Latino Issues, A Conservative Blog

From the Associated Press : Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died Saturday evening at his home in suburban Virginia, said Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg. A statement from the spokeswoman said he was surrounded by his three children when he died in Arlington. Our prayers and condolences are with the Rehnquist family. America is gratefull for his work, dedication, and courage. Trevino over at RedState.org gives us an important reminder about what the last Presidential election was all about. After the mourning: the battle to succeed him, as dear and dire as anything we've faced in the past eight years. This is what we social conservatives elected George W. Bush for -- and we will expect nothing less than a man to go to the hilt for. If we get him -- we will. Tags: Rehnquist , Supreme Court , SCOTUS , rove , Politics ,

DANIEL HENNINGER over at OpinionJournal.com suggests we privatize emergency relief efforts. I like his ideas and the suggestion is right on the money. Imagination is not a gift usually associated with bureaucracies. --The 9/11 Commission Report. The response to Hurricane Katrina suggests we are not very good at it. The stark images of bereft people in New Orleans and Mississippi are said to reveal inadequate preparation by the agents of government--from elected officials to bureaucracies--whose duties include commanding the vast resources and authority of government to provide help when it is most needed. And this is the truth. The government should enable private companies to do what they are good at, and get out of the way. We have already seen how private companies have stepped up to the plate, and done a lot for the victims of the hurricane. A public role is unavoidable and political leadership is necessary. But if we're going to live with First World threats, such as the dest...

I found a great blog on Colorado politics. If you are a Colorado resident, you have to check it out . Mile High Delphi is dedicated to predicting the outcomes of Colorado State elections and United States elections with a 95% accuracy. Not just polling, but honest to god proven econometric models will be used to figure out the winners before the voters can. One Liberal and one Conservative cutting through the mess that is the media to give you the news you need. I will be tracking the governor's race through this site. Check out their initial predictions. Our predictions for the general election. Colorado had trended Republican during the late 90s and into the early part of this century, however a Democratic tidal-wave hit Colorado in 2004. Our preliminary prediction is that the Republican candidate has a slight advantage. There is more, so make sure to head over and blogroll it.

How could any intelligent person believe that the government would know how to better spend $3.7 billion and that this is somehow supposed to be better for the residents of the state of Colorado? The key word here is refunded, which translated means "The money belongs to the residents, and for some reason, the government has been holding it hostage!" Referendum C asks voters to allow the state to keep and spend a projected $3.7 billion over the coming five years, money that otherwise would have to be refunded to Coloradans. Referendum D asks voters to let the state issue up to nearly $2.1 billion in bonds to finance transportation projects and other improvements and programs. The Daily Reporter-Herald is reporting today that supporters of referendum C & D are trying to build up support with a 350-mile long walk. What I find puzzling is why John Fryar, the Daily Reporter-Herald writer, calls the referendum a budget-stabilization measure? Is this a bias peaking through? Do...

It's great to see the great state of Colorado stepping up to the plate and making a difference for the lives of those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. KKTV web site is reporting that Colorado will provide emergency housing at the old Lowry Air Force Base for up to 1,000 refugees. Governor Owens says military and civilian planes will begin arriving Sunday at Buckley Air Force Base with those displaced by the storm. Five hundred dorm rooms that can house two people each have been set aside for evacuees on the base. Additionally, Colorado is sending 700 National Guardsmen to aid in search and rescue efforts. Tags: New Orleans , Katrina , Hurricane , Hurricane Katrina , Superdome

Chavez is running out of stories to continue getting his media attention, so he is now resorting to paranoid fiction . Like I have said before, I find it interesting that CNN is giving Chavez so much air time. Sounds to me like starting Telesur was a waste of money--CNN can do the same thing at no cost to the Venezuelan government. My heart goes out to the Venezuelan people. Keep up the good fight, and don't give up. Freedom is worth every drop of blood shed. Venezuela has uncovered plans for a US-led invasion and is preparing to defend the country against invading forces, President Hugo Chavez said in a report carried by the state-run news agency. The Bolivarian News Agency reported late on Friday that Chavez made the comments during an interview with CNN. It was unclear when the interview was to be aired. "If it occurs to the United States to invade our country - Fidel Castro said it and I agree - a war will start here to last 100 years," Chavez was quoted as saying. ...

I am all in favor of enforcing labor laws, and making sure companies are not hiring illegal immigrants. In this sense, I am in agreement with Tancredo . What concerns me is that Tancredo is taking an extreme, on-sided position that ignores the reality and needs of immigrants who have come into this country illegally. I am not saying we should give amnesty, but I am saying there is more to the problem of illegal immigration than supply & demand. I believe the government needs to address the issue of immigration quotas, and the completely inefficient methods being used to process legal immigration requests. Tancredo needs to show compassion, American hospitality towards the world's poor and needy, and include provisions that provide for an increase and quicker processing of legal immigration applications. There needs to be a two-pronged strategy to fixing the problem of illegal immigration. Enforce our current laws by prosecuting companies that hire illegals, by effectively depo...

