Who cares if it’s Congress or the President who takes the lead on changing the policy? The fact is the President can’t do it alone. Nor can Congress. They need to work together.

I’ve been highly critical of Flake’s flip-flop and McCain’s ‘danged fence’ stance as well as President Obama’s failed first-term promise to tackle CIR, but now is not the time for gloating or ‘I told you so’s.’ The election is over. It clearly had far-reaching consequences, and Republicans and Democrats have been awakened to this reality.

This is a very good thing, but if we want to make the most of it, then we must be willing to put aside our partisan views and work together. After all, isn’t this what we’ve been demanding for the past six years?

We speak about gridlock and Washington’s inability to get things done and then, when compromise is in the works, we criticize those working toward solutions. Enough. Regardless of how we personally feel about those who are a part of the Gang of 8, we should take the time to personally thank them and offer our support.

Immigration reform is far from reality. It will be a very tough climb, and our Senators and Representatives will need as much support as possible to drown out the shrill voices of those who will scream “amnesty” and demand nothing short of deportation for all.

The plan put forward by the Gang of 8 is both compassionate and smart. It balances the political concerns of those on either side of the aisle without forgetting that we are dealing with real people, individuals who already consider themselves Americans.

If you haven’t had a chance to read the Gang of 8’s set of principles, you can do so here. Please, take the time to read it and then send a note of thanks to both Senators McCain and Flake. Only by working together and promising our support will we ensure that passage of comprehensive immigration reform finally becomes reality.

Senator John McCain

D.C: (202) 224-2235

Phoenix: (602) 952-2410

John_McCain@mccain.senate.gov

Senator Jeff Flake

D.C: (202) 224-4521

Phoenix: (602) 840-1891

Jeff_Flake@flake.senate.gov

After more than two years of work, the Real Arizona Coalition has put together a platform for federal immigration reform supported by almost 40 state organizations, which include thousands of individuals such as business leaders, law enforcement officials, the faith community, civil rights activists, political leaders and more.

The effort is historic because it brings together people from opposite sides of the aisle for a grand compromise, something that hasn’t been attempted in years. It pairs Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, a staunch conservative and Tea Party favorite, with the former Chair of the National Council of La Raza, Daniel Ortega, Jr. Who could have guessed we’d see these two individuals on the same side of a legislative debate?

Others have joined in as well, and it is this team effort that makes me believe that for the first time in the five years I’ve been advocating for federal immigration reform, it may actually happen. I’m almost speechless. Almost.

Though the platform has the backing of influential leaders such as Montgomery and Ortega as well as former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, we still need Arizona’s congressional delegation to move the platform forward and begin work on federal legislation.

I remain optimistic because I’ve seen a real desire for compromise and civil discourse by members of Arizona’s congressional delegation. Just this past Sunday, reporter E.J. Montini wrote about Republican Congressman-elect Matt Salmon’s and Democratic Congressman Ed Pastor’s friendship and their desire to work together for the good of this state and country.

Consensus is tough, and this platform was not easy to obtain. As Ms. O’Connor said, “We agreed. We disagreed. And we compromised to produce what we regard as the S.A.N.E. solution.”

So what is this S.A.N.E. platform? It’s a framework for policymakers to address immigration reform by

Securing our sovereign borders

Accounting for everyone in the U.S. without lawful authority

Necessary bureaucratic reform implementation

Engaging all levels of government

In a nutshell it means that yes, we must secure our borders, but no, we must not seal them. The goal is operational control of the border, like what has been achieved in the Yuma Sector, without inhibiting trade with our most important partner.

We must reform our outdated visa system. We need a system that responds to changes in the market, whether those changes are in the low-skilled or high-tech sectors, and create a secure system for all employers to verify work eligibility.

And we must deal with the most controversial area of reform: the 11 million or so undocumented immigrants currently in this country. We know that we cannot deport nor would we want to deport 11 million people, but we also know amnesty – forgiving past wrongs and granting automatic citizenship — will not work and is a nonstarter for many Americans.

Instead, the S.A.N.E. platform offers temporary legal status to those who are currently undocumented, provided those individuals have no felony convictions, pay any taxes due, and undergo a background check. After five years those with temporary legal status who have completed all necessary administrative steps may apply for permanent legal status.

Those who are currently here undocumented who hope to one day gain citizenship will not be able to move to the front of the line but rather wait, on average, eight to ten years before being able to apply.

This platform will not satisfy everyone. Indeed, most people will want to add their own personal tweaks. However, compromise is a must if we wish to move this issue forward.

