Padre Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and  El Grito de Delores

Today is El Grito Day, a/k/a El Grito de Independencia (or the yelling for independence).

The Californian eloquently explains El Grito Day:

Music, food, dance and lots of pride will fill independence day celebrations in the coming week, not just for one or two Latin American countries but for eight.

Brazil celebrated its independence from Portugal on Sept. 7. Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua will mark their emergence from Spain’s governance on Monday, Mexico will do the same on Tuesday and Chile follows suit on Thursday.  Residents of the Central Coast will commemorate these events over the weekend, whether in public or at home, as a way to enhance Latin American heritage and pride for new generations to discover. “Costa Rica’s independence from Spain was on September 15th, 1821, same day as the Guatemala’s Captaincy General participants (Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras),” said Adriana Sisfuentes, a Salinas resident from Costa Rica. “Although, the actual independence act was signed several months later.”

On Sept. 15, 1810, in the middle of the night, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a pastor for the Church of Dolores, Hidalgo México, rang the bell to gather a civilian army that started the independence movement from Spain. Other countries took the cue from Mexico and began to pursue their own independence and freedom. That event is called El Grito de Independencia (The yelling for independence).  Mexicans all over the world celebrate Mexico´s Independence with a reenactment of this episode by ringing a bell followed by yelling “Viva México, Viva Hidalgo, Vivan los héroes que nos dieron patria” and then “Viva México” three times.  FULL STORY>>>

 

As we celebrate past independence from Spain, my prayer is that my people will reject the temptation of voter apathy and believe their combined indigenous vote is a powerful one.  May Americans of Mexican heritage remember the sacrifices by Chicano movement greats such as Corky Gonzales and Dr. Hector P. Garcia.  I pray Latino Republicans will punish the Republican Party and Reince Priebus for adopting a draconian anti-immigrant policy in 2012 that was essentially handwritten and blessed by Kris Kobach -- who is the author of many anti-Mexican, anti-Latino laws.  I pray Latino Democrats will not get discouraged with how immigration and redistricting issues have been used as political futbols -- and instead vote. 

Lastly, I pray more of mi gente will join the rising independent registered voters who will ultimately force both sides to solving tough issues -- else the 2 major party system will continue to lose more of their voting bloc while independents move the 2 major party system to do what is in the best interest of our Nation because a divided Country will not stand. Like Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, we hope to ring the bell that will begin our independence and freedom of those who try to oppress us and suppress our Chicano and/or Latin indigenous history.

It is a well known fact that many died for our right to vote, and we must not squander that away.  Therefore, we believe in utilizing all creative measures necessary in order to overcome voter apathy within our community. 

Cruise To The Polls is a national campaign encouraging Chicano and/or all other lowrider owners to remember election day on November 4, 2014.  Somos Independents is an independent voter group led by American women of Mexican descent, and we are  concentrating our efforts in the southwest leading up to a national campaign via "Cruise To The Polls" that targets Chicano and lowrider owners to remember to vote on November 4, 2014, election day.  The campaign will kick off on November 1, 2014, as several lowrider clubs will participate in a lowrider cruise in key high Chicano / Latino markets that will send a message with regard to how important our voting responsibility is.  Often times, Tea Party Republicans make the mistake of lumping all brown people together and believe we should all go back to Mexico -- even though we were born here and indigenous to the United States long before the Mayflower landed near Plymouth Rock.

Cruise To The Polls creatively revives the Chicano movement and raises awareness to the expanding lowrider culture.  It embraces Chicano art, music and more.  

For lowrider car clubs who are interested in participating in Cruise To The Polls, please contact:  (480) 200-3748. 

2014 1st edition Cruise To The Polls artwork created by El Moises

"...Before we play I wanna thank you for letting God's own word ring true 
He said you can't be trusted..."

Republican Speaker Boehner continues to stall and delay fixing the broken immigration system.  He is in control of putting legal immigration reform up for vote but continues to put off  his federal responsibility as a federal appointed official to fix the broken immigration system.  Americans and key swing independent voters want legal immigration reform this year.  Not next year as Speaker Boehner proposes.  Speaker Boehner said immigration "could" happen next year.  Who's he kidding?  He is a tool using immigration as a political football.   He's been putting legal immigration off since President Obama was re-elected in 2012 and after the Republican Party discovered they could never win a single future Presidential election cycle without the Hispanic vote, the woman vote and key swing independent vote.  As a former 20 year Republican registered voter, I left the Party for good and voted for the first Democratic President via Obama in 2012.  

Putting off legal immigration reform confirms to the American voter just how the Republican do-nothing House of Representatives are hell bent on stubborn grid lock views that rising independent voters are sick and tired of seeing in Washington D.C.   Independent moderate voters were against the government shutdown Republican Speaker Boehner, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus was for.  Shutting down the government does nothing for Americans, just as it does nothing to do nothing with regard to fixing the broken immigration system. 

Here is what a recent poll dated July 2014 states:

Voters Want Immigration Reform This Year

On July 9th, the Partnership for a New American Economy, the Business Roundtable, and the National Association of Manufacturers released the findings of a national survey and 26 state surveys.

