Latin-Times Media Publications

EDITORIAL BOARD ENDORSEMENT OF District 23

Latin Times Media Publications

Endorses

Tim Canova, For Congressional District 23

Latin Times Condemns Arrogance of

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Refuses To Answer Questionnaire)

Latin Times Condemns Lack of Diversity of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz:

To Work For District 23 Congressional Office-LATINOS NEED NOT APPLY

Latin Times Encourages Latinos to Come Out in Record Numbers to Vote for Tim Canova & Bring Economic Opportunity for Latinos and Minorities of District 23

Latin Times Media Publications, Florida largest Latino dedicated magazine and home of the nationally recognized Cuban Sandwich Festival, has decided to enter key political races of 2016 due to this being the most important Presidential election year for Latinos in the last 50 years. The Latin Times Editorial Board will make endorsements of candidates that will include Latino focused get out to vote work by Latin Times. Our editorial board is focusing on Key Florida races that include the Congressional District 23 where Latinos make up approximately 40% of this Districts population. In that all endorsements will come in general election match-ups, Latin Times chose to make an endorsement in the key Democratic primary of District 23 due to its national significance and since this district is predominately Democratic the winner of the primary will go on to win in the General Election.

The current incumbent of Congressional District 23 is Debbie Wasserman Schultz who also serves as the National Democratic Committee (DNC) that guides and controls the Democratic Party. She has held this congressional seat since 2005 and has gone virtually unopposed since then. There is considerable controversy surrounding Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz as head of the DNC due to establishment politics which means she covers the backs of entrenched elected officials. Her opponent is Tim Canova, a NOVA university law professor who was engaged in Dodd Frank Congressional Wall Street reform legislation after the housing crash that almost put our economy in a death spiral. Mr. Canova has also sat on Wall Street reform panel with former secretary of labor Robert Reich and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz that produced policy recommendations to ensure that our country is never again exposed to such economic threats.

The Latin Times Editorial Board provided both candidates with a questionnaire (actual questions below) that focused on Latinos on their staff which is a benchmark of their views on diversity, how to address the lack of home ownership by Latinos that has resulted in the highest racial wealth gap in 60 years. Their support or lack thereof for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to regulate the predatory Pay Day Lender sector that prey upon Latinos and all Floridians with over 300% interest on short term loans. Their support to providing increased access to a college education for Latinos in their district. And we are a nation of laws and the judicial court system has grown to be racist in both lack of Latino judges that has resulted in a lack of access to justice for Latinos in Broward Country where currently there are on 2 Latino judges.

We must point out that Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who already has a reputation of arrogance, chose to not reply to the questionnaire provided to both candidates. Mr. Canova replied in the requested time. This lack of response is at the very core of why Ms. Wasserman Schultz must be sent home packing to find a job (her entire career has been in politics which is the first warning sign to Latinos). Her lack of response is a slap to the faces of all Latinos that clearly show that she does not care about the overall well-being of Latinos in both her district and Florida and a district where child poverty has risen from 29% (2008) to 40% (2010) according to the Annie Casey Foundation. Minorities account for over 74% of all Florida poverty so that means that most of that child poverty in her district is minority children and mostly Latino.

This is very much related to the issue of Pay Day Lending where studies clearly show that Pay Day Lenders in South Florida average over 300% interest rates and what was supposed to be a temporary 30 day loan averages 3 years due to Latino borrowers not being able to pay it back and it then rolls over. Ms. Wasserman Schultz tried to derail efforts by the CFPB to regulate these Pay Day predators and allow a clearly failed Florida Pay Day lender law to take control. Oh by the way, Ms. Wasserman Schultz had received over $60,000 in donations from Pay Day Lenders. It was only after efforts and support of a recently passed CFPB by Tim Canova and every minority civil rights organizations and negative national press for Wasserman Schultz that she finally agreed to support the CFPB rules to rein in Pay Day Lenders. Mr. Tim Canova has been engaged on the issue of Pay Day lending since the 80s where he worked for the late and respected U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas (D-Mass) and fought against the deregulation of lending standards that eventually led to the recent housing crash that resulted in Latinos losing over 47% of all home equity.

Latinos in Broward County (and District 23) account for only 8% of all bank home loans in 2014. This has dramatically decreased household wealth for Latinos where home equity accounts of a majority of household wealth. Make no mistake that this lack of Latino Wealth has led to lack of political and social power for Latinos that impacts policies. This is why you see a sharp increase in child poverty (40%) in District 23 and Ms. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has done not one thing about this and in fact has sided with Republicans on the ability of the CFPB to have some regulatory impact on home lending. She has shown time and time again that she will side with ESTABLISHMENT politics that is controlled by the few and as economic data shows does not help Latinos build wealth. Mr. Canova’s response on how to create more Latino wealth is to focus on good paying JOBS for Latinos of District 23 and Florida. This will lead to increased home ownership. In short, the best affordable housing project is a good paying job.

A major component of increasing upward financial mobility for Latinos (increasing your paycheck) is with a college education. Every single study shows that those with a college education earn over 150% more than those who do not have a degree. But with Latinos only accounting for 7% of Broward College graduates this is not going to happen. Ms. Debbie Wasserman Schultz did not respond so we can only go by her record of doing NOTHING for Latinos to graduate college. Mr. Tim Canova supports and will push for tuition-free public college and universities though various proposed bills. Make no mistake about this…the reason Latinos are NOT going to college or graduate for those who do go is ECONOMIC. Latinos are not able to pay for college. How many scientist, engineers, architects etc.…has our country lost because Latinos are not receiving advanced college educations due to affordability? Millions and maybe just maybe one of those lost graduates could have found the cure for cancer. Ms. Debbie Wasserman Schultz does nothing while at least Mr. Canova will fight for Latinos to get a free college education.

