Transcripts For CSPAN3 Daniel 20240703

Mr. Garza, welcome back to the program. Always a pleasure to be on c span, talk about the important issues that are impacting every american today. Remind people about the initiative, who you target, and particularly your political point of view. Sure. We are nonpartisan and nonprofit. What we do basically is engage, activate, mobilize the Latino Community around those issues that we feel uphold and honor the freedoms enshrined in our founding charters. And to be a little bit more detailed, we believe that we have centralized way too much power, way too much money, and too much control in the hands of politicians, specifically the federal government but also State Governments, so we work to make sure that we honor the expressions and sentiments of Abraham Lincoln that this is of the people, by the people and for the people. We have two unleash really the prosperity that we can have in the private sector. When it comes then to taking a look at the United States, give us a snapshot of the power that latino voters have in elections, no matter who they are voting for, but what power do they hold currently . Enormous. We have now defined a lot of the outcomes of congressional races across the country, especially in the states where we have shown incredible growth. Half of all latinos, by the way, reside just in california and texas. A little over 20 million in california, a little over 11 or 12 million in texas. But we are now over 1 Million People in states like nevada and north carolina, in georgia. We are starting to really concentrate in the urban areas, as well. But in any kind of 50 50 state or in counties and state legislative races, for example, we do to find the outcomes. The thing about it is that we are not locked into any party. We are not baked in, is what im trying to say. So we are up for grabs. Especially at a time when latinos have really peaked their political curiosity because of what they are seeing nowadays, i think it makes a really valuable swing electorate. Who does a better job of reaching out to them, then . Ill be honest, for the longest time, for decades it was the centerleft that made the investment, who connected better with the Latino Community. And when i say the centerleft im talking about the institutions, as well. University professors, unions, television, radio, the party itself, the Democratic Party made the investment, made the connections and of course benefited from the support of latino voters for a long time. That has actually changed in the last 10 years or so because of our growth. You can no longer, of course, ignore the latino electorate. 60 million latinos, 60 to 65 million latinos now who reside in the United States are 65 million individuals with different priorities and different concerns, and you can connect with them on the issues that matter to them, and if you can show them that your ideas are superior, you are going to of course receive the support of the Latino Community in bigger numbers, as we are seeing in places like florida and texas, and in the pockets that i was talking about that are community in bigger numbers as we are seeing increases in florida and texas. Our guest will be with us to have this conversation, if you want to ask him questions about what he is saying and recent studies they have done, 204748 8000, and independent, 208748 8000 two. The number to call, and you can talk to our guest, daniel garza of the Libre Initiative, you took a recent poll of hispanics about various aspects leading up to 2024 and one of the things you asked them was about pessimism or optimism about the country, what did you find . We found that 79 of the thousand latinos that we polled in states where they are concentrated, 79 of latinos said they have a negative view about the economy, that they are hurting, that what is happening of course, with the high cost of gas, of medicine, the ability to even buy a home or rent a home right now is really causing a lot of pain, a lot of hardship. 71 of latinos say the economy is on the wrong track. They dont feel that this administration is doing the kind of things to rivers the direction that we are on, the fact that a lot of the policy remedies and prescriptions seem to impose more taxes, to impose the obligation of paying off college debt on the working class is an issue for them, this war on energy that they feel on Domestic Energy development is of course hurting latinos. 20 of all energy jobs are held by latinos, these are high paying jobs and they are impacted by this, whether it is the pipeline, the fact that also Labor Participation rate has not caught up to precovid levels. That 27 of the last 30 months, wages have not kept up with inflation. This is all creating an impact in the pocketbooks of the latino families across the country. And they fear that its going to get worse even. So theres a lot of angst and a lot of concern in the Latino Community over this. One other thing you talked about in matters of the economy, when they asked if the economy was working for them, how you phrased it, 48 said it was a poor sense of the economy working for them, 17 said good, 30 said fair, 4 saying the economy was excellent. So again, this is a very negative view of the economy, but also of the future of america and the future of the economy in america, you are seeing a lot of pessimism. This of course indicates a loss of hope, a loss of aspiration. But at the same time, a loss of hope in this administration to reverse