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ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE
Political organizer Fernando Romero says if immigration reform isn’t tackled soon, Hispanics may strike out on their own.
Friday, May 6, 2011 | 3:50 p.m.
Sun Archives
- ‘Tequila Party’ candidate to enter race for Las Vegas mayor (1-31-11)
- New parties registered to muddy political waters (12-9-10)
- Ralston: Inept GOP mischief-maker forms Tequila Party of Nevada (12-2-10)
- ‘Tequila Party’ proposal gains international attention (11-29-10)
- Latino leaders swirl around idea of Tequila Party (11-28-10)
What started as a casual conversation among frustrated local Hispanic activists has blossomed into a national movement.
A Mexican-American political activist from Arizona on Thursday launched the National Tequila Party Movement. The kickoff began in Phoenix, ground zero for the immigration debate.
First proposed by Fernando Romero, president of the nonpartisan Nevada group Hispanics in Politics, the Tequila Party will work to encourage Latinos to vote and run for political office. Organizers will plan concerts, dinners and rallies, including in Las Vegas, to try to incite Hispanic political activism.
"We need to be better voters," Tequila Party president DeeDee Garcia Blase wrote on the movement's website. "The Tequila Party Tour is a critical movement to work towards a massive 2012 national Latino Get Out the Vote initiative."
Blase is founder and president of Somos Republican, the largest and fastest growing Latino GOP organization in the nation. The National Tequila Party Movement is nonpartisan.
The idea of a Tequila Party was born out of local Hispanic leaders' frustration with Democrats' inaction on immigration reform and fears that as a voting bloc Latinos are a political afterthought.
Romero contemplated encouraging Hispanics to break ties with their traditional Democratic roots and form an independent political group. He wanted to model the effort after the Tea Party, not in substance but in grassroots organizational style.
The concept gained so much traction that conservative operatives co-opted Romero's idea before he could put it into action. Former Republican organizer George Harris and his partner Irma Aquirre registered the name "Tequila Party of Nevada" with the Secretary of the State's office shortly after the Sun reported on Romero's concept. They did not consult Romero.
Romero has been invited to take a post with the National Tequila Party Movement but he hasn't yet accepted the job.
"What she is doing is exactly what I had in mind," Romero said.
His one reservation: The National Tequila Party Movement was formed as a limitied liability corporation (a for-profit entity) rather than a nonprofit political group.
"They are sharp enough to know that as a marketing tool it would pay off dividends," Romero said.
Harris also was accused of registering the Tequila Party of Nevada as a publicity stunt. Harris owns a Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas and a small Tequila manufacturer, Alien Tequila Spirits Co.
Incidentally, the National Tequila Party Movement already has a sponsor. It is not Alien Tequila.
So what ideas does this party stand for? I see an article with no point. Are there any goals?
They're welcome to the debate. Any legal citizen who is properly registered to vote should participate to their fullest extent possible.
I am a second generation Mexican American. How dare these illegals come here and DEMAND their rights. What rights they have none they are illegal! If my parents and grandparents had to do it right so do they, and if they don't like it, I will do them a favor and hold the door for them so it doesn't hit them in the ass on they way out!
@bbtbrain
Is there a such thing as an illegal citizen?
Oxymoron.
Right - Because branding yourself after a substance that has long plagued Latino families is just thing thing Latinos need to motivate them.
the thing*
Hispanics activists forming their own political party to push the open borders, pro-illegal immigration, pro-anchor baby, pro-amnesty platform I'm sure will go over wonderfully with the American public.
Hopefully they can begin marching by the millions again and show us once more how much they love America by defiantly chanting in spanish and waving Mexican flags.
We just had an individual arrested and federally charged for creating and selling more than 1000 illegal licenses right inside the NV DMV. This women was selling these licenses to illegals for anywhere from $1500 to $3000 each.
Glad they caught here but here is the rub. The DMV only plans to void out the licenses. There is no plan to round up these individuals and aggressively deport them. These are not innocent individuals any longer. These individuals have now broken two federal laws, illegal entry into the US with no intention of leaving and knowingly purchasing federal documents that could allow them to secure jobs and benefits.
Without the proper centralized checking system, all of these individuals who will continue to carry these illegal documents until they are either void by date or they are caught by the police. No employer will know the license these individuals carry are fake and will assume that because they have one they must be legal. I would be willing to bet $100 bucks that if you caught up to them, they would be carrying an illegal SSN card as well.
