Hispanic voters are more concerned about issues that affect all Americans such as: Election, the economy, health care and the war against terrorism than about immigration, according to a comprehensive survey of Hispanics. As has long been the case, Hispanics are much more concerned about Election than the general public, and they are most likely to say Election will be extremely important in future years according to the survey by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation. While countless national polls place Election as the number one priority for American Hispanics, immigration placed at the bottom of the list must be elevated in priority. The only way this is going to happen is educate everyone on the importance the undocumented bring in future years when they become citizens or USA native born children reach voting age. “Broken Borders” has become the rallying cry for all non Hispanics who are threaten with the dramatic increase in Hispanics in the United States. For those of you who were born here and believe this issue does not impact you – think again. To all non Hispanics, every brown face is one more non wanted person found in the USA.

There are presently 40.5 million Hispanics living in the USA. This is 15% of the entire population in the USA and this percentage will reach 50% in the year 2097 according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Current Hispanic Population (2004) 40,424,528, Hispanics in Labor Force 19,501,923, Hispanics in School (K-12) 8,416,000, Median Net Worth (2002) $7,932, Percent in Poverty (2004) 22.5%.

To those who have been here for a while, Election is the issue. We all believe educating our children is the most important contribution we can make to our children. Our children by all that we value as the most precious members of our society because they represent our future, our continuation of ourselves and therefore, because they are dependent on adults to educate, nourish and sustain them, they are the weakest members of our society and consequently, are the ones who need the most protection. Yet, America’s schools suffer for lack of funding and the use of vouchers only hastens the demise by diluting resources. What are left behind are schools with ever increasing populations of Hispanic students in dilapidated buildings. We need to increase funding for these schools for every dollar taken away by vouchers is a denial of the confidence some have in public Election.

Our mandate will be not to run off seeking better Election in charter schools but to remain behind and make public schools our schools of choice. By others leaving, electing Hispanics to school boards with help from Hispanic professional campaign organizations will provide the opportunity for Hispanics to gain control of public schools.

Other difficulties Hispanics face are sky rocking insurance premiums or diminished benefits, that is, if you have the luxury of having health insurance. There are 43 million persons in the United States without health insurance and 60% of the uninsured are Hispanic.

Housing ownership has also become unreachable if you have a social security card and considered by lenders as minimal risk. Hundred of thousands of undocumented pay Federal taxes through the use of IRS ID numbers but are locked out of traditional lending sources. Home ownership is living the American Dream. Our homes are apartments and our neighborhoods lack services and amenities. Our neighborhoods lack street lights, are full of pot holes in the payment, have broken sidewalks, and there is a lack of public parks and playgrounds open for the length of summer.

Much of this should be addressed by those who hold public office but unfortunately, in Arizona, the dominating voting block is made up of non Hispanic conservative Republican voters be it in school boards, municipalities, or state legislative districts.

It is Anglo conservative Republicans who controls what happens in Arizona from inadequate funds for Election at all levels to the lack of jobs and health services in rural areas. Witness hate bills Arizona lawmakers approve on a daily basis.

The only way to replace the dominance of the conservative non Hispanic voting block is by winning elections at school boards, towns, cities, counties, state districts elections, congressional representation and a Hispanic American governor.

Without the flow of immigrants entering into Arizona and eventually becoming American citizens wining the right to vote, nothing different will take place in Arizona with future generations. Nothing!

This is why immigration should be important to all of us. Some of us arrived sooner in Arizona than others but all are important for our welfare. The bottom line, we need voters. The biggest source of potential voters are the young of the undocumented as they reach voting age to elect Hispanics to office and correct injustices Arizona Hispanics have had to endure ever since non Hispanic Republicans gained dominance in nearly every elective office in Arizona going back to the days of Barry Goldwater.