McCollum Faces Backlash after Proposing Law Like Arizona's

AP

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has gained some momentum in his bid for the governor's office, recent polls show, but the Republican is facing new backlash from Hispanics after proposing an immigration law similar to the controversial measure passed in Arizona.

Earlier this week, McCollum unveiled a plan for immigration reform that would require immigrants to carry legal paperwork or face up to 20 days in jail, the Miami Herald reported. It would also impose stiffer penalties on illegal immigrants who commit the same crimes as legal residents.

"Arizona is going to want this law," McCollum said when he unveiled the plan. "We're better, we're stronger, we're tougher and we're fairer."

A number of Hispanic Republicans in Florida, however, feel differently.

McCollum's proposed law would be "a great economic failure for Florida," state Rep. J.C. Planas said, the St. Petersburg Times reported. "We need more immigrants, not fewer."

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami, a co-chair of McCollum's Hispanic leadership team, said she was "disappointed and was blindsided" by McCollum's proposal, the Miami Herald reports.

"I encourage the candidates to focus on plans that will improve Florida's economy, bring jobs to our state and jump-start our tourism,'' she said. "I fail to see how promotion of this issue will accomplish that, and I was taken aback."

Republican lobbyist and fundraiser Ana Navarro, who advised the 2008 McCain presidential campaign, reportedly said she could no longer back McCollum's campaign.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Campaign 2010

McCollum pulled together a conference call with his Hispanic leadership team late Thursday, according to the Herald, to address their concerns.

The Herald reports that McCollum initially criticized Arizona's law, which requires police officers, during lawful stops, to ask people about their immigration status if there is suspicion they are in the country illegally. McCollum reportedly changed his position after losing ground in the polls to his Republican primary opponent, Rick Scott.

Pursuing the strict immigration measure has provided a huge boost to Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's re-election campaign, and it has catapulted Brewer onto the national stage.

McCollum's effort to replicate that success is "a calculated and desperate political move," blasts former Democratic official Michael Yaki, a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

The controversy over McCollum's proposal began just as he has started to make inroads against Scott. A Mason-Dixon poll released yesterday showed McCollum ahead of Scott by 34 percent to 30 percent. Just a week earlier, Scott led McCollum by 37 percent to 31 percent.

Pollster Brad Coker said the change could be credited to McCollum's negative attacks against Scott, the Herald reported. Coker reportedly said the strategy could help McCollum in his Aug. 24 primary but hurt him in the long run.

"Democratic candidate Alex Sink is the clear winner from all of this," he said.

[Sean707]

It?s all about economics! Removing undocumented workers from the U.S. would sum a total loss of $1.8 trillion in annual spending on top of a $651.5 billion reduction in annual economic output, according to a study by the economic analysis firm The Perryman Group. It would cost about $28 billion per year to apprehend illegal immigrants, $6 billion a year to detain them, $500 million for extra beds, $2 million to judicially process them and $1.6 billion to transport them home. $230 Billion is the estimated amount it would cost over the next five years to enact the scenario of the mass-deportation caucus and deport the undocumented population, according to a report by the Center for American Progress. Legalization of undocumented immigrants would significantly expand the economy?by a cumulative $1.5 trillion in gross domestic product over 10 years. A deportation approach, by contrast, would have the cumulative effect of draining $2.5 trillion over 10 years from the U.S. economy. Illegal immigrants are paying taxes to Uncle Sam too. Paycheck withholding collects much of the federal tax from illegal workers, just as it does for legal workers. But some illegal immigrants choose to file taxes and write a check come April 15, using a tax filing number offered by the IRS so it can collect income tax from foreign workers. The latest figures available indicate it will amount to billions of dollars in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes this year. One rough estimate puts the amount of Social Security taxes alone at around $9 billion per year. Most importantly the current immigration reform proposal will promote Social Security and Medicare funding without rising taxes to current citizens by imposing a waiting period of 8 years for the legalized immigrants to be able to naturalize as part of their penalty. Social Security and Medicare funding for current citizens can be achieved with the new proposal for immigration reform because in the meanwhile legalized immigrants won?t access benefits after we do the tax contributions the Legalized immigrants will pay to us during 8 years will create a surplus that will warranty an outgoing retirement benefits collection by current citizens without increasing our taxes today. The assumption of transferable skills claimed by the pro-fascism neo-Nazi caucus is ridiculous most unemployed American are not match for the jobs that immigrants are taking. When viewed through the most narrow fiscal lens, it should be clear that in these challenging economic times lose $2.5 trillion from the U.S economy is neglectful. Now think on $230 Billion to be spent for each state enforcing federal laws following the confederate move of Arizona, just look Arizona Maricopa country administration unable of authorizing a budget for Sheriff Joe Arpaio?s tent city jail expansion to host immigrants, the millions of Arizonian taxpayers? funds wasted in legal costs, besides the whole Arizona economy shrank 32% during the last 3 months, unemployment rate remains the same, Arizonian citizens are not filling the labor job market and business are closing. At the end, any responsible leader can not dismiss the economic realities when it comes to dealing with immigration. Brewer might be effective in getting the next election in her favor but she is driving Arizona into a deeper recession while playing the immigration card and Arizonians haven?t realized that fact yet. In the other hand we have some politicians that are not interested in the economics of illegal immigration whatsoever their motivations are purely xenophobic don?t let Socialist gangs pursue their fascist agenda, no joke or satire here, because there is an actual Nazi Socialist Movement (NSM), the NSM is a gang that dares to blend the red, white and blue of our bellowed American Flag with the Nazi swastika to identify themselves as the Nazi Socialist movement of USA. The alarming fact is that the NSM gang is currently infiltrated in the Arizona?s Government and look for Senator Pierce Russell the Politian behind the defeated Arizona SB-1070 fascist law who was found associated with the NSM neo-Nazi gang leader J.T. Ready, please take a look of the breaking news at the Huffington Post. Some politicians are using immigration as a Trojan horse to get a sit on the senate, congress, or local governments. Wake up people if we ended up with a republican majority in congress say goodbye to the tax cuts the president promised for 95% of Americans. Get your priorities straight when you vote next November because immigration is just an escape goat to distract voters about Tax reform.

