential. The modern undocumented immigrant who they were targeting and enticing to participate, has traditionally had zero trust in a local and federal government that has been part and parcel to their exploitation as this country’s labor force.

The Census Bureau used truckloads of propaganda material, like trinkets, placards, backpacks, handbags, etc., all with the U.S. Census prominently displayed. The material was given away at stores frequented by Latinos and immigrants. People love giveaways, and immigrants are not an exception.

I would venture to say that very few of these immigrants were aware of the U.S. Census’ betrayal of trust during the 1940′s census campaign involving the Japanese Americans, who by virtue of their participation were rounded up and thrown in concentration camps after the Census Bureau gave specific information as to their addresses and ethnicity to the Secret Service. Had they known this, I imagine, the census, to these modern day Spanish speaking immigrants, would have been akin to being willing participants in their own deportation process.

The hype to participate in the census reached a crescendo as the anti-immigrant crowd argued that the census should not taken into consideration “illegals” who had no right to be here. On the other hand, the pro-immigrant groups for the most part, pushed for an absolute enumeration of the undocumented community, arguing that they wanted that representation in congress, new congressional districts, and the federal funds that would be distributed upon determining the amount of immigrants, mostly Latinos that are hiding in the shadows.

The undocumented immigrant community was railroaded by their own “advocates.” They were told that their children would have better schools to attend with the money that would be given to their communities, that they would have better roads to drive on, and that they would have a better infrastructure with the additional funds. Very few of us opposed these snake oil salesmen who profited from the census as they sold the immigrant community an elixir that would not only, not work, but they wouldn’t even get a chance to sip, in most cases.

What they didn’t tell the undocumented Immigrants is that since they don’t have a drivers license, and because they run a risk in just driving on the roads, they would not benefit from better roads. Those roads could very well lead to their deportation after being stopped and asked for their papers. Not only that, if deported, their children in all likelihood would have to join them in their native country, and they certainly would not enjoy that better education they were promised. The only benefit that was received, was for the politicians and the pseudo Latino activists and pseudo Latino leaders that sought additional congressional districts and funding to be distributed on their pork barrel projects which in most cases would not even get to the average Joe, let alone the undocumented Immigrant.

I think you would agree that the 2010 U.S. Census was very much like what occurred in 1787 with the three fifths compromise. What everyone considered and considers to be an unwanted sector of the general populous is used for political and financial gain.

Enter SB1070 in the same year as the census, and you not only had an outright hatred for the “illegal” a term coined by the racist, Tea Party members and Nationalists. You had a desire to violate the rights of those who looked like they might be an “illegal.” The concept behind SB1070 was to put a band aid on a border issue by pursuing those that might appear to fit the “look” of an “illegal border crosser.” Just about every one of the state house members that voted to pass SB1070 stood up and said they didn’t think it would resolve the border issue, but, it was a start.

With SB1070 under scrutiny by the District Court of Arizona and eventually the U.S. Supreme Court, Latinos were depreciated more and more. I remember having a chat with more than one Tea Party activist that said they had no problem with people being stopped based on what they looked like, if they fit the bill. They explained it by saying, “if you aren’t here illegally, then you got nothing to worry about.” One fair haired blue eyed gentleman in his fifties said, “well, if you’re looking for oranges, you go to the orange orchard, not the apple orchard.” To me it was obvious, the violation of a U.S. Citizen’s rights by and through racial profiling was A okay with supporters of SB1070, further depreciating the Latino, documented or not.

By the time 2012 rolled around, the Republican debates were littered with attacks on Latinos, U.S. born children of undocumented parents offensively called anchor babies, and the “Dreamers”, kids brought at a young age by parents who arrived seeking to fill those jobs most of us wouldn’t dare work.