the current direction we are on. So i would warn those on the democrat side that they Pay Attention to where latino voters and what their sentiments are in the economy because they also rated the inflation as the number one issue that is impacting their lives right now. Jobs and the economy second and third. So it is a real issue. Theres real concern, and if you cannot connect with latinos on this issue, you are going to have a tough time because for the longest time Everybody Knows this, the Democratic Party has dependent on a coalition of minorities to give them those margins that they need for wins in the senate and congress and state legislatures. Without the Latino Community and their continued support, they are going to have a tough time. When it comes to those that you polled, can you define who you talked to, whether it be the people that serve, as far as what is compelling from the people you talked to pray most people from texas, florida, arizona, new mexico, the southwest, now in states even where the growth has been tremendous like north carolina, and georgia and ohio, wisconsin, these kind of states where you have seen tremendous growth in the Latino Community. 60 were from 18 to 34, so latinos are very young. I think the median age is 27 and the rest of the country is 35. From what i understand also in a study from the hispanic trust, they said 1 million latinos are turning 18 every year for the next 15 years. There is just a tremendous amount of energy and growth and vitality in the Latino Community to capture a snapshot of that community, it is a challenge. I agree, like i said, 50 are just in two states. So how are you best able to capture the sentiment of the Latino Community, i think 1000 is a really good number from the pole, from what i understand. When you take a look at the exit poll from the 2020 election, it was those who identified as latino voters, 65 offering their support for President Biden. 32 , former president trump. As far as President Biden is concerned, do you think that number is still that high . No, in fact, theres a lot of dissolution with the Biden Administration and part of the problem is right now they have a Marketing Campaign called bidenomics, they are trying to sell everyone on the notion that everything is lollipops and rainbows, and Everybody Knows it is not, especially in the Latino Community, they are scraping their knees, trying to make it from one week to the next. And like i said, that is going through all the statistics. The hardship is real and when there is a disconnect between this propaganda and Marketing Campaign that you have going on and trying to sell bidenomics and the real pain people are feeling because of the high cost of everything , and they cannot keep up because wages are below inflation. I think it starts to infuriate a person and a sort of anger begins to build. So, they better tap into that and they better recognize it for what it is, otherwise theres going to be consequences. You cannot see the ad but the Biden Campaign put out an ad targeting has been nick latino voters, we will show it and get a response after that. Every action, every policy is about you, and since he has taken office, unemployment has been cut in half. Our businesses are the Fastest Growing in the country, driving our nations economic recovery. And for our families, the price of insulin, 35. Because the who, President Joe Biden is fighting for isnt the rich and powerful, its us. Im joe biden and i approve this message. So, the selling point in that commercial was businesses, healthcare matters, what you think about the case the president is making . I will recognize that the American Economy is resilient, that we have a spirit of entrepreneurship, immigrants come to america to risk their savings and launch businesses and that is what we do. But, most of the time when you have too many regulations where the government is choosing who wins and who loses, and if you are politically connected to the Biden Administration, if you are the union, in the green energy space, College Graduate with debt, you are going to be taking care of. But its on the backs of the working class, the latinos, especially in the rural areas who are impacted directly because they are out there hustling, they are trying to make it from one week to the next and all you do is continue this war on energy, imposing more regulations and thats the thing, theres no way out. They are left, biden would double down on more of the same, spend more, reckless spending, almost unfettered creating this inflation which of course forced the fed to increase rates and even take a home loan is impossible. 2 the Energy Development even more and put at risk our Energy Independence and abundance, impacts jobs and productivity. It regulates more, it is to draw from the productive capacity of the economy and people are trying to make it from one week to the next, to cherry pick something about insulin is an insult, it is delusional. People are feeling the pain and you are not acknowledging that. So latinos are going to react to that, that is my point. Look, like i said, im not partisan. Im trying to make this administration reverse course, have Energy Abundance and empower parents so they can choose the education they need for their children as opposed to giving us these marketing gimmicks and campaigns. Lets take some calls, this is carol in tyler, texas, starting us off, carol, good morning, go ahead. Yes, good morning and thank you to you both. I