Velásquez Institute Explains Polling Differences Making The News This Week (See page 3) Rev. Albert Reyes, 45, chairman of the Hispanic Task Force for a countywide race in the state’s Harris County. After leaving office the White House Initiative on Hispanic Academic Excellence, is in 2000, he became associate general counsel for Cooper elected without opposition as the first Hispanic president of the Industries, a producer of electrical items…A United Methodist 2.5 million-member Baptist General Convention of Texas…The Church special review team concludes that David Maldonado, second-largest bank in Spain, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria the ousted president of Illiff School of Theology who was forced SA de C.V., Spain, creates a private equity fund that could invest to resign this May at the Denver-based school, had been “unjustly as much as $500 million in U.S. companies with connections to treated” and was a victim of institutional racism. Maldonado was Hispanic communities…Gov. Rick Perry names former state the first Hispanic to lead the 300-student institution. While the district judge David Medina to the Texas Supreme Court. Medina church endorsed the findings, no mention was made of rehiring replaces Justice Wallace Jefferson, whom Perry promoted to him. Prominent Denver Latinos, including former Public Safety chief justice earlier this year. Medina served as district judge in Director Butch Montoya and City Councilwoman Rosemary Houston from 1996 to 2000, the first Hispanic Republican to win Rodríguez, are demanding Maldonado’s reinstatement… Vol. 22 No. 45 Nov. 15, 2004 LATINO GROUPS HAIL A.G. NOMINATION AS ‘HISTORIC’ By Patricia Guadalupe workers who never finished elementary first acts since the president’s re-election The day after John Ashcroft submitted his school, but they worked hard to educate both rectifies that situation and marks a his- resignation as U.S. Attorney General, Presi- their children and to instill the values of toric milestone for the Latino community.” dent Bush Nov. 10 reverence and integrity and personal re- Latino groups nominated White sponsibility,” said Bush at the White House lauded Gonzáles’ House counsel introducing Gonzáles as his nominee. educational and Alberto Gonzáles to Latino organizations praised the professional ac- replace him, moving president’s choice. complishments and quickly to fill a top “This is a historic nomination. It would be what they call his Cabinet post and the first Latino ever to be nominated to one deep commitment to make history at the of the top three Cabinet positions in the the community. A same time. United States, so it’s a very big deal and graduate of Rice Uni- The 49-year-old certainly a landmark decision,” said Brent versity and Harvard GONZALES former Texas Su- Wilkes, national executive director of the Law School, he has MURGIA preme Court justice would be the first His- League of United Latin American Citizens. served as president of the Houston His- panic ever to serve as the nation’s top law Added Janet Murguía, executive director panic Bar Association. enforcement official. of the National Council of La Raza, “We “As White House Counsel, Judge “My newest Cabinet nominee grew up in previously criticized the Bush administra- Gonzáles met with our leadership on sev- a two-bedroom house in Texas with his tion for not having a Hispanic in the Cabinet eral occasions and demonstrated great parents and seven siblings. Al’s mother since the departure of HUD Secretary Mel sensitivity to a wide range of issues that and dad, Pablo and María, were migrant Martínez. We are pleased that one of the (continued on page 3) PASSAGE OF ARIZONA PROP. 200 SPURS MORE INITIATIVES By Sonia Meléndez constitutional public services. The easy passage of Arizona’s Proposi- MALDEF plans to ask a federal judge to Rick Oltman, western field coordinator tion 200 requiring verification of identifica- issue a preliminary injunction after the re- for the Federation for American Immigra- tion to vote or to receive public benefits has sults are certified as early as Nov. 22, ac- tion Reform, told Weekly Report, “We are stimulated backers of similar legislation in cording to Héctor Villagra, Los Angeles sending a message to the government to California and Colorado to move forward regional counsel. stop doing nothing about enforcing immi- quickly. It has also energized groups in “We are sure that a gration laws.” Idaho and Georgia. court will see that the California legislation patterned after It passed 56%-44% in spite strong finan- area of immigration Arizona’s initiative is on track to appear on cial and political opposition. National Latino is one that belongs the March 2006 ballot. The California Re- leaders call the proposition “anti-immi- solely to the federal publican Assembly has already gathered grant.” They have vowed to block its imple- government and more than 100,000 signatures. It needs to mentation. states cannot regu- collect a total of 500,000 valid