El Editor - Bilingual newspaper for Latinos in Lubbock, Odessa and West Texas - Hispanic news:State & National News

Racial Profiling is Hard to Prove or Disprove Except in Arpaio Case

For many Hispanics living in Maricopa County, Arizona, the name of their Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, conjures up images of racism, police raids and immigration sweeps under the pretense of checking for traffic offenses; just so that residents can be asked

Expanded Medicaid Costs Lower Than First Estimated

Recently, Texas Governor Rick Perry rejected the Medicaid expansion for Texans who have no health insurance as called for in the Affordable Healthcare Act. Republicans had previously cited the increase in costs to the state as one of the reasons

Wells Fargo to Pay $175 Million to Settle Lawsuit

Wells Fargo Bank has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice on behalf of some black and Hispanic mortgage loan customers. Those customers claimed that independent brokers contracted by Wells Fargo had charged higher rates and

Immigration Rally at State Capitol

If conservative, Republican state legislators think it will be easy to pass what they loosely refer to as immigration reform laws; and that people from around the state will just sit idly by and do nothing; Tuesday should dispel them of that notion.

ALL TEXANS ARE HURT BY CURRENT BUDGET PROPOSAL � WE DESERVE BETTER FROM PERRY

The base budget that came out last night shows how bad a cuts-only approach is. Texas cannot afford to leave its people in the dust. This budget means less safe streets, crowded class rooms, middle class families unable to afford send their kids to

STATE RACES PRODUCE SAME RESULTS

In case you missed it; Texans will get another 4 years of Rick Perry�s �crony politics�. He won an unprecedented third term by besting former Houston Mayor Democrat Bill White. In the race for Lt. Governor, Democrat Linda Chavez-Thompson put up a

When Being Poor Is a Crime

Gregory White could not pay a $339 fine. So, the City of New Orleans imprisoned him for 198 days, costing over $3,500. A man in Washington State was jailed for two weeks for his legal debts. How much did he owe? $60. In a time when states are

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS SOME PROVISIONS IN ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW

Just one day before Arizona�s new immigration enforcement law, SB1070, was to take effect, a federal Judge in Phoenix has blocked the most controversial provisions in the law from taking effect. Judge Susan Bolton�s ruling prohibits local police

�SIX FLAGS OVER TEXAS�? WRONG! THERE WERE SEVEN

On April 6th 1813, after a year of bloody warfare Jose Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara Uribe, declared that Texas was free and independent of Spanish rule. The First Texas Republic�the forgotten history of our Tejanos, these first sons and daughters of

2010 CENSUS FORMS ARRIVE IN 120 MILLION MAILBOXES ACROSS NATION

WASHINGTON, March 15 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Asking just 10 questions and taking about 10 minutes to complete, 2010 Census forms began arriving in 120 million mailboxes across the nation today -- just the 23rd time the country has undertaken

BIDAL AGUERO 23 JULIO del 1949 � 4 NOVIEMBRE de 2009

Alrededor de las 6:30 horas de esta noche, Martes, 3 de noviembre 2009, Bidal Ag�ero, de 60 años, originario de Lubbock, y un local líder de derechos civiles, falleció.

Nació el 23 de julio 1949.

Estaba casado con Olga Ag�ero.

"�l

The End of the Beginning

Judge Sonia Sotomayor�s confirmation to the United State Supreme Court is an uber-historic landmark that goes to the core of our nationhood.

The United States of America is intentionally a nation-state designed for inclusion of

OBAMA TALKS ABOUT LATINO PRIORITIES

WASHINGTON, D.C. � President Barack Obama outlined national and international priorities and their effect on the domestic Hispanic and hemisphere populations in an Aug. 7 round-table press meeting with Hispanic Link News Service and

Tweeting From Iran

As I write this, the theocrats, with their police and Besij goons, are breaking up street demonstrators in Tehran and in other Iranian cities. The government there has stopped international journalists reporting from the street and

THOUGHTS THAT GREET THE APPROACHING SUMMER

Hispanic Link News Service

EL PASO, Texas � Nothing tears me up as thoroughly as Rodolfo�s cry of anguish in La Boheme when he realizes that Mimi has died. So much pain. So many regrets. A fitting finale to a full life.

THE LONE WOLF THEORY OF MURDER

Hispanic Link News Service

HOUSTON, Texas �James W. Von Brunn, 88 years old, is the alleged lone wolf who went into the U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on June 10. Steven T. Jones, the 39-year-old security guard, in an act of

HOT WATER OVER A VIRUS

HOUSTON, Texas � You know the old refrain: When the United States catches a cold Mexico gets pneumonia. Now it seems, with the H1N1 flu outbreak, Mexico has pneumonia and the U.S. (so far) only has a cold.

