Mr. Laesch responds to our blog...

We have received this from Candidate John Laesch. Please note our rebuttal at the bottom:
Thank you again for maintaining a conversation. I have read your post at AFLA.

I don’t mind you posting the statements that I have made, but I don’t think that your allegations on “Free Trade” are accurate. You will lose credibility on this simply because I have stated repeatedly that I am the only FAIR TRADE candidate in this race. Additionally, I have stated clearly that getting out of NAFTA is the only real way to fix the illegal immigration problem. Perhaps you didn’t take the time to read my website.

When it comes to the middle class, I am confident that economic issues (undercutting minimum wages in the workplace) are the core reason why many people are angry at Hispanic immigrants. At least, that is my concern. Getting out of NAFTA and raising the bar on our trading partners ( Mexico ) with respect to workers rights, wages and environmental standards will allow more Mexican workers to live a sustainable life in Mexico . Most academics will agree on this approach and I am the only one in this race who is talking about it. I am sorry that this line of thinking requires one to step back from the political rhetoric and examine the issue thoroughly from a global perspective.

Quite frankly, I don’t think that the United States can continue to absorb all of the world’s problem’s, poor, sick and impoverished through immigration (legal or illegal) channels. This is why I think that we have to raise the bar on other nations. Either America is going to sink to third-world status or we can encourage them to raise their standards of living. I do not suggest that we invade other nations’ through the UN or unilaterally, but I do advocate for a strict and immediate change to our trade policies. We need to impose a security fee on goods coming from countries like Mexico and China . We could use that security fee to pay for border security, re-educating workers in America who lose jobs and inspecting goods coming from places like China .

Perhaps there is an opportunity to continue this conversation in person. Perhaps you are already working for another candidate and this is an attack engineered through their campaign. I don’t know, but I am glad that you have decided to keep the conversation going. Thank you for the dialogue and I would like to make time to talk further.

Respectfully,
John Laesch

I have also attached a piece on Oberweis/China. My instinctive guess would be that you are an Oberweis supporter and I thought you should know how he became a multi-millionaire.

You can learn more at http://www.oberweis.net/

And here’s what we have to say about his response:
We are not backing other candidates. We have received over 3,000 e-mails, letters and votes from Elgin citizen's in just three months and we get more every day. Their comments are filled with frustration as they tell what has happened to them and how our leaders have been unresponsive on the issue of illegal aliens.

Tell me, what benefits do Americans get from people who enter this country illegally? Please don't say they do jobs Americans won't do. They are taking all kinds of jobs away from legal Americans. You say you are for the middle class. Who do you think pays for the schools and entitlements these illegals take? It's the middle class.

This may surprise you, but America is sick and tired of being Mexico's welfare nation. Just watch how they vote in the coming elections. We all have compassion fatigue. Kane County’s population is just over 400,000. Hispanics are now 25% of that population. Anchor babies have taken over our schools. How else do you explain 5,300 Hispanics in Elgin schools K-6 and only 2,100 Caucasians? 48% more Hispanics in schools than Whites. Close the borders, fine the employers, stop all entitlements, and change the 14th amendment to stop giving citizenship to illegals’ children. They will go home on their own. Then if you need more workers bring in immigrants from around the world the right way. We need to keep this great country’s diversity and save our culture.

As for free trade, we are confused when Laesch talks about no one being illegal. Of course, they are. That’s fundamental.

Here’s a quote from his website: “As a solution, the US must use its economic and diplomatic power to push other countries to adopt fair labor practices and living wages. We need to stop supporting free trade (NAFTA) and promote fair trade. Fair trade and better working conditions abroad will tackle the root cause of immigration, slowing the number of immigrants, relieving the strain on our borders, and promoting job and income growth for U.S. Citizens.”

Can you see why we think he ought to work at the UN or Amnesty International? Of course the illegal alien problem goes away when all countries within flying distance of the United States “adopt fair labor practices and living wages.” (Maybe he found Kenneth John’s Libertarian playbook.)

But let’s get back to earth here, John. The 14th District. What are you going to do about the impact of illegal aliens HERE while we wait for your Utopia? You’re not running for Congressman of the Universe. You have limited power to get anything done, let alone dictate what every other country in the world is going to do.

You’re critical of a do-nothing Washington. We can’t think of a better way to insure continued failure than to depend on the cooperation of the rest of the world to eliminate the incentive to sneak in here.

And we aren’t “angry at Hispanic immigrants” as you state above. We’re talking about illegal aliens. There is a difference, you know.