Latino Issues, A Conservative Blog

AFL-CIO labor federation's president, John Sweeney, wrote Federal regulators urging them to block Wal-Mart's plans to set up a bank because of what the labor federation called the chain's "long history of unethical, and often illegal, practices." As the NY Sun points out , Mr. Sweeney forgot to mention that similar arrangements already exist in both the business and labor sectors. As usual, the pro-union people going on the war path against Wall Mart, while the company simply tries to bring down its costs, make a profit, and provide affordable products. The NY Sun quoted Wall Mart spokesman, Marty Heires, who said, "The charter of this bank and the focus of this bank are very narrow. What we're seeking to do here is save money on transaction fees for debit, credit, and electronic checking. We can take the money we save by doing that and turn it back to our customers in the form of lower prices." One of Wal-Mart's competitors, Target Stores, start...

The NY Sun is reporting on the hunger strike by Rene Gomez Manzano . Of course, the rest of the media is largly ignoring this. But, today is a different world. We can hope that between the alternative media, and more un-biased reporting by the ethical few, more attention can fall on Castro and his continued human rights violations. Almost a month after the July 22 crackdown in which Cuba's communist dictator, Fidel Castro, rounded up and jailed over 30 pro-democracy activists, a detainee from the roundup and one of the island's leading dissidents, Rene Gomez Manzano, announced he was on a hunger strike, democracy leaders said yesterday. While the American government said it had not yet confirmed Mr. Gomez's hunger strike, they denounced the roundup and his ongoing detention.

Note the last line of this quote. Francis Harris interprets Rumsfeld statements and his travels through the region as " a message to both regimes that the Bush administration was turning its attention to them." This can only be good news. Mr Rumsfeld said that the oil-rich Venezuelan strongman and his Cuban ally Fidel Castro, had interfered in the affairs of Bolivia, lending support to a presidential candidate who has fought US efforts to eradicate cocaine production. Speaking in the Peruvian capital Lima at the end of a regional tour, Mr Rumsfeld said: "There certainly is evidence that both Cuba and Venezuela have been involved in the situation in Bolivia in unhelpful ways." Dispatching the bluntly-spoken Mr Rumsfeld to the region appeared to be a message to both regimes that the Bush administration was turning its attention to them after being absorbed by the "war on terror".

News from the AP on the battle for life happening in Kansas. This is a bold move by Attorney General Phill Kline. Let's pray and hope for a positive outcome. Kansas residents may want to keep an eye on this man. He seems to have a strong backbone and a needed boldness in the political arena. Attorney General Phill Kline goes to court seeking to halt state financing of abortions for Medicaid recipients. A lawsuit filed by Kline in Shawnee County District Court names Governor Sebelius and other state officials. Kline argues that the use of state money for abortions violates a section of the Kansas Constitution that bans destruction of the lives of "men'' without due process. The lawsuit asks the court to interpret "men'' as meaning all humans at any stage of development. State Medicaid Director Scott Brunner said that from October through last week, the state paid 19-hundred dollars for seven abortions needed by Medicaid recipients. He said the federal-stat...

Great news being reported on the Chicago Tribune. Surprisingly, a decision was handed down in favor of life. I find the quote facinating. These days, one could hardly believe such statement would come from a judge--a federal one of all things. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA -- A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that military medical benefits should cover abortions only when a mother's life is at risk. The 3-0 ruling by a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came in the case of a Navy sailor's wife whose fetus had a fatal birth defect. She had an abortion five months into her pregnancy. She filed a lawsuit claiming an armed forces health plan owed her $3,000 for the procedure. The government argued that refusing to cover such services "furthers the government's interest in protecting human life in general and promoting respect for life." Tags: Abortion , Reproductive Rights , News , Politics

Interesting perspective. I don't agree that Rep. Connie Mack's (R-Fla.) proposed an amendment to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 2005 is childish. This is a war for the minds of millions of Latinos in South America. They also deserve a chance to know what freedom is all about, to understand that corruption and power-hungry men are at fault and the reason their countries do not prosper and to hope for a true better future. This is a lot more than what Telesur can offer. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT Telesur, the new satellite TV network funded by the Venezuelan government, will be a runaway success. It is also possible that C-SPAN's gavel-to-gavel coverage of hearings of the House Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform will someday outdraw reruns of "The Simpsons." Possible, but not very likely. Tags: News , Politics , Telesur , Chavez