This is the challenge we face with regard to looking the other way when dealing with individuals who will do anything necessary to remain here. They will break as many laws as necessary to work the shortcuts to blend into American society.
Do this in Mexico and you will end up in Federal prison in minutes.
But here's the best part of the story, the individual producing these licenses for illegals looks to be Hispanic and was ripping off their own.
With high unemployment locally and nationally a new political party catering to "Hispanics" whatever that is will fail. Americans realise this political party is about amnesty for illegal aliens and nothing else. The hope is a quick amnesty followed by a short residency period, then citizenship and finally registration as a Democrat voter. Democrat politicians should be careful as most,"Hispanics" whatever that is are Catholic, pro-family, anti-homosexual and anti-abortion. Blacks, uneducated whites, new immigrants and legal resident aliens are bearing the brunt of the unemployment. Democrat politicans should be care full what they wish for.
Just a scam by republicans to splinter Latino voters . No one is going to follow a party named for a alcoholic beverage . A Latino political party yes . If you want followers come up with a realistic name .
Hey wedo...does "La Raza Party" suit you better? It's a scam by democrats to see how well this party will take off in the local "illegal immigrant" community. This is actually old news. The Tequila Party has been around for at least a year in Nevada.
"We need to revisit President Linden B. Johnson, Immigration Restriction Act of 1921 policy "Quotas System " ...........................In 1921 Lyndon Johnson was 13 years old . Figures don't lie but liars figure . The rest of your "facts" need to be viewed with great caution . The tea party is not the majority here in Nevada or any state in America. So your hate filled plans will never come to pass. Please try spell check ,fact check and sanity check .
"Lighten up, Francis".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6cxNR9ML...
It is and always has been a Mexican back room plot, instigated by a union between the Mexican government and the drug cartels. Think Mafia with a whole lot less class. I'll break it down in as short a version as I can muster. The Mexican government was always pissed that the entire southwest U.S. was taken away from them and it's been their intention ever since to get it back with some interest. Enter the drug cartels, and the idea that they will help the Mexican government get as many illegals into this country as possible, who will eventually meld into our society, and either as legal immigrants, or illegals with fake documents, will vote, run for office, and finally get into offices in high enough positions, to change the immigration laws little by little, until eventually there is a completely open border between the two countries, much as you have now between all of the European countries. This eliminates many of the problems for the drug cartels as far as moving their products throughout the U.S., and much like the Mafia before them, the top people in the drug trade also become some of the top people in politics, because we all know that the elections follow the money. The discussions I speak of were going on across the border 35 years ago. It was put this way: "They are too strong to attack directly, so we will take over one home, one town, one city and one state at a time, one election after another until we are them and they are us. One day they will just wake up and realize that they now live in the United States of Mexico, and it will simply be too late to do anything about it." The drug cartels run the country, and they have enough people in high places to make sure it will never be any other way. They will bring the same here. And all you real true American citizen Hispanics who are actually here because you do love this country and you belong here, need to wake up first, and realize that everyone who comes here improperly looking to take their piece of the dream, is stealing your pillow as well as mine, under the guise of family and brotherhood. I'll probably be dead by the time it's happened to the full extent, but your children will end up being the ones serving the drug lords, and trying to figure a way out from under their boot heels. Look at Libya. The tyrant there has kept his rule over everything for over 40 years by running a bunch of loose tribes, who run everything else, each with their own territory. Now look at the drug cartels in Mexico. Notice any similarities? This should not be the legacy we leave our children and our children's children. It can still be stopped at this point. So stop it. Use your vote, and your national pride. This nation, not the one your grandparents came from. Good luck to us all.
"The National Tequila Party Movement is nonpartisan"
The Tequila Party credibility is lost by posting this declaration. Any so called movement is partisan. Starting out with false statements and recruiting under a false mission statement attracts naive candidates, supporters and opportunist with an agenda not in the best interest of Latinos who are looking for real and honest representation.
In these times of extreme words and actions in politics, the Tequila Party is starting out on the wrong foot. People what organizations to do what they say, not the same misleading statments and banners, and false mission statements.
