I received an email and a follow up call from Daniel Lucio who is a native of Texas and a representative of Battleground Texas.  The email I received grabbed my attention last week because as a resident of Arizona, I discovered how the Texas legislature is now trying to introduce a similar Arizona law that ended up costing taxpayer dollars to defend when the Supreme Court essentially gutted it out.  The controversial anti-immigrant law also cost Arizona millions and millions of dollars in tourism once the former Governor Jan Brewer signed it.  Finally, most of SB1070 was gut out out and the Supreme Court ruled that Arizona cannot require immigrants to carry proof of their legal status at all times. It also ruled that Arizona police cannot detain someone simply on the suspicion that they are in the country illegally. The court also ruled Arizona cannot make it a crime for undocumented immigrants to apply for employment.

Indeed the CBO chimed in and stated S. 744 (immigration reform law) would boost economic output—CBO projects—by 3.3 percent in 2023 and by 5.4 percent in 2033.

Now we are hawkish with Texas SB 185, and we will focus on the supporters of this draconian law and tie their heads to the economic millstone when we remind them how much SB 1070 cost our State.

From the Immigration Policy Center:

Anti-immigration measures harm states’ economies.

• If unauthorized immigrants leave, states will lose workers, taxpayers, and consumers who earn and spend money in the state. Unauthorized immigrants comprised roughly 5.2% of the national workforce (or 8,000,000 workers) in 2010, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center.
• Experiences from states that have passed harsh immigration laws tell a cautionary fiscal tale:

• Alabama’s HB 56 could shrink the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by up to $10.8 billion, according to Professor Samuel Addy at the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama. Prof. Addy estimates that a loss of 40,000 to 80,000 unauthorized immigrants who earn between $15,000 and $35,000 annually could result in:

• 70,000 to 140,000 lost jobs with $1.2 to $5.8 billion in earnings;
• $2.3 to $10.8 billion reduction in Alabama GDP, or 1.3% to 6.2% of the state’s $172.6 billion GDP in 2010;
• $57 to $264 million loss in state income and sales tax collections; and
• $20 to $93 million loss in local sales tax collections.

• A 2011 report by Dr. Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda and Marshall Fitz found that deporting all of the unauthorized immigrants in Arizona would decrease total employment by 17.2%, eliminate 581,000 jobs for immigrants and native-born workers alike, shrink the state economy by $48.8 billion, and reduce state tax revenues by 10.1%.

• Similarly, Hinojosa-Ojeda and Fitz found that if all of the unauthorized immigrants in California were removed, the state would lose $301.6 billion in economic activity, decrease total employment by 17.4%, and eliminate 3.6 million jobs.
• A study released in July 2007 by the University of Arizona’s Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy concluded that economic output would drop annually by at least $29 billion, or 8.2%, if all non-citizens, which include unauthorized workers, were removed from Arizona’s workforce. About 14% of the state’s 2.6 million workers are foreign-born, and about two-thirds to three-fourths of non-citizens are unauthorized.

Harsh immigration laws have produced severe worker shortages.

The agricultural industry has been devastated in states that have passed harsh immigration laws. Immigrant workers have failed to show up for work and millions of dollars of produce has been left to rot in the fields. Legal U.S. workers have not been filling the open jobs. The uncertainty about how much labor will be available affects growers’ ability to prepare and plant for next year.

• After passing its immigration enforcement bill (HB 87), Georgia’s agriculture industry experienced severe labor shortages. A survey of farmers conducted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture found 56% of those surveyed were experiencing difficulty finding workers. Early reports from the state estimate economic losses for the 2011 growing season to be between $300 million and $1 billion.
• Alabama Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan stated, “the economic hardship to farmers and agribusiness will reverberate throughout Alabama’s economy, as one-fifth of all jobs in our state come from farming.” Alabama growers have reported planting less due to concerns that there may not be enough workers to harvest the crops.
• A Georgia Restaurant Association survey found that nearly half (49%) of surveyed restaurants reported labor shortages, and 88% were concerned about future shortages. Lack of workers and related business losses have cut some restaurants’ revenue by as much as $80,000 per month.

Harsh immigration laws result in lost tax revenues.

• States stand to lose millions of dollars in tax revenues if unauthorized immigrants—as well as legal immigrants whose lives are made difficult by the law—were to leave. Unauthorized immigrants in the United States paid $11.2 billion in state and local taxes in 2010, according to data from the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, which includes:

• $1.2 billion in state income taxes;
• $1.6 billion in property taxes; and
• $8.4 billion in sales taxes.
• Estimates for your state are available here.

• In Alabama, according to Professor Addy, HB 56 could result in a loss of between $56.7 and $264.5 million in state income and sales tax collections and up to $93.1 million lost in local sales tax collections.

Harsh immigration laws discourage economic growth.

Many states are hoping for a manufacturing renaissance to help reduce unemployment and lift their economies out of recession. For these hopes to succeed, states will require business-friendly public policy. Investors need to expect a hassle-free experience for work permit-holding foreign managers and workers alike, which cannot happen when state officials and law-enforcement officers are required to verify immigration status even in routine encounters.