As soon as the Republican primary ended, the prevailing candidate Mitt Romney, did an about face. After taking a look at his dismal standing with the Latino community, he began floating the idea of a Dream Act. He partnered with a “Latino” and banked on Latinos having short memory syndrome. The problem with his strategy is that Marco Rubio son of a Cuban Immigrant doesn’t completely qualify as a Latino in the eyes of many Latinos. You see a Cuban and a Puerto Rican would never be in the dilemma that a Mexican, Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Honduran etc. would be in. The wet feet, dry feet policy that the U.S. has for Cubans provides for a fast track to permanent residency and U.S. Citizenship. So as Romney struggled to sell Rubio as a Latino, and Rubio struggled to sell his fictitious Dream Act, President Barack Obama made his move.

President Obama granted a reprieve for kids who had been brought to this country by their parents at a very young age. By and through an executive order Obama made it clear, these kids would not be subject to deportation. Almost one year to the date from his change in prosecutorial discretion by and through a memorandum issued by Immigration & Customs Enforcement director John Morton, Obama lowered the boom on the Republicans.

The race was on! The Latino vote was the most desired vote. It was the game changer. All of a sudden that same sector of the community that had been devalued, kicked around, called names, and frowned upon, was a high value pawn in the political game. Without a large percentage of the Latino vote, a candidate can’t win the presidency of the United States.

Ten days later the Supreme Court rules the majority of SB1070 unconstitutional and allows the show me your papers portion to take effect. Once again, Obama comes to the rescue of the Latino and the undocumented immigrants which form an integral part of our Latino communities. Obama strips Arizona law enforcement agencies of their 287g certification rendering them helpless in trying to verify the legal status of a person who may fit the “look” of an “illegal immigrant.” Not only does Obama strip law enforcement of their 287g, he goes one step further in ordering that those determined to be unlawful Immigrants will not be picked up unless they have committed a felony. Essentially granting your average undocumented immigrant that is not a felonious criminal freedom to continue washing your cars, cleaning your houses and mowing your lawns.

So while my colleagues, the Immigrant activists complain about President Obama, it appears, it’s Obama that has done the most for Latinos and the undocumented community.

Although I don’t think our value as Latinos will bounce back overnight, I think this is certainly a start to making us whole again.

However, nothing will take away the pain that we have endured, the dirty looks, the filthy names, the inferior treatment for us and our children. As a child bussed to all white schools as part of the desegregation of America, I have been enduring this pain and abuse for many years.

A word to the wise, we Latinos don’t suffer from short memory syndrome, but as good Americans we are willing to forgive, and when we become the majority, I promise you, we will not treat you, the way you have treated us.

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. Carlos Galindo is President and founder of the Immigrant Advocacy Foundation, Inc.

http://www.carlosgalindo.com

The Supreme Court has decided on SB1070 and it appears that little by little the most aggressive anti-immigrant legislation created in U.S. history is being dismantled. It was born in a laboratory called Arizona and was carefully nurtured in a bright white petri dish branded with the ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) logo and bought and paid for by the giant private prison industry.

The masterful art of taking the fear of others who don’t look like you, who talk different than you, perhaps maintain different customs, coupled with the outright racism of others, the ardent desire to preserve the white race by yet others, and profiting from that fear by cashing it into votes and laws is impressive. The concept is basic, yet Machiavellian and diabolical. You scare the hell out of the voters with fictitious talk of decapitated bodies in the Arizona desert and an alleged invasion of this country using key elected officials like Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona and ex Arizona state senate president Russell Pearce, and you end up with a terrified voter willing to cast their vote over and over for those who they think will protect them from this “invasion.” But why would these politicians be so hell bent on using the immigrant as their whipping post? Simple, they love the title and the power that comes from holding an elected position. Senator X, Legislator Y, the Honorable Z, etc. It commands respect and grants you unbelievable power, and we all know what happens when you allow power to swell your head. As Lord Acton put it, “Power corrupts, and absolute power, corrupts absolutely.”

That’s exactly what’s happened to Arizona’s politicians. The whole lot of them! After all, most of those politicians supportive of SB1070 took money from the private prison industry.