There is bad news, and yet in the midst of it all, some good news in the pro-life battle in England. Zenit.com reports that a Times article writes that Sue Axon, a mother from Manchester, is about to launch a High Court challenge seeking to put an end to secret schoolgirl abortions. The abortion industry is deceiving school girls for the sake of their profits and idelogogies--what a shame! Abortion is on the rise in England and Wales also, the BBC reported July 27. Department of Health figures show there were 185,400 abortions in 2004, a rise of 2.1% from 181,600 in 2003 and about 5.3% from 176,000 in 2002. As in Spain abortion is most prevalent in the younger age groups. The abortion rate in 2004 was highest for women in the 18-19 and 20-24 age groups. It also increased by 6% in the under-14 age group, but decreased slightly in the under-16 and under-18 brackets. A common feature of the statistics in the United States, Spain and England and Wales is that only a minimal number of abor...

More from the abortion reports round up by Zenit.com . Here is a novel concept for the Spanish government: Abstinence, it works every time. These countries are self-destructing their own economies with this kind of abortion rates. Economicly and socially, it just doesn't make sense. In Spain, a country that has had legalized abortion for 20 years, a recent report analyzed the numbers involved. The report, published by the Institute of Family Policy, noted the number of abortions has greatly increased since the first years. In 1987 there were 17,180 abortions. By 1993 this had more than doubled, to 45,403. And by 2003 it had jumped to 79,788. The total number of abortions from 1985 to 2003 is 844,378, equivalent to the total number of births in Spain in 2002 and 2003. In 2003, one in every six pregnancies ended in abortion. In just five years, from 1998 to 2003, the number soared by 48.2%. Death by abortion is now the leading cause of mortality in Spain. Another development is the l...

Interesting coverage and round up of analysis by Zenit.com on a report published by the Alan Guttmacher Institute. I tried finding the Washington Post article and other refered, but could not. Regardless of what we see in the media, and dispite the courts all-out battle, the war for life is being won. This gives me hope. WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPT. 3, 2005 ( Zenit.org ).- The level of abortions is dropping in the United States, but rising in Spain and England. A July 19 article in the Washington Post analyzed a report published by the Alan Guttmacher Institute. The report, "Estimates of U.S. Abortion Incidence in 2001 and 2002," was released May 19. According to the pro-abortion institute, U.S. abortion rates continued to fall in 2001 and 2002, although the rate of decline has slowed since the early 1990s. The report, which the institute cautions is based on provisional statistics, estimates that 1,303,000 abortions took place in the United States in 2001, a drop of 0.8% from 200...

The Washington Post is reporting on another example of the courts going outside their jurisdiction . All it takes is for one court to make a flawed decision, and then all the other courts look at that one case as an example of precedent and follow suit. It doesn't really matter, as long as it serves the financial interests of the abortion industry and the left-wing nut-case ideologs. The full court, in refusing to rehear the case, pointed to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down a similar Nebraska law in 2000 because it did not contain a health exception protecting the mother. Interestingly enough, the Washington Post left in this last paragraph--I was surprised. The type of abortion at issue is a procedure generally performed in the second or third trimester in which a fetus is partially delivered and its skull is punctured. Transalation for those who don't understand the code words here: The type of abortion at issue is a (killing) procedure generally performed in th...

More evidence of poor leadership in New Orleans, all the way up to the governer's office. Hat Tip to Machiavel at RedState.org for this one. A history lesson for those who believe this all Bush's fault... God knows what would have happened had the President not interceded with Gov. Blanco to order a mandatory evacuation of the city -- that was already a long time in coming. Gov. Kathleen Blanco, standing beside the mayor at a news conference, said President Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding. "There doesn't seem to be any relief in sight," Blanco said. She said Interstate 10, which was converted Saturday so that all lanes headed one-way out of town, was total gridlock. "We are facing a storm that most of us have long feared," Nagin said. I have to agree with Machiavel: Nagin and Blanco are out of their league! Tags: ray Nagin , Blanco , New Orleans , Katrina , Hurricane , H...

UPDATE: More over at RedState.org about the failure of Ray Nagin . If the Democrats want to pass on blame to Bush, they may want to consider this picture at the Junkyard Blog. *** Why is it that I don't hear anything about Nagin's lack of leadership and lack of preparation? What kind of city Mayor does not have a plan in place for this kind of thing? Specially in a city like New Orleans, being on the coast and below sea level. Foxnews.com is reporting that " Black Congress Members Angry At Fed Hurricane Response " and I am again, wondering why these Black Congress members are not angry at their very own black Mayor Ray Nagin, a Democrat at that, for his lack of leadership and planning? Why is it that this man cannot keep control of his own city? It sounds to me like all the various groups in bed with the Democratic party got together for a whine session ! Black members of Congress expressed anger Friday at what they said was a slow federal response to Hurricane Katrin...

