Considering that 1 out of every 10 voters in 2008 may be Hispanic (the ratio is higher yet in key swing states like Colorado, Florida and New Mexico) Latinos may be the most underestimated voter group in the upcoming Presidential election. Following sizable shifts in Hispanic voters' allegiance over the past four Presidential elections and their strong affinity to the values of the GOP, they may also be the most overlooked.

In her powerful and incisive new book, LOS REPUBLICANOS: Why Hispanics and Republicans Need Each Other [Palgrave Macmillan; August 7, 2007; ISBN: 1-4039-7802-6; $24.95; HC], Leslie Sanchez explores the history of relations between Republicans and Latinos and offers an intriguing new perspective on how an alliance - or at least a courtship -- would benefit both groups.
One of the principal architects of the historic and successful effort to attract Hispanics to President George W. Bush in 2000 (she helped design and produce the first multi-million dollar Republican communications campaign targeted exclusively to Latinos), Sanchez argues that corporate America has long understood that Hispanics are "wired differently," and that political parties and pundits alike are far behind the curve.

In LOS REPUBLICANOS, Sanchez uses humor and a lifetime of personal anecdotes from prominent, politically active Hispanic leaders to illustrate how Republican and Hispanic values overlap on a host of critical issues across the political spectrum -- from faith-based initiatives to foreign policy, from public assistance programs to education. In the process, she breaks apart the stereotype of Latinos marching in lockstep with a Democratic Party that takes them for granted.
Yet even as Hispanic voters become more conservative and less allied to the Democrats, Sanchez argues, the GOP's own shrill rhetoric on the issue of immigration risks driving them away - and jeopardizes the Republicans' political chances in the process.

Leslie Sanchez is the founder of IMPACTO Group LLC (a communications research firm for clients targeting the Hispanic market). In 1999 she helped create the Republicans' first-ever multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at Hispanic voters, before serving as executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. She has been seen on ABC News, CNN, the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, the NBC Today Show, NBC Nightly News, NPR and PBS.

Praise for LOS REPUBLICANOS:
"Leslie Sanchez's Los Republicanos is an impressive effort at understanding the values of the American Hispanic community--and understanding these values is an essential part of our effort to win the future for all Americans." --Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich

"The Republican Party is going to have to make a real effort as a party to communicate our values and to connect with Hispanic voters. Leslie Sanchez understands this as well as anybody and makes her case in Los Republicanos about why the Republican Party is a natural fit for Hispanic voters."--Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
 

The Bill of Rights: A Transcription

The Preamble to The Bill of Rights

Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.

ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

Note: The following text is a transcription of the first ten amendments to the Constitution in their original form. These amendments were ratified December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the "Bill of Rights."

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment VII

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Hutchison amendment won't stop Texas toll proliferation

Was it a publicity stunt to distract from Hutchison's, Cornyn's controversial support for Mexican trucks?

 

We applaud Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison for attempting to begin the long process of reining-in our rogue state agency, TxDOT, with an amendment added to an appropriations bill to ban tolling existing interstates. But the news of this amendment appeared in the press the same day Hutchison and Senator John Cornyn cast a controversial vote in support of Mexican trucks beating up our State's highway system and putting our air quality (teetering at non-attainment in all of our urban areas already) at risk.

 

And that doesn't even tackle the national security and jobs controversy swirling around the pilot Mexican trucking program. With Cornyn also feeling the political heat, he came out on Dallas TV Friday saying he's against tolling I-35. Is this an attempt to shore-up the angry public with a politically popular position against DOUBLE TAXING drivers to use our existing interstates?

 

Let's look at the bill to find out. This amendment does nothing overall to stop any current toll projects in the works throughout Texas. The State can still bulldoze our existing interstates to their heart's content and re-arrange the pavement to make way for toll lanes down the middle. They call them "new lanes" but they're using our existing right of way already paid for with gas taxes. So it's still a DOUBLE TAX. The State can also continue to toll existing STATE highways, all or in part, unabated event though they, too, were built with federal dollars.

 

TxDOT TRICKERY TO MAXIMIZE REVENUE, GUARANTEE SLUGGISH "FREE" LANES

Consider TxDOT's tricks to replace "existing lanes" with frontage roads or to narrow the width of the existing lanes (after they destroy them, then re-build them, taking twice the construction time as a freeway at more than double the cost), it will narrow the free lanes to slow down or manipulate traffic in such a way as to maximize the number of people on the tollway. Or they'll outright steal the entire existing freeway tolling all the expressway lanes like they plan to do on US 281, making second class citizens out of those who cannot afford tolls by relegating them to frontage roads.