• Foreign companies employ 77,500 workers, or 5% of Alabama’s workforce; the auto industry supports nearly 45,000 in the state. In November 2011, a German Mercedes-Benz executive, visiting an auto plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was arrested during a routine traffic stop for failing to produce evidence that he was in the United States legally. Soon afterwards, a Japanese Honda employee was issued a ticket when his international driver’s license was deemed insufficient. These examples illustrate the kind of bureaucratic hassle to be faced by authorized and unauthorized workers and executives alike under the new immigration laws.

• According to Gerald Dial, Alabama State Senate Republican whip and former HB 56 supporter, an unintended consequence of the legislation in that state has been to make other states more attractive for investors. “Other states will say, ‘Hey, you don’t want to go to Alabama now,’” said Dial. “We’re probably going to lose those people. We won’t know about it. There won’t be a big red flag: ‘Hey, we didn’t go to Alabama, we’re going to go to Arkansas or we’re going to go to South Carolina.’ That’s probably the most detrimental part of the whole bill.”
• In Nashville, Tennessee, the Chamber of Commerce called harsh immigration-control legislation “detrimental to work force development and international trade efforts,” while the president of a local commercial real estate firm said it would “make Tennessee unattractive to businesses looking to relocate.”
• International tourism is an extremely profitable and growing market for the United States. In 2010, international visitors spent more than $134.4 billion in the U.S., and travel and tourism exports accounted for 24% of U.S. services exports and 7% of all U.S. exports. Despite the global recession, Mexican tourists spent $8.7 billion in 2010—an 8% increase since 2009. Harsh enforcement laws could create an unwelcoming environment for international tourists, threatening this vital source of revenue.

Harsh immigration laws make it more difficult and expensive for businesses to operate.

• Two of Indiana’s largest employers, Eli Lilly and Co. (a drug manufacturer) and Cummins Inc. (an engine manufacturer), published a statement arguing that Indiana’s proposed immigration enforcement law (SB 590) would impede their ability to compete globally and grow in Indiana. According to Eli Lilly and Co., Indiana has a sizeable and growing biosciences industry, with almost 90,000 employees and supporting a total of $22.7 billion in economic output—direct, indirect, and induced. Spokesman Ed Sagebiel said the company’s “ability to thrive in Indiana is dependent on an environment that is welcoming.” Similarly, Cummins Inc. highlighted 550 new high-paying jobs they brought to the state as a result of Indiana’s friendliness to new business.
• States could experience significant blows to tourism/convention profits. After Arizona passed SB 1070, major groups and associations cancelled events and conventions in the state. A report by the Center for American Progress (CAP) estimates that Arizona will lose $45 million in lodging revenue alone. Arizona was eventually forced to spend $250,000 for a marketing campaign to help improve its image after SB 1070 was enacted.
• Some proposed laws require the mandatory use of the E-Verify employment verification system. Bloomberg estimates that implementing E-Verify costs small businesses an average of $435 per year. There are also costs to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants who are erroneously flagged as not eligible to work by E-Verify and must take time off of work to navigate the bureaucracy to fix the error.
• State immigration enforcement laws mean businesses must incur additional costs. Economist Jeremy Thornton of Samford University points to the “shadow costs” employers incur when they take steps to protect themselves from the law’s stiff penalties. Businesses will spend more on employee screening to protect themselves from provisions of the law that bar them from knowingly hiring unauthorized workers. There could also be increased litigation costs for businesses because any legal worker could sue the employer if they have hired an unauthorized worker. “Every business that now has to comply with this legislation, that’s just extra cost. And anytime you raise costs, businesses shrink, Thornton said.” Businesses will likely have to spend more on third party assistance for employment eligibility paperwork and extra human resources staff.
• Alabama had to push back the deadline for businesses to obtain or renew their licenses “due to the hardship placed on Alabama businesses” that could not get business licenses in October because of implementation of the new law. The new law requires individuals and businesses obtaining or renewing business and store licenses to show additional documentation, which has led to long lines at courthouses and other delays.
  

Implementing and enforcing harsh immigration laws cost states millions.

Implementing these new measures will cost taxpayers dearly at a time when states are already having tremendous difficulty balancing their budgets. Potential costs include:

• Cost to Police: Costs associated with a projected increase in arrests and overtime.
• Cost to Jails: Costs associated with a projected increase in jail population.
• Other Criminal-Justice Costs: Cost of projected increase in prosecutorial and public-defender staff, jail space, court rooms, and support offices needed to handle increased caseload.
• Costs to State Agencies: Costs associated with additional personnel and time necessary to check the identification documents of all persons applying for certain state benefits. Also, cost of foster-care for children of detained immigrants.
• Costs to Schools: Costs associated with checking and reporting the immigration status of children enrolled in schools and lost federal or state funding for schools due to decreases in school enrollment.
• Legal Costs: Legal costs incurred by the state to defend against lawsuits.

