HispanicVista Columnists

California-Mexico: The Rift

By Sal Osio

 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is unwittingly creating a rift with Mexico. His round robin world tour, excluding Mexico, California's principal trade partner, is perceived as snubbing Mexico. And rightly so.

 Insult to injury, the governor volunteered to reopen the Tokyo trade office with Japan, California's second principal trade partner, at his own expense by contributing royalties from endorsements to finance the trade office. He has not done the same for Mexico. This is a short sided attitude with Mexico since California business is the most affected by a lack of a customized link with Mexico.

 Why is the governor who says that he loves Mexico so lacking in statesmanship?

 The most obvious answer is that he thinks that he is following the mandate of the majority of the electorate who is opposed to illegal immigration. This includes California Hispanics. Regrettably he is confusing the opposition to undocumented workers as carrying over to the denial of their human rights. This is the mistake that former Governor Peter Wilson, whom Governor Schwarzenegger embraces, made to his lasting legacy as a mean spirited anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic bigoted opportunist.

 In California there is a legitimate concern for issuing driver's licenses to undocumented workers. Notwithstanding the logic in legalizing a de facto necessity and better protecting our security and drivers accountability. The legitimate concern is that we will reward the illegal residents with a privilege and entitlement that should be rightly limited to legal residents. This concern could be resolved by issuing yearly renewable driver license permits to all who qualify under our insurance and testing requirements, including background checks and finger print identification. This restricted license - Temporary Driver's License - could also be made available to non-permanent residents, such as visa visitors, workers and students. With a stroke of the pen this issue could be resolved to the reasonable satisfaction of conscientious Californias. I say conscientious because, the Governor must take into account that a populist electorate includes the bigoted, non-Sermon on the Mount church going Christians, who are opposed to the humane treatment of undocumented workers. This is the group to whom the Governor is pandering, at the expense of civil relations with Mexico. And at the expense of California Hispanics, who although opposed to illegal immigration, nonetheless, are concerned for the decent treatment of undocumented workers who are de facto welcome to fill the low wage and intensive labors that are needed by our agricultural and service sectors.

 Why offer the undocumented workers jobs that we Californians are unwilling to fill and then slap them on the face because they accepted the work offered them? If we did not offer the undocumented the opportunity to work, clearly, they would stay home. But we do not enforce our existing laws against the employers who offer these jobs ... because we need their labor.

 The Governor must rise above the capricious polls of public opinion, the variable winds, and must set his sail, as the captain of ship California, to direct our course. He must endorse a temporary restricted drivers license to undocumented workers, for the benefit of all Californians. He must follow a more respectful and cordial relationship with Mexico. He must reopen the California trade office in Mexico. He must surround himself with California Hispanic leaders in order to gain meaningful insight and sound advice, instead of political cronies with an ear to the most recent polls. In this manner California will cement its good and beneficial relationship with Mexico and with the California Hispanic community as well.

 The Governor will ignore the above at his peril, at the expense of California and to the detriment of his legacy.

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Sal Osio, JD is the Publisher of HispanicVista.com. Contact at SPOsio@aol.com