We are a group of men and women who believe Dan Seals has shown a commitment to and understanding of Latino issues. In 2008, 70% of Latino voters voted for Dan (icirr.org). We hope even more of us will come out to support Dan in 2010!

Economic Recovery

There is a tremendous amount of economic pain in our community.  A lot of people have asked Dan about what can be done to address it. Recently, Dan Seals held a forum addressing economic recovery in our communities.  With unemployment up 56% from last year in the 10th District, we need an economic solution to help middle and working class families.

Dan knows that that not only do we have to get men and women back to work right now, we have to invest in solutions to spur long term economic growth.  He believes that we need to take three major steps to turn this economy around.

His plan to economic recovery includes:

• Expanding loan availability for small businesses;
• Reduce the costs of health care, energy, and education that so many families struggle to meet;
• Reducing the national debt and make our educational globally competitive.

Health Care

We spend twice as much on healthcare as the average industrialized nation, and get poorer results for our population and our companies.  Dan has trouble accepting that every other industrialized country has figured out how to solve this problem, while we continue to struggle with it.  His view of health care reform includes a commitment to lower costs, improve quality, and expand coverage.

Education

“The Illinois Federation of Teachers is proud to endorse Dan Seals for the 10th Congressional District. Dan has a track record of working tirelessly to improve the lives of the people living in his district, and we know he will continue that leadership in Congress. Dan Seals personifies the type of leader we want in Washington fighting for public education.” – IFT President Ed Geppert, Jr.

It has been said that at the starting line of life, everyone deserves an equal opportunity.  Our education system needs to reflect that aspiration.  From early education to adult education, Dan Seals believes that we need to make changes in order to ensure that more Americans are able to compete in the international marketplace.  Dan began his career as a teacher in Japan and continues to teach at Northwestern University because education is important to him.

Immigration Reform

It is time we moved passed empty rhetoric and pursued practical solutions. Dan opposed building a fence along the Mexican border to curtail illegal immigration because he understands what too many partisans do not: immigrants come to this country because they are driven by hope for a better life for themselves and their families. That kind of hope is strong and no wall is going to stop it.

But he also understands our immigration system is badly broken. He advocates the following:

Secure the Border. Any immigration reforms must begin with securing our border.  The best way to do this is by providing a sufficient amount of border patrol and technology to guard the border—and to have adequate capacity to hold those whom we detain.

Engage Mexico. While we must guard our borders to both the north and the south, much of the attention is focused on the southern border.  Dan believes that we must re-engage the government of Mexico. They need to take some of the responsibility for controlling the flow of people across the border.

Enforce the Law. Today we send a mixed message to those who come across the border.  On the one hand, we say that it is illegal to come here.  On the other, if you make it you can have a job, buy a home, send money home, etc.  Clearly, our actions have spoken louder than our words.  To fix this problem we have to mean what we say.  We must enforce the law with employers so that they employ only people who are able to work here legally. To help employers do that, we should do more to crack down on those who create counterfeit documentation.

Set conditions. It is estimated that there are as many as 12 million undocumented workers living in the U.S. That’s about the entire population of Illinois. How do you manage 12 million people?  Dan prefers a practical approach by setting the following conditions:  In order to stay in the U.S., undocumented workers must  1) pass a criminal background check, 2) prove that they are financially independent, 3) pay a fine for entering the country illegally, and 4) go to the end of the line to apply for legal status.

Finally, Dan encourages all constituents to refrain from making hate-filled comments that too often color and corrupt this debate. These comments only work against finding real solutions to this serious problem.

Racial Profiling

A person’s race, religion, ethnicity, and national origin should have no bearing on how they are viewed or treated by the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, we know from our own history that this has not always been the case. Dan is adamantly opposed to this unjust and ineffective practice and will support legislation that bans racial profiling by federal agencies.

Hate Crimes

Hate crimes are committed against individuals, but they affect entire communities. Dan believes in enforcing stronger penalties for hate crimes and supports the Matthew Shepard Act, which expands federal hate crime laws to include crimes motivated by the victim’s perceived race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. The act also provides federal authorities with a greater ability to assist state and local law enforcement with investigations into bias-motivated crimes.

See Dan’s Endorsements