There is big business at play here. What we’re looking at is a multi-billion dollar business that is simply not going to go away. These private prisons are here to stay. It falls right in line with the privatization of our education system and our health care system. Perhaps even the social security system at the rate the Republican controlled congress is headed.

To give you an idea of the impact the private prison industry has had on the political landscape, I’ve taken a section from an AZ Central article that thoroughly explains it.

Political footprint

The nation’s largest and oldest corrections company, CCA runs more than 60 prisons and immigrant-detention centers across 19 states and the District of Columbia. It has by far the largest political footprint of the dozen or so companies that operate private prisons in the U.S.

CCA has spent about $17.6 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies over the past decade, according to records compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan organization that tracks the effect of money on U.S. politics. The agencies include the Department of Homeland Security and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement division, which contract with private operators such as CCA for immigration-detention centers.

Thirty of CCA’s 35 lobbyists on Capitol Hill previously worked for members of Congress or for federal agencies. Two CCA senior executives are former directors of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, including Harley Lappin, whom CCA hired in June as chief corrections officer a week after his retirement from the bureau. CCA is a major bureau contractor. Another CCA vice president, Bart VerHulst, previously worked as chief of staff for then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee.

Since 2000, the company has won $3.84 billion in federal contracts, including just under $546 million for federal contracts in Arizona, according to government records. CCA’s six prisons in Arizona hold inmates from other states, federal prisoners and immigration detainees. Its bid calls for moving out prisoners from Hawaii and California at its existing Red Rock and La Palma prisons in Eloy and moving in Arizona prisoners.

CCA lobbies heavily on the state level, employing 178 lobbyists in 32 states over the past eight years, according to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, a nonpartisan group that gathers lobbying and campaign-finance data.

In Arizona, the company has cultivated high-level connections. Former U.S. Sen. Dennis DeConcini sits on CCA’s board of directors. Perhaps the highest profile among CCA’s 22 registered lobbyists in Arizona belongs to Chuck Coughlin, president of HighGround Public Affairs Consultants and a senior political adviser to Gov. Jan Brewer. Besides CCA, HighGround’s 23 lobbying clients include Maricopa County and Salt River Project.

Coughlin served as chairman of Brewer’s transition team when she took office in 2009 and as her campaign manager in 2010. He also has managed election campaigns for Senate President Russell Pearce.

Other heavy hitters with ties to CCA include Paul Senseman, a lobbyist with Policy Development Group, who served until last fall as Brewer’s spokesman and whose wife, Kathryn Senseman, lobbied for that group while he worked for Brewer; and Bradley Regens, who joined CCA in 2007 after nine years as an Arizona legislative staffer, including two years as director of fiscal policy for the state House of Representatives.

Brewer has advocated for privatizing Arizona prisons. But even other privatization supporters say her CCA connections raise red flags.

“I’ve questioned Brewer’s choice of staff in the past for the same reason; she has a lot of contract lobbyists, and I have a problem with that,” said Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City. “At the very least it gives the public the appearance that these companies have too much influence, and you have to wonder what’s going on when they leave Brewer’s office and go right back into lobbying.”

Brewer’s office did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Since 2003, CCA employees and affiliates have given nearly $2 million in campaign contributions to state-level candidates and ballot issues across the U.S.

In Arizona, CCA associates and its political-action committee have reported giving about $35,000 in political donations over the past decade to Brewer, Pearce, former House Speaker Kirk Adams, House Speaker Andy Tobin and many others. A big chunk of that, $11,520, was given for last year’s election campaigns.

Arizona lobbying firms that represent CCA made about $35,000 in political contributions in the 2010 election cycle. Whatever influence contributions may bring, they are wielded on behalf of many clients.

Given the recent Supreme Court decision on SB1070, President Obama’s executive order regarding the Dreamers, The fact that ICE pulled the 287g certification from 7 law enforcement agencies, including the one previously granted to the Department of Public Safety, and to add insult to injury, ICE made it very clear that they would not pickup anyone suspected of being in the country unlawfully unless they had committed a felony.