want to add something i have been very puzzled about. I understand that latinos do not vote as a block, i think we all have some shared values, you know, with both parties. But when i cannot understand, why any latinos, especially in texas, whatever want to support a republican who obviously, like trump, aligning with greg abbott, the cruelty that we see on the board with the census and everything going against the law, putting up those blockades and all that sort of thing, and the fear that would come back under trump, maybe more deportations and people having to worry about their children, if they would be deported. Why would we want to go back to anything like that . That is what im puzzled about. Why would you support anybody republican, even if you do share some of the values, knowing the cruelty there is. And thank you so much. Yeah, that is a very complex question and thank you for that. What i will say is this, that a lot of americans, believing in the rule of law and the rule of law must be respected and yes, sometimes that impacts people negatively but, if you undo the rule of law then of course you will unleash consequences that you cannot get control of. So, what may come across as cruel is actually the limitation of the rule of law. And i will say also to folks who believe in upholding and preserving the freedoms in our founding charters, and what i mean is freedom of religion, the freedom of expression and speech, the freedom to petition your government. All these freedoms must be protected. The fact that you are imposing undue hardship through more taxation and centralizing more money in the federal government, it means there is a proportionate diminishment of money to the individual. When you increase power and control in washington, there is a proportional diminishment of power and control to the individual, where government grows, the role of the family, the church, the market, these are real concerns of people on the centerright. Its because they care for america and they care to preserve those sentiments that were expressed by the Founding Fathers in the founding charters that we are endowed by the creator, for the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness and that must be defended. When you see the role of government has expanded to the point where it is controlling every aspect of your life, there becomes a concern in the minds of people that wait a minute, we need to push back. So much power being centralized in the federal government. Because the individual matters here, the freedom of expression and the right to petition your government, the right to have money in your pocket and launching business, for the government not to control who wins back and who loses in the private sector. These are matters that impact latinos. And when i say latinos, i fully recognize we are interdependent with our fellow americans. You need a thriving america to have a thriving Latino Community but America Needs a thriving Latino Community to have a thriving america, and that means unleashing the vast capacities of the private sector and it must be defended. That is why a lot of people would vote central right especially in the Latino Community because they want to reduce the power and scope of the government but unleash the private sector voices and the vast capacities of the industrious people who are americans and we have proven we are industrious because we are the most prosperous nation in the world. But only because we have an Economic System that allows for that and it is under threat right now. On the independent line, terry, good morning. Yes, good morning, i was responding to when he said latinos said we are going in the wrong direction, i would like to see more latino senators, congressmen, president ial candidates, mayors in nevada, we dont have that representation. And until you have latinos running for office, then that will make the change. Does that make sense . Absolutely it does. In the last election, i will tell you, and this is from a perspective from the central right, five republican latinos flipped five blue seats. There is a growing trend where latinos are taking ownership in the American Democratic process and this is a beautiful thing. The more we activate and mobilize latinos, because i feel that we have a lot of the answers and solutions to what is happening in america and you mentioned nevada. Nevada is a state where there is so much riding on the races, latinos make up a whopping 30 of the population, 33 of the city of las vegas alone. And in the state come you have a viable senate seat that can flip. Jacky rosen is the incumbent but it is a 5050 state come you have two congressional states in the Las Vegas Area that are also very vulnerable. And the Latino Community is going to play a major role and dont forget, it is fourth on the president ial mary calendar. Again, if latinos can flex their electoral muscle, they can define a lot of the races across the country. But look, ultimately, i think what needs to happen here especially those in the center right is understand that you have to do essentially two things, if youre going to connect with any voter in america and one is to show that you care. And that means you show up, you address the priorities of the community, you stop imposing only your agenda and start to listen and connect on the issues that matter to the constituency and second, you have to prove that your ideas are superior to the other person. So if you dont show up, one, you