In my family, the threat of a flu

U.S. Immigrants, México Blamed for Swine Flu

Hispanic Link News Service

U.S. health and civil rights experts have been quick to counter allegations that undocumented Mexicans are spreading swine flu throughout this country. The virus is identified as the H1N1 (swine flu)

REPUBLICAN KAMIKAZES AT WORK

Hispanic Link News Service

HOUSTON, Texas � Before the 2006 midterm elections, chances looked good that a Republican leadership approach of benign neglect of banking and finance, admiration of a growing income gap between the

Federal Campaign Funds Organization Identified as Hate Group

One of the many non-profit charities supported by the Combined Federal Campaign � the annual fundraising drive of federal workers, which collects and disburses hundreds of millions of dollars annually � is considered by the Southern Poverty

FOR HISPANICS, 2010 CENSUS MIXES HOPES, FEARS

The April 1 Decennial Census kickoff next year is already attracting lots of cooperation and some apprehension among leaders of Hispanic organizations. As they pledge to work closely with the U.S. Census Bureau on outreach, they are

BARACK OBAMA�S GRANDMOTHER DIES

Her name came up often in his campaign for president. The President Elect mentioned her in glowing terms and talked about how she had made sacrifices in her life so that he and his sister could take advantage of educational opportunities.

EDITORIAL: IT�S TIME TO GET THE COUNTRY BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Now that the election for president is over and we have elected Barack Obama as the person who will lead our nation and set our political agenda for the next 4 years; we hope things begin to move in the right direction.

By that we mean that we

A REFLECTION ON THE HISPANIC ROLE IN THE 2008 ELECTION

When I agreed to lead Sen. Hillary Clinton's efforts to attract Latino voters during the presidential primaries, I believed she was the most qualified candidate for the job, in part because she had built a profound and lasting relationship with

POLL SUGGESTS LATINO VOTERS MIGHT BE DIFFERENCE MAKERS IN FOUR KEY STATES

A significant percentage of Latino voters in key election states � Florida, Colorado, New

Mexico and Nevada � are either undecided or still open to persuasion in the presidential contest, according to a new national survey.

�The Latino vote

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS - ARLINGTON TO OFFER FREE TUITION

If your son or daughter wants to go to college but cannot afford to; you may be in luck.

The University of Texas at Arlington just announced that students with a family income of $65,000 or less per year may be eligible for free tuition.

HOW ARE HISPANICS BEING IMPACTED BY THE ECONOMIC CRISIS?

While the current economic crisis seems to have had a huge economic impact in other parts of the country; the Lubbock area economy has remained fairly stable.

What is impossible to know is just how the Lubbock Hispanic/Latino community has been

HUNGER STRIKE LAUNCHED OVER FEDERAL RAIDS, IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

Described by its organizers as the largest hunger strike in U.S. history, a 21-day demonstration beginning Oct. 15 intends to draw attention to voter mobilization and immigrant rights.

The fast, to be launched in a ceremony at Los Angeles�

TEXAS LEGISLATOR CONTINUES CRUSADE AGAINST IMMIGRANTS

According to a report in the Austin American Statesman; State Rep. Leo Berman from Tyler has asked the state Attorney General to rule on whether �providing college tuition benefits to illegal immigrants violates federal law�.

Berman cites a

AMERICAN ECONOMY LOSES 159,000 JOBS IN SEPTEMBER

While the Lubbock area continues to enjoy fairly low unemployment; the US Labor Department reported this past week that 159,000 jobs were lost in September. That brings the total to 750 thousand jobs lost this year alone. September marks the ninth

HOUSE FOLLOWS SENATE; PASSES BAILOUT BILL

After playing politics the first time around; the US House of Representatives passed a massive Senate version of a federal bailout bill; albeit with an additional over 100 billion dollars targeting special projects designed to entice certain House

DALLAS SCHOOL DISTRICT IN SEVERE MONEY TROUBLE

The Dallas Morning News reported this past Tuesday that 160 central staff positions were cut from the Dallas Independent School District administrative staff in order to address a very substantial budget shortfall.

The jobs elimination came about

NO KNOCKOUT PUNCHES AT PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

If you�re an Obama supporter you probably think he won on Friday; if you support McCain you probably were able to overlook his unease at the debate and think that he won.

