Sánchez delivers for Brown and Sutton

La Prensa Staff Writer

Lorain/Toledo/Cleveland: Energetic U.S. Congresswoman Linda Sánchez sojourned to Ohio this past week to campaign on behalf of her colleague U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown, who is running for the U.S. Senate against Senator Mike DeWine, and Betty Sutton, who is running for Brown’s House seat (District 13).

Rep. Linda Sánchez congratulates Santos Rodríguez (El Tejano de Crystal City) on his 81st birthday, Nov. 2nd.

“I came at the request of Sherrod Brown, who has stood up for economic justice. He is a warrior,” said Sánchez, referring to Brown’s longtime opposition to NAFTA and CAFTA.

On Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006, she attended a Sutton fundraiser at the Jackalope Bar in Lorain. On Saturday, she was a guest of Baldemar Velásquez (president of FLOC) and Roberto Torres (TPS Board member) at the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) headquarters in Toledo.

Toledo City Councilwoman Lourdes Santiago and Lucas County Recorder Anita López were present and urged Latinos/as to get involved in the political process and vote on Nov. 7, 2006.

Sánchez fielded questions and concerns from the audience at FLOC’s Townhall-style meeting, after receiving a warm welcome by Velásquez and Torres.

She informed the gathering that this was the first time she was in Ohio to answer questions and listen to concerns about immigration issues.

Toledo City Councilperson Lourdes Santiago expressing point at FLOC’s Town Hall meeting with U.S. Rep. Linda Sánchez.

Members of the audience, including Beatriz Maya of FLOC, expressed concerns of the harshness of HB 4437 and HB 6061, lack of immigration reform (as exemplified in the Kennedy/McCain Bill), and the construction of 700 miles of wall along the Mexican/U.S. border.

Linda Sánchez with Roberto Torres & Baldemar Velásquez at FLOC Headquarters

Sánchez expressed that the Republicans have concentrated on “Border Security” issues these past months in expectation that such strict measures would aid the Republicans’ quest to maintain majority control of Congress.

“These are hot button, wedge issues such as gay marriage issues that were presented to the voters in the 2004 elections,” said Sánchez, “but Bush is not serious about immigration reform.”

Baldemar Velásquez and U.S. Rep. Linda Sánchez with Bob Vásquez, candidate for Toledo City Council.

Arturo Quintero, a veteran, was in attendance and expressed concerns over the recent passage of bills into law, authorizing the president and the military to ignore many of the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to torture. “This law places U.S. soldiers at risk.”

Sánchez hails from California and is the youngest of seven children. Her parents are from México (Sonora). Sánchez represents the 39^th district of California. Her older sister, Loretta, represents the 47^th Congressional district (see story on page 2 of La Prensa).

This is the first time two sisters have been U.S. representatives at the same time and is comparable to the Salazár brothers of Colorado.

Sánchez was a former school teacher, who then attended law school at UCLA, and subsequently became a labor activist and advocate. She is the first Latina on the House’s Judiciary Committee and sits on the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Control, and Claims.