It seems the Democrats have started to find a voice on an issue . Laura Ingraham had this linked on her site, and her comments are worth reading. Just as we have been telling you all year long, Democrats are now waking up to the power of the illegal immigration issue. (Okay, except for Howard Dean's typically off-the-mark comment a few weeks back, that the GOP will scapegoat "immigrants" in the next campaign.) Now the proof is in the pudding--it's not enough for Hillary to talk about border enforcement in Iowa, then ignore it altogether at La Raza conventions. And we have seen plenty of Republicans talk about the problem of illegal immigration with no action to back it up. The WSJ's John Fund has an interesting take on the maneuvering. The truth is that the illegal immigration problem is a problem for all conservatives. Illegal immigration affects security, crime, and the economy. Unlike other, though, I am not advocating reducing the quotas or closing our border...

This is the last straw! Why is the Mexican government sanctioning illegal immigration. If they want to protect the lives of the hundres of Mexicans trying to illegaly cross the border, perhaps they should consider these options: 1. Crack down on corruption and improve your own economy. 2. Build a fence on the Mexican side, to prevent ilegal exodus of their labor pool. 3. Prosecute illegal immigrants caught and returned to the US. 4. Did I mention doing something about their economy? How about firing corrupt politicians that are bleeding the country dry. Read it for yourself . The Mexican staging area for illegal aliens that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson demanded this week be bulldozed is among hundreds of similar sites along the border sponsored and maintained by the Mexican government. Many of the sites are marked with blue flags and pennants to signal that water is available. Others, such as the Las Chepas site that Mr. Richardson denounced, are a collection of old, mostly abandone...

This from Hispanic Television Update : The Univision and TeleFutura Television Groups have reorganized their owned-and-operated national sales division geographically, dividing the country into three regions: East, Central and West. As a result, four Univision executives will be promoted to newly created positions. Charlie Stuart was promoted to VP of national sales based in New York; Frank Donaldson was named senior VP of national sales for the East Region; Mike Reid was promoted to senior VP of national sales for the Central Region; and Rosy Marin was tapped as senior VP of national sales for the Western Region. John DeSimone was named VP and general sales manager for Univision's New York station WXTV. For the past year DeSimone served as VP of national sales, New York where he led and co-managed the New York spot team. Efren Padilla was promoted to local sales manger at KDRX, the Telemundo owned-and-operated station in Phoenix, Ariz. Padilla joins KDRX from KWHY-22,...

A Charlotte Observer story (Registration required) reports that the Carolinas and four other Southern states have become the "new settlement areas" for still-surging waves of Latinos- most of them young (median age 27), male (63%), foreign-born (57%) and drawn, like many native-born whites and blacks, by the region's robust economy. The Charlotte Observer cites the results of a recently released report by the Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center, "The New Latino South" Besides North Carolina and South Carolina -- states where Latino populations grew by 394 percent and 211 percent, respectively, in the 1990s -- the report also identifies Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama as places newly and rapidly settled by Latinos. The report distinguishes these Southern states from Texas and Florida, the home of large and long-established Hispanic communities. Relying mostly on U.S. Census numbers, the center's report pays special attention to North Carolina -- t...

The Chicago Tribune (registration required) is reporting that advertisers, publishers and cable television networks, eager to reach younger and more affluent U.S. Hispanics, are discovering it is best to speak to them in their own language: English. Spanish may be the dominant language of Latinos, the fastest-growing ethnic group in the country. However, for bilingual, better-educated young Hispanics, English increasingly is the media language of choice. In response, a new crop of English-language television networks, radio stations and magazines have emerged to offer fresh choices to "acculturated" Latinos, those who maintain their Latin roots but identify closely with the American mainstream. "Marketers have long been frustrated that there aren't enough media channels to reach bilingual, bicultural Hispanics," said Erika Prosper, strategy director at Garcia 360Communications, an agency based in San Antonio. "It makes sense that when you look at your tota...

