Raul Ramos y Sanchez's Blog, page 26

A Breath of Fresh Air from Utah

The Utah Compact is a statement of principles signed by political, business, law-enforcement and religious leaders in Utah who want to address the complex "the complex challenges associated with a broken national immigration system" with civility and dignity.  The Utah Compact is supported by "two Republican former governors, a former United States senator, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, the Chamber of Commerce and a host of other civic groups and citizens," according to the New York Times. Some excerpts from the Utah Compact...

Immigration is a federal policy issue between the U.S. government and other countries—not Utah and other countries. 

Local law enforcement resources should focus on criminal activities, not civil violations of federal code.

We acknowledge the economic role immigrants play as workers and taxpayers. 

Click here to read the complete document.


Raul Ramos y Sanchez




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Please tune in tomorrow

Join me in a national cable TV discussion of the Latino vote Is there a national consensus among Hispanic voters? Did the Latino vote allow the Democrats to keep control of the House? These are some of the topics I will discuss with other guests and callers on Dialogo de Costa a Costa, a live national Spanish-language TV talk show hosted by veteran broadcast reporter Malin Falu on HITN. I hope you will tune in and call, email or text your comments or questions.
When to watch:Tuesday November 30, 2010 at 8PM Eastern Time – Live
Where to watch:HITN, (Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network). For cable access in your area, visit http://www.hitn.tv/available.php
How to take part:Call: 1-800-964-4486Email: dialogo@hitn.org,Text messages: 347-455-2589
Program website:http://www.hitn.tv/dialogo/category/temas-de-actualidad
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Participe en una discusión televisora sobre el voto Latino
¿Existe un consenso nacional entre los votantes hispanos? ¿Fue el voto Latino que permitió a los Demócratas mantener control de la Cámara de Representantes? Estos son algunos de los temas que voy a platicar con otros invitados y el publico en Dialogo de Costa a Costa, un talk-show nacional sobre la cadena HITN con la reconocida presentadora Malin Falu.  Estas invitado para tomar parte en las actuaciones.
Cuando:Martes 30 de noviembre, 2010 a las 8PM Eastern Time
Donde:HITN, (Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network). Para el acceso en su área, visite: http://www.hitn.tv/available.php
Como tomar parte:Teléfono: 1-800-964-4486Email: dialogo@hitn.org, Text messages: 347-455-2589
Sitio de web para el programa:http://www.hitn.tv/dialogo/category/temas-de-actualidad




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Cyber Monday Special on Latino Books

Thinking about books as a holiday gift? Writer/producer Nilki Benitez has a fantastic Cyber Monday book deal:
On Cyber Monday, November 29th, Latino artists and businesses are coming together to encourage shoppers to buy books from Latino authors as gifts for the holidays.
Nilki Benitez Communications (NBComm) is hosting a one-day book-buying event at their book publicity service website Condor Book Tours (http://condorbooktours.com) on November 29th.  Partnering with Latino owned and operated businesses such as graphic designer Rafael Esquer's http://alfalfa-seeds.com and Kathy Cano-Murillo's http://CraftyChica.com, NBComm will offer incentives for shoppers to buy a minimum of two (2) books from Latino authors.
Shoppers who purchase at least two (2) books from Condor Book Tours' Amazon affiliate store Condor Books http://condorbooktours.com/index.php?pr=BookStore and send a proof of purchase via email to info@condorbooktours.com will be entered to win an autographed copy of Pulitzer-Prize winning author Oscar Hijuelo's latest novel, Beautiful Maria of My Soul.
Buy two books and you can win a signed copy
In addition, the first 5 shoppers to send a proof of purchase of a minimum of two (2) books will win a CD from the Afro-Cuban Miami-based band, Palo! The first 10 shoppers will receive gifts from CraftyChica.com and the first 25 shoppers will receive 40% discount coupons to alfalfa-seeds.com. There will also be random gift giveaways to shoppers with qualifying purchases. In order to qualify for prizes and giveaways, shoppers must be residents of the United States, must have purchased a minimum of 2 books through Condor Book Tours' Amazon store, Condor Books, and purchases must be made between 12am and 11:59pm Pacific time November 29th.
Condor Books is an Amazon affiliate store. All commissions earned through sales made through Condor Books year-round are donated annually to an organization supporting Literacy in the Americas.
Nilki Benitez Communications is a Latino-owned consulting business specializing in publicity, new media, and written content for artists and authors.
Nilki BenitezNilki Benitez Communicationshttp://nilkibenitez.com206-734-6404


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Thanksgiving: An immigration story that continues to this day

Thanksgiving is uniquely American. It celebrates the arrival of a new group on this continent that came with good intentions, was not always well-received by the natives but still managed to thrive and prosper. It's a story that continues to this day. I wish you and yours the good fortune to give thanks tomorrow for peace, plenty and hope.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez


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Participe en una discusión televisora sobre el voto Latino

¿Existe un consenso nacional entre los votantes hispanos? ¿Fue el voto Latino que permitió a los Demócratas mantener control de la Cámara de Representantes? Estos son algunos de los temas que voy a platicar con otros invitados y el publico en Dialogo de Costa a Costa, un talk-show nacional sobre la cadena HITN con la reconocida presentadora Malin Falu.  Estas invitado para tomar parte en las actuaciones.

