HLN Conference, A Platform for Ideas to Change Conservative Approach
By Rocio Gonzalez, Voxxi
Oh, the times, they are a-changin’, and some think conservatives should change with them.
VOXXI spoke to former Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez — who will be co-chairman of the conference, alongside former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — about the upcoming HLN conference, titled “Family Reunión,” and what he hopes to achieve there.
Gutierrez said that he is optimistic about debating new ways to attract Latinos toward conservative ideals. The Republican Party has something to work from, he said, meaning the disappointing results from the last election. The first challenge of the party is to convey to Hispanics that conservatives are glad that they are here “because thanks to them our economy is growing,” according to Gutierrez.
“We’re going to be discussing ideas — practical, real world ideas as to how to reach the Hispanic community with a positive center-right message,” the HLN conference co-chair said. “We just need to be in those communities. We need to have folks in those communities relate to the party, relate to the conservative movement.”
Gutierrez told VOXXI that this isn’t going to be an exercise in agreeing with each other; the idea is to debate and come up with solutions to the problems affecting the country.
“I think now there is a real understanding we need to raise our game,” Gutierrez said.
This includes being much more aggressive about outreach than they have been in the past. It’s not only about “enlightening” communities and trying to get them to follow conservative policies, but about trying to get these communities to stand on their own thanks to those policies.
“We need to be thinking about going into communities and having center-right tutorials on how to start a new business, tutorials about the tax code, things that communicate and convey conservative values, which I don’t believe immigrants are getting, especially Hispanics,” Gutierrez said. “And it’s very unfortunate, to be honest, that immigrants come to our country and they are told that they need welfare to survive. And it’s unfortunate that once they get into that trap it’s very hard to get out. What we should be doing is teaching people from the start how to reach for the American dream.”
Gutierrez is looking forward to sharing his ideas during the HLN conference.
“I’m looking forward to hearing Jeb, my co-chair, but most of all I’m looking forward to a debate, an honest discussion, a back and forth, insight. If people want to complain, I hope they realize this is the forum where we should be able to talk openly and candidly about what we’re not doing, what we’re doing wrong, and what we should be doing better.”
What about immigration reform?
This upcoming week, the country will finally be able to see the immigration reform plan that the so-called “Gang of Eight” in the Senate has been working on for months. Many, including Democrats and Republicans, are at odds as to what is the best way to approach this issue. But Gutierrez thinks the “Gang of Eight” is working in the right direction.
There are three things that have to be done, he said. That includes border security — particularly a visa monitoring systen — and a system that enables employers to verify documents.
“Our economy needs the labor,” Gutierrez said. “Our economy needs the immigration. And unless we have laws that allow us to bring in immigrants legally, then the system is just going to continue, and if they really shut the border then we’ll really be in trouble because we won’t have the workers.
“Then the third thing we have to do is what do we do about the 11 million undocumented,” he continued. “But we often just miss or we jumped over the reform of the system. Today, if you want to bring in somebody in agriculture, and you want to do it legally, it takes about eight or nine months and you have to go through about five different government agencies. By the time that happens, the harvest is gone. The current law is forcing employers to either hire illegally or to go out of business or to send their farms to Mexico. Those three things have to happen, and yes, the “Gang of Eight” is addressing all those. I hope that a good bill is not brought down because it’s not perfect. Because we will never have a perfect bill.”
At the end of the day, Hispanic issues go above and beyond immigration reform — Gutierrez said Hispanics here worry about the same things other Americans worry about.
“It’s jobs, it’s the ability to get the opportunity for a upward mobility, to get a better job, to make more money,” he said.
The HLN conference will take place on Thursday and Friday. During the first day, it will also count with the participation of former Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno.
This story was first published in Voxxi.