But what really may count is what undecided voters think after Friday

WALL STREET MELTDOWN

Disaster, disaster, disaster. Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike, a 100 year flood in Lubbock, Russian invasion of Georgia, Korea going nuclear, Obama choosing Biden. When you think it can�t get worse � Wall Street Melts Down. Wow, What a Ride!!!

For

USCIS TO ADMINISTER REDESIGNED NATURALIZATION EXAM STARTING OCTOBER 1, 2008

In September 2007, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (�USCIS�) announced its intention to implement a redesigned naturalization test to assess the English-language and civics proficiency of applicants for U.S. citizenship. The

HISPANIC AGENDA SET BY NHLA

The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda; a consortium of national Hispanic organizations has been in existence since 1991. Some of its members include the League of United Latin American Citizens; and the National Council of La Raza; and the Mexican

Editorial: Taxpayer Bailout is Corporate Welfare

You�ve heard the expression; �stuff rolls downhill�.

Well, American taxpayers should get ready for a whole lot of stuff as those responsible for minding the store have once again raided the shelves and left us high and dry.

Seven hundred

�STOP THE HATE� WEBSITE LAUNCHED

Washington, DC�A revamped website launched by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) documents how hate groups in the U.S. have been reenergized by the immigration debate and how the growing intolerance fanned by these groups is leading to a record

LULAC ASKS US JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO INITIATE INVESTIGATION INTO HISPANIC BEATING

Washington, DC � The last beating in July led to the death of a Mexican immigrant.

And now the League of United Latin American Citizens in response to news that another young Latino boy has been beaten in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania calls on the

REMEMBERING 9-11

As you read this week�s edition of El Editor; we hope you take a moment to remember the 7th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on our country.

It is difficult not to remember those days when we looked at out television screens and

LISTENING TO THE SOUNDS OF OUR HERITAGE

WASHINGTON, D.C. � Ever since Lyndon Johnson proclaimed Hispanic Heritage Week in 1978, I�ve had mixed feelings about such a happening.

Don�t get me wrong. Annual celebrations and commemorations are important. Subtly, they can provide the paste

RUNAWAY MEDIA CONSOLIDATION IS UNDERMINING QUALITY JOURNALISM

A shadow hung over the fourth UNITY: Journalists of Color convention this summer in Chicago. I spoke with dozens of veteran journalists talented younger ones there. The level of despair about the profession and their own job status was surprising.

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION THIN ON HISPANIC DELEGATES

According to Hispanic Business.com; Hispanics accounted for only 12% of the recently concluded Democratic National Convention held in Denver.

The magazine�s website cites figures provided by the Democratic National Convention which stated that out

CENSUS CONFIRMS BIG PICTURE CHANGING

HOUSTON-- What will you be doing in 2050?

I expect that I will have hit the canvas before then. After all, that�s two full generations away. Nonetheless, the Census Bureau is thinking ahead. It has projected how many of us will be around that

HISPANICS ARE ONE IN FIVE OF ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS NATIONWIDE

WASHINGTON - The number of Hispanic students in the nation's public schools nearly doubled from 1990 to 2006, accounting for 60% of the total growth in public school enrollments over that period. Presently, 10 million Hispanic students attend the

IMMIGRATION ROUNDUP IN MISSISSIPPI

Not since 2006 when Immigration Custom Enforcement teams representing Homeland Security agents have so many illegal immigrants been rounded up.

This past Monday, the 25th, Homeland security ICE agents raided a company by the name of Howard

TOM DELAY MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES MAY BE DROPPED

Call it a technicality or call it a miscarriage of justice; but it seems that former Texas Congressman Tom DeLay may once again beat the system.

The Associated Press is reporting that DeLay night get the charges of money laundering dismissed

BARACK OBAMA�S PLAN TO GAIN CRUCIAL HISPANIC.VOTE

Cuauhtémoc �Temo� Figueroa has worked on many political campaigns during his career but his role for the Obama campaign is his most prominent. As the Latino Vote Director for the Democratic presidential candidate, his job is convincing Latino voters

ARCHEOLOGICAL SURVEY ORGANIZED; HOPEFUL OF FINDING �MEDINA� BATTLESITE

The �Battle of Medina,� was the biggest and bloodiest battle ever fought on Texas soil. Over a thousand Tejanos sacrificed their lives for freedom that to this day remain unknown and unrecognized for their ultimate sacrifice.