are showing you dont care, and second, how are we going to know where you stand on the policy issues . It is so important whether you are a minority, woman or male, look, make your case. But, make it on the merits of policy. I think there is too much polarization in america today, too much division, we have the kind of politicians that are banking on that, trying to win voters by undermining the other guy as opposed to their presenting your case on the merits of your policy position and why they are superior to the other person. I think you go a long way in connecting with the Latino Community with that. To what extent do you think the Latino Community votes on immigration policy and what does that say about the choices they make on that . Its an important issue because immigration really speaks to the heart of the candidate, where you stand on your openness to recognize that we have to meet the labor demand in america, we have a very dynamic economy. But also to the compassion you show to the people who are going through real difficult, oppressive situations in their countries of origin and they see america as the promised land, as many did before. Over 250 Million Immigrants have come to america throughout our history and they have made our country stronger, richer and have strengthened really the institutions of america. So, how you speak on immigration really matters to the latinos because it is a question of your intellect, but also your heart. And its not a priority, if you are a latino who has a Family Member who is undocumented. Somebody goes to church, or they work with, obviously they feel much more sympathetic on the issue. If you are a latino citizen who votes, like a puerto rican, maybe it is a lesser priority because of course you are born into citizenship. So, it varies very much, there is a lot of complexity around the issue of immigration within the Latino Community, it is not black and white. It is not cut and dry. It is very telling to see where a politician stands on that issue. I would say the ideal position for somebody is to embrace the notion that we can do both Border Security and that we can have legal channels. We can do both. Its not either or, the United States, just because you are proimmigrant doesnt mean you are antiBorder Security. We have to have order in america. We as americans decide who comes into the country and under what conditions and how many at any given time. But when you lose that control, it also infuriates latinos, we like the rule of law and when that is not being respected, then i think theres going to be electoral consequences to that. This is from ben, from new york city. Yeah, i would like to talk about how i feel undocumented immigrants are coming into this country and affecting our local electors, particularly in the right to drive. Okay, we will go to warren, in portsmouth, virginia. Democrats line, hello. I just wanted to point out a few things, especially when you played that clip, that biden commercial. The latino looked more like pedro than they looked like him, you know . And the people, im just going to go ahead and say that why does that matter . Well, he was saying all this stuff about latinos coming to me, the Democratic Party is going to be looking out for them. They are the ones who are trying to make sure all the immigrants, many latino immigrants get into this country and you have housing, but the only people you see complaining about that stuff are the republicans. And they are never going to do anything for you because they know they are going to keep latinos divided. Something that you said that you dont want to see. Okay, thank you warren. Let me just say, my parents were immigrants from the region in mexico, i was born in california, a farmer, i picked grapes where i was born, moved to the state of washington in a small city in the yakima valley. I was a farmworker until i was 19 years of age, picking apples, pears, peaches, cherries, everything, we migrated to washington and then to nebraska, im a high school dropout, i didnt finish the 11th grade because of my farmworker situation. It was a situation beyond my control, the reality of my life that i could not finish high school. I got a ged and it gave me a second chance, i was able to become a police officer, that is why i opened up my eyes and saw what was going on, the domestic violence, the drugs and gangs. I wanted to do more, so i ran for city council in that small town in washington and that put me on track, i wound up at the white house, working for george h. W. Bush, think about that, at 17 years of age im a high school dropout, with no prospects for a career in america. 17 years later, im working for the president of the United States. I love this country because it has given me more opportunity. This country has fulfilled more dreams for more people then anybody in the whole world, it has a lot to do with our founding charters. If we dont preserve them, we wont be able to accommodate for the flow of poor immigrants coming to america and give them a better life that they are seeking. It really is because of the freedom and their principles that are enshrined in our constitution that we are able to do that. I fight hard for that. Its not about party, the democrats or republicans, it is about principles, its about the superiority of ideas that are going to get us to a better place where there is Mutual Benefit in the marketplace. Where we allow for spontaneous order where people can choose what they want to