Alarming expose by Aaron Atwood, assistant editor for CitizenLink. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) signed on as a primary sponsor for a conference that promotes promiscuity, unprotected sex and drug use. [ WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT ] by Aaron Atwood The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) signed on as a primary sponsor of the 1st National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV and Hepatitis: Science and Response-- a conference with so-called "harm reduction" components. HHS is providing $3,000 in financial scholarships for rural department employees to attend the conference this weekend. It's also listed on the front of the brochure as a sponsor. But HHS is denying that it ever sponsored the conference. Many state departments of health are also sponsoring the event. Oklahoma agreed to participate, then withdrew after learning the details. Officials at the Oklahoma Department of Health said they felt duped into attending the co...

Golf lovers prepare to be thrilled; for the rest of us, it's a movie that will introduce you to golf and the love of the game, but more importantly, will remind of what is great about America. This movie is a classic worth watching a couple times at the theater, and then taking it home for the collection. The script is superb, and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat up to the end. Joshua Flitter as Eddie Lowery steals the screen and provides a little tension relief with his good natured funny lines! Frankly, I felt like he stole the spotlight from LaBeouf, and was the true star of the movie. Shia LaBeouf did a great job in playing the even-tempered, well-mannered and focused Francis Ouimet and made the character and the game believable. The movie keeps you holding your breath with each round, and brings tears to your eyes with an ending that brings the various characters to a solid conclusion. Shia LaBeouf in Disney's The Greatest Game Ever Played - 2005 The movie will...

This woman is a nut case, and the sooner the left wakes up to this fact, the sooner they can avoide more embarrasment. Allow me to give you a couple samples courtesty of RightWingNews.com . "And I'm gonna say, "And you tell me, what the noble cause is that my son died for." And if he even starts to say freedom and democracy' I'm gonna say, bullsh*t. You tell me the truth. You tell me that my son died for oil. You tell me that my son died to make your friends rich. You tell me my son died to spread the cancer of Pax Americana, imperialism in the Middle East. You tell me that, you don't tell me my son died for freedom and democracy.'" -- Cindy Sheehan Her family sent Drudge Report this message: "The Sheehan Family lost our beloved Casey in the Iraq War and we have been silently, respectfully grieving. We do not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy Sheehan. She now appears to be promoting her own personal agenda a...

Legislation and government is by the people for the people. Why should we care what foreign born immigrants believe or want about this? This is the way democracy works. If you are a citizen, then you have a say. If not, then you don't. All immigrants should all be under the law. If you come into our country outside of the law--illegaly--then you will find yourself missing out on certain benefits and protection. A majority of Hispanics born in the United States don't think illegal Hispanic immigrants should be given drivers' licenses , according to a new poll. Most foreign-born Hispanics disagree, according to the polling for the Pew Hispanic Center. Six in 10 Hispanics born in this country approve of measures to prohibit illegal immigrants from getting drivers' licenses, while two-thirds born in another country disapprove of such measures. But wait, there is more! I would think the following quote would really cause Vicente Fox some serious concerns. Personally, it m...

One of my readers takes me to task for my claim that Democracy is spreading around the world, on my post about Telesur and the growth of communism in the Southern Continent. Peter asked me to respond to a couple questions, which I gladly will. Peter () wrote the following : Democracy is spreading You say that as if the United States actively supports democracy at home or abroad, but particularly in Latin America. If you believe that, I would appreciate if you would please answer the following questions: 1) Do you believe the United States should interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries, including funding opposition parties, terrorizing the civilian population (including the murder and maiming of innocent civilians), assassinating political leaders, and actively participating in coups, successful and otherwise? First of all, it appears to me that this question is a smoke screen for blatant anti-American sentiment. I cannot comment on that which I do not have evidence, and I ...

In the midst of all the miss-information, it seems the truth about the triple-x top-level domain is out. I believe all it will do is increase the exposure and propagation of pornography, domestically and worst yet, internationally. C|Net is reporting that the Bush administration has objected to the creation of this new .xxx domain, because of concerns about a virtual red-light district reserved exclusively for Internet pornography. Here is a valid concern by Brazil's United Nation representative that we should take into account. At a recent United Nations summit on the Internet, Brazil's representative charged that ICANN was not responsive enough to the needs of developing countries: "For those that are still wondering what triple-X means, let's be specific, Mr. Chairman. They are talking about pornography. These are things that go very deep in our values in many of our countries. In my country, Brazil, we are very worried about this kind of decision-making process whe...

