WASHINGTON, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–January 24, 2012. Several weeks ago, the 2.1 million-member Service Employees International Union (SEIU) declared through an endorsement of President Barack Obama and the endorsement of a 99 percent agenda, that working people were ready to fight for a vision of America that includes a pathway to citizenship for every immigrant worker, a stronger middle class and a better future for all working people.
As part of the effort to deliver on this 99 percent agenda, SEIU today announced a joint ad campaign with Priorities USA Action to highlight the two faces of Mitt Romney, including his insincere and disingenuous outreach strategy to Hispanic voters. Mr. Romney has been running Spanish language media ads to try to convince the community that he shares our values but his record on jobs, immigration and education paints a vastly different story.
“Mitt Romney fails to recognize the problem with alleging concern for the Hispanic community while supporting pro-corporate policies, advocating for the inhumane treatment of immigrants so that they will self-deport, railing against the DREAM Act, which allows young, talented Hispanics an opportunity to pursue educational goals; and partnering with Kris Kobach, the godfather of anti-immigrant legislation such as Arizona’s SB 1070,” said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Eliseo Medina.
“The self-deportation rhetoric, which is espoused by Kris Kobach, shows a callous attitude towards the Hispanic community and a lack of understanding about what’s happening in the real world,” Medina said. “It’s going to backfire with them in the Latino community and they are going to find that business people will not be supportive of this idea.”
SEIU is releasing the first ad of the joint ad campaign on Tuesday, Jan. 24. The ad will air in Tampa and Orlando.
“The ad campaign is part of a broader effort to talk to voters about where candidates stand on the core issues that affect working families, and how we can enact policies that work for the 99 percent, not just the 1 percent,” said SEIU National Political Director Brandon Davis. “A core piece of that strategy is supporting candidates who are committed to focusing on good job creation, ending devastating cuts to programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, calling on the rich and large corporations to pay their fair share in taxes and creating a fair pathway to citizenship for immigrants.”
“If elected President, Mitt Romney’s policies would be devastating to Hispanic families. In a Romney administration, the tax burden would shift onto middle class families in order to protect corporations and the wealthiest Americans,” said Paul Begala, Senior Advisor for Priorities USA Action. “Mitt Romney would not only block a path to citizenship for immigrants, he would slash education, repeal healthcare reform and undermine social security and Medicare at a time when we need it most.”
“Working people are looking for candidates to be honest, consistent and straightforward. Mitt Romney is failing on all accounts,” Medina said.
Although the SEIU-Priorities USA Action campaign is targeting Mitt Romney, no current GOP presidential candidate, including Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum, are viable alternatives for Hispanic voters.
To listen to the ad, click here http://action.seiu.org/page/s/DosCaras.
With 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers–not just corporations and CEOs–benefit from today’s global economy. www.seiu.org
Source: seiu.org
