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Sec. Hilda Solis

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The Latino Factor

Posted: 09/ 9/2011 12:41 pm

I spent Labor Day with President Obama in Detroit. As we looked ahead to his big speech on Thursday and discussed his plan to put all Americans back to work, he said to me:

"Hilda... as tough as things have been on Latino workers, I know our economic future depends upon them."

I couldn't agree more. Over the next four decades, Latinos are projected to account for more than two-thirds of this country's population growth. Yet the current Latino unemployment rate remains unacceptably high at 11.3 percent. The President and I agreed that Congress must act now to help the nearly one million Latinos who've been looking for a job for six months or more.

The President's jobs plan includes tax cuts to help a quarter million Latino-owned businesses and 25 million Latino workers. It includes skills training and summer job opportunities for Latino youth. And it extends unemployment benefits that will provide a lifeline to more than 1.1 million Latinos pounding the pavement every day looking for jobs.

I was raised in a working-class family. We didn't have much growing up in a small community outside of Los Angeles. We worked for everything we had. We didn't expect our government to solve our problems; we just asked for the chance to work hard to solve our own. That's what the American Jobs Act will mean for millions of Latino families. By letting workers keep more of what they earn, by investing in our youth, rebuilding our schools and not giving up on our unemployed, President Obama is giving Latinos the tools we need to get our economy moving.

Download the fact sheet to see exactly how the American Jobs Act will do that, just as soon as Congress acts.

Original version posted at WhiteHouse.gov.

 

Follow Sec. Hilda Solis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/HildaSolisDOL

 
 
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Viper1st
multi quasi faceted
09:06 PM on 09/12/2011
Hilda ~ as a Hispanic/Latino Leader in the White House cabinet,

Why are you advocating Naturalized U.S. Citizenship to 11.2 million illegals in the USA, as a solution to the illegal immigration problem?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
albant
03:44 PM on 09/12/2011
"Hilda... as tough as things have been on Latino workers, I know our economic future depends upon them."

Meanwhile, lets hurry up buildig walls in frontier states
07:17 PM on 09/12/2011
Our President was speaking about Latino Americans. This is America. We do not discriminate. That is why we have an immigration law that gives an equal shot for all people, from all over the world, to immigrate here legally and make us stronger as a nation.

Those that break our laws by coming here illegally diminish our country.
01:16 PM on 09/12/2011
Obama'a words were an attempt to get votes. And try to sway illegals to vote which there are very few safeguards to prevent. What the hispanic community does not realize is that no one (Dems or Repubs) want to give you citizenship. The main reason is exactly what Obama said. The US's economic future depends on Hispanics paying into a social security and medicare system and never receivign the benefits. If we make you leave and replace your check with a legal citizen than those people will eventual receive benefits. Our social security system would buckle 2-3 times as fast if we start paying to hispanics that become citizens. We need you paying into a system that will never pay you anything. Our economic future depends on you. So go to work and pay into our current system.
07:22 PM on 09/12/2011
You have a point.

Back in 2006 after the first amnesty attempt failed, economists spent time in Congress talking to our politicians and explaining that if all the illlegals were given amnesty, it would, literrally bankrupt our country. It was estimated that it would cost over 2.2 trillion in unfunded benefits. Everyone would have to pay four times the taxes they do now.

That is why all countries have immigration laws. To allow free immigration would destroy the country.

After that politicians of all stripes started talking about various "conditions" for amnesty, including having been in the US a long time etc. If there was to be any amnesty, they would have to severely limit the number of people eligible. But now they seem to have settled on giving work permits, but no pathway to citizenship.