Cuando:Martes 30 de noviembre, 2010 a las 8PM Eastern Time
Donde:HITN, (Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network). Para el acceso en su área, visite: http://www.hitn.tv/available.php
Como tomar parte:Teléfono:             1-800-964-4486      Email: dialogo@hitn.org,Text messages:             347-455-2589      

Sitio de web para el programa:
http://www.hitn.tv/dialogo/category/temas-de-actualidad


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Join me in a national cable TV discussion of the Latino vote

Is there a national consensus among Hispanic voters? Did the Latino vote allow the Democrats to keep control of the House? These are some of the topics I will discuss with other guests and callers on Dialogo de Costa a Costa, a live national Spanish-language TV talk show hosted by veteran broadcast reporter Malin Falu on HITN. I hope you will tune in and call, email or text your comments or questions.
When to watch: Tuesday November 30, 2010 at 8PM Eastern Time – Live
Where to watch: HITN, (Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network). For cable access in your area, visit http://www.hitn.tv/available.php
How to take part:Call: 1-800-964-4486Email: dialogo@hitn.org, Text messages: 347-455-2589
Program website:http://www.hitn.tv/dialogo/category/temas-de-actualidad






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TSA Crotch-Gate Rife With Hypocrisy

The media has found a new 15-minute celebrity in John Tyner, the software engineer who complained to a TSA employee at the San Diego airport about what Mr. Tyner considered an unjust invasion of his, ahem, privacy. With the story involving the opportunity to discuss genital groping, the media naturally pounced. Before long, political pundits jumped into the act.
Charles Krauthammer offered a simple solution: stop harassing "ordinary Americans" and start profiling. Of course, like most who favor profiling, Mr. Krauthammer is vague about who should be targeted by the TSA. But you can bet CK thinks those being profiled should be people who do not look like him. However, profiling is more than institutionalized prejudice. It's also dangerously stupid. In his rush to demagogue this issue, Mr. Krauthammer seems to have ignored the likes of Colleen LaRose (AKA Jihad Jane), the blond, green-eyed suburbanite who was arrested as part of a plot to kill a cartoonist who had defiled Mohammed in the eyes of Muslim extremists. And let's not forget the Hutaree Militia or Timothy McVeigh. Fact is, terrorists can be any color or gender. 
In another crotch-gate editorial, fellow traveler George Will, desperately searching the conservative pantheon for a hero from the right who would have stood against these "draconian" TSA measures, resurrected the ghost of William F. Buckley.  Mr. Will paints Buckley as a champion of the downtrodden, a glowing example of an American who stood up to the oppression of the powerful and said "no more, tyrants!" The example Will uses is an incident from 1960 when Buckley was miffed by a trainload of suburban commuters who refused to complain to the conductor about the sudden breakdown of the air-conditioning. (Oh, the horror.)
Still, it seems a lot of "ordinary Americans" are incensed at what they see as this latest infringement on their liberties. There was a similar hue and cry when the Ohio Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the state's highway patrol could issue speeding tickets without using radar.
Meanwhile, recent polls show most Americans support immigration laws like Arizona's SB 1070, even if it leads to racial profiling.
Inside my skin, the message is quite clear. Many Americans take great umbrage when they feel their rights are being violated by authorities. But if someone who is not an "ordinary American" is racially profiled, well, that's quite literally a horse of a different color. In their view, the 80% of Hispanics in the U.S. legally need to suck it up and quit whining about the very real possibility of being detained any time a police officer believes "reasonable suspicion" of their immigration status exists.
It's very likely many Americans supporting SB 1070 are not even conscious of this hypocrisy. Having a blind spot to other people's problems is an all too common human fault.  But from where I sit, the irony is pretty thick.
Raul Ramos y Sanchez


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The Tea Party is really the Me Party

Once again, followers of the reactionary cult known as the Tea Party have turned a blind eye on their avowed principles when it conflicts with their self-interest. In this case, it seems their pious faith in the redemptive power of the marketplace does not extend beyond U.S. borders.

