The Litter Box

~ Thursday, April 13, 2006

GOP governor hopefuls take hard border line
By Rob O'Dell
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 04.09.2006

"Mr. Bush, build this wall now," gubernatorial candidate Don Goldwater intoned Saturday, putting an Arizona border spin on Ronald Reagan's famous Berlin Wall speech.
Goldwater was one of four Republican candidates for governor who debated America's hottest issue — immigration — Saturday in Tucson.
He called on President Bush and Congress to build a wall along Arizona's entire Mexican border, and said he would put soon-to-be deported illegal immigrants in a tent city near the border and use their labor to help build the wall.
Candidates Jan Smith-Florez and Mike Harris also took a tough line against illegal immigration in the debate before more than 100 people at Catalina High School.
The fourth, Gary Tupper, called for better investment in Mexico to help solve the problem. Len Munsil, the fifth GOP candidate hoping to unseat Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano, did not attend.
All but Tupper said they don't support a guest-worker program until the border is secured, and Harris said he may not support one at all, adding that the country "should not be stuck with ignorant and illiterate" illegals from Mexico.
Smith-Florez said she has lived on the border for 35 years, working as a judge and as a teacher; she taught English-language learners because she speaks Spanish. "I get the problem," she said.
On the recent and upcoming pro-immigrant marches — an estimated 10,000 people are expected to march Monday in Tucson — here's how the candidates stood:
? Tupper, a contractor and financial planner, applauded the marchers' activism, but said waving of Mexican flags was counterproductive.
? Smith-Florez, a former Arizona Court of Appeals judge, said they have a right to march, but added that it was "cheeky of them to demand rights when they are illegals." She said many of the students were marching simply as a reason to leave school.
? Harris, an investment banker, said entering the country illegally and waving other countries' flags "is called sedition." He said he would bring in the National Guard to break up the protests.
? Goldwater, a retired state employee and a nephew of the late Sen. Barry Goldwater, said, "People here illegally have no rights." He called for firing all teachers who leave the classroom to join the protests.
Tupper was more moderate than the other three candidates, and received much less applause from the crowd. He said a staunch conservative isn't appealing in a general election.
Mike Ebert, a commercial real estate broker and GOP precinct chairman who was in the audience,, said some of the anti-immigration rhetoric was harsh, but he added that could be because of the conservative audience made up of Republican precinct chairs. He said the rhetoric will likely be more moderate in front of other audiences.
Many candidates for public office were in attendance as well, including four of the five Republicans running in the 8th Congressional District race: Mike Jenkins, Frank Antenori, Mike Hellon and Randy Graf.
The debate, sponsored by the Pima County Republican Party, was moderated by County Supervisor Ray Carroll. The GOP primary election is Sept. 12.

posted by Nikki B at 1:15:00 PM