Hispanics need to strike out on their own--STRIKE IT SOUTH, WALK SOUTH AND GO HOME. You are not wanted here. There will be NO IMMIGRATION REFORM UNTIL ALL THE ILLEGALS GO HOME. Fire the employed illegals, send the illegal students out of here.
As some other commenters above have noted, I don't see a mission for them.
However, I do see a concerted effort by the Republican Party to try to turn around their deplorable record with Hispanic Americans. It looks like this Tequila Party is rife with people who lean to brain dead conservatives. And I too see there are false statements trying to pull the wool over Latino voter eyes to yank them away from the Democratic Party.
I would say for people not to be fooled by extraneous issues that have nothing to do with Hispanic American voters. Complaints about illegal aliens voting is really pretty stupid because it rarely happens. And acquiring drivers licenses because of money grubbing DMV workers is not the norm; it doesn't happen very much...because they get caught and the system gets fixed. By bringing this stuff up it's just intended to muddy the issue and get Latino Americans to vote against their best interests.
One thing glaring about this article is there is some kind of contention that Latino American voters are frustrated with the Democratic Party because they aren't addressing areas of concern to them. What is NOT explained is the Republican Party has done their level best to thwart any forward progress on immigration reform and/or any other innovative and timely efforts to address the issue calmly and rationally. This is just the way it is with a two party system.
To switch in mid stream is not helpful to figure it out. Every indication shows for Latinos to have a chance, they need to stick with the Democrats. Just my opinion....
I would caution those interested to look very, very closely at this Tequila Party thing. Because I really do get the impression those you vote for will actually act against best interests.
The Republican Party has patented this type of propaganda.
I would say the best friend the Latinos have right now is President Obama and his administration. To change allegiance to another group, political organization, and/or people who head it when they are doing their level best to hide their entire agenda is probably not a good thing.
Let someone say nothing (as do Romero and the author), except mention the word Hispanic, and the fear and hate mongers come right out of the woodwork. Where to begin? How about the triply unlucky "Nick"?
Nixon, not the Mexican government, wanted to take the spotlight off his corrupt regime and created the ridiculous and lose-lose "War on Drugs" (really "War on Dissidents, War Protesters and Young People"). This policy produced the drug cartels. Prohibition didn't work 100 years ago, in the 70's and doesn't work today. It does, however, foment big police and cartel budgets, packed jails, rogue nations, unconstitutional laws, gun and money running, murders, political corruption, and a thousand events infinitely worse than using marijuana as a substitute for tobacco and alcohol. Formerly peaceful and pleasant Mexico is at least 75% victim of US policy.
Movements of large numbers of people, some highly motivated by violence, have occurred throughout history. Every person in all of the Americas, including Native Americans and you, Nick131313, is here because of such a movement. Cross border transfers will accelerate, not lessen, in the future as economic and technological change accelerates. If Las Vegans want to avoid the monetary calamities certain to strike the United States (most specifically the collapse of the dollar and the continuing debt crises), they would rejoice that Hispanics (especially those victims of US policy) choose to live here, make them comfortable, learn from them and, in fact, use them as a laboratory for appreciating foreign cultures. There are two reasons for this: Las Vegas is one of the top ten most recognized cities in the world. Like it or not, it is an international city. However, since it's tourist market of the past (the US populace) no longer has the resources even to support Las Vegas, much less grow it, it's only hope for recovery is to appeal to and take good care of foreigners. Otherwise, this city will die like the Catskills. The Hispanics among us offer Las Vegas the opportunity to learn some fundamentals and actually deserve our international reputation.
The day after the dollar collapses to its real value, millions of Americans are going to be looking at greener pastures abroad. In fact, many Americans already realize the US economy and political systems are hollow shells. While other nations produce unfathomable wealth, the US has already destroyed 17% of its total patrimony ($10 trillion out of the $60 trillion that existed in 2007). Worse, we worship wealth-destroying attitudes such as racism, xenophobia, hate mongering, etc. as if they were virtues!! Nick, you might even become Lucky Nick888888 and discover that life abroad has massive advantages. Hopefully the locals there will be a lot more receptive, charitable, etc. than you are to the strangers around you. Ed Uehling
And who cares what Mexicans have to say?
They have their own homeland and they haven't the brains for the guts to fix their system.
Get out and go home. You are not respected in the U.S.