From Time.com : From music to politics to business, Hispanics are remaking America. TIME presents 25 titans leading the Latino charge into the 21st century. The AP reports : Also among the Time Top 25 Hispanics are Cuban-Irish writer Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, Cuban-American Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and Mexican-American filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Tag: Hispanic , Latino , News

Robert Lanza, vice president of Advanced Cell Technology recently told MSNBC that new scientific advances in stem-cell research may put to rest the moral debate surrounding embryonic stem-cell research. His group is working on a way to reprogram existing cells to produce fresh cells. The process, called somatic-cell programming, may prove to be able to tell the cells in your own body to produce fresh heart cells, regenerate nerve cells to heal spinal cord injuries -- even pancreatic cells to cure diabetes. "Our group, and I know at least two or three others, are playing with different techniques, and it's very clear that something is going on here," Lanza said. "We're definitely getting reprogramming." His company has often been the epicenter of the controversy over embryonic stem-cell research. Leon Kass, chairman of the U.S. President's Council on Bioethics, said the research could give scientists new direction in the area of stem-cell research. "...

For Latinos that rely on every dollar they make to support their families, this sounds great! I lived in FL for many years, and I will tell you, now that I live in CO, I hate seeing my hard earned income get hit twice--once by the Feds, and a second time by the State. Merrill Bender wrote this over at RedState.org , and it's worth passing on. He does a great job comparing it to Forbes flat tax idea, which I no longer support! The Fair Tax package eliminates all Personal and Business income taxes, payroll taxes, AMT, and Death taxes. Due to these eliminations, prices will drop 22 to 25% and then the Fair Tax replaces them all with a revenue neutral federal retail sales tax on new products and services. Consumers will pay about the same as they do now. American business and American labor should take strong note of the fact that exports are not taxed; thus the Fair Tax will provide a boom to American manufacturing because American products will be 22% lower in price for sale overseas...

Great interview with Humberto Fontova . I have highlighted his thoughts on why Cuba has appeared to be so quiet over the past 50 years. Maybe this also explains the AP story on Castro's birthday and the media bias in general. RM: How come the scene in Cuba appears to have been so quiet over the past 50 years? HF: "Appears" is the key word here. And it's because Castro is a master worldwide media manipulator. One of the most ferocious civil wars fought in this hemisphere was actually fought by Cuban freedom-fighters against Fidel's army and it's Soviet advisors. The war lasted from 1959-1966. Raul Castro himself said his army was up against 179 "counterrevolutionary bands." La Guerra Olvidada'"my friend Enrique Encinosa calls it in his book by the same name. Alas, as always, these anti-Communist freedom-fighters fought alone. The Kennedy-Krushcev swindle pulled the rug out from under them. They were slaughtered, much like the Hungarians earli...

'Why I Serve' points out more of the media bias towards the war on Iraq, and the hurt it does to our soldiers. While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the Fisher Houses. He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He took his check book out and wrote a check for the full amount right there on the spot. The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to get the word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it. The question I have is why does Alec Baldwin, Modonna, Sean Penn and other Hollywood types make front page news with their anti-everything America crap and this doesn't even make page 3 in the Metro section of any newspaper except the base newspaper in San Antonio.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unsung American Hero God Bless You Denzel.........

You have to look at this. Hat tip to Dusty for this one . Read about The Great American Jobs Machine and how enployment in America is higher than at any time in history.

From Hispanic Wire : Tallahassee, FL--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--August 15, 2005--Florida State University announces the official launch of the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication, the first program of its kind in the U.S., designed to educate professionals to serve the growing Hispanic marketing industry. The Center is directed by Dr. Felipe Korzenny, one of the country?s preeminent Hispanic marketing experts and an FSU professor of advertising and integrated marketing communication. It provides the nation?s first graduate certificate and undergraduate minor programs, conducts relevant research to further the understanding of the Hispanic market, offers executive seminars, and serves as a knowledge resource about the Hispanic market. Dr. Korzenny, who founded one of the first multicultural marketing firms prior to joining the FSU faculty, is a top national speaker and is widely considered an expert on Hispanic market strategy and insights, bringing expertise and unique perspective on...