Some states that considered immigration enforcement laws in 2010-2011 backed off once they considered cost estimates for implementation.

• In Kentucky, an enforcement bill died after an estimate showed it would cost the state $89 million per year to enforce.
• In Louisiana, a bill was withdrawn when it was estimated to cost $11 million to implement.
• In Tennessee, immigration bills are stalled in 2012 until “sufficient funds can be generated to finance it.” In 2011, the General Assembly Fiscal Review Committee found that their proposal would increase expenditures by $3 million for the first year and $1.8 million every year after that.
• In Indiana, state police said they would have to spend $5 million to train for and enforce the law.

States will have to spend millions to defend laws in the courts.

Most anti-immigration measures have immediately been challenged on constitutional and other grounds. Defending the law in the courts can be very expensive.

• Utah’s immigration control bill, HB 497, has cost taxpayers more than $85,000 to defend in federal court. The price tag will likely increase a great deal before a final ruling is reached.

• In Arizona, seven lawsuits were filed to stop implementation of SB 1070, and other states are likely to see numerous lawsuits against similar legislation. At the end of February 2011, Arizona had already spent more than $1.5 million defending SB 1070.

• Farmers Branch, Texas, has already spent about $3.2 million to defend itself since September 2006, when it launched the first of three ordinances. The city has budgeted $623,000 for legal expenses through the rest of the fiscal year related to the ordinance defense. Legal costs could exceed $5 million by the end of the fiscal year.

• Riverside, New Jersey, rescinded an ordinance that penalized renting to or employing unauthorized immigrants after the town of 8,000 accumulated $82,000 in legal fees.

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.

Somos Independents - is a woman led independent registered voter group who encourages coming of age and new  millennial voters to vote during the 2014 elections.  Recently, we were in San Diego, California, registering brand new voters, and this time we are scheduled to hit University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on September 26th, 2014,  and later El Paso, Texas, on September 28th, 2014 at the Lincoln Chicano Park. 

Somos Independents is concentrating their efforts in the southwest leading up to a national campaign via "Cruising 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.  Often times, Tea Party Republicans make the mistake of lumping all brown people together.  Chicanos are proud Americans who are not ashamed of Mexican heritage and Cruise To The Polls creatively revives the Chicano movement and lowrider culture while mixing it in with our political responsibility Dr. Hector P. Garcia and "Corky" Gonzales-style.  We have a duty to be a voice for our indigenous brothers and sisters who are undocumented and have no voting voice.

We will have a registration booth at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in an  Outdoor Space on campus near the  SUB Mall (1) South of SUB/Statues Sound/Bus Area. 

What makes us different than other "Get Out The Vote" organizations that are out there is  we educate and inform our audience who the immigrant friendly politicians are.   It's one thing to say, "Go and vote" and another to give guidance to our gente (people) who the anti-immigrant politicians are. 

We educate the difference between immigrant-friendly politicians and the bigots so that Chicano / Latino voters are well informed despite the smoke and mirrors politicians create.

As a former member of the law enforcement community / bomb dog handler, I take issues against hypocritical politicians such as (R) John Kavanagh who voted against salary increases for law enforcement, while doubling his taxpayer-funded living allowance via Arizona's Senate Bill 1217 dated April 15, 2014. 

As a key swing Independent voter of Arizona, our independent voter group is giving John Kavanagh two thumbs down.  Kavanagh is a career politician who has been in politics for 8 years too long.  He is also an extremist who doesn't believe in bipartisanship that addresses and takes on tough issues.   Kavanagh is an extremist.  Moderates and centrist independent voters are tired of extremism in our State of Arizona and we are signaling to fellow independent voters to vote "anyone but Kavanagh."

According to a mailer sent to me, John Kavanagh even co-sponsored legislation ending term limits for legislators via HCR 2010, 2007, and in fact voted against adjusting [his own] politician's retirement benefits funded by taxpayers during our economic crisis via HB 2062 dated March 27, 2008.

It's time for Kavanagh to go.

Carlos Galindo, National Radio Show Host who has his thumb on national politics as well as the immigration issue brought up Sen. Schumer's idea of using a discharge petition to bring immigration reform to vote. 

From the New York Times:

Schumer Offers Long-Shot Option to Skirt House G.O.P. on Immigration

Americans have waited over 7 long months since the Democratic-controlled Senate passed CIR, and admittedly I was not for supporting a discharge petition early on in 2013 of last year for immigration in hopes of healthy bipartisanship and statesmanship.   Democrats were forced to introduce a discharge petition in October of last year as a result of the obstructionist Tea Party Republicans who wanted to shut down the government affecting services given to Veterans and millions of Americans. The House of Repuresentatives led by the GOP have proven themselves to be unstasteman-like, and we have no other option but to help millions who are living in the shadows of society even though they contribute billions to our federal, state and local tax coffers. 

As such, key Independent voters like ourselves will step up efforts to Get Out The Vote in order to DUMP THE TEA within the GOP.  Americans cannot continue to stand idly by with the do-nothing House of Representatives led by the Tea Party GOP.