On Sunday August 24,

TSTA SUES TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY; FAILS TO GET INJUNCTION ON GRANT DISBURSEMENT

Is it non-profit organizations or the public school systems in Texas which are responsible to make sure that kids who drop out of high school are getting some much needed assistance?

That question will have to wait to be decided in the legal

TSTA SUES TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY; FAILS TO GET INJUNCTION ON GRANT DISBURSEMENT

Is it non-profit organizations or the public school systems in Texas which are responsible to make sure that kids who drop out of high school are getting some much needed assistance?

That question will have to wait to be decided in the legal

�I�M SORRY MY ACTIONS CAUSED YOU PAIN�; 9 MINUTES LATER MURDERER IS DEAD

With those words; Mexican national Jose Medellin apologized to the parents of his young teenage victim. �I hope this brings you the closure that you seek�.

Medellin�s execution had garnered additional media scrutiny because Medellin came to the

35 STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM UNM/LULAC NATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in conjunction with the University of New Mexico (UNM) graduated high school students from a summer youth leadership development program that is funded by the Department of Energy.

The students

TEXAS JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF TEXAS LULAC ON �EQUAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES"

In Texas, students who speak primarily Spanish have always been somewhat challenged when being taught because for whatever reason they have limited English speaking skills.

Last year U.S. Senior District Judge William Wayne Justice had ruled that

�GET YOUR MEXICAN BOYFRIEND OUT OF HERE�; CONFRONTATION ENDS IN DEATH

In a clear indication of the strained relationships between ethnic groups in some communities is beginning to physically show; now comes this story from a small town in Pennsylvania. Here�s an excerpt from the local newspaper:

�According to a

FROM THE BRIDGE TO NOWHERE TO A BRIDGE TO JAIL FOR REPUBLICAN SENATOR FROM ALASKA

The Alaska Senator; once so powerful that he once managed to get the Senate to vote to build a bridge to nowhere is on the verge of going to jail.

Alaska Senator and senior republican in the Senate Ted Stevens was indicted on Tuesday on seven

NEW SLATE OF OFFICERS ELECTED AND TOP AWARDS GIVEN BY NATIONAL PRESIDENT ROSA ROSALES AT LULAC 79TH CONVENTION

National Latina leader re-elected as National President of the largest and oldest Hispanic organization in the country

League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) conducted its national elections the final day of the 2008 convention and

NOOSE LAWS BEING ENACTED BY SOME STATES

While some states have taken steps to outlaw the hanging of a noose in public a view a crime; Texas is probably a long way from following suit.

Most recently; New York and Connecticut have passed state laws making it a �crime punishable by

JALAPENO RECALL IN MCALLEN, TEXAS

HEB grocery stores throughout Texas this past week recalled one of the staples of many American diets; the good old Jalapeno pepper.

National media is reporting that a salmonella tainted jalapeno was found among some produce in an Agricola

MINIMUM WAGE TO GO UP TO $6.55 PER HOUR

WASHINGTON � The U.S. Department of Labor reminds employers and employees that the federal minimum wage will increase to $6.55 on Thursday, July 24. With this change, employees who are covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will be

ONE BAD MOVE IS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER AT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

When it comes to providing state services to individuals in need of healthcare or food stamps; Health and Human Services Commissioner Albert Hawkins just doesn�t get it.

Now comes word out of Austin that the previous debacle by Hawkins when he

ACLU Calls on Congress to Investigate FBI�s Reported Racial and Ethnic Profiling Plan

Washington, DC � In light of tomorrow�s Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on the U.S. Department of Justice, the ACLU urges Congress to investigate the FBI�s reported racial and ethnic profiling plan. Although the guidelines do not require

As Presidential candidates speak at La Raza Convention, Hispanic voters are carefully weighing their Words

By Janet Murgu�a

Health care, homeownership and immigration are top voter concerns this election season.

For the past year, these issues have saturated newspaper headlines, taken over radio and television broadcasts, and dominated

COMENTARIO: RENOVAR LOS LAZOS DE PATRIOTISMO EN EL DIA DE INDEPENDENCIA

Dallas TX.- El diputado estatal por el Distrito 104 de Dallas, Roberto Alonzo, lanzó hoy un llamado a la comunidad latina en general para que renueven con este país sus lazos de �patriotismo� ahora que este próximo 4 de julio se cumplen 232 años de

PBS � STILL STONEWALLING �IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

HOUSTON-- Word is out that PBS is providing funding for a two-hour documentary about Latinos in the military. �The War Within� is tentatively scheduled for a two-hour airing in 2010.