signatures The Mexican American Legal Defense late immigration,” from registered voters by February to and Educational Fund is preparing to tackle Villagra said. qualify, Oltman added. Arizona’s measure with the same legal The team plans to VILLAGRA Colorado’s initiative, sponsored by De- defense team it used to help prevent imple- question what public benefits will be with- fend Colorado Now, is also building mo- mentation of California Proposition 187, held and its high cost of implementation. mentum to appear on the 2006 ballot. which voters approved by 59%-41% in 1994. The measure, the Arizona Taxpayers Originally planned to be placed on this A federal court ruled the initiative, which and Citizens Protection Act, would allow year’s ballot, it was held back in the courts. sought to deny undocumented immigrants state workers to be charged with a Class Georgians for Immigration Reduction public education and state benefits such 2 misdemeanor for failing to report un- argued that similar legislation is needed as non-emergency health care, to be un- documented immigrants who apply for (continued on page 3) within the president’s own party, he “re- used by Republicans to describe the es- Political Poop mains committed to the plan to create a tate tax,” adding that Salazar also ben- By Patricia Guadalupe temporary-worker program…(and) the need efited by having his younger brother Ken Guestworkers Face Opposition for new immigration programs.” run a successful U.S. Senate campaign. Congressional Republicans say there John Salazar Upset Detailed Immigration Lobby Highlighted is no support in Congress for a proposal Representative-elect John Salazar (D- backed by President Bush which would Colo.) was victorious in a House election A profile naming six “major players” on include undocumented workers in a that previously had not been considered a immigration issues in Washington by the guestworker program with Mexico. Democratic Party “pick-up” because he fo- well-regarded publication The Hill lists “As far as the House is concerned, I don’t cused on his roots as a long-time rancher not a single Latino person or group. necessarily see an environment that has and Army veteran running in a conservative Its “immigration issues powerhouses” changed dramatically enough to allow a district, according to a Nov. 10 profile of new include several organizations that advo- guestworker bill to gain majority support,” members of Congress by The Hill. cate a conservative approach to immigra- said Rep. John Hostettler (R-Ind.), chair of Salazar, 51, ran in a district that had been tion, such as the Federation for American the House immigration subcommittee. considered “too conservative” and “too ru- Immigration Reform (FAIR) and United To Hostettler was reacting to reports that the ral” for Democrats attempting to replace a Secure America, which supports increas- president planned an “aggressive push” retiring GOPer. ing national security by allowing an un- on this and other immigration proposals Salazar was also successful, The Hill specified “manageable number” of immi- which had been set aside after the 2001 said, because he “portrayed himself as a grants into the country. terrorist attacks. tax cutter, posting his no-new-middle-class- The publication lists the liberal National White House press secretary Scott taxes vow on his campaign Web site, and Immigration Forum as the capital’s “lead- McClellan said despite concerns from pledging to eliminate the ‘death tax,’ a label ing pro-immigrant advocacy group.” FIRING OF RADIO SHOW HOST SOUGHT OVER ‘WETBACK’ COMMENT By Alicia McGrail to Belling’s permanent dismissal, ac- Sentinel. “He issued an apology to a main A Milwaukee, Wisc., radio station cording to Latino leaders who attended. paper, but never to any Hispanic papers or pulled a politically conservative talk Steering committee member Robert organizations. We are the ones who are show Nov. 7 as Hispanic protests con- Miranda told Weekly Report that Clear owed the apology,” he said. tinued against host Mark Belling’s on- Channel expects Several corporations, including Wells air use of an ethnic slur. Belling to return, al- Fargo Bank and Carleton Travel Agency, Belling used the term “wetback” when though there is no have withdrawn advertisements from the referring to undocumented Mexican immi- indication when. program, and the League of United Latin grants in an Oct.27 discussion about voter Clear Channel, American Citizens and National Council fraud, and for the next week he joked about WISN’s parent com- of La Raza supported demonstration ef- the resulting controversy. pany, was unavail- forts. “You watch the voter turnout on the near able for comment. State Representative Pedro Colón and south side (of Milwaukee), heavily Hispanic, About 300 people 15 other members of the state legislature and compare it to the voter turnout in any protested outside of wrote to WISN program director Jerry Bott to other election, and you’re going to see every WISN’s studios Nov.