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

Well it sure looks like my pro Immigration colleagues missed the boat again. As soon as I heard Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio allege that ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) was working with him on picking up the undocumented Immigrants he has been detaining, I knew there was more to the story than Arpaio was claiming.

I heard a Latino civil rights attorney on a Spanish language radio show blowing it off as just crazy rhetoric, and he further encouraged listeners to ignore the old man. He said they give him too much credit and that what he was claiming was hogwash. The cooperation between ICE and MCSO that is.

No matter how much Latino “leaders” and “activists” want to use the “just ignore Arpaio tactic”, that’s certainly not the way to deal with him. It’s best to understand the man and his tactics in order to know how to counter them or at the very least to know how to inform the unprotected Immigrant community who has zero information at their disposal and who clearly depend on their “advocates” to keep them informed. Telling the community to ignore the old man certainly is not in any way helpful to the Spanish speaking Immigrant community who utilizes radio programs and Spanish language television to get what little bits of information they can for purposes of survival. Remember Sun Tzu’s advice,
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

I had a pretty good idea how it was Arpaio was able to get ICE out to pick up the undocumented Immigrants even after President Obama had made it clear that ICE would not pick up those identified as undocumented Immigrants unless they had committed a felony.

In order to understand how Arpaio is gaming the system, you have to understand the prosecutorial tool he’s using. It’s a controversial law that was conjured up in 2005 for purposes of pursuing human traffickers. The law, A.R.S. 13-2319 is meant to target those human traffickers who make it a business to transport America’s labor force across the border and across that unforgiving desert to drop houses where they are often held for ransom until a friend or family member coughs up the additional bucks requested.

I don’t think any of us have a problem with the prosecution of human traffickers commonly referred to as “coyotes”. It’s precisely that “coyote” law, A.R.S. 13-2319 that has allowed Sheriff Joe to brag about Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s cooperation with his deputies. In the last few days Arpaio has netted over 20 undocumented Immigrants and it appears all have been picked up by ICE.

Let’s take a closer look at the method in which the “Coyote” law is being misused by Arpaio and the Maricopa County Attorney’s office. In 2006 as the law came to be applied against those being smuggled as co-conspirators, all hell broke loose. Here is an excerpt from an AZbar article:

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office interpreted the new law as creating liability
for such individuals under Arizona’s conspiracy statute, A.R.S. § 13-1003. On June
9, 2006, this interpretation was upheld by the Maricopa County Superior Court after
the defendants arrested under the statute moved for dismissal under various grounds.
The court found jurisdiction and venue were proper in Maricopa County because
overt acts in furtherance of smuggling occurred there. The court found the defendants
“may be prosecuted for conspiracy to smuggling themselves” if it is proved they
provided themselves as “human cargo” and agreed to be transported as illegal aliens.

Despite testimony from one of the bill’s sponsors that A.R.S. § 13-2319 was not
intended to be applied to the aliens who were being smuggled, such exclusionary language was not included in the statute and the legislature is presumed to have
known and intended the conspiracy statute would apply to a violation of A.R.S. § 13-
2319.

As mentioned in the article, the intent of the law as written and later confirmed by one of it’s authors former state lawmaker Jonathan Paton, was not to pursue those being smuggled, but to punish those doing the smuggling.

The inappropriate use of the law was challenged in a lawsuit by Somos America Coalition and ironically ex senator and political opportunist Kyrsten Sinema was a plaintiff in that lawsuit. Yes the same “Democratic” senator who later created an anti-Immigrant law titled SB1225 in which she hypocritically utilizes A.R.S. 13-2319 as her prosecutorial tool.

So now you know, what I know. Arpaio simply has to get a Spanish speaking investigator or officer to ask these timid undocumented immigrants if they paid a coyote to be transported. By the time they are questioned, their morale is shot, they more than likely have traveled days across a desert that takes it’s tolls in lives. Perhaps they witnessed some of their group get left behind and die next to a bush in the desert, they suffered thirst, hunger and their body has been ravaged by the elements. So when asked a basic question, “did you pay a coyote to bring you here?”, they’re quick to answer, “si señor, le page a un coyote $3,000.00 para cruzarme” Which interprets into, “yes sir, I paid a human smuggler $3,000.00 to transport me. That’s all she wrote! Joe Arpaio now has enough to charge them with conspiracy to smuggle themselves which under A.R.S. 13-2319 is a class four felony. Don’t take my word for it, take a look at Joe Arpaio’s press release outlining the details as I just articulated.

So it’s a no brainer, Obama’s recent policy change indicates ICE will not pickup undocumented Immigrants from police officers in Arizona unless they are being charged with a felony. Well, given the aforementioned information, it appears ICE will be forced to cooperate with Joe and his MCSO goons, thanks to the misuse of A.R.S. 13-2319, another piece of poorly designed legislation by Arizona’s inept Republican lawmakers.