It’s obvious that the private prison industry is being dealt a serious financial blow. The less undocumented immigrants captured and detained in CCA’s prisons, means a smaller invoice that can be tendered to the Feds for incarceration of individuals who the states feel is the Feds responsibility. This is shocking to me given the amount they spend on lobbyist. Does this then come down to a war behind the scenes that hasn’t been exposed by the media? The Obama administration has to be aware that they are dealing the private prison industry a big financial hit. The private prison industry has to have voiced their opposition to this administration’s recent immigration policy, and it’s applications.

The question remains, how will CCA and Geo Group, the two largest private prison industry purveyors explain the dramatic loss in revenue to their investors? Will CCA and Geo Group take advantage of Citizens United and get behind Romney with substantial backing for the Super PACS in the hopes that a President Romney would reverse these executive orders?

Allow me to float an idea that the general populous should be very concerned about. These private prisons that have traditionally held what many call “illegal aliens”, may soon be holding your brother, your sister or your neighbor. We could soon see harsher penalties for crimes committed, longer prison sentences, and, there’s a great likelihood that those sentences will be carried out in private prisons. To quote the AZ Central story, “CCA lobbies heavily on the state level, employing 178 lobbyists in 32 states over the past eight years.” I ask, what do you think they’re going to do with an army of lobbyists when the amount of immigrants they have been incarcerating diminishes? It’s obvious that state legislatures will be lobbied for specific laws with harsher penalties creating a new breed of prisoner.

I don’t think CCA and Geo Group, really care about the color of your skin, they just care about filling their jail cells for profit.

I imagine there’s a lot of disappointed investors, legislators, racists, xenophobes, white supremacists. They all had their personal reason for supporting SB1070, and they all worked in tandem to ensure it’s preservation, but in one fell swoop on June 25, 2012 they all took a serious hit from SCOTUS and the Obama administration.

Private Prison Industry Giant

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. Carlos Galindo is President and founder of the Immigrant Advocacy Foundation, Inc.

http://www.carlosgalindo.com

Jan Brewer seems poised and ready to strike once the Supreme Court renders it’s decision regarding SB1070. Brewer just issued an executive order directing the AZPOST (Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board) to issue material previously given to officers enabling them to determine who might be in the country legally.

AZPOST, the agency that oversees police officers in Arizona was commenced 44 years ago under a Republican administration and according to their website their purpose in part is as follows:

The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board was created by an act of the 28th Arizona legislature on July 1, 1968 as the Arizona Law Enforcement Officer Advisory Council. The name was officially changed to its present form on July 17, 1994.

The Board was originally created to address the need for minimum peace officer selection, recruitment, retention and training standards, and to provide curriculum and standards for all certified law enforcement training facilities. The Board was also vested with the responsibility of administering the Peace Officer Training Fund.

So now AZPOST’s job is to determine what an “illegal looks like”. Well at least that’s what Jan Brewer, Arizona’s illustrious governor thinks their job is. While signing SB1070, Brewer was asked by a reporter what she thought an “illegal immigrant” looked like. Brewer stuttered as she struggled to answer the very basic question this law hinges on. After all, if you’re signing a law into effect that is meant to be used to chase down and prosecute undocumented immigrants, you should have a good grasp on what the person you’re targeting looks like.

It’s obvious that Jan Brewer never considered what an “illegal immigrant” looks like, just as she didn’t consider the repercussions that signing this law into effect would create. Most importantly the loss of life it caused in the case of Juan Varela who was shot by his neighbor Gary Thomas Kelley just two weeks after the signing of SB1070 and a concealed weapon law. Kelley approached Varela asking him if he was on his way to, or returning from, a protest against SB1070. When Varela, a fifth generation American Citizen told him to leave him alone, Kelley pulled the concealed weapon from his waistband and brandished it while calling Varela a wetback and telling him to go back to Mexico. Kelley, viciously, and in a criminal act of hate, took Varela’s life in front of Varela’s seventy eight year old mother and his brother.