But the economic fact is that low skilled workers pull more out of our economy than they put in. So the illegals are aleady taking more than they have given in terms of economic benefit to the country and SS payments. In fact, in one year, illegal take more out of the system than they have put it combined over the last 20 years. So they are not losing out. They are making out like bandits.
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Picosa
dedicated to FACTS & TRUTH
12:24 AM on 09/13/2011
Opinions and assumptions don't count. Do you have any FACTS that back them.
11:03 AM on 09/12/2011
He needs those Hispanic votes, as if all Hispanics have the same agenda, but that aside, he threw them under the bus after promising all this happy horseshit, but now he realizes he does need them after all. So here comes the progressive Obama, one among many avatars, trying to tell them how much he loves them. He's going to give them the moon any day now.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Osmona
Its GREAT to be alive and SANE.
05:09 PM on 09/13/2011
So President Obama is not going to give latinos anything. Then, what's the Republican party going to give Latinos?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
garboop2
05:04 PM on 09/14/2011
The Republican party will give them exactly what they intend to give to the entire country; i.e. take away the SSI that my husband and I have paid into for a lifetime; take away madicare for those with disabilities; and they will not help those in a time of need after the hurricanes and tornados. But they are in congress and the have no worries, their health-care is provided for the rest of their lives, as is their retirements.
10:18 AM on 09/12/2011
Apparently Mr. Obama hasn't noticed that the greatest number of people out of work long time AREN'T Hispanics.
07:24 PM on 09/12/2011
The statistics show it is Blacks and Hispanics.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
garboop2
05:07 PM on 09/14/2011
I beg to differ. Right now poverty and loss of homes is equal opportunity.
03:42 PM on 09/11/2011
You didn't let him finish. What he meant to say was, "our economic future depends on illegal latino workers and their families being deported immediately and a complete reversal of our nation killing sanctuary policies." That must have been what he meant.
10:55 AM on 09/11/2011
Don't be naive. Obama's statement is an attempt to get votes. Regardless of the fact that Mexicans have been here, both legally and illegally for decades, they don't want to be Americans: the majority don't get educated or learn to speak English. They accept (thus support) the fact that too many teen girls have babies they cannot support emotionally or financially and raise way too many of their sons to be gang members. Providing a massive number of inmates for our prison system is not a benefit to anyone. The victim and entitlement attitudes so prevalent, are holding many hispanics down.
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sackman
I never liked him when i liked him
06:55 PM on 09/11/2011
What the F... have you been smoking . And your facts are all wrong. My advise to you take your hood off and chill out...............
07:31 PM on 09/12/2011
I have to admit that sixty one's comments are a bit over the top.

However, the statistics show that Hispanics have a really, really bad high school drop out rate. It is estimated to be at least 37% in our state. The Pew Hispanic Center did a study a couple of years back and found that while other immigrants take one generation to reach the high school level of education, Hispanics are taking 4 generations.

All of this is very worrisome. Business here in CA is having a fit. They need educated workers and Hispanics will soon be the majority in the state and they are just not getting the education in the numbers needed.

And while there are many, many great Hispanic kids, doing wonderful things, there are far too many Hispanic teenage mothers living off the system and gang banger boys.
D-Driller
my micro-bio is empty
08:34 PM on 09/10/2011
If our economic future is based on a segement of the population that has the lowest college attendance and graduation rates among any group, in a country that is more and more post-industrial and moving towards an advanced-technology economy, then there are dark days ahead indeed for the United States. While it is unclear to me why exactly we need so many immigrants (with white birth rates below replacement, we will need some), we would be much better off in the long run to push for a second wave of European immigration into the US, as well as increased Asian and Indian immigrants, while deporting all of the hispanics, who are not adding much to the nation. To say differently is racism against whites and other groups, since logic dictates that, as a nation, we must strive to better the country; bringing in undereducated, marginalized people to be the racial majority in the nation into the future is foolish posturing by bureaucrats who care nothing for the US, just getting reelected.
07:33 PM on 09/12/2011
We should change the criteria for admission to the US. It is presently family reunification and it should be like other industrialized countries, based on our work force needs, with preference given to the most educated and skilled.
06:29 PM on 09/10/2011
Now lets see, Is obama talking about the illegals?, or the one who have citizenship, i figure the illegals. He wants em to have all the rights and privileges of an legal American, hes just a sweetheart of a liberal.. just makes you just want to kiss ya moma. ive noticed some interesting facts about the illegals, fact no. 1 most do not keep there money in US banks, dont trust em..so they keep their money at home, which leads other mexicans to rob them..who said pancho villa was dead?? Fact no. 2, if you ask them about social security number,they disappear, walk right off. fact no. 3, they dont like to have much to do with the cops (could it be fear of deportation?) fact no.4 dont go to the western union office on thurs. or friday, they are backed out the gill with mexicans sending money home, they seem to hang with their own and dont mingle. Well, mr. obama if they are going to be vital to recovery, then they need to settle in get their citizenship and be like the rest of us taxed to death ,not act like strangers passing thru, unless there an "illegals march" they do turn out for those.
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inthedesert
Those who never question will fall for anything.
05:33 PM on 09/10/2011
Can you even IMAGINE the Australian Prime Minister saying that the future of his country depends on the boat people???? OMG...this statement by BO is more than outrageous! LOL. The future of America depends on getting ALL of our citizens back to work. It seems as though BO has just given up on we WHITE FOLKS these days....I guess we can just curl up in the gutter and die. But, let's get those Mexicans back to work folks. GOD...what the hell happened to America?
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sackman
I never liked him when i liked him
07:12 PM on 09/10/2011
I say lets put everybody back to work ................
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Osmona
Its GREAT to be alive and SANE.
05:16 PM on 09/13/2011
That's a TOTALLY false and unwarranted statement. Why can't he "talk" to specific groups? Don't be that way. Really....
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Viper1st
multi quasi faceted
02:59 PM on 09/10/2011
Hilda ~ Why is the IRS aiding & abetting illegals with incentives & inducements?

