Annotations for People: Botello-armando

The Latino issues for a Mexican American political association and American GI forum based their petition on the assumption that preventive healthcare is a good investment. John Gamboa is President of the Latino Issues Forum.

According to Gamboa, the only criticism to their petition has come from anti-immigrant groups. However, Arnoldo Torres, former National Director of the League of Latin American Citizens, says the plan is not feasible because of an anti-immigrant climate, a shortage of funds, lack of Latino health professionals, and a lack of consensus among the Latino community to back the proposal. Torres however offers an alternative which would be linked to the Free Trade Agreement.

So far, the only response to the proposal has come from the California Congressional Delegation, which has asked the President to look into it. In Sacramento, California, I'm Armando Botello reporting for Latino USA.

California State Senator Art Torres, a longtime supporter of immigrants, said that because of the lack of resources, California and the United States have reached a point where we have to be much more restrictive in terms of legal and illegal immigration. Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has proposed steps to curb illegal immigration, including restrictions of undocumented women's access to maternity care, an increase in the number of border patrol agents, and deportation of undocumented immigrants who are serving prison sentences. To pay for her six-point program, the Senator has proposed a $1 fee for each person who comes into the United States at one of the international borders.

Reporting for "Latino USA," I'm Armando Botello in Sacramento, California.

We heard him speak at the White House with the three former presidents reassuring people. Now the question, is it going to be enough? If it's enough to...

Both sides in the ever-escalating battle over the North American Free Trade Agreement are rolling out their big guns with President Clinton calling on three former presidents to declare their support for NAFTA while opponents from Labor to Ross Perot garner more votes against the trade treaty. Latinos are on both sides of the issue playing critical roles according to NPR reporter Richard Gonzales.

In the pro-NAFTA camp, the major player is Congressman Bill Richardson of New Mexico. He is the chief deputy whip for the Democrats, one of the leaders trying to save the NAFTA. In the anti-NAFTA camp, I think that the one of the leading players is California Congressman Esteban Torres. Torres is interesting because he could possibly go over to the other side and support NAFTA if the administration were to accept his proposal for a North American Development bank, which would go to help fund border cleanup and worker retraining throughout the country for people who get hurt by NAFTA. But until now, the administration has been just kind of leading him along, saying, "Yes, Mr. Congressman Torres, we will consider your bill," but they've yet to sign onto it.

NPR reporter Richard Gonzales. He says, "Cuban American Congress members remain opposed to the trade agreement." In California, three of several bills seeking to limit immigration and access to services by the undocumented have been approved by the state legislature. Armando Botello has more.

The California lawmakers defeated measures that would restrict health and education services to undocumented immigrants. However, they approved a bill that would prevent that same group from obtaining a driver's license. The Latino legislators were divided in their support of the measure. Assembly member Louis Caldera defended the bill, saying it is reasonable and it could diffuse pressure from other more drastic measures. But Assembly woman Martha Escutia and most of the other Latino legislators voted against, saying it could foster more drastic discrimination against non-white immigrants. Other bills that were approved with the backing of Latino legislators would require proof of legal residency to those who apply for employment training under state funds and would make smuggling undocumented immigrants into California a state crime. Reporting for Latino USA in Sacramento, California, I'm Armando Botello.