Joe Arpaio upset

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

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 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

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

When I went to the state capitol to protest Kyrsten Sinema’s SB1225, I had no idea I would be charged criminally and that I would witness the arrest of three of my friends and community members. Thank God all of us are U.S. Citizens or by now we would have been placed in Joe’s gulag and we would have subsequently ended up in CCA’s profit machine of a concentration camp commonly known as a private Federal Detention Center by those naive white folk who can’t possibly understand what it feels like to be caged like an animal after being offered employment under the current hypocritical U.S. labor system I call modernized slavery.

Of all people, I certainly thought that Senator Sinema understood what activism was all about. I mean, I remember seeing her at marches and protests at the State Capitol. She stood on a stage and riled the masses up. Telling them how much she supported them and how unfair this treatment was. As a member of the LGBT community Senator Sinema claimed to understand what discrimination felt like and how important it was to stand up and demand change from government.

Senator Sinema could have stopped Tuesday’s mayhem by shutting down her press conference. In fact, she was in the process of doing so, when the Capitol Police arrived. Instead she became more empowered by my removal from the press conference and in turn the crowd got more vocal, which lead to the arrest of a Latino businessman, a Latino Mother and a Latino 17 year old girl scheduled to check in for the military that week. As I previously mentioned, all of us are American Citizen’s exercising our rights under first amendment provisions.

I didn’t see Sinema bat an eye when she watched a frail young girl and her mom handcuffed and led away like common criminals, I didn’t see her twitch an eye as Genaro Alcantara an Arizona businessman and constituent of hers pleaded with her, “I voted for you”. And in fact, she even looked smug and fulfilled when she watched a member of the media, Latino Activist and Leader, yours truly, being led out of the hearing room.

When did Sinema decide that Latinos should be examining her backside? Why did Sinema decide that she didn’t have to address Latino’s answers on her offensive and hypocritical bill SB1225? Perhaps it’s always been that way, but her spin machine has always been so polished that a few key appearances on a stage provided by a popular Mexican radio station was sufficient to woo the Latino community. A little rah rah here and a rah rah there and voila, we have an enchanted Latino community ready to believe anything Sinema has to sell.

Why does the image of the guy from the “got milk?” billboard, with a ring of milk around his lips come to mind? However in this case I think “got atole” would be more appropriate. There’s a saying in Spanish that says “Nos dio atole con el dedo”, translated it means, “She gave us atole with her finger”. In other words, she doesn’t let us have the whole cup of atole to drink, she gives us a taste as a teaser every now and then to quell our desires and needs, with a promise of more to come.

Frankly, the Latino community is sick of being teased, sick of being lied to, and sick of being the sole of the opportunist politician’s shoe. One wants to use us for cheap labor (R) and the other obviously uses us for cheap votes (D). Tell me, what’s the difference? They are all cut from the same piece of cloth.

Because of Sinema barking orders for removal of those opposing her bill, and according to Russell Pearce’s allegations that Sinema feared for her safety, I and the rest of those arrested that day were banned from the Senate building.

I never thought I would see the day that Kyrsten Sinema would have 10 Republican co-sponsors on one of her proposed bills, much less the day in which her and Senate Tea Party President Russell Pearce would do a tag team against Latino activists.

So every day I go to the state capitol and protest my ban from the senate building. I sit there with signs and a group of about 20-30 people join me daily in solidarity.

As I sit there, I watch the lobbyists in their monkey suits come and go. State legislators stare at me and mumble as they look at me and read my signs. Frankly I don’t understand what the problem is. I’m exercising my 1st amendment rights. If it was a member of the Tea Party they would be smiling and throwing a thumbs up, but since it’s a Latino trying to exercise his rights, all I get is an index finger straight up.

While walking through the courtyard today I ran into State Senator Ron Gould, he frowned and walked towards me in a threatening manner as I asked him why he was focused on an anti-Immigrant agenda rather than fixing Arizona’s woes. Gould didn’t answer my questions. By the way Ron Gould (R) Lake Havasu City, Arizona, conducts his meetings with a yellow don’t tread on me sticker prominently displayed on his laptop and facing the audience. If Gould believes so much in the Tea Party “motto”, “don’t tread on me”, then I wonder, why is Ron Gould trying to tread on me?

It seems like the nightmare doesn’t end. Everyday there’s a new twist at the Arizona State Capitol. I ran into Paul Babeu yesterday and he didn’t want to answer questions as to why he receives so many border security funds yet he isn’t a border county. I bantered with gun lobbyists and chatted with Senator Steve Gallardo. No, no, no, I didn’t go inside the senate building! I’m banned remember! Senator Gallardo came out to where I sit outside the Senate building to have a cup of coffee with me.