be and choose a career that is going to make their life better and their family better. So im not here trying to push partisanship, im here to save america, really. And to activate the Latino Community so they become a vanguard for these freedoms and principles that are for these freedoms we cherish so much. This is for daniel garza of the libre leadership. Good morning, thank you for having me on, im concerned about the times that there has been a proposed legislation to revamp the immigration laws so that people can participate in legal fashions, daca has never been resolved, and that has a lot of people, you know, standing on the jumping board of the Swimming Pool and wondering, you know, where can i fit in . And they are in limbo all these years, through no fault of their own. And yet, they still contribute to society. So, this kind of thing needs to be resolved and from what i know, the republicans have always rejected it, when people were coming to cross the border just a couple years ago, and they were rejecting the children to make the parents go back to their country of origin. And i daresay a lot of these people have not been reunited, the kids are not knowing where their parents are, the parents are to knowing where their kids are. Weve got your point, thank you. Yes, what has been really frustrating for so Many Americans, on the issue of daca , theres so much support on the part of americans for a policy like this. But it is held up because of pure politics. On the one side, generally you have republicans and those on the centerright who believe that border enforcement should be the priority and they are digging in on that. On the other side, they believe that legal challenge, access to america, even on open borders is really sort of the way to go and they dug in on that. On the other side, they wont listen to the other side on where they stand on their priorities. So, this is the frustrating part, that so Many Americans believe we can do both, Border Security and legal channels. Like daca and a reforming of the process, we can handle that. And get to the business of normalizing folks who have been here for years now. Its what, i dont know, 15 Million People now who are undocumented, who should come out of the shadows and make our country stronger. We can do both. So, part of the problem that latinos have with this Biden Administration on the issue of immigration is the Biden Campaign with the promise that he was going to reach across the aisle and promote a bipartisan bill to reform immigration, he has not done that. He has not fulfilled his promise to reach across the aisle and convene people to the white house and say, how can we get this fixed . How can we reconcile the differences between what the Republican Party wants and what the democratic side wants and come together and reach a consensus. The reality is, the Democratic Party does not get to decide what Immigration Reform is and the Republican Party doesnt, they both have to come together and reach a consensus. That is legislating. This white house had failed to unite both sides on that issue. The white house can say well, the republicans dont want to play ball. You didnt say that, you said you were going to achieve Immigration Reform and you were going to work with the other side. We are waiting, mr. President. How do you think social issues such as the overturning of roe versus wade factors into the latino vote of 2024 . This is very complex, generally latinos are prolife, but there is a lot of belief in cases of exceptions. Look, im prolife myself, im staunchly prolife with only exception of the life of the mother. But, i also recognize on the other side, there are folks who have made that a number one issue. But, this is where people have to connect and make your case on the side of why you feel a driving prolife policy is the direction this country should take. But, merely to impose this agenda on the Latino Community and any kind of agenda, whether it is green or centerright, i think that is part of the mistake sometimes, the parties have almost taken the latino vote for granted on one side. You know, you dont get to impose the agenda, you dont get to say this is who latinos are. It is what it is, not what you wanted to be. You have to understand what we feel on these issues, but you have to ask, you have to show up and have a conversation with us and connect on those issues, and they try to persuade us, if you are wrong, i think just people trying to impose an agenda on the Latino Community or use them as tools to accusations of racism and try to get their agenda passed. As opposed to respecting us as voters and showing up and engaging with us on the issues. Abortion is one of those issues, it is a very complex issue. Latinos feel very strongly on the prolife side and they will continue to fight, along them, the one issue voters on abortion, look, the reason i became a republican is because i was prolife and i have never been alerted, never voted blue. And i think the other side has to understand that as well. But again, it is a question of dialogue, of connecting and having a discourse on this. Marylin, st. Petersburg, florida, go ahead. Yes, i appreciate being on, thank you mr. Garza, i truly appreciate all of your views and i agree with you. So much about the latino voters needing to be paying attention to making sure people have jobs and houses and make sure they have a presentation. My concern is if you want housing, and representation, you have government