Allen West and Ted Cruz are speaking at the DC March for Jobs on July 15th, signifying a first for the two Tea Party favorites as they headline an event for a progressive organization. The two notable conservatives are standing with environmentalist progressives to stop immigrants “both legal and illegal from taking Americans’ jobs.”
Leah Durant, Executive Director of Progressives for Immigration Reform and founder of The Black American Leadership Alliance announced West and Cruz’s participation. Progressives for Immigration Reform is an unlikely ally for Cruz and West as the organization promotes zero population growth, Agenda 21 and climate control agendas, all issues foreign to pro-Life conservatives.
Leah Durant, the organizer of Monday’s rally does not mention on the DC March for Jobs website that she plays a dual leadership role in the two groups. The Progressives for Immigration Reform Executive (PFIR) Director title she holds is conspicuously absent from any publicity connected to the Jobs March where Cruz and West are scheduled to speak. The progressive organization is part of the John Tanton network of groups that focus on environmentalism and over-population. John Tanton’s groups include FAIR, NumbersUSA, Center for Immigration Studies and Negative Population Growth.
Worse, John Tanton is a eugenicist, environmentalist, zero population growth advocate who also chaired the Northern Michigan Planned Parenthood Association. All of these organizations stand in direct opposition to Pro-Life and conservative stances. Leah Durant served John Tanton as legal counsel for FAIR in 1995 and she has been director of PFIR since 2009.
On the DC Jobs March website, she only states her partial resume — as a former Department of Justice attorney.
Politics certainly creates odd bedfellows, and the Cruz and West bedding down with Leah Durant of the Tanton groups are a prime example that should alarm conservatives. The protectionist stance for jobs will be a new role for Cruz and West in their advocacy for the American working class and the protection of JOBS for the poor minorities. The new assertion they make is that we need to “protect” their jobs from Illegal and LEGAL immigrants who are “taking” their low skilled jobs. The question this raises is at what point did Cruz and West as conservatives abandon their Free Market focus on lower taxes and reduced regulations?
The rising unemployment numbers among black Americans and others is cause for concern but by attributing Illegal and LEGAL immigrants as a major reason for American unemployment, West and Cruz steer away from the former Tea Party stance that President Obama, the Liberals and their progressive economic policies are why Americans do not have jobs. They have changed the narrative to a “blame game” copy from Obama’s teleprompter. This is not going to help Conservatives. It looks hypocritical.
Allen West appears on the DC March website in a video along with progressive leader Leah Durant. West is now seen in this video complaining that black American unemployment is high and lumps LEGAL and illegal immigrants into the same category to blame them.
The former reasons conservatives traditionally used were disintegration of the family, a failing public school system, the welfare system, liberal politicians and progressive economic policies. These were the factors thought to be restricting many minorities’ ability to climb up the ladder of economic progress. Is West changing his tune now?
Ted Cruz publicizes a misleading claim that businesses will hire newly documented immigrants over Americans to save on a $5,000 Obamacare exemption for those immigrants. This is a fear tactic that ignores the fact that businesses hire for merit. Business owners such as me see employees NOT for what they will save our company as an exemption or exception to Obamacare, but for their potential as productive individuals. Looking to employ someone because he or she is going to save me pennies an hour factored over a long term is not a realistic business decision. I see potential, I see hard work, I see production, I see an individual who will make our company greater, better and efficient when I choose a new hire.
Why make Americans fearful for their jobs? As Free Market Americans, we do not fear competition and when we are in disadvantage we work smarter, stronger and with more determination. A $5,000 “savings” for Obamacare will never trump the spirit of an American worker and employers WILL hire for merit.
It is wrong to use Illegal and LEGAL immigrants as scapegoats. It is class warfare. The introduction of racial division between immigrants and Americans is not a Conservative value. Blaming immigrants for someone else’s lack of opportunities is disrespectful, insulting and illogical. This is the Progressives’ message:
It is a disastrous message. It is what the left does when it talks about wealth redistribution. They blame the rich for the lack of opportunities; they blame the wealthy for someone’s inability to get ahead. It is a wrong Conservative message and it lacks credibility.
Protectionism, Planned Economies, Racial Division and using Immigrants as scapegoats will damage the credibility of Ted Cruz and Allen West. Standing with a group such as PFIR is offensive to immigrants and should be to all conservatives. A quote from the PFIR website shows they confuse immigration policy with environmental policy: “It is our position that the United States will fail in these efforts,” (immigration control) “if we fail to stabilize our population. As David Brower, the Executive Director of the Sierra Club put it, at the dawn of the environmental movement: “‘we feel you don’t have a conservation policy unless you have a population policy.’ ”
Do conservatives really want to join progressives in blaming immigrants for everything from global warming to our economic woes?
So, to my fellow Conservatives attending the DC March for Jobs, know that I will not support any march that will blame LEGAL immigrants for a lack of jobs for minorities. Nor will I join you in blaming immigrants for the economic weak situation we are facing. Nor will I support reducing LEGAL immigration because some people believe we are destroying the environment, creating too many babies and we need population control in America. This is the Progressive for Immigration Reform agenda that you are knowingly or unknowingly being sucked into.
I will continue my work helping conservatives and the Republican Party understand that we need all immigrants to hear our message: That our ideas of low taxes, limited government, less regulation are the best recipe for economic growth. That ours and the future of all American families are better under our Free Market economy. That welfare is not an opportunity but a trap of dependency. That we believe they could do better under our vision. That every dream is possible in America and that we CARE.
America for me will always be Reagan’s “Rancho del Cielo” for those looking for Freedom, Opportunity and better for their families.
Tito Munoz is a naturalized American citizen, business owner and job creator, and lives in Prince William County, Virginia