Hat Tip to MachosNachos . This is an incredible and interesting read, with equaly incredible implications. These are the guidelines that the city officials are to follow. Thus stuff is absolutely incredible in its implications, because of what was not done: Evacuation planning and actual implementation has to be based upon certain assumptions. It must be understood that the need to evacuate elements of the population can occur at any time, events resulting in evacuations occur with various amounts of lead time and every evacuation will be unique and offer unexpected challenges to those conducting the evacuation. Evacuations in response to hazardous material spills or sudden severe weather are provided with little or no warning, and often have to be accomplished after the fact, and in a disaster response environment. Throughout the Parish persons with special needs, require special consideration regarding notification, transportation, and sheltering. Resources of equipment, facilities ...

I got this today from Cook Communications . I thought it was worth re-printing here. There are some good ideas that the mainstream media could well use. But, that would be expecting much to much. The morning of 9/11, I sent a working memo to faith-based broadcasters around the country encouraging them to breakthrough the regular schedule of programming and deal directly with the spiritual issues surrounding the tragedy in New York. Religious radio and television networks and stations have often become so dependent on regular daily and weekly programming income, that historically, incredible disasters have happened in America, and yet they've been virtually ignored in the religious media because broadcasters refused to break into regularly scheduled programming. But on 9/11 everything changed. Faith-based radio and television stations and media ministries responded to the memo, changing programming, and reporting stories of help and hope, that made a significant difference for ...

From the Hispanic PR Newswire news desk: Miami, FL and Washington, DC--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--September 2, 2005 --Univision Communications Inc. (NYSE: UVN) will partner with the American Red Cross to assist in fundraising efforts aimed at helping those in need due to the devastation resulting from Hurricane Katrina. Univision Communications will enlist its entire platform of media outlets in order to reach out to all constituents interested in contributing to the fundraising efforts. As part of the massive, multi-platform effort, the Univision Networks will air a special edition of Sabado Gigante, hosted by Don Francisco, which will be simulcast on the Univision and Galavisión Networks as well as RadioCadena Univision and will be streamed on Univision.com on September 3, 2005. Univision will dedicate one hour of Sabado Gigante, from 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET, to generate monetary donations for the American Red Cross emergency relief fund. Univision News anchor Jorge Ramos and Univision ...

HispanicWire is announcing that Bacilos, the multiple award winning and current Latin Grammy nominee band, will be performing along with friends all their latest to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast. All proceeds to benefit the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. WHO: Winner of the 2003 Grammy for 'Best Latin Pop Album' and several Latin Grammy awards, among others, Bacilos is one of the most popular and sought-after bands in Latin America and the U.S. The Miami-based Bacilos recently received a Latin Gramy nomination under the category 'Best Pop Album by A Duo or Group with Vocal' for the critically acclaimed SinVerg'enza (Shameless), produced by the late Tom Capone (Gilberto Gil, Maria Rita), Juan Zambrano (Celia Cruz, Ricky Martin) and Bacilos. WHEN: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 9 PM Minimum donation: $30 (all proceed to benefit the American Red Cross) WHERE: MACARENA 1334 WASHINGTON AVE MIAMI BEACH, FL. 33139 WHY: It's hard to watch what is h...

Vatican warning on "Catholic" pro-abortion campaign This one should make your blood boil. It's also an alarming example that the battle for life has moved to a global battlefield. As pro-life individuals, we need to be attentive to what is happening around the world, because if the battle is lost outside our borders, there will be no resisting. Already our domestic courts are using International law as precedent for domestic court rulings--something that is unconstitutional, but what do they care. This from Catholic World News : Vatican, Sep. 02 (CNA/CWNews.com) - The Vatican Secretary of State has asked the bishops’ conferences of Latin America to be on the alert against a campaign by the pro-abortion group “Catholics for a Free Choice” (CFFC) to gather signatures from religious leaders in an attempt to support the concept of “reproductive health”-- a euphemism for abortion-- at the upcoming United Nations summit. From September 14-16 the Millennium +5 summit will be hel...

I guess Chavez must have been in a cave the last 20 years, and missed the memo about communism being a complete failure! He is not only a left-wing leader, he is a communist. Why won't the media call him by what he is? What is this intense urge to paint things prettier than they are? Does anyone wonder why Chavez is such great friends with Castro? Here is an excerpt from the BBC . The Venezuelan government is reported to be planning to insist that all private banks appoint two state representatives to their board. Such a move is likely to be part of the country's forthcoming new banking law, according to the UK's Financial Times. A continuation of left-wing President Hugo Chavez's aim to create "socialism of the 21st Century", a number of foreign banks would be affected. Among them are Spanish institutions Banco Santander and BBVA. Both own Venezuelan banks - Banco de Venezuela and Banco Provincial respectively.