involvement. In my area in florida, no one can afford to live anywhere. Since government doesnt step in and make more government housing, more affordable, no one here can afford anything. So, i have seen it, i work in the medical field, i have worked with many latinos, i have worked with many cultures. And we fight to have our local government, to have our State Government which in florida is not helpful with the governor and to have our countrys government stand up for the people. Okay, thank you. Again, this speaks to the role of government, what kind of government do we want . Look, i honestly believe there are people who are truly dependent and must be helped by the government. Young children, no questions asked, if there is a need, we are going to fulfill that need, Senior Citizens who cannot take care of themselves, veterans who we make promises to, but ablebodied people, they should be able to work. That is the biggest solution to poverty that we have, is opportunity, jobs, but when you are taxing way too much, when you are regulating way too much, when people cant even start a business because they have so many regulations or serving as a hindrance or a barrier. In the community, we suffer from barriers disproportionately that maybe other americans dont. 30 of us only speak spanish, that is a major barrier to opportunity. 33 dont even have a high school diploma. Adults like me, who was a high school dropout, 33 do not have a high school diploma. That is an incredible barrier to the marketplace. And as americans, we talk about equal opportunity but, when 50 of us dont have a drivers license or dont know how to start a business, again, this strikes at the heart of equal opportunity. What we have to do is identify, where are those Major Barriers that are keeping people from access to the marketplace, prepare the table so equal opportunity becomes real and redistribute knowledge and opportunity as opposed to redistributing somebody elses wealth, which is what we have become, this Welfare Society where government is the answer to everything. And this is wrong. This is wrong because it is making people dependent and its not making them independent where they can again unleash their capacities in the market place and create products and services to make life better for other people. That is what we want to see as productivity. Innovation, people engaged in the marketplace, creating commerce and having purpose and dignity through work. But we are moving away from that as a country and the kind of narrative we are pushing is again to look at government and increase the role of government as the answer to everything and i strongly disagree with that. Ernesto in dallas, texas. Good morning. I have a concern about what you are saying and how you are saying latinos want certain things, and we do, i agree with some of the stuff, but you are trying to say that latinos im not sure how to say it exactly, but you can look at what has happened with the Republican Party, they are the ones that are taking a lot of our rights away from us. They are the ones that are hindering our opportunities to advance. They want to reduce regulations that help us and it started when obama was elected president. We will let our guests respond to that. Look, i believe that lincoln saved the nation because he expanded freedom. He assured opportunity became accessible to more americans, lincoln made the aspirational words, the declaration of independence come to life, all men are created equal, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, i believe that strongly. I dont believe in parties and personalities, i believe in principles and ideas, we are a government of the people and by the people, that meant we are meant to be participatory document democracy. To work to the benefit of all. This gentleman may disagree with my ideas, fine. But, lets have that discussion civilly. Within our institutions of democracy. I think when we censor ideas, when we censor people that we dont like or try to shut them down, that is not good for america. This is again a participatory democracy of the people. So i respect your point of you and your ideas but lets have a discussion about that. I just believe strongly that the more we engage, the more we can have honest conversations about the issues that are creating productivity and Economic Growth and empowering parents and positioning our children for success in education, that is what i want to arrive at. I dont want to have more government dependency, i dont want to go down the road of the government deciding who wins and who loses, or what i can say or what i cant say, or what ideas are allowed in the marketplace and what are not. The Libre Initiative , dr. Garber serves as the president , thank you for the discussion. Thank you so much for the invite. Today, microsoft president , brad smith will be among a group of witnesses proposed to regulate artificial intelligence, the hearing is being held by the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on privacy, technology and the law and watch at 2 30 p. M. Eastern on cspan 3, or online at cspan. Org. This year, book tv marks 25 years of shining a spotlight on leading nonfiction authors and their books, from author talks, interviews and festivals, book tv is providing viewers with a front row seat to the literary discussions on history, politics, and so much more. You can watch book tv every sunday on cspan 2 or online. 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