I tried once again to ask Senator Sinema some questions regarding SB1225 and she called capitol police and asked for an escort. Lord have mercy! You would think I’m a Latino terrorist armed with provocative questions.

So I’m sitting here writing this blog and the words to to Alice Coopers song, “welcome to my nightmare” keep popping into my head.

By the way, today I celebrated my one week anniversary of being banned from the Senate building and my sit in at the Arizona State Capitol, or should I say, sit out. It seems that everyday brings a different twist.

Channel 10 interviewed me today and said Russell Pearce denies there’s a blacklist, I’m inclined to agree with the Tea Party Senate President, it’s not a blacklist, it’s a brown list! All of those banned to date from Russell Pearce’s kingdom called the Senate building are Latinos.

Welcome to my nightmare! The life of a Latino living in 2011 Arizona.

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

When Esther called my “Straight Talk Tucson” show this past Friday, I quickly understood that her and I didn’t see eye to eye on the subject of the 14th amendment and Arizona’s attempt to create legislation that will ultimately be challenged all the bloody way to the the U.S. Supreme Court. I’m okay with people not agreeing with me, honest! I know, I know, as a radio talk show host I tend to be loudmouthed and opinionated, but that in no way demerits my arguments. I have always told my radio listeners and my critics, you may not like my delivery method, but you can’t argue with reason.

Let’s get something straight here, I don’t jump on board an issue defined solely by its left or right slant. I take up an issue based on whether it’s the right thing to do, in other words, whether it’s morally correct and whether it’s good for my state and for my country. Arizona’s attempt to supersede our Federal laws has been evident for a long time. You and I know that. It has increased exponentially since a merry band of misfits took office. It appears the Republicans in Arizona were not happy with just operating as a dictatorship for the last 43 years here in our great state. At one point they became so cocky that whether by design or just following each others lead, they started a concerted effort to repudiate Federal laws and the nation’s civil rights provisions. It didn’t matter if the law said you couldn’t do that, as far as Arizona was and is concerned, they are the law. That was evident when Russell Pearce was interviewed regarding the posted A.R.S. statute that prohibits weapons in the senate chambers at our state capitol. He quickly invoked his right to supersede Arizona’s criminal code while sitting as the Supreme leader of Arizona’s senate. Russell Pearce stated, “The Senate President, just like the Speaker of the House, by constitution, controls, through rule, this chamber,” “and, uh, so uh, again, and I recognize that. It supersedes the law.” If you don’t find that attitude scary and disturbing, then perhaps you might consider moving to North Korea they have a guy a lot like Pearce.

So Pearce, Brewer, Montenegro, Kavanagh, Harper, Gould, and every other Republican that wants to jump on the anti-Immigrant bandwagon throw out words like anchor baby, and illegals and talk about an invasion. It’s no wonder Esther my caller gets hyped up and finds the use of offensive terminology like “anchor baby” acceptable. I would like to know at what time in history it become okay to call Immigrants “wetbacks”, “cockroaches, “illegals” and their U.S. born children “anchor babies”. If you can’t use the “N” word for blacks, the “K” word for Jews, the “S” word for Italians. Well you get the drift. Why would it be acceptable to demean Immigrants, primarily Mexicans in 2011 Arizona? Has Arizona sunk so low that Esther and Arizonans like her, toss offensive words around as part of their normal dialog? I can just imagine what kind of word bantering occurs behind the closed doors of these like minded terror induced brainwashed Arizonans. I would love to be a fly on their wall, with a tiny recorder of course.

One can only wonder what type of violence all this hateful language could invoke. I mean you could end up with a white neighbor coming over to a Latino neighbor’s front yard and start an argument over one of Arizona’s laws like SB1070 and it could escalate to the point where the white neighbor could start using foul words like “wetback” and “go back to Mexico” and eventually he could pull out a gun and kill the Latino neighbor. After all, the use of these type of words desensitizes people. These type of words make you hate and want to kill. Oh wait, that already happened on May 6, 2010 when Gary Thomas Kelley killed Juan Varela. How many more arguments leading to violence can we expect because of irresponsible rhetoric and panic inducing misinformation coupled with misdirected legislation that targets a certain sector of Arizona? The Latinos!

This hateful rhetoric has got to stop and it’s got to stop now! As far as I’m concerned anytime I hear someone use this type of language I’m going to call them out on it, or in the case of Esther the “anchor baby” lady, I’m going to dump the call and flush it. What will you do the next time you hear that kind of rhetoric?

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/www.carlosgalindo.com