The effect of SB1070 on the State of Arizona has been great and diverse, from a mass exodus of lawful immigrants fearing harassment based on their prominent indigenous features, to the loss of jobs based on large businesses’ refusal to set up shop in Arizona because of the hostile and polarized environment.

Jan Brewer did what was politically expedient and fruitful for her flailing political career. Brewer was not concerned about how Arizonan’s might be affected, or to what extent they might take this law into their own hands.

As Brewer called Arizona’s traditional immigrant migration, an invasion, as she fabricated stories of decapitated bodies and exclaimed, “it’s out of control, it’s simply out of control”, border militia’s like J.T. Ready’s U.S. Border Guard were formed, and a get him, he’s brown, mentality prevailed. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve been told to go back to Mexico, even though I’m a light skinned Mexican Immigrant and a naturalized citizen who speaks perfect English.

Brewer spokesman Matthew Benson on Tuesday said, “The governor is optimistic that the heart of SB 1070 will be upheld and implemented,” he went on to say, “The governor thought this was an appropriate time to revisit the issue and make sure Arizona law enforcement is as prepared as possible for partial or full implementation of the law.”

So as we await the Supreme Court decision, AZPOST prepares to issue updated manuals on what an “illegal immigrant looks like” in order to facilitate police officers in determining who they should stop while driving brown.

There is of course someone else that’s preparing for the onslaught of immigrant arrests. The detention officers who work in the private prison industry who make certain that those determined to be “illegal immigrants” are stuffed into cells like sardines in a can, ensuring that the private prison industry gets the maximum bang for their buck, after all they invested a great deal of money in these local politician’s political campaigns to ensure they had the “right” people in place. That of course includes Governor Brewer’s right hand man, top advisor Chuck Coughlin, the equivalent to George Bush’s Karl Rove aka “The Architect”.

Coughlin is a lobbyist for CCA (Corrections Corporation of America), CCA in turn is a giant in the private prison industry and a specialist in detention of brown skinned folks. The influence that Coughlin has on Brewer is astounding. On his own website, “High Ground Public Affairs”, Coughlin brags about the influence he has had in putting the right people in place within the Brewer administration.

Coughlin’s bio states:

Coughlin was asked to serve by then-Secretary of State Jan Brewer as the Chairman of her Transition Team when she became Governor in 2009. As the Transition Team Chairman, Coughlin assembled a diverse team of business and community leaders who recommended to the Governor her executive management team, senior policy positions, cabinet recommendations and coordinated her swearing in ceremonies. Coughlin chaired the search committee which recommended the succession of Secretary of State Ken Bennett into the role left vacant by Brewer’s ascension to the office of Governor.

The Supreme Court decision could come as early as Monday, and as the immigrant community prepares for the onslaught, Brewer’s mouth and arms move about barking and signing executive orders, while Coughlin and the private prison industry pull her strings. Why does this remind me of the song from the sixties, “I’m your puppet.”

Carlos Galindo talking to white protester during SB1070 protests

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. Mr. Galindo is President & Founder of The Immigrant Advocacy Foundation, a non-profit corporation in good standing.

http://www.carlosgalindo.com

It’s disgusting to see the Republicans in Arizona still using smoke screens to confuse the uninformed and primarily conservative voters. This years legislative session includes legislative bills that are meant to pursue, or single out undocumented Immigrants who have made Arizona their place of abode.

Amongst the bills are ones that want undocumented children counted in the classrooms and a report generated that would go to the senate president and the governor as well as the chairman of the appropriations committee, who as many of us know is Don Shooter (R) Mesa, who donned a sombrero, a sarape and a half-filled bottle of tequila on the first day of the special session last year, making a mockery of the special session that was meant to direct legislators to the request for extension of unemployment benefits for Arizonans. Given the unemployment rate in Yuma Arizona, Senator Shooter should have not only taken his job serious, but taking into consideration the Mexican population in his district and the fact that he is pro SB1070, this was a slap in the face to not just Mexicans in his district, but Mexicans in Arizona. When confronted with his inappropriate behavior, shooter responded “Anybody who knows me, knows I’m a cutup, a jokester, but I also play hard and I work hard” Well, I’ll be, that certainly isn’t behavior conducive with what then senate president Russell Pearce called, “maintaining decorum within the senate building.”

