Lincoln Club of Orange County
MEDIA STATEMENT REGARDING
Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly’s exploratory committee to run for CA Governor
Orange County, CA (Nov. 29, 2012) – Robert Loewen, president of The Lincoln Club of Orange County, a group of conservative business leaders and political donors, issued the following statement regarding Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly’s announcement yesterday that he will form an exploratory committee to run for California Governor in 2014:”Assemblyman Donnelly’s views on immigration do not represent the views of the Lincoln Club of Orange County, nor do I believe he represents the views of most Republicans or Californians. We cannot support Republicans who continually target immigrants, who are members of our community, as scapegoats for their own political advantage. It’s time for all elected officials, Democrats and Republicans, to stop dividing our state along ethnic lines and start looking for practical solutions to the problems that affect all of us.”
He continued: “We, as conservative Republicans, call upon members of our party in Congress to support real reforms to our antiquated immigration laws. That includes creating a 21st-century, market-based, temporary-worker system that pairs labor with businesses needs and gives both future immigrants and those illegal immigrants who are already here an opportunity to gain legal status so they no longer have to live in fear.”
Last year, the Lincoln Club adopted a three-point Immigration Reform Policy Statement that features a temporary guest-worker program and a pathway to legal residency, not citizenship. The policy statement, which can be found online at http://www.lincolnclub.org/aboutus/immigration-statement/ includes support for increasing border security and employer enforcement, but calls for the creation of a modern guest-worker program that allows both foreign workers and illegal immigrants already here to apply for temporary work permits, provided they pay certain fees and meet certain requirements such as proof of employment and passing a criminal background check.
Founded in 1962, the Lincoln Club of Orange County is an association of business men and women and professionals who support candidates and causes to limit the size of government, and promote low taxes and pro-business policies. More info: www.lincolnclub.org.
###
The Lincoln Club’s “THREE-POINT, COMMON-SENSE APPROACH” (http://www.lincolnclub.org/aboutus/immigration-statement/) has one obvious flaw — it’s expected that an in-country illegal will correctly identify him/herself and be issued a “tamper proof smart card”.
Should anyone be expected to voluntarily give that information to anyone, and especially the US government?