The eventual legislation will be a battle and everyone pushing for reform will be bruised in some way or another. But if individuals such as Dulce Matuz, president of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, and Bob Worsley, the newly elected Republican State Senator from District 25, can find a way to come together, can’t we all?

I encourage everyone to read more about the platform and sign on in support at therealarizona.org. This could be the beginning of a new role for Arizona, one that will make headlines for the right reasons.

That means Republicans need Latinos. Democrats need Latinos. America needs Latinos.

And what is it that Latinos want? The same thing most Americans want: good paying jobs, an excellent and affordable education, and a chance to achieve the American dream.

It isn’t all about immigration reform, and yet, it is immigration reform that drove the conversation this past election and will continue to drive the conversation until reform is finally implemented.

No, most Latinos are NOT undocumented. But many Latinos do know someone who is undocumented, and almost all Latinos know what it means to be the subject of doubt, the one who is most likely to be pulled over and asked for proof of citizenship. They know what it means to be categorized as “illegal.” They know what it means to be hated simply for the color of their skin.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a new concept in this country. Black Americans, Asian Americans and Native Americans have and continue to feel the sting of racism, of doubt, of less-than full integration into a white-dominated culture.

But now, more than ever before, Latinos have at their fingertips the makings of a perfect storm. With Black Americans deserting the Republican Party, the GOP is struggling to find a way to hold on to this crucial minority, and they know immigration reform may be the only way to do so.

In the coming weeks, Arizonans will have an opportunity to be at the forefront of a major immigration reform movement. Business leaders, faith leaders, law enforcement officials, and others will soon unveil a plan to move this state and this country forward. How Arizona’s politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, respond to this initiative will set the stage for the future of both parties.

It is an exciting time to be in Arizona. The world will be watching us. Let’s hope this time we find a way to crawl out from the ashes of embarrassment and rise above our racist image as a state ready to lead.

Image courtesy of Flickr user Longislandwins

It’s thee word tea partiers use to strike fear in the hearts of fellow tea partiers… amnesty. It seems any change made to the immigration system is either backdoor amnesty or full-on amnesty, depending on which Democrat proposes the change.

President Obama’s plan to give two-year work permits to DREAM act eligible individuals is being called amnesty. Never mind that these individuals will not be granted and cannot apply for American citizenship, which is, by the way, the real definition of amnesty.

Never mind that two years from now these individuals will probably be in the same predicament they are in right now unless a do-nothing Congress decides to actually do something about it. Never mind that these individuals could lose their work permits even sooner if Mitt Romney, who has promised to veto the DREAM Act, becomes president and decides to overturn the executive order that made it possible.

Those facts seem inconsequential to Representatives Ben Quayle and David Schweikert who both introduced legislation this week to repeal Obama’s executive order. Schweikert and Quayle have sidestepped the facts and chosen to play on Americans’ fears instead.

And what is it that these Americans fear? A loss of jobs, of course.

Schweikert went right to the heart of that fear when he released a statement about his proposed bill saying, in part, “over 23 million Americans remain unemployed.”

Schweikert wants people to assume DREAMers will take American jobs, but what will happen if DREAMers do not receive work permits? Will Americans be better off? Will DREAMers self-deport?

No. Instead they will be forced to work underground, meaning they will perform lower-skilled jobs that pay cash instead of taking higher-skilled jobs that pay into the tax system. And it’s Americans that are hurt by this arrangement.

Many of these DREAMers are getting degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields, which are jobs that American businesses are desperately trying to fill. But instead of hiring those individuals who are already in our country, were educated in our schools and universities and have assimilated to American life, Quayle and Schweikert are content with letting American businesses export more jobs overseas to countries with greater numbers of STEM workers. In return, we lose out on the taxes and wealth created by those businesses and their employees.

Considering Rep. Quayle is a member of the House’s Science, Space and Technology Committee, I would think he’d be sensitive to this issue. But this is the same man who called the President’s executive order, “stunning in both its arrogance and shortsightedness.” How ironic.

This isn’t the first time Quayle and Schweikert have played on Americans’ fears and joined forces to support doing nothing. Remember the debt ceiling debate in August 2011? Schweikert and Quayle voted against a compromise, and the stand-off led to a downgrade of America’s credit rating, major declines in the stock market, and huge loses in millions of Americans’ retirement accounts.

