LatinaLista — It’s being reported that the Tea Party Movement has created a new political organization, Ensuring Liberty Corporation, whose mission will be to endorse, support and elect conservative candidates.
The announcement came with an official platform that could help define what the multi-faceted tea party movement stands for and expects from the candidates it supports. The group’s leaders plan to support candidates who stand for a set of “First Principles.”
Those principles are: fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, less government, states’ rights and national security.
Well, the Tea Party people aren’t the only ones to have created a list of “principles.”
The National Latino Congreso (NLC), which held their fourth international gathering last week in El Paso, came up with a list of endorsements and plans of actions they feel are necessary to help progress issues important to the Latino community.
Thanks to Domingo Garcia, the following is a compilation of some of the more noteworthy resolutions adopted at this year’s NLC. All 54 resolutions amendments approved by the delegates, they can all be viewed at the organization’s web site.
Approximately 1,000 leaders and activists attended the 4th National Latino Congreso (NLC) in El Paso at the Camino Real during Jan 29-31. The NLC hosted delegations from over 100 organizations and elected officials for the three day convention on politics and policy.
The delegates, observers, speakers, and guests came from eleven states (Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, Mississippi, Virginia, Illinois, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Washington, DC), as well as Mexico and Venezuela. Over 250 organizations, elected officials and prominent individuals endorsed the Latino Congreso, representing millions of Latino leaders and activists.
Immigrant Justice
NLC endorses CIR ASAP, Dream Act, AgJobs, and Proud Act, four paramount immigrant justice bills and urges immediate enactment by Congress and the President.
NLC announces plans for first ever Immigrant Justice Report Card to grade Congress and the White House on immigration policy.
NLC announces plans for Immigrant Justice Accountability Project in the event that no immigrant justice bills are passed in 2010 including formation of a 527 and a PAC. IJAP will hold legislative incumbents accountability for their inaction during 2010 elections.
NLC criticizes Sen. Schumer principles underpinning proposed legislation. Calls for improvement of Schumer proposal along the lines of CIR ASAP before introduction to the Senate.
6.NLC calls for President Obama to put Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department into federal receivership pending Department of Justice investigations and calls for Department of Homeland Security to terminate all cooperative agreements between police and ICE in local jails.
7.NLC promotes slogan of “No Legalization, No Re-election (sin legalizacion no hay reeleccion!)” for immigrant justice campaigns.
8.NLC calls on White House and Congress to immediately abolish infamous 287G and Secure Communities programs that have resulted in racial profiling of Latinos and other minorities.
Participation in 2010 Census
NLC urges full Latino and immigrant participation in the upcoming Census count. Calls on White House to declare moratorium on immigration enforcement measures like raids, firings and deportations during Census period. Also appeals for more federal outreach funds and preparation for “undercount statistical adjustment” for hard to count communities in the event of undercount.
US-Latin America Relations
NLC criticized President Obama’s tacit support of the Honduran coup d’état and also urged the international community to withhold recognition of the Honduran government until it proves its commitment to democracy and human rights.
NLC urged the White House to reverse course on the installation of military bases in Colombia and urged support for new development paradigms in Latin America that enable social and economic well being for the majority of people in the region.
NLC urged immediate release of most well know political prisoners in US -the Cuban Five.
Drug Policy Reform
NLC supports a resolution put forward by the City Council of El Paso, Texas calling for immediate action to end violence in Ciudad Juarez and calls for a paradigm shift in U.S. drug policy in order to reduce the harms associated with drug use and eliminate violence related to prohibition on both sides of the border.