Another example of irresponsible behavior from Arizona’s failed leadership is that of Frank Antenori (R) Tucson. As women prayed at a vigil outside the senate building, Antenori, who is currently running for congress, accompanied by senate majority leader Andy Biggs (R) Gilbert, stood inside the senate building, door open, body half way out, and with bullhorn in hand, turned the siren on while pointing the bullhorn at the women in prayer, later screaming through the bullhorn, “how do you like it?”

This irresponsible and childish behavior on behalf of Arizona legislators and our governor who claims to be part of Arizona’s “leadership”, is not uncommon. Many of us saw the recent images that made their way around the world with our inept governor wagging her finger dangerously close to President Obama’s face while reprimanding him for questioning distorted facts within her book.

I could go on and on about the insensitive comments like those of Lori Klein (R) Anthem who yelled “go back to Mexico”, to voters protesting in front of the senate building, but let’s move on and take a look at Arizona’s failed leadership from an incontestable series of facts.

Rather than using their creativity to conjure up laws that promote attrition of Arizona’s Latino and Immigrant community, Arizona’s legislature and it’s governor should be focused on attracting corporations that can bring jobs to Arizona. They should be finding a way to allow small businesses to thrive in Arizona which would stimulate the economy.

Arizona’s “leadership” has many years ago lost their way. They compromised any good intent they may have originally had as legislators for political gain. They have been much more interested in their reelection than reinforcing Arizona’s economy. The creation of unfunded mandates is one clear example of not only their hypocrisy, but their irresponsibility in legislating for Arizona.

Arizona’s lawmakers rant and rave about the cost of Immigrants to Arizona, yet any law created to date, meant to be used as an attrition tool, has been an unfunded mandate.

I interviewed Sheriff Ralph Ogden (R) Yuma, he generated a report many years before the passing of SB1070 that used specific numbers to explain the cost involved with trying to implement an SB1070 type law in his county. Taking his costs from thousands to millions based on the need to incarcerate, prosecute, and further incarcerate post conviction, and that’s only for a misdemeanor charge. Utilizing mandates within SB1070 a second arrest for unlawful presence would require felonious charges therefore creating an exorbitant amount in to the hundreds of millions to incarcerate, adjudicate and subsequently imprison these immigrants whose original intent in Arizona was simply to fill those much needed low skilled labor jobs.

Where is the hypocrisy you may ask? It’s clear that if you preface the “do you support SB1070″ question with, do you consider yourself a fiscal conservative, time, and time again, these legislators and most “conservative” Arizonans will quickly confirm both. Yet, if you follow up with the fact that SB1070 is an unfunded mandate, their blanket response is one that lends credence to the belief that these are racists whose only intent is to eliminate people who come from a cultural background that they simply cannot accept as equals.

The average Republican and legislator in Arizona will consistently respond by saying, “I don’t care what it costs, we just have to get rid of the “illegals” in Arizona.” Fiscal conservative? I truly doubt that! Multiply the “Yuma County factor” by fifteen counties in Arizona and you have a financial dilemma like one never before seen in Arizona.

Now you may be quick to spit out the usual conservative rhetoric or repeat the well known Arizona Republican mantra that was for years promoted by the now disgraced Russell Pearce. “It costs millions to medicate, educate and incarcerate illegals.” If that was even remotely true, consider the costs added from an unfunded state mandate.

There is absolutely no doubt, and as I previously pointed out, there is no refute to the argument that Arizona’s politicians are not interested in making Arizona a more sound state, but in fact are more interested in performing political stunts that will cause their reelection time and again at the expense of a deeply divided and broke Arizona.