Are we to believe Schweikert and Quayle are interested in reforming our immigration system? If they were, wouldn’t they be working on long-term solutions to address the millions of individuals who are already here undocumented? Or what about working to reform our dysfunctional Visa system? Certainly, if they were truly interested in solutions, they would stop pretending that our immigration woes can be solved by fence building alone.

Quayle and Schweikert are not putting forth solutions. Instead, they cling to fear, which leads me to believe it is the only thing they have to offer.

The Americans in this story are 79-year-old Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and 9-year-old Katherine Figueroa. Arpaio, the obvious Goliath in this story, is armed with a badge and a powerful position of authority. While Kathy, our David in the story, is equipped with the power of her faith and love of family.

Though Arpaio has spent a great deal of time in front of cameras, the documentary takes us behind the scenes and gives the audience a closer look at what guides Arpaio. Though one may expect to see a sheriff motivated by the desire for good to triumph evil, this film highlights a sheriff who speaks of justice but seems driven by ego and an obsession with fame.

We see a man who brags about spending $20,000 on his teeth to make himself look better on television and frets about makeup that makes him look old on camera.

We see a man who spins a tale about gun battles in Turkey, about single-handedly taking down crime operatives, and winking about his participation in torture.

We see a man who becomes irate, declaring, “It’s MY money,” when citizens question the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ continuous payout of millions of taxpayer dollars in lawsuits against the Sheriff’s department.

We see a man who once regarded undocumented workers as unimportant in the fight against crime only to make it the focus of his office after realizing how much media attention he could gain.

We see a man who cannot recall important conversations or details about one of his most important units, the anti-corruption squad, while under oath in the Andrew Thomas trial.

Compare this man to the other American, the little girl whose parents were arrested while working at a local carwash (a business that had employed them for years).

Here we see a little girl who is terrified, who does not understand why she isn’t allowed to hug her mother when she visits her in jail and fears that she, too, will be arrested, even though she is an American citizen.

We see a girl who prays every day, putting her faith in Jesus and trusting He will ensure her parents stay safe.

We see a little girl who is loved by an extended family who does everything in their power to try and bring this little girl’s parents back home.

We see a child who, despite her fears and her small stature, refuses to remain silent and speaks on behalf of families torn apart by a broken immigration system.

We see two parents who refuse to lie to deputies, who forgive Arpaio for what has happened, give affection to their daughter, discipline her when she falls behind on her studies, work hard to make a living, and rejoice and praise God when their family is reunited.

The contrast between these two Americans couldn’t be clearer. One American represents the best of what this country stands for – hard work, faith and family – while the other represents the part of our society we claim to disavow but empower nonetheless – arrogance, ego and infamy.

Given the choice, I’d pick David over Goliath and an America that values family over fame.

The next screening of Two Americans will take place on June 18 at the Phoenix Center for the Arts. For more information, click here. 

Image courtesy of Flickr user Fibonacci Blue

“The illegals who come here… don’t want to be American, they want to destroy our form of government.”

This was part of a speech made by State Senator Sylvia Allen at a Support Russell Pearce rally in October of last year. She spoke about illegal immigration and prefaced the quote above as part of a “La Raza mentality,” inferring that La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights organization, is working to destroy our government.

Though some may dismiss her rant as nothing more than a partisan speech to galvanize an anti-immigrant base, others are starting to question if extremist language, such as this, is encouraging the hate groups in Arizona.

I ask, how could it not?

Since last week’s murder of four individuals by known neo-Nazi J.T. Ready, the media has focused on the rise of hate groups in Arizona. And what motivates these hate groups? Illegal immigration.

Because Arizona is ground zero in the battle over immigration reform, we are also ground zero in the recruitment of White supremacists who worry that non-European immigrants will have a majority status in America.

Lawmakers such as Allen use language that not only promotes these ideas but also brings them into mainstream politics. How many times have we heard Tea Party legislators speak about the “invasion of illegals?” How many times have we heard these same lawmakers speak encouragingly about armed border militias?

J.T. Ready was head of an armed militia that patrolled the border and was identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. Recently, Glenn Spencer, the founder of another border militia that is classified as a hate group, was asked to speak to Arizona’s Senate Committee on Border Security, Federalism and States’ Sovereignty.

Spencer was invited by Senator Allen and Senator Al Melvin (a former member of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps) to speak as an expert on border security even though the Anti-Defamation League had previously warned both senators that Spencer was “an anti-Hispanic, anti-Semitic bigot.”