Miami Herald is reporting Cuba's aged power plants are causing blackouts that sometimes last more than 12 hours. The story reports all sorts of solutions the Castro government is proposing and doing in attempts to solve the crisis. I have one suggestion--get rid of Castro. The Achilles' heel to political and economic stability is going to be the power structure -- the electrical power structure,'' said Jorge R. Piñon, a former Amoco oil man who studies energy issues at the University of Miami. ``Electricity is important, in some cases, as important as food.'' While I feel for the Cuban people, this is truly good news. Perhaps this is what it will take to rally the Cuban people against the Castro government. When will Cuba say, " I've had enough! "

This from News-Medical.net : President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that the charging of a doctor in NSW with manslaughter and procuring an unlawful abortion sends a clear warning to all doctors and women that they must fully understand the law in their State and Territory in regard to the termination of pregnancies. Interesting. I wonder if this sort of thing would start happening if abortion regulation was handed down to the State level? I can hear the left already--it's to confusing to follow laws from State to State. Abortion needs to be regulated from the Federal level. I think a little fear in the good Dr.'s hearts is a good thing for everyone--specially the unborn children.

RedState.org was doing some live blogging of Justice Sunday II , and has a great break down of what happened. I particularly liked what Leon points out where two important messages to voters on the Center. ...the event relentlessly pounded home two necessary messages that have appeal to folks in the center: that the fight over the judiciary is not about imposing a set of religious values on everyone - it is about the right to be involved in the political process. This is a message that can appeal to folks who are ambivalent about one message or another that might have been mentioned tonight (abortion, gay marriage, etc.). While folks in the center may not have strong feelings one way or another, they can certainly relate to a message that calls for those issues to be resolved democratically, and not by the courts. This point was pounded home eloquently in numerous ways by numerous speakers. This is key. It is not so much about the specific issue, but about the proper roll of the court...

I wrote yesterday about the AP coverage of Fidel Castro's birthday, so I found it interesting that Drudge Report would feature a link to a NY Times story on the poor Iraq coverage. It seems the readers nationwide are complaining to mainstream newspapers, who happen to rely a bit to much on the Associated Press. Now, for editors (who research shows tend to be left-leaning) to start complaining about the narrow coverage and excessive focus on death tolls by the AP, you know its got to be bad! Here is my suggestions to the journalism world--create a new independent press wire service that gives a more rounded coverage of world events. The AP has lost it's credibility. Rosemary Goudreau, the editorial page editor of The Tampa Tribune, has received the same e-mail message a dozen times over the last year. "Did you know that 47 countries have re-established their embassies in Iraq?" the anonymous polemic asks, in part. "Did you know that 3,100 schools have been renov...

Here is to mainstream media propaganda. I didn't know Castro kept AP writers on his payroll, though it seems like it. It was so nice of VANESSA ARRINGTON to leave out all the details of Castro's disastrous regime. It was wrong and unethical for her to leave out the facts about the deaths, tortures, and inhumanity being lived out in Cuba today as a result of Castro. Here is the stupid propaganda AP article . Read it if you want, thought its just a lot of bull __ . Despite some public dissatisfaction, there was little doubt that Castro remains firmly in control of the last communist state in the Americas and one of only five in the world.

For Castro's birthday, I would like to point out a highlight of his life--the Cuban Missle Crisis. It goes to show that for the most part, Castro is still in power more as a result of the stupidity of world leaders, than because he is all that great of a man. From BabaluBlog.com : A secret CIA history of the Bay of Pigs has come to light, showing a slew of incompetence, stupidity, betrayal and unseriousness. It's very damning. Worst of all, JFK knew very well that the operation would fail and went ahead and did it anyway. The documents are here and the Miami Herald writeup is here . Though I realize many of my readers are regular BabaluBlog readers, for those that are not, here are some good blogs to read in celebration of Castro's birthday. Make sure to check out Inthebullpen.com and KillCastro, "whose excellent war blog is must-reading ." Of course, in honor of Castro, I wanted to highlight the true nature of workers rights in Cuba. Hat tip to BabaluBlog on t...