It�s welcomed news. And still, it�s bittersweet for reasons that

ACLU Sues Department Of Homeland Security For Information On Deaths In Immigration Detention Centers

WASHINGTON � The American Civil Liberties Union today sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the DHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for refusing to turn over thousands of public documents

TED KENNEDY UNDERGOES BRAIN SURGERY

In an effort to remove as much of the tumor recently discovered in Senator Ted Kennedy�s brain; doctors at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina performed a surgical procedure on the Senator on Monday June 2, 2008.

After the

NCLR PRESIDENT CALLS FOR SMART, HUMANE, AND EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND LABOR LAWS

Washington, DC� Today at a hearing before the Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee to address the impact of immigration raids on the workplace, children, and families, Janet Murguía, National Council of La

PEW HISPANIC CENTER RELEASES STATISTICAL PORTRAIT OF HISPANIC WOMEN IN THE U.S.

Annual births to Hispanic women in the United States exceeded one million for the first time in 2006, and one-in-four children in the U.S. under the age of five is Hispanic, according to new reports from the U.S. Census Bureau. Hispanics now make up

TEXAS A&M TO REPLACE GATES WITH FIRST HISPANIC FEMALE

The Dallas Morning news described her this way: �First woman. First minority. First person under 50�.

A little over a year since Robert Gates left the A&M presidency to head up the United States Department of Defense; A&M Regents are poised to

AMID MAY DAY RALLIES MALDEF RECALLS ACTS OF VIOLENCE BY LAPD AGAINST PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS

May 7, 2008 � Last Thursday, thousands of supporters gathered for the annual May Day immigration reform rallies in major cities across the nation. In Los Angeles, MALDEF attorneys and plaintiffs observed the one-year anniversary of the police

SUPREME COURT RULES ON VOTER ID LAW

In the not too distant future, voters may want to make sure they take more than their voter registration card to the polls if they want to vote in an election.

In a 6-3 vote, the United States Supreme Court ruled that states could legally require

MALDEF CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF CHAMPIONING LATINO CIVIL RIGHTS AT ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE

Founded in 1968, MALDEF, the nation�s leading Latino legal organization is celebrating its 40th year of existence. The organization which �promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through litigation, advocacy, community education and outreach,

MALDEF SETTLES LAWSUIT IN OTERO COUNTY, NEW MEXICO; SHERIFF�S DEPARTMENT COMMITS TO PROTECTING RIGHTS OF ALL LATINOS

APRIL 14, 2008 � The Mexican American Defense Fund achieved an important victory in protecting the rights of Latinos and establishing standards which local law enforcement agencies should follow. The settlement with the Otero County, New Mexico

SUPREME COURT RULES ON DEATH BY LETHAL INJECTION

Is death by lethal injection cruel and unusual punishment as two condemned prisoners had claimed?

The Supreme Court, by a vote of 7-2 doesn�t think so. The Court ruled on Wednesday that death by lethal injection is constitutional and does not

SHOULD LATINOS VOTE FOR THE INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE?

Should Latinos vote Republican again?

Just kidding.

Without question, today�s Latino voter has become a much more sophisticated constituent.

Having been disillusioned with the Democrats for a long time, in the

2004

SINGER EMILIO NAVAIRA STILL IN CRITICAL CONDITION

The latest news out of Houston is that Emilio Navaira remains in critical condition at a Houston area hospital. The Houston Chronicle was reporting that Navaira had undergone a medical procedure to repair what is known as a �pseudo aneurysm � a

MURDERS AND DRUG WARS REPLACE MARIACHI MUSIC AND NIGHTLIFE IN JUAREZ

Many Lubbock residents might remember those crazy weekends of their youth when they would pile into the car late Friday evening and make the 6 hour drive west to El Paso. There they would cross over into Juarez for the weekend and greet the morning

TWO CONTRACTOR�S DEATHS CONFIRMED BY FBI

Ronald J. Withrow of Roaring Springs, Tex., and John Roy Young of Kansas were confirmed dead by the FBI this past week. Withrow and Young were among 5 contractors who were kidnapped in Iraq more than a year ago.

Just recently, the severed finger

THE LATINO DIVIDE ON THE IRAQ WAR

As eventually happened with Vietnam, U.S. military involvement in Iraq is pulling Hispanics in two directions. Maybe three.

Numbers tell some of the story. The latest Pew Hispanic Center poll found less than a quarter of Latinos (24 percent)