“Republicans Plus Hispanics – 2016 Victory”

The ongoing political devastation of the Clinton/Obama Democratic Party continues with the takeover of the United States Senate by the Republican Party. It started in 2010 at the first Obama midterm ballot box. Obama’s hurricane-aided 2012 reelection slowed GOP success but, as it turns out, didn’t stop it.
The rout flourished last November when the GOP dragon rose up and cut the Nancy Pelosi-Harry Reid-Barack Obama led Party’s legs out from under it. Record numbers of Democrat congress people fell in the 2010 election. The defeat of incumbent Democrat U.S. Senators last November gave the GOP exactly what Republicans dreamed of – control of the Congress with numbers that one has to go back to 1932 to match.
The downward spiral of the Democratic Party may very well continue in 2016 when the House will definitely stay Republican. The Republican Senate can be held albeit with a loss of a couple of incumbent Senators. Add to a continuing Republican Congress, a potential defeat of whomever Democrats run for President.
How? With 35-40 percent of the Hispanic national vote concentrated in Florida (Cubans) and Colorado (Mexican Americans). That is an eight-to-13 percent gain over Mitt Romney’s catastrophic showing in 2012 in which he lost Hispanics by 17 points less than the Hispanic vote for George W. Bush in 2004.
The Republican Congress must pass bills in 2015 that are job-creators (Keystone, for example) with ultra-loud noise about how Hispanic unemployment in 2014 was almost double that of non-Hispanic Whites. Obama can sign them into law or veto them; either way, the GOP can claim victory.
The Republican Congress must pass bills that fix some of the ridiculous tax system the country suffers; starting with taxes that kill jobs and fixing others that will help job creation. Veto or signing by Obama is a GOP victory either way.
The Republican Congress must pass bills that guarantee independence of the Internet from any government control. Veto or signing by Obama is a GOP victory either way.
The Republican Congress must punish countries that attempt to sabotage the USA’s drive for energy independence with a steep tariff on oil imports that exempt energy production in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) area of Canada, Mexico and the USA. Veto or signing by Obama is a GOP victory either way.
The Republican Congress must pass education reforms including more charter schools, more school vouchers and national testing of third through eighth grade students to determine progress by students and teachers. Congress can require small monthly tests (quizzes). Congress might pass a “citizenship test” requirement for high-schoolers like that new citizens must pass. Veto or signing by Obama is a GOP victory either way.
The Republican Congress must pass a border security bill that builds fences where necessary and utilizes technically advanced detection and drone equipment that can spread enforcement eyes to every inch of the border with Mexico. Veto or signing by Obama is a GOP victory either way.
The Republican Congress must pass bills that efficiently organize tracking of visa-bearing foreign visitors who enter the country legally and do not leave when they are supposed to – with technology. Veto or signing by Obama is a GOP victory either way.
The Republican Congress must increase work permits for graduating foreign university students (from American universities) as well as for foreign workers in skilled Hi-Tech fields as well as in Agriculture, Hospitality, Construction and personal services such as nannies and housekeepers. Veto or signing by Obama is a GOP victory either way.
The Republican Congress must pass a new work permit allowing people presently in the U.S.A. — albeit illegally – who do not have serious crime records to stay in the country legally without access to public aid programs. Passing a physical exam, in-lieu tax fees and exemption from prosecution for immigration offenses or illicit use of Social Security numbers could be part of the new program. Veto or signing by Obama is a GOP victory either way.
If the Republican Congress can pass these bills more Hispanics will be employed, some will pay less in taxes, their children can be better educated, neighbors Canada and Mexico will help us produce energy independence, Hispanic use of the Internet will continue using an “Net” that is free from government control.
If the Republican Congress can pass these suggested immigration reform laws that include border security, traceable visitor visas, hi-tech-low-tech work permits that are market based as well as a better e-verify system, illegal immigration might be cut by 90 percent. Then, 20,000 better equipped Border Patrol Agents can chase real criminals and smugglers instead of bus boys and strawberry pickers.
The Republican Congress that accomplishes these goals can reach Hispanics who benefit from these bills and with them continue the demise of the Democratic Party in 2016, the Party that has fooled Hispanics too many times since 2004.
Contreras formerly wrote for the New America News Service of the New York Times Syndicate