Alarming! What is Vicente Fox doing? Nothing, that I can tell. The worst thing, I would think Fox should be embarrassed by the fact that such a huge percent of his resident population would run for the border if they had the chance, but it doesn't seem like he is. Four out of every 10 Mexican adults would migrate to the U.S. if they had the means and opportunity to do so. And two in 10 Mexican adults say they'd be willing to live and work illegally in the U.S. MERCURYNEWS.COM 8.16.05

New Orleans residents are in our prayers. NewsMax.com Wires Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005 Martial law was declared in New Orleans midday Tuesday as the city continued flooding from at least two levees damaged by Hurricane Katrina. WWL-TV, New Orleans, which evacuated its studios earlier, reported airlifts of sandbags had been ordered as water flooded along the city's landmark Canal Street. No one but emergency personnel was being allowed into the city, whose two airports were under water. Looting was reported. Mayor Ray Nagin said bodies have been seen floating in floodwaters, although neither city nor Louisiana state officials had issued a preliminary death toll. Nagin said the city's Twin Span Bridge is "totally destroyed" and that 80 percent of the city is underwater. New Orleans is 6 feet below sea level, and reliant on levees to hold back water from Lake Ponchartrain. He also predicted there would be no electricity in the city for four to six weeks. Natural gas leaks w...

As I mentioned before, I am not one for real scary movies, but this flick is of interest because of the Director, Scott Derrickson. I attended a Film and Media event sponsored by Biola University years ago, and I was impressed by the quality and depth of their film program. I have to say I have been looking forward to seeing Biola graduates start making a name for themselves. This is what hbstnk04 , a Yahoo users, had to say : Last night there was a special screening of this movie. I have to say that this was one of the scariest movies I have seen since "The Ring" and "Signs". The acting of this movie was really good and the cast was a strong one. Jennifer Carpenter (White Chicks) was phenomenal in the portrayal of Emily Rose; some of the scenes in the movie were kind of hard to watch… not because it was gross to watch, but because the acting was really strong in this movie and was so real and creepy. All and all this was a really good scary movie… you’ll jump and...

Nomination a Threat to Coffman run for Secretary of State? I still have a lot of catching up to do on Colorado politics, but I was not happy to hear that the new Secretary of State is in favor of more spending. Instead of boosting the CO economy, Dennis would support allowing the state government to keep $3.1 billion that would otherwise be refunded to taxpayers. This is not the way to win me over early on in the game! Measures on the Nov. 1 ballot include the hotly debated Referenda C and D, which would ease tax and revenue limits in a state constitutional amendment. Dennis said she supports the proposals, which would allow the state to keep $3.1 billion normally refunded to taxpayers. The election process itself is a big issue for the secretary of state's office. The presidential election last November spurred a flurry of new voter registrations and spawned allegations of voter fraud and felons casting votes. So, on the Dennis nomination, ColoradoPolls seems to think this spells ...

Alarming article by the Associated Press on the abuse of our weak immigration laws and lack of enforcement and border security. This, if nothing else, should convince everyone of the need for improvement. Of course, I get the feeling that most of the nation is aware of the problem, with the exception of the fringe-left Latino advocacy groups. Here is what is amazing to me: Why is it that left-leaning Latino advocacy groups can't see how much the illegal immigration problem is hurting the image of the Latino community? It is the actions of these fringe groups that increase stereotypes problems, and sink the Latino community further down the victim-hole. Of course, I am sure this would serve their purposes. Well, here is on for the pro-amnesty immigration groups. Will it take another 9-11 to secure our borders? I do seriously pray that is not the case. But, reality is pointing towards exactly this. Read it for yourself. Overall, 59 of 94 foreign-born nationals who were either c...

A call to action by the Honduran Bishop via Zenit.com TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, AUG. 28, 2005 ( Zenit.org ).- Honduras is "living through a youth genocide," warns a bishop in San Pedro Sula. Auxiliary Bishop Rómulo Emiliani, head of the Honduran episcopal conference's office of youth pastoral care, issued a statement to call attention to the more than 300,000 children in Honduras who leave school to go to work, 60% of whom beg for money on the streets to feed their families. "An enslaved, silent, and inactive youth augurs a depressing future for us in Honduras," he said. "The low levels of schooling, the high rates of addictions and AIDS, unemployment and the absence of a family, together with violent death and the forced migrations to the United States of thousands of youths affects the foundations of our homeland, undermining a productive social structure." Every month, some 40 to 50 youths are killed in Honduras, he reported, the causes of which are ne...