According to a recent poll, 61% of Tea Party members believe free trade has hurt the United States. Keep in mind, these are the same people who get apoplectic when discussing the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a measure that in their eyes trampled free market sacred ground by using government programs to stimulate the economy. Ah, but international trade is different, they argue. It's a free market, but not a fair one.

Of course, that's exactly the argument minorities in the U.S. have made about the free market system within our borders for centuries. Unless you live in the privileged, insulated and typically racially-segregated stratas of U.S. society, you know in your bones minorities do not compete on a level playing field in the domestic economy.

However, since most Me Party fanatics are on the privileged side of the free market system in the domestic economy, they like the rules of the game just fine. Affirmative action programs are "reverse racism" in the Me Party world view.

But when the scales are tipped in the other direction and international free trade threatens their interests, the Me Party faithful drop their principles as quickly as a Las Vegas hooker drops her panties for a big-tipping john.

The same kind of Me Party hypocrisy is evident on other issues as well. The Me Party is vehemently opposed to "big government." But God help you if you try to touch their Social Security, Medicare or home mortgage deduction.

In truth, the Me Party is little more than a confederation of selfish, aging Baby Boomers who see the nation changing and are desperately worried about losing their long-held primacy. Do not underestimate them. The Me Party is a powerful force fueled by fear and frustration. But ultimately, this movement will implode from its own irrational motives. Until then, the entire nation will suffer through this fit of political schizophrenia.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez


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Goldman Sachs breaks out the bubbly while the rest of us drink snake oil

Few will argue the U.S. economy is sick. The cavernous difference of opinion lies in how we got that way – and most importantly – where to find the best treatment. Judging from yesterday's elections, it seems the crucial independent swing vote "refudiated" the Democrats' cure for the nation's economic ills and chose to take a large dose of snake oil instead.
In some ways, blaming the Democrats seems understandable. After two years of Democratic control in congress and the White House, there is little doubt we are still hurting from the Great Recession which hit bottom under George W. Bush.
Many Americans are still out of work, worried about their jobs or nervously watching a 401K that looks like a snowman in early April. Median income for U.S. households dropped again in 2009 with the average wage declining by $457. So it seems logical to blame the Democrats, right?
However, there are some who have managed to do quite well under Obama and the Democrats. And you might be surprised to find out just who they are.
While the national wage average fell again in 2009 (a trend which began under Bush), executive bonuses at the nation's largest 38 companies reached a record-setting $140 billion last year. Goldman Sachs had the best year in its history with employee bonuses averaging $600,000 per person. (Seems the $750 billion in TARP money Bush doled out to his friends during his last days in office has sure helped them "weather the recession.") And here is the icing on the cake. The income of those earning over $50 million a year increased five times in 2009. That's right. The super-rich saw their wealth increase five times in 2009—while the rest of us saw our income drop. So if Obama and the Democrats are really at fault for the continued economic downturn, then why are these the same people who are now celebrating the Republican gains in yesterday's elections?
Yes, the corks on bottles of Dom Pérignon are popping at Goldman Sachs, AIG, and the other large investment firms. These are the same people who created the now-infamous credit default swaps that fueled our economic collapse. Also joining in the merriment are the CEOs at large insurance companies (that saw profits rise 56% in 2009). Perhaps giddiest of all are those individuals in the wealth stratosphere. All these folks know the good times are really going to roll now.  And if they can keep using the Dems as scapegoats for their greed and blunders and elect a Republican president in 2012 … well, you ain't seen nothing yet when it comes to disparity of wealth, America.
Meanwhile, I hope all you independent voters enjoy the snake oil you ordered. Because you – and the rest of us poor saps – will eventually be picking up the tab on the champagne flowing right now in the penthouses and yachts.
Raul Ramos y Sanchez
More details on the statistics quoted in this article 


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Thank You, Readers!

Let me start by saying thanks to all who have read AMERICA LIBRE and rated my debut novel on Goodreads. Writer and reader share a unique bond, inhabiting the same world for hours. I value that bond and am honored by your comments. Meeting new people has been the most rewarding part of my journey as a writer.

Another milestone on that journey has been the public recognition I've been fortunate enough to receive for AMERICA LIBRE...

- Books Into Movies First Place Winner
- International Latino Book Awards Best Novel
- USA Today Summer Reads Selection
- A Latina Magazine Top Ten Summer Read
- Writers League of Texas Violet Crown Fiction Finalist

By the way, if you enjoyed AMERICA LIBRE, I hope you'll consider reading the sequel, HOUSE DIVIDED. The story picks up the very next day after AMERICA LIBRE ends.

HOUSE DIVIDED is slated for release by Grand Central Publishing January 2011. I hope you'll check it out.

In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or comments you'd like to share, I hope you'll get in touch.

With best regards,
Raul