[pobox10275]

There already is a "pathway to citizenship." You start from your country of origin, you then apply to migrate LEGALLY into the USA. Then, you wait while you are checked out, verified, and if and only if approved, THEN you may enter the USA and become a citizen. THAT is the pathway to citizenship. If you are in the USA illegally, go back home to your country of origin, get back to the end of the line. MAYBE then you can earn the right to be a citizen.

Enforce CURRENT immigration laws already on the books. Arrest and deport every illegal immigrant. Deny anchor babies the right to citizenship if both parents are not legal citizens. 12-20 million people living in the USA illegally are not immigrants, they are invaders.

Secure the border, and you will stop the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants. The Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, and the current security walls in Israel/West Bank ALL prove that if you are serious about securing your borders, it CAN BE DONE. To those who say "you can't expect all 12-20 million illegal immigrants to leave:" YES WE CAN, if we want to. It's been done before, Mexican Repatriation it was called, back then. See: Wikipedia entry for Mexican Repatriation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Repatriation

There is an endless pot of taxpayer money to throw at Iraq, Afganistan, and policing the oil industries' (and China's export cargo ships') safe passage. I say it's time to use our tax dollars to DEFEND the USA. It is time for us to use the National Guard literally, to guard the nation's borders.

Please spare me the sob story of breaking up families; if parents are here illegally, they can take their children back home to the parent's country of origin when deported. If you wed an illegal immigrant, you most likely knew that going into it, and if not, then your marriage is based on lies and deception. No family need be broken up; keep the family together by having them ALL go at once when the illegal is deported.

Mark Pepp
Chicago IL

[pecas22]

This is another inept who when he realized that his polls were sinking he used the race card that it's a common thing among all the Republicans now, the ilegals in this country are to be blamed for all, the only thing they cannot be accused of, it is for killing 6 millions of jews during war world ii, that's part of the Republicans playbook.They seem to forget that they werecked this country, don't forget

[p_syrus]

And is McCollum also in favor of eliminating the laws giving privileged treatment to Cuban immigrants? Or is he just another opportunistic republican seeking to inflame his base?

[starleo146]

this dirty dog was in Florida making a mess to elect Bush never will forget that face or his tactics. Florida ought to throw him out of the state

[indepttexann2010]

Jobs,Economy,War are far more important issues in my opinion.Some individuals are just using this issue playing the race card for their own political gain,politicians and others alike.Whether this bill passes or not the majority of people have spoken they want reform now.Texas should be next!!!Get your self legalized and you won't have any problems point blank..

[ladyang]

This is all political talk.
Come November, no matter who wins or losses. It will be business as usual.
Illegals will continue to invade this country and politicans will continue to blow smoke up our butts until the next election cycle. Attack the problems now (with regard to immigration), either deport them all or allow them to stay. But stop with all the political hyperbole!

[starleo146]

one election it is all about abortion, another election all about gays, this election all about Hispanics. See the real problems of this country the Republicans can't tackle just stir up a issue so they do not have to tell us what they will do to fix our problems. Oh forgot they only know how to say NO

[PatriotMike2]

Since the feds won't deport illegals, it is left to the states and individual Americans. Playing the race card is sad and pathetic.

[boycott-arizonaDotCom]

I am an American Cuban. I have tons of family in Fl. For the most part we have been repukkkes. Now after they start attacking our community with falsehoods my whole family has change their position . We have been in this country more than 45 years and we can say we hate republicants. We dont want illegal immigration like most Americans. What we dont want is to be single out because of our surname or because of an accent. I would have no problems if all Americans are willing to have proof of citizenship or residency and if you dont have it then you go to the tank. Now that is what all this racist GOP are proposing but only to Hispanic looking folks. If you dont see that you are a RACIST SOB. Repukkkes have lost the Hispanic vote THAT IS A FACT. lucky if they get 10%

[jbar116]

If your a legal citizen then you have the right to your opinion and to vote as you wish otherwise you are free to go back to Cuba.

[texas_liberal]

jbar116, youre an Idiot.

[democratnomore]

Funny, I don't see this story anywhere about Reid introducing legislation in 1993 to revise the 14th Amendment:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2010/aug/12/1993-flip-flop-senreid-introduced-bill-clarifying-/

[wyodutch]

I think the only solution is to attack Mexico, execute its entire government... national, provincial and local. Jail the landed gentry and redistribute the land to the people.
.
Mexico is simply a rotten mess, where no decent person wants to live. As long as it's operated like it is, Mexicans will want to come to America and live-off the backs of the American people.

[boycott-arizonaDotCom]

HAHAHAHA you are DUMB! We cant even handle Afghanistan and you want to invide a country of 120 million HAHAHAH you are plain STUPIDO! No wonder why red states have the highest number of welfare recipients..

[texas_liberal]

no joke.
you see how the narcos treat each other?
you would be waving white flags in weeks.