Political Grok

From School to Work, Immigration Tops Western Political News

By Greg Lemon, 8-14-07

In Colorado, new U.S. Census numbers show a major influx of Latinos in Denver. Now Latinos students make up the majority in Adam’s County School District, reports the Denver Post. The majority of the growth has been among small children, which is putting pressure on schools, writes the Denver Post.

“A total of 21,780 Latinos are estimated to have moved to Denver or were born here from 2000 to 2006, and a third of them - 7,260 - are just 4 and younger,” The post writes, citing Census numbers.

During that same time, “white-non Latinos of the same age group grew by only 7 percent,” according to a Denver Post editorial.

Preschool classes, in particular, are growing and classes in which 50 percent of the students speak Spanish, must offer bilingual education. In Denver, students must be proficient in English by the third grade.

In Denver only about 36 out of 125 preschool teacher are qualified bilingual educators, reports the Post.

Meanwhile, at the Colorado state house, Gov. Bill Ritter is catching heat for the lack of enforcement of the administration backed laws to crack down on immigration. Ritter is ordering an administration review of the situation. 

In Arizona, Gov. Janet Napolitano now has to deal with the feds in a lawsuit over a law she recently signed designed to crack down on businesses hiring illegal immigrants.

Last week the U.S. Chamber of Commerce joined other Arizona business groups in the lawsuit meant to stop the law, which was passed out of Arizona’s legislature with bipartisan support, according to the Arizona Republic.

The law would pull the business license from a business after the second offense of knowingly hiring an illegal immigrant. The U.S. Chamber says that immigration laws are federally regulated and to have states institute different immigration laws creates a patchwork of regulations that is difficult for national businesses to follow.

Nationally, languishing Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, restates his desire for a guest worker program while stumping in New Hampshire. However, he realizes that securing the border must come first.

McCain made his statements following questions by a persistent critic at a New Hampshire campaign stop. The woman, who refused to give her name, wanted McCain to support making English the national language, reports the Associated Press.

McCain wouldn’t be swayed and pointed out the securing borders had to come before a guest worker program. He also explained the importance of the Hispanic heritage in Arizona.

“I’d also like to tell you that in my state of Arizona, we like the Hispanic heritage. We like the food. We like the music. We like to have Hispanic influence on our state and we are enriched by it,” McCain said is quoted in the AP. “I understand your concern that our traditions and our culture and background are being overwhelmed by another culture, but I believe we’re stronger than that.”

Similarly, in Idaho, Republican Sen. Larry Craig, is also pushing for a guest worker program as the Social Security Administration begins to crack down on illegal immigrants causing a job shortage in some sectors, writes the Idaho Statesman.

Without workers, agriculture operations could be in real trouble, Craig said. Last year $3.5 billion in crops were left to rot in the fields due to lack of labor. This year, the Social Security Administration crack down, it could be double that.

Craig is pushing his AgJobs bill that “would allow 1.5 million guest farmworkers to obtain ‘blue cards’ over five years. They would be eligible for ‘green cards’ — permanent worker status — within three to five years, after paying a $500 fine and showing they are current on taxes. AgJobs is part of an immigration package stalled largely because of opposition to legalizing undocumented workers,” writes the Statesman.

The Political Grok by Greg Lemon each week rounds up the week’s political news relevant to our Rocky Mountains. If you find a story you think should be included in the grok, catch Greg at politics@newwest.net.

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