Findings include:

• Voters across the country recognize the immigration system is broken: By a 12 to 1 ratio, voters believe the system is in need of fixing versus those who think the system is functioning the way it should. 86% of Republicans believe Congress should take action to fix the immigration system. 79% of Independents agree.
• Voters overwhelmingly reject the argument that President’s unwillingness to enforce laws is grounds not to pass immigration reform: Nearly 3 out of 4 voters (72%) reject the argument that the Administration’s unwillingness to enforce laws is a reason for Congress not to act. 2 out of 3 Republicans reject this argument as well. That number increases to 69% among Independents.
• Voters don’t want Washington to wait to fix the immigration system: 80% of voters want Congress to act this year, with nearly half calling it “very important” they act this year. In every region, at least 73% of voters believe it is either very or somewhat important that Congress act on immigration reform this year. 77% of Republicans say it is important that Congress act, while 53% say it is very important. 74% of Independents believe it is important for Congress to act this year.
• Voters support the principles outlined by House leadership: More than 60% of voters support the basic immigration plan laid out in Speaker Boehner’s “immigration standards.” 54% of Republicans support an immigration reform plan that secures our borders, expands visas for high-skilled workers and farm workers, provides an employer verification program, allows young persons brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents an opportunity to earn citizenship, and provides visas to live and work here legally to undocumented immigrants without a criminal record who pay penalties and pay back taxes. Only 37% oppose. Among Independents, 62% support and only 26% oppose.
• Voters support establishing a legal status for undocumented immigrants: 2 out of 3 voters support legal status for undocumented immigrants. A majority of Republicans (54%) support legal status.
• Republicans want their next presidential candidate to support immigration reform: Republicans would rather vote for a presidential candidate in 2016 that is from a party that supports reform (71%) than one from a party that opposes it (15%).

The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) automated national telephone survey was conducted between June 24^th and June 28^th, 2014 by Harper Polling, Inc. The sample size for the national survey is 1,000 likely voters and the margin of error is +/-3.1 percent.

View national survey results below:

PNAE National Immigration Poll Toplines

PNAE National Immigration Poll Crosstabs

The state surveys were conducted by Harper Polling, Inc. between June 22^nd and July 3^rd , 2014 and surveyed sample sizes ranging from 500 to 855. The margins of error range from 4.0 to 4.38%.

Dear independent registered voters,

I received an email from the GOP 3 hours ago clearly telling key swing moderate and centrist voters across America they have decided to dig in their heels and embrace tea party extremism and bigotry.  It appears the RNC Chairman Reince Priebus continues to fail in reaching out to the moderate, women and Chicano/Latino voters because moderates loathe extremism, bigotry and gridlock. 

"The current Congress has an average 9.2 percent approval rating and 84.2 percent disapproval rating. ... These numbers point to a grave problem: the House of Representatives is utterly unrepresentative."  

In the below screen shot from the GOP email, the Republican Party eliminates the fact that moderate independent registered voters are also against tea party extremism and bigotry.  The GOP lies about tax abuse, too.  Republican politicians had the opportunity to do away with tax subsidies in the oil industry.  The Republican Party is and has been for crony capitalism (not true capitalism) when they support tax subsidies for corporate millionaires.  The GOP is also guilty of millions of dollars that are wasted subsidizing the private prison industry when they house immigrants for working in the agricultural fields, hotels, construction work sites and more. 

The GOP very much supports tax subsidized programs yet lie to their sheeple about it.

Independent voters continue to make a stand against bull shit.  We do not owe loyalty to any party and we will continue to signal to moderate voices pointing out who is more extreme than the other. As of today, the GOP has decided to embrace tea party extremism to their own demise. 

Bilingual National Radio Show Host via Carlos Galindo is calling Maureen Dowd's myth making to the carpet.

Recently, Maureen Dowd became a critic of President Obama's golfing time, however, it is common knowledge quite a bit of  business is discussed on the golf course by men.  That said, key swing independent moderate voters are wondering why Maureen is not looking at the whole leisure time picture?

For instance, Galindo tweeted: 

 

Carlos Galindo @carlosgalindo  ·  

At same time as @BarackObama in his presidency, George Bush took 407 days vacation compared 2 Obama's 125 days. http://www.carlosgalindo.com/listennow/ 

Carlos Galindo @carlosgalindo  ·  

@BarackObama had taken 19 vacations totaling 125 days so far while in office.

The rising Independent voter believes in putting people before partisan Party politics.  That said, we agree with long term fixes with regard to fixing the broken immigration system even though the Democratic-led Senate passed immigration last year while we continue to see the Republican-led House of Representatives drag their feet and avoid putting immigration reform up for a vote.  Somos Independents are pointing out the do-nothing Republicans to our members and millennial voters. 

We recognize President Obama gave prosecutorial discretion in 2011, and he expanded it again via DACA and again. The Republican Party has fought Obama each step of the way with regard to his immigration discretion moves.

