STOP THE INVASION

Sept. 24, 2006, 11:31PM
Perry defies donors over immigration
By CLAY ROBISON
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
AUSTIN - Developing a better immigration policy is the federal
government's responsibility, but the governors — and would-be
governors — of border states, such as Texas, can help or hinder
the process.
In this election year, the operative word for Gov. Rick Perry and
most of his opponents is hinder, and the rhetoric will get worse
between now and Nov. 7.
With statements and a TV commercial fanning the hopes of
illegal-immigration bashers who would seal the border with a wall
20 feet high, Perry has even defied some of his own top political
donors.
Those donors — some of Texas' most prominent Republican business
people — want a new guest-worker program or a path to citizenship
for foreign workers because they think the state's economy and, in
some cases, their own labor-intensive industries depend upon
immigrant help.
But by giving big bucks to Perry, they, ironically, have helped
the governor foster a political climate of xenophobia that is
killing their cause. In an effort orchestrated or encouraged by
the Manhattan Institute, a New York-based free market think tank,
36 Texas business leaders recently co-signed an op-ed article
praising immigrant workers and urging reform of immigration laws.
"We know that Americans must face up to the reality of the foreign
workers we need to keep the economy strong and bring them under
the rule of law, for their sake and ours," the article stated.
"Baby boomers are retiring. Fertility rates are declining," it
added. "Yet every year, the economy creates hundreds of thousands
of new jobs that require few if any skills, and in the next
decade, we will be millions of workers short."
Crossing the political spectrum, signers included prominent
Democrat Henry Cisneros, the former San Antonio mayor and Housing
and Urban Development secretary.
They also included such major Perry contributors as East Texas
poultry magnate Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim; Houston homebuilder Bob
Perry; and businessmen James Leininger and B.J. "Red" McCombs of
San Antonio, W.L. "Woody" Hunt of El Paso, and Harold Simmons,
Vance Miller and Louis Beecherl of Dallas.
The article also was signed by J.L. Huffines of Dallas, the father
of James Huffines, the governor's campaign chairman.
Collectively, the above eight contributors have given Perry more
than $1 million since 2003, the beginning of his current term. And
they already have received handsome returns on their investments.
For starters, there have been significant changes in tort law
under the current governor, giving businesses more protections
against consumer lawsuits. And Bob Perry (no relation to the
governor) won creation of the Texas Residential Construction
Commission, which provides even more safeguards to him and his
fellow homebuilders.
But, for now, they'd better give up on immigration reform.
Only a few days after their article appeared Aug. 28 in the Dallas
Morning News, Perry started running, with their financial help,
his first TV commercial of the fall campaign. In it, he bragged
about beefing up border security to protect Texans from terrorists
and other "illegal activity," leaving viewers free to imagine that
wall going up, right before their eyes.
There wasn't a word about job-seeking immigrants, the
nonterrorists who make up the overwhelming majority of
border-crossers.
When asked, Perry will say he supports a reasonable guest-worker
program, but he says that's Washington's job and border security
comes first.
The border security ad was replaced by an education ad last week,
but it or something similar likely will be aired again.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Bell supports border
security and immigration reform but largely avoids discussing
either. Independent candidate Kinky Friedman has said he would use
"the National Guard, the Texas Rangers, the entire Polish army,
whatever it takes" to seal the border.
Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Perry's other independent
challenger, may outline her border security plan within the next
week or so. Don't be surprised if she proposes a border wall 50
feet high, with razor wire on top.
You can write to Clay Robison, 1005 Congress, Suite 1060, Austin,
TX 78701, or e-mail him at clay.robison@chron.com
.