Now to the last 2 questions (Latinos on Staff and lack of Latino Judges for Broward) that have to do with Diversity and Latinos having fair access and opportunities for employment, careers, access to capital and access to opportunities. What elevates this issue is that Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz also serves as the Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) that is a national position and the DNC brags constantly that they are the party of inclusion and diversity. So with that being the case all national leaders of the DNC should reflect such access and opportunities for Latinos. Let us be clear, if you are Latino and you hire mostly Latinos or all Latinos you are a racist. If you African American and you hire mostly or all African Americans you are a racist. If you are Jewish and you hire mostly or all Jews you are a racist. If you are Asian and you hire mostly or all Asians you are a racist. But when we investigated diversity of the staff of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz we were so appalled by the lack of diversity of her staff in D.C. that we have now labeled Ms. Wasserman Schultz as “LATINOS NEED NOT APPLY”. Here are the DC staff positions and names so you can see for yourself the racism demonstrated by Congresswoman & DNC Chair Wasserman Schultz:

Chief of Staff: Tracie Pough, Dep. Sch.: Anna Stolitzka, Legis. Dir.: Sarah Farhadian, Press Secy.: Geoff Burgan, Veteran Affairs LA: Jonathan Steinberg, Military LA: Sarah Arkin. Child/Family Issues LA: Seth Extein, Health LA: Sarah Farhadian, Financial Services LA: Sarah Farhadian, Foreign Policy LA: Sarah Arkin, Education LA: Seth Extein, Agriculture LA: Seth Extein, Telecomm LA: Seth Extein, Elections LA: Sarah Farhadian, Energy LA: Seth Extein, Environment LA: Seth Extein, Firearms LA: Sarah Farhadian, Judiciary LA: Sarah Farhadian, Tax LA: Sarah Farhadian, Transportation LA: Seth Extein. Trade LA: Sarah Arkin, Commerce LA: Sarah Arkin, Commerce LA: Seth Extein, Labor LA: Seth Extein, Budget LA: Sarah Arkin, Arts/Humanities LA: Jonathan Steinberg, Civil Rights LA: Sarah Farhadian, Government Affairs LA: Sarah Farhadian, Housing LA: Sarah Farhadian, Medicare/Medicaid LA: Sarah Farhadian, Appropriations LA: Sarah Arkin, Science/Technology LA: Seth Extein, Social Security LA: Sarah Farhadian, Space – NASA LA: Seth Extein, Pensions LA: Seth Extein, Animal Welfare LA: Seth Extein, Women’s Issues LA: Sarah Farhadian, Native American Affairs LA: Jonathan Steinberg, Immigration LA: Sarah Arkin, Homeland Security LA: Sarah Arkin, LC: Jonathan Steinberg, Dep. Chief of Staff: Rosalyn Kumar, Dist. Director: Jodi Davidson, Staff Contact: Jonathan Steinberg

This obvious lack of access for Latinos with Ms. Wasserman Schultz is troubling but clearly demonstrates her lack of leadership and respect for Latinos. But this lack of diversity by the head of the DNC fuels and feeds racism throughout Broward. This is clearly shown in the lack of Latino Judges for Broward. We can only see 2 Latino Judges. In a county that is over 40% Latino. This importance of this is that we are a Nation of Laws that rule almost every facet of our lives. These judges pass on their social and economic DNA that then tell us how to think and act. Since 90% of all Broward Judges are white that then means they will dictate for us to think and act as the do. Such Judicial racism dictates the lives of all Latinos. This then leads to social and economic racism and again why child poverty in District 23 has grown by over 40% (mostly Latino). Make no mistake about this that Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz feeds this racism. To the credit of Mr. Tim Canova, he states that his office and the make-up of judges must look like the district and America. A Diverse America and District 23. Latinos, African Americans, White, LGBT etc.…this is what America must be and work toward. Access and opportunities for all and that ALL MEN AND WOMEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.

Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz is bad for Latinos in District 23 and all of Florida. We encourage Latinos of District 23 to come out and vote in this Democratic primary of District 23 and vote for Tim Canova. If Latinos help Tim Canova defeat Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz this will be heard across Florida and America. What they will hear is that Latinos matter and you must show us respect by actions and not just words. The Latin Times Media Publications Editorial board proudly endorses Mr. Tim Canova as the next congressional representative of Florida District 23.

Questions Sent To Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Tim Canova:

Pay Day Lenders have had a detrimental impact on Latinos of District 23 with Pay Day Loans having an average interest rate of over 300% and over 70% of the lenders having to take a second loan to pay back the initial loan. Do you support having the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) having complete regulatory control over pay day lenders?

The racial wealth gap is now at an historic high over the past 60 years. A PEW Institute study found that Latinos lost over 49% of its home equity as a result of the 2008 housing crash. The lack of home ownership and home equity by Latinos is the driving force behind this rising racial wealth gap. What do you propose to increase both the home ownership and home equity for Latinos in your district?

Latinos continually lack in having adequate representation in judicial positions. In Broward, Latinos represent less than 3% of all judges. What will you do to reverse this racial discrimination in the legal system of Broward County? Do you support the call for the appointment of more Latino Federal Judges that better represent the population of the Latino population of Florida?

It is estimated that Latinos only represent 7% of college attendees for Broward County. The biggest hurdle for Latinos to attend college is the lack of financial ability to pay tuition. What do you propose to increase the number of Latinos that attend and graduate from college?

Latinos represent 40% of District 23. What will you do to ensure that Latinos make up a percentage of your congressional staff that is reflective of this % of population in your district?