Isabel Framer (Democratic voter) points out:

"I'm glad POTUS is giving Speaker Boehner and Republican House an opportunity to do the right thing for the people and the country. This is about good strategy. We can't just think with the heart. There has to be a good thought-out strategy because once POTUS implements DHS recommendations, CIR could be dead until 2016 or perhaps 2024. In addition, anything that the President implements can be reversed at any time and is why we need real (permanent) legislation."

Today the AP reported Obama's strategy for delaying the DHS deportation review:

APNEWSBREAK: OBAMA DELAYS DHS DEPORTATION REVIEW

BY JOSH LEDERMAN 
ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama has asked his Homeland Security chief to hold off on completing a review of U.S. deportation policies until the end of the summer, senior White House officials said Tuesday, in a move aimed at salvaging any hopes for Congress to act on immigration this year.

Obama in March directed the government to examine whether deportation practices can be made more humane, seeking to pacify frustrated immigration advocates. But that step emboldened House Republicans to argue they can't trust Obama to enforce the law, and that bypassing lawmakers through executive action would deliver a death knell to the broader immigration overhaul that Obama and Democrats are seeking.

Caught in the middle, Obama is seeking to preserve what the White House sees as a narrow window in June and July in which Congress could conceivably act before Washington's focus becomes consumed by the November midterm elections.

"The president really wants to maximize the opportunity to get a permanent solution enacted, which requires Congress," said Cecilia Munoz, the director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council.

The delay defuses an emerging split among traditional Obama allies that emerged after the president commissioned the deportation review.

Some immigration advocates and Democrats urged Obama to take immediate executive action in the face of congressional procrastination. But others insisted the focus should remain on pressuring House Republicans to act while there's still a chance - however slim - to pass a bill that could provide a path to citizenship for the 11.5 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

"We've got maybe a window of two, three months to get the ball rolling in the House of Representatives," Obama said earlier this month.

That window, White House officials said, has opened now that primary elections have wrapped up in many states where Republican incumbents are being challenged by tea party candidates who oppose an immigration overhaul. But a make-or-break deadline comes when lawmakers leave Washington for a monthlong August recess to focus on campaigning.

In Denver on Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden made similar remarks about Republican opposition to immigration reform and reluctance to deal with legislation during campaigns.

"They've got their chance now," Biden said. "Most of the primaries are over."

Obama informed Johnson of his decision to delay the review during a White House meeting last week in which Johnson updated the president on the review's progress, a senior White House official said. Homeland Security will continue working on the review but won't release the results until the window for congressional action has closed, said the official, who wasn't authorized to comment by name and demanded anonymity.

Obama's announcement comes the same day a coalition of groups backing an immigration overhaul asked Obama to hold off in order to "give the House leadership all of the space they may need." Among the groups urging Obama to delay were the National Immigration Forum, the Service Employees International Union and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

On the congressional front, the Senate last year passed a comprehensive bill with bipartisan support that Obama says meets his criteria for what an immigration fix must include. Republicans have refused to take up that bill, saying they preferred their own piecemeal approach. But House GOP leadership has made no move to bring legislation to a vote. And last week, GOP leaders last week blocked any votes on immigration legislation - including one offered as an amendment by a Republican - in yet another ominous sign for immigration's prospects.

Johnson has offered few details about what potential policy changes he's considering or what the timeline for acting might be. But Obama has previously taken modest executive steps to ease deportation. Two years ago, he offered protection from deportation and extended work permits to some immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Johnson has said he's reviewing a possible expansion of that program, but he and Obama have both cautioned that the government is constrained in what it can do without Congress.

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Associated Press writer Erica Werner in Washington and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

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By Linda Valdez:

House Dems' discharge petition shows strategic advantage

The House Democrats' effort to force a vote on immigration reform is being dismissed as pure politics. OK. The discharge petition failed to get the needed 218 signatures to force a floor vote on the Senate's immigration bill. That was no surprise.

If the goal was to highlight the GOP's challenges with Latino voters, though, it was a success.

But we didn't need a failed discharge petition to demonstrate the intransigence of House Republicans or the colossal failure of GOP House Speaker John Boehner to move ahead on reform.

This is an issue of huge national importance, but the GOP has let the far right control the game and block progress.

Democrats shouldn't let up on this message.

Despite the slim hope of actually achieving reform, Democrats should continue to play this for political gain. (They need all the help they can get in November.)

Next move: President Obama can suspend deportations of those who would qualify for legal status under the Senate's bipartisan immigration reform bill. He should do it in the name of fairness and traditional family values.

Obama can legitimately claim the moral high ground. Families are being torn apart by the current policies, as demonstrators have been telling us in heartbreaking stories.

Obama also will be energizing the base by playing the kind of daring political chess Democrats expected from him years ago.

 

Full Story>>>

Somos Independents is a national group of key swing independent registered Independent voters led by Mexican-American / Latina women voters who support bipartisanship in our government that will help solve tough issues. .  We are organizing the growing independent registered voter group by getting out the vote with millenial voters, and we realize college-aged students prefer registering themselves as independents rather than choosing a major political party.  We believe in putting people before Party politics.  Co-founders include a former Republican and a former Democratic voter.