Case in point ~

"Individuals Who Are Not Authorized to Work in the United States Were Paid $4.2 Billion in Refundable Credits"

http://www.treasury.gov/tigta/auditreports/2011reports/201141061fr.html
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Picosa
dedicated to FACTS & TRUTH
05:46 PM on 09/10/2011
Immigrants are here working because U.S. government policies have devastated their homelands and left them without jobs.

They can deduct the $4 billion from this $7 billion immigrants pay into Social Security and still have everything they pay into Medicare and $3 billion left to pay your SS benefits.

Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security With Billions
As the debate over Social Security heats up, the estimated seven million or so illegal immigrant workers in the United States are now providing the system with a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html
D-Driller
my micro-bio is empty
03:54 PM on 09/12/2011
We outsource more jobs to Mexico than any other country. How did our policies destroy their nation? My thinking is that THEIR policies destroyed their nation... Did you know that Mexico is one of the largest auto manufacturers in the world? One of the largest steel? Pharmaceuticals? Granted, they are mainly American-based (if that means anything anymore...) companies down there, but they still support the country. It is ironic that, here in the US, whether you are Repub or Dem, we still care about jobs and the economy and how to change that situation, when apparently the Mexican solution is to leave Mexico and come here so we can deal with their problems!
07:36 PM on 09/12/2011
Sorry, Mexico signed NAFTA too. Mexicans are equally as responsible for the effects of NAFTA.

Well, it is estimated that illegal cost us much per year than they put into SS. So let's give the illegals credit for their SS payments and deduct it from what they have cost us. They will still owe us plenty.
01:06 PM on 09/10/2011
Wow.

Obama just lost the 2012 election (again).
12:39 PM on 09/10/2011
I think once we hit rock bottom of this economic collapse and benefits run dry, not only will Americans pick melons, they'll sell um from stalls. Hopefully I am exaggerating.
09:51 PM on 09/10/2011
"The Grapes of Wrath."
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Viper1st
multi quasi faceted
12:05 PM on 09/10/2011
Hilda ~ even the DHS is on record

"DHS confirms cheaper to deport every illegal alien than allowing them to stay"

http://www.examiner.com/immigration-reform-in-national/dhs-confirms-cheaper-to-deport-every-illegal-alien-than-allowing-them-to-stay
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Picosa
dedicated to FACTS & TRUTH
05:54 PM on 09/10/2011
Well, that is if you believe FAIR.

FAIR, which Tanton founded and where he remains on the board, has been listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Among the reasons are its acceptance of $1.2 million from the Pioneer Fund, a group founded to promote the genes of white colonials that funds studies of race, intelligence and genetics. FAIR has also hired as key officials men who also joined white supremacist groups. It has board members who regularly write for hate publications. It promotes r@cist conspiracy theories about Latinos. And it has produced television programming featuring white nationalists.
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/publications/the-nativist-lobby-three-faces-of-intolerance
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Viper1st
multi quasi faceted
07:26 PM on 09/10/2011
Did you NOT READ the 1st paragraph of the link?

Quoting the DHS official ~

"On December 3, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, Nelson Peacock, responding to request from several U.S. Senators, including Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), wrote: “Our conservative estimate suggests that ICE would require a budget of more than $135 billion to apprehend, detain and remove the nation’s entire illegal immigrant population.”"

http://www.examiner.com/immigration-reform-in-national/dhs-confirms-cheaper-to-deport-every-illegal-alien-than-allowing-them-to-stay#ixzz1XawXytwa
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11:40 AM on 09/10/2011
rubio for veep destroys any hope for obama's reelection
12:17 PM on 09/10/2011
I will have to look up Rubio. I voted change last time. This time I am voting for real change.
12:28 PM on 09/10/2011
That healthcare plan would have made me a card carrying democrat... But they screwed it up :( and I know Americans don't stand behind amnesty, so that's a no brainer how far the dems would go.
09:52 PM on 09/10/2011
I think you're really reaching on that one.