I recently became aware of a “Recall Jan Brewer” campaign that was launched by a group of activists that are looking for a change in Arizona. Unfortunately, I know that a recall of Jan Brewer is an uphill battle, especially since you’re looking at a statewide movement that would need thousands of volunteers and hundreds of thousands of dollars to pull off. Believe me, the recall Pearce effort was a cake walk compared to what would be required to recall Arizona’s inept and damning governor, Janice K. Brewer. I wish them well, at least they’re doing something other than complaining.

Given Arizona’s apathetic voters and failed leadership on both the right and the left, perhaps Arizona has what they deserve. The way I see it, most of the legislature and the governor should all be recalled, yes even most on the left who utilize the pro immigrant topic to get reelected, yet lack the political mountain oysters to propose and push for sweeping changes.

Arizona's House of Horrors

http://www.carlosgalindo.com

After today’s shocking and disappointing news that Board of Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox had recommended the appointment of ex legislator David Lujan to replace outgoing Senator Kyrsten Sinema who resigned to run for the newly created district 9, I spoke to Senator Steve Gallardo who by the way has been very active as a state senator.

According to a tweet from Maricopa County reporter for the Arizona Republic and AZ Central Michelle Lee,

Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox says she quizzed @davidlujan hard on why he missed SB1070 vote, which she said she knows ppl are concerned about

I hardly think that quizzing David Lujan “hard” over his missed SB1070 vote qualifies for holding him accountable for failing to do his job, not just as minority leader in the house, but as a Latino Democratic legislator who had claimed to oppose SB1070. Lujan outright lied to reporters stating he was out of town, only to be caught by super sleuth reporter and New Times blogger Stephen Lemons of the famed “feathered Bastard” blog. When confronted by Lemons Lujan fessed up to his lie and admitted he was AWOL enjoying a party with his parents. He had no choice but to fess up, Lemons caught him red handed promoting himself for AG at a precinct meeting.

To add insult to injury it appears Wilcox and Lujan are in cahoots to make it look like state senator Steve Gallardo supports the decision or supports Lujan’s replacement of Sinema. The fact is that Steve Gallardo (D) district 13, Leah Landrum (D) district 16, and Linda Lopez (D) district 29 all sent a letter to Wilcox outlining their support for ex legislator Ken Clark. Gallardo tells me he spoke to mary Rose Wilcox personally and expressed his discontent with the possibility of Lujan sliding into Sinema’s vacated seat.

According to another tweet from the AZ Republic reporter Lee:

#Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox says @davidlujan committed to introducing bill to repeal SB1070 with @Steve_Gallardo.

Gallardo shared with me that he has not spoken with David Lujan or Mary Rose Wilcox about Lujan cosponsoring a bill to repeal SB1070. Gallardo confirmed that he has a bill to repeal SB1070 and has been garnering support from other members, but has never had a reason to talk to Lujan about it.

Gallardo is extremely offended by the suggestion or the insinuation that Lujan has anything to do with having cosponsored a bill with Gallardo.

This is just another in a long line of politically shoddy moves by Supervisor Wilcox and the Democratic party. It’s obvious the Republican party doesn’t have to do much to stay in power in Arizona with such political ineptness courtesy of Arizona’s Democratic elected officials.

One last thing, where have the “supreme” Latino leaders and “activists” been on this issue? I haven’t seen a one of them vocalize their discontent for a guy who not only slapped the Latino community in the face by not showing up to vote against SB1070, but a guy who after having had what is akin to unwanted sex with the Latino community, has now returned promising to play nice and ask next time before he bends them over.

What the heck?

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

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

Local pro Latino groups continue to criticize President Obama. One washed up Latino politician called him a liar on Spanish language television. So are they siding with the Republicans and the Tea Party by being critical of our president right around the corner from the 2012 elections?

Has the Immigrant community allowed their “Latino leaders” to dangle the Immigration carrot in front of their nose while placing blinders on them?

I will cover this topic and more on today’s Straight Talk Tucson

We go live at five (MST) Tucson’s The Jolt 1330 AM 5-7 PM every Friday. Straight Talk with Arizona’s unapologetic Liberal.

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