CANNON ON WRONG SIDE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DEBATE
In a way, it’s comical. One of the richest guys in Congress begging campaign contributions from illegal aliens.
Some big powerful multimillionaire white guy on a storefront Spanish radio station apparently explaining how to sidestep the election laws that are supposed to keep foreigners from influencing American elections.
Did I mention he’s a Republican?
He is, and it looks like he might have really stepped in it a few weeks ago. At least that's the accusation of opponents.
Utah Congressman Chris Cannon was a guest on Salt Lake Spanish station Radio Unica on May 22. He appeared with Marco Diaz, one of his staffers. According to tapes and translated transcripts provided by an apparent political opponent, Diaz told illegal aliens they could donate to the Cannon re-election campaign by finding a legal alien or citizen and having them make the actual donation.
That’s a “straw man” contribution.
And it’s illegal three ways from Sunday.
The congressman also pointed out that minors who were U.S. citizens could make political donations.
Wink, wink, nod, nod.
Essentially, the whole thing smelled like the solicitation of foreign nationals to make financial contributions to an American political campaign.
And that’s no good.
But why would a conservative Republican congressman possibly think that illegal Mexicans would want to get him re-elected?
Because he’s their best friend.
Oddly, Chris Cannon has a frequent, belligerent and outspoken tendency to defend the interests of illegal aliens – particularly those from Mexico. Which makes no sense, as he represents a district with a marginal Latino population and a strong, dominant native-born community that is big on law and order.
Yet he supports President Bush’s amnesty program for illegal Mexicans. And he frequently attacks in Washington groups who oppose illegal immigration, while supporting those who facilitate it.
His stand on illegal immigration is all the more ironic as illegal workers are a fundamental cause of Utah’s two most significant woes – low wages and high taxes.
Illegal aliens in Utah – particularly from Mexico – artificially depress wages, resulting in some of the lowest average wages in the country. And illegal aliens in Utah – particularly from Mexico – artificially raise tax rates, resulting – again – in some of the highest taxes in the country.
The ample supply of illegals changes the supply and demand relationship between jobs and workers. It dramatically increases the number of available workers. It also provides many workers, illegals, who are willing to work below what would otherwise be the prevailing wage.
So illegal immigration lowers the wages virtually every Utahn makes.
Additionally, illegal immigrants are disproportionate consumers of government services. They increase school, law enforcement, jail, subsidized housing, public assistance and health care costs. And while they pay sales tax and some payroll taxes, they typically contribute very little of what they consume from the public coffers. They are low tax payers and high tax consumers.
Thus the upward pressure on Utah’s tax rates.
In a state where public schools take the lion’s share of the collected tax, the cost of educating the children of illegal aliens is, itself, cause enough for making illegal immigration the enemy of Utah voters and taxpayers.
But Chris Cannon doesn’t seem to feel that way.
He is its greatest champion.
Which makes me think his bread is buttered differently from his constituents’.
This flap about begging money from illegals was made public for political reasons. Somebody was listening to Radio Unica, somebody was taping Radio Unica, and somebody was willing to pass tapes and transcripts to the news media.
That somebody was out to get Chris Cannon.
But the tapes aren’t the issue.
The issue is what’s on them.
The issue is what Chris Cannon and his staffer said – and what Chris Cannon stands for.
Because in recent months it’s looked a lot like Chris Cannon represents Jalisco and Chihauhua instead of Manti and Provo. And with a primary coming up Tuesday, the Republican voters in the Third District of Utah have a right to know whose pocket their congressman is in.
Theirs, or illegal immigrants’ and the unscrupulous businessmen who hire them.
- by Bob Lonsberry © 2004
