Immigration Tancredo’s top priority, Winter says students should consider other issues
In the upcoming November elections, Democrats and Republicans will battle it out for congressional seats. The 6th District in Colorado will feature a heated race between well known Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo, and his opponent, Democrat Bill Winter.
Many topics are prevalent in the ’06 Colorado elections, but with Tancredo running, immigration policy is emphasized in the 6th District.
However, the College Democrats feel that Tancredo’s focus on immigration would not be the best approach to get re-elected.
“We support Bill Winter. As far as Tancredo goes, we feel he has been a weak congressman,” said Amy Hogue, president of the College Democrats and a junior Spanish and communication major. “Tancredo’s a one-trick pony. His only issue is illegal immigration and he’s weak on that one, offering no viable solutions.”
According to Winter, illegal immigration will not be the sole point on which people go to vote in the November elections.
“Immigration is a very powerful factor in helping us become the nation we are. It has benefited our country over the centuries, but there is a difference between immigration and illegal immigration,” Tancredo said. “There is a limit to the number we can assimilate and we now have 3 million illegal immigrants.”
Both candidates will take different approaches to illegal immigration if elected. If re-elected, Tancredo will continue working to institute his illegal immigration policy.
“I hope to get the House Bill 44-37, which is now in the Senate, to become a Senate bill that looks like the original. It proposes we construct a fence or barrier, depending on the terrain, along the southern border,” Tancredo said. “I’d like to go after employers who are hiring illegal immigrants because they comprise the magnet that bring illegal immigrants. I’d like to use the Social Security check system.”
Contrary to Tancredo, Winter supports the legislation sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. for progress with the issue of immigration.
McCain’s legislation is known as the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act. According to Iain Hyde, policy research coordinator for Bill Winter, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act includes adding 15,000 border patrol agents to the 12,000 now on duty. It also consists of building a 370-mile fence and adding a 500-mile vehicle barrier on the Mexican border.
The act will help match immigrants wanting to come over to a database for employers. These immigrants will pay a $500 fee for a visa, and legally come over the border and be set up with employers. This will originally start with 400,000 visas.
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act also makes it a felony rather than a misdemeanor to be in the U.S. illegally. It will be a path to legal residency and eventually to citizenship. Illegal immigrants working for more than five years would pay $3,250 in fees, pay back taxes, and have to pass an English test. When they obtain a green card, they would pay more fines and fees, pass additional work and security checks, and pass a U.S. civics test in English.
“Tancredo is not offering any reasonable solution that will help make the immigration issue better, or that we can afford,” Winter said. “The wall, according to Tancredo, will cost $2.5 billion, but I have heard it is closer to $7 billion.”
Tancredo’s figures differ about the cost of the barrier he hopes to create. Tancredo explained the 700-mile barrier would cost $1 million per mile, which would be approximately a total of $700 million dollars. He also added figures could rise because of terrain.
There are clear distinctions between the candidate’s proposed efforts to deal with the immigration issue.
“I will work with Senator John McCain and Senator Salazar for more comprehensive reform for immigration,” Winter said.
Tancredo strongly disagrees with McCain’s stance and stands by his solution.
“I totally oppose John McCain’s immigration policy. He doesn’t have a policy, it’s an amnesty,” Tancredo said.
Besides the immigration focus, this campaign will also bring attention to other issues-issues that affect CU students.
“There has been cut after cut with student loans. I believe this is short-sighted in investing in America’s future,” Winter said. “I will work to restore those programs.”
Both candidates have stressed different issues they are determined to improve.
“There are five important issues I feel strongly about: healthcare, education, Iraq and national security, immigration and environmental issues,” Winter said. “In this district water is a big issue, but also global warming and climate change are.”
Tancredo feels strongly about other issues for the following years if re-elected.
“The war, people call it a war on terror, but in general it’s a war on radical Islam. I support our effort to defend ourselves against radical Islam,” Tancredo said. “So, immigration, the war, cost of transportation and health care are important. We need to allow small businesses to form cooperatives and offer insurance. Health saving accounts are good and I’d like to expand the number of people who can participate and the money put in.”
Winter suggests that students who decided to vote should consider issues that will be affecting the CU student population.
“There are several issues that are of primary importance for (the college) age group. National security and foreign policy, we have a broken military, three-fourths are not combat-ready. It is (the college) age group fighting these wars we are getting into. Global warming and climate change: 40 to 50 years from now, it’s going to be a very different planet, and (the college) age group is going to be right in the middle of it. Here we are, the people making decisions, and we won’t be around when (college-aged people) are getting the problem. National debt: We are paying for the war not by taxes, but by loans from places like China,” Winter said.
According to Tancredo, students should examine a candidate’s consistency.
“Really, I don’t know enough about Winter to characterize his position. I have read his statements, they don’t seem to be consistent. Look for consistency. You may not like the things I say or stand for, but you will know what I stand for,” Tancredo said. “I’ve been there for eight years, and you can’t say I have tried to hide my opinions from my voters. I am far more conservative than Winter.”
According to Tancredo, students would be more likely to vote for Winter because of his liberal views.
“Students should look at the voting records and listen to a speech about what Tancredo has said. They should look into both of the candidates and specifically Tancredo’s voting record.” said Hogue. “A candidate who had a barbeque hosted in his honor by The League of the South, a neo-confederate hate group, that says a lot about his accomplishments as a congressman.”
The College Republicans were contacted for this article, but phone calls were not returned before The Campus Press’ deadline.