Spencer promotes a conspiracy theory known as Aztlan, which suggests Mexican immigrants are plotting to take over the American Southwest. Conspiracy theories such as Aztlan as well as the conspiracy theory that President Obama is a Muslim born in another country are other elements known to invigorate hate groups.

The Arizona legislature has no shortage of conspiracy theorists. From sponsoring legislation aimed at stopping a takeover by the United Nations to two failed attempts at passing a ‘birther’ bill, our state lawmakers have spent a great deal of time thwarting imaginary problems.

State Representative Carl Seel actually met with Donald Trump to discuss his ‘birther’ bill and was supported, yet again, by Senators Lori Klein (the lawmaker that read a letter on the floor of the Senate claiming Hispanic students don’t want to be educated but be gang members), Steve Smith, Judy Burgess, and Rick Murphy.

Most of these Republican lawmakers have given their undying support to SB1070 author and former Senate President Russell Pearce. Pearce, as we know, was good friends with J.T. Ready. Though he denies knowing anything about Ready’s involvement in or favorable attitudes toward White supremacy groups, the Regional Director of Arizona’s Anti-Defamation League, Bill Straus, has gone on record saying he warned Pearce about Ready’s activities more than a year before Pearce cut off ties with him.

Fox 10 News ran an in-depth report on Pearce’s ties to Ready as well as an interview in which Ready describes Pearce as a “surrogate father.” You can watch that story here.

By befriending leaders of hate groups and/or classifying them as experts on border security, state legislators help legitimize the views of hate groups. When they use offensive or misleading language to describe civil rights groups or classify undocumented immigrants, lawmakers encourage fear and promote the myths that pervade the immigration discussion.

Our lawmakers may not be part of the White supremacist groups that are infiltrating our state, but I firmly believe some of their words and actions are helping fuel the flames that light the fires of hate.

This was taken from a recent letter to the editor in the Arizona Republic. The woman, Alice Wilson, goes on to say, “Legal citizens are not allowed such luxury. If all of us chose the laws we liked and ignored those we didn’t, we would have anarchy.”

While that’s a good attempt at a logical reason for why we should obey any and all laws, it’s too general of a statement and doesn’t hold up under examination.

I decided to respond to the writer with my own letter to the editor, but it wasn’t printed. So instead I’ll share it, and better yet, expand upon it here.

First of all, undocumented immigrants are not the only ones who pick and choose which laws they will obey. So do American citizens. We pick and choose each day if we’ll obey the speed limit or come to a complete stop at the stop sign. We pick and choose each year if we’ll follow all of the tax laws or try to get around some of them.

It’s true that speeding and other traffic violations are generally classified as misdemeanors but so is crossing into this country without legal documentation or overstaying a visa.

The writer goes on to say, “I have nothing against immigrants but would like a level playing field. I want all of us in this country to adhere to the same laws.”

To that, I agree. I would like to live in a country where the rich aren’t allowed greater access to justice because they can afford a better attorney or a higher likelihood of overcoming a long-term illness because they can afford better or more comprehensive medical care. Nor should they be allowed additional tax breaks because they can afford a better CPA and more powerful attorneys to lobby Congress on their behalf.

This is, in essence, the argument of the Occupy Wall Street protestors, those angry that the one percent seems to be on a much different playing field than the rest of the country. I’m not sure if Ms. Wilson is part of the Occupy Movement, but it seems they agree on this point.

Ms. Wilson ends her letter by saying, “I object to some being allowed to flout our laws and then demand more concessions from legal, taxpaying citizens.”

I enthusiastically agree! I am greatly disturbed that I, as a taxpayer in Maricopa County, have had to pay for Sheriff Arpaio’s millions upon millions of dollars ($50 million and counting) in lawsuits, including lawsuits that allege a disregard for the U.S. Constitution. Nor do I believe I should have to pay for the millions of dollars that will be racked up by his office because he refuses to cooperate with the federal government, a government duly elected by the American people.

Whether we’re speaking about American citizens or undocumented immigrants, we all pick and choose which laws we will obey. What differs, though, is the intent behind it. If the intent is to cause harm, then the punishment should fit the crime. For the vast majority of undocumented immigrants, the intent is not evil but rather one of desperation in search of a better life. I’m not sure I can say the same thing about Sheriff Arpaio’s attempts to skirt the law and silence his detractors.

No, undocumented immigrants should not be allowed a “free ride,” nor should they be punished or spoken of as if they are rapists or murderers. To categorize the undocumented in this manner or exult an elected official for his crimes is to disregard the very tenants of justice this country was founded on.