 

So it begs the question, if politicians fell all over themselves to be the first to repudiate tolling existing interstates (like Texas State Senator John Carona, State Representative Lois Kolkhorst, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, San Antonio Councilwoman Sheila McNeil), then why won't they stop TxDOT and the tolling entities from tolling ALL existing highways?

TOUGH TALK, NO ACTION

The people of Texas are tired of tough talk and no action. They're tired of politicians playing games with the plain meaning of words. TxDOT is tolling EXISTING STATE HIGHWAYS and rights of way, which is no different than tolling existing interstates, which they claim to object to. So why don't we stop the tomfoolery and end this. If they want to build toll roads, make them completely NEW roads, but stop tolling our existing corridors (whether federal or state highways).

So this amendment is a start, but doesn't come close to addressing the fundamental concerns of taxpayers outraged by what's happening in this state. On the flip side, after Hutchison and Cornyn (and Congressmen Charlie Gonzalez and Ciro Rodriguez for introducing a permanent ban in the House) kicked Ric Williamson's teeth in with a public spanking, Williamson showed his usual arrogance by thanking Hutchison for likely hastening the addition of toll lanes to our existing roads since her amendment didn't prohibit it and took away one of their tools in the infamous "toolbox" by prohibiting buying back segments of interstates in order to toll ALL existing lanes.

OTHER SOLUTIONS IGNORED

When the Texas A&M Study says we don't need a SINGLE toll road in Texas to meet our future transportation needs, it's confounding that some politicians either pander or press ahead over the people's objections. In any case, if ANY of these politicians want to curry favor with an incensed public, we need to see a REAL bill become LAW and FAST that puts a PERMANENT stop to tolling existing corridors in ALL of TxDOT's machinations of them.

Overall, the privatization of our public infrastructure is far from over. The U.S. Department of Transportation just announced it will spend $66 million in YOUR GAS TAXES to attract private partners for several tolled trade corridors, many of which happen to be existing or future interstates. Notice they're not spending the little gas tax money they claim to not have to actually build badly needed roads, rather your hard earned cash will be used to jet set bureaucrats to Europe seeking someone to foot the bill for America's second mortgage on its highway system. Interstate10 from CA to FL and I-69 from TX to Michigan are eligible to become privately financed, tolled trade corridors called "corridors of the future." Ominously resembles the NAFTA superhighways Bush and Perry are so fond of denying. If it looks like a duck..

The battle against unbridled toll taxation is not over either, and Senator Hutchison vows to continue to fight this DOUBLE TAXATION in its many forms. We surely hope so, but after getting repeatedly burned by the Texas Legislature, we'll trust but verify!

 

 

 

 

 

 

More on the Difference Between Congestion Tolls and Separate Toll Roads

 

By John Merrifield,

Professor of Economics

Director, Entrepreneurial Conservatism Institute

 

            Charging a toll for some lanes, but not others, has several significant consequences beyond the persistent congestion that will prevail in the 'free' lanes because of the high toll charged for the separate lanes.  Why will the toll be high?  Answer: because the toll lanes will have to be paid for with revenue from just the fraction of motorists that use the toll lanes, which will be 0% except for the six hours or so per day when traffic levels are high.

 

            In addition, two sets of lanes entails higher construction costs.  A congestion toll levied on all lanes only during rush hours avoids the additional costs of two separate sets of lanes.  Controlled access to the toll lanes, connectors between toll and free lanes, even separate interchanges in some cases, result from having separated 'free' and 'toll' traffic going in the same direction.

 

            Naturally, keeping free and toll lanes apart either requires a physical separation - a dangerous barrier, wider rights of way (higher land costs; more property condemnation and structure demolition, etc.) - or heavy enforcement to ticket illicit use of the toll lanes.

 

            This is a huge leadership opportunity for someone willing to step forward to stop the imminent, adverse transformation of Texas' major cities.  Separate lanes are nearing construction.  But what we need is additional lanes for the existing roadways, funded by tolls levied on everyone at rush hour(s) to reduce the number of lanes that need to be built and still keep traffic moving.  The courageous leaders that step forward will be able to take credit for saving Texas cities from the many shameful examples (in other states) of following the results of polling the misinformed.

 

On that note, that is the Moderate viewpoint, I AM also the Republicrat PLUS!