But SB1070 doesn’t secure the border, nor does it offer any real solution to the problem of illegal immigration.

Instead, 1070 has driven out thousands of residents, both documented and undocumented, who feel unwelcome in a state that seems more and more hostile to Latinos. SB1070, along with a slue of additional far-reaching anti-women’s health bills, has tarnished Arizona’s image and given us headlines perfect for the taunts of late-night comedians like John Stewart.

I’m not sure how Arizona’s legislators can view this as positive, but then again, there’s little our state lawmakers do these days that I understand. From banning contraception to defunding education, legislators seem more interested in taking away individual liberties than in creating jobs or fixing a broken tax system.

This isn’t good news for Arizona businesses. But with the exception of last year’s letter asking legislators to cool it on the immigration bills, most businesses have said little about the negative impact of SB1070 or of the other controversial and image-damaging bills coming out of the legislature. But this week several hundred businesses spoke up, saying SB1070 is bad for Arizona’s businesses and bad for Arizona’s economy.

The amicus curiae or “Friend of the Court” brief put together by Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform and several other groups argues that 1070 violates the Dormant Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution and interferes with interstate and foreign commerce. Essentially, they’re saying the law has driven away immigrants and other residents, diminishing the labor pool and creating higher costs for the price of goods and services. It has also imposed higher costs on out of state businesses with operations in Arizona.

But the brief goes further by stating that the supposed benefits to Arizona are “illusory and do not outweigh its burdens.” SB1070 was sold as a way to reduce the costs of illegal immigration by reducing the costs for incarceration and education, but data has shown that the end result has not been a net gain for Arizona but rather a net loss.

All Arizonans pay the price for bad legislative policies, whether it’s immediate or long-term. The focus on immigration policies, specifically bad immigration policies such as SB1070, continue to draw resources away from programs that fix problems and into programs that create additional problems.

For instance, an editorialist from the East Valley Tribune recently wrote about the sweeping of funds from DPS, funds taken from gang enforcement and moved into immigration enforcement. This has resulted in an increase in violent, gang-related organized crime that will no doubt continue to rise as the legislature moves another $2 million out of anti-gang funds and into funds for an armed state militia.

Will a volunteer state militia do more to keep citizens safe than a highly trained specialty squad? I sincerely doubt it.

Most of our business leaders can see right through these types of policies, but until more of them have the courage to stand up and speak out, bad policies will continue to be the norm. Here’s hoping the actions of a few will give courage to the masses.

Incumbent Rich Crandall, a moderate Republican known for his focus on education, was joined by another moderate, Bob Worsley, a newcomer with an impressive business background and leadership role within the Mormon Church.

It could have been a cake walk for Pearce. Pit two moderates, one with broad support from the education community and another with broad support from the business community, against one extremist with undying support from the Tea Party.

But Crandall did something many in politics refuse to do. He decided not to run, saying, “It’s more important that voters keep Russell Pearce out than they keep Rich Crandall in.” In other words, Crandall put the good of the state before any other interests, personal or otherwise.

That’s a rare thing these days. Most of our politicians spend their days submitting bills that will help them receive support from key lobbyists and other special interest groups. Legislation is based on ideological viewpoints while knowledgeable, fact-based information is tossed aside.

There’s hardly a day when Arizona doesn’t make the national news, and it’s almost always because of some crazy piece of legislation, and it’s almost always legislation submitted by a Tea Party Republican.

Crandall is one of a small handful of Republicans left at the legislature who has a focus beyond immigration, abortion, or birtherism. His focus has been on education, something few legislators on either side of the aisle have spent much time on. And though I may not always agree with every bill he puts forth (most notably his bill to end the free lunch program for poor kids), I respect the volume of good bills he’s submitted and his ability to get them through the senate.

It’s expected that Bob Worsley, like Crandall, will take on a different focus than his Republican cohorts. Worsley plans to focus on jobs, something that’s been forgotten among the stack of birth control and gun bills, and he wants the country and the world to see a different vision of Arizona, one that isn’t clouded by the haze of bad and ineffective immigration policies.

It’s a shame Crandall and Worsley aren’t in different districts because I believe the state needs more men like them… more moderates, more individuals in office working on the issues that will move this state forward. But perhaps Crandall’s willingness to sacrifice his job to keep an extremist out of office will encourage more moderates to step forth and speak out. And perhaps Worsley’s win and Pearce’s loss will signal an end to the extremism that has dragged down our economy and cost us our reputation.