Congressman Suggests Latinos Are Uneducated and Government-Dependent

Rep. Lou Barletta's comments draw strong criticism

Voters, schmoters. Rep. Lou Barletta might as well have said as much in denouncing a bipartisan Senate proposal to overall immigration policy, including a "pathway to citizenship."

The Pennsylvania Republican says GOP attempts to win more of the Hispanic vote are futile. Most are uneducated, government-dependent individuals who wouldn't support the party, Barletta suggested in a Morning Call interview.

"I hope politics is not at the root of why we're rushing to pass a bill. Anyone who believes that they're going to win over the Latino vote is grossly mistaken," Barletta said. "The majority that are here illegally are low-skilled or may not even have a high school diploma. The Republican Party is not going to compete over who can give more social programs out. They will become Democrats because of the social programs they'll depend on."

Not surprisingly, Barletta's comments quickly drew criticism. "Shame on you, @RepLouBarletta for saying Latinos are 'uneducated' and government dependent," tweeted the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (@HispanicCaucus). Christine Pelosi (@sfpelosi), a Democratic activist and attorney, wrote, "All Republicans of good conscience should immediately reject and renounce @RepLouBarletta's horrible comment about Latinos."

Via The Morning Call and Huffington Post.

What do you make of Barletta’s comments?

[DARSB]

Hey, the Democratic Party thanks you for your support.

[Rightwing]

Republicans still don't get it and do not care,and we all see why Romney lost badly.

[DARSB]

@Rightwing I hear a lot about how the "messaging" failed, not the ideas. Sen Rubio was on Limbaugh's show today saying that very thing.

[stepped_in_it]

Unfair.....you read much quicker than me....my thoughts exactly!

[harold_lloyd]

@DARSB
The talk about 'messaging' is a rationalization to allow them not to think of 'substance'.

The fact that Rubio would appear with Limbaugh suggests that he is still afraid of the Republican 'base'.

But they aren't the base, they're just the loudest. And the least rational.

If the Republican party is to survive, they are going to have to cut away the 'base' like a particularly ugly wart, or nobody is going to ask them to the prom.

[drpeeper]

@DARSB Then you also heard him say today he would be in favor of 100% full amnesty- if they couldn't vote for 25 years.(attention Mexico).

Find any Congressman who doesn't agree with that and you know this is only about votes.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Do we have to let them in? Do we have to make them citizens? Can't we have an immigration policy that demands adherance to the law? I'm not going to call anyone uneducated or lazy, I just don't do that. What I will do is call them criminals, if they broke the law (and coming to this country illegally is breaking the law so therefore, they are criminals). If these immigrants, illegal immigrants, want to be productive and add value to our society, they should start off on the right foot by obeying our laws. Go home, get in line, and migrate to this country the right way. I agree with Rep. Lou Barletta on one thing, rushing a bill through Congress just to play politics will not get Republicans more votes, it will cause conservatives to leave the party for good.

[woodtick57]

You could work to have the US citizens that hire illegal workers severly punished, which would actually stop the problem....

it is actually federal law and many states have such laws, they just don't enforce them...

how is hiring millions of illegal workers a year not tacitly (yes, i'll wait....) inviting them here?

[dances-weebles]

yes, neo... i'm afraid that you have to let them in simply because there's no valid reason not to.

the best policy would be to open the borders and let everyone in, no questions asked. let them get jobs and go to school. give them free medical care while you're at it. it doesn't hurt you to try to be nice, does it?

[dances-weebles]

@woodtick57 you could give them medals for helping those in need, too.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

@dances-weebles - I won't dignify your statement with an intelligent response, it doesn't deserve one.

[AlexMIA]

Yes, illegals, sometime illegals get fined! Have you read the immigration proposal? It's actually pretty good! And if you really are a true conservative, where excactly are you going to go if you leave the party? Are there any other parties coming close to representing your views?

[AlexMIA]

He's an idiot but he's right about being uneducated and dependant on the government! This American of latin decent is not liberaly indoctrinated and dependant on the government leaving my constitutional rights alone!

[tomincali]

he is speaking of illegal aliens who happen to be latino,like all most other media outlets they point to latinos and say they are all illegal. the headlines read Congressman Suggests Latinos Are Uneducated and Government-Dependent leaving out where he says illegal aliens until you read the rest. seems to me the dems and their media are the folks saying latinos and hispanics are all illegal.

[AlexMIA]

@tomincali I don't think all illegal immigrants are uneducated or want to be government dependant. Some are very hard working and proud people. Republicans like this need to check themselves. Not all immigrants will want the democrats as their pimps unless we push them to that.

[tomincali]

@AlexMIA only the ones who refuse to assimilate want the free ride. but heck we are making it so easy for the others they may see no reason to try.

[Chromalord]

Oh, he's right, but I dont agree with what he is right about. He also contradicts himself.
Sadly Latinos in the USA are often ill-educated, English is their 2nd language, and they rarely have access to the better public schools via zoning restrictions. Of course that can apply to any child, but the topic here is Latinos. But insulting them is not the answer, which Barletta has clearly done. He then state he hopes politics is not at the root but then complains that his party will be glossed over in favor of the party that is for more social programs, which seems to be the real reason behind his complaints.

[Raptor]

"Most are uneducated, government-dependent individuals who wouldn't support the party." Sure sounds racest to me, but again what do you expect from a republican, the same old dogma like Mitts 47% remark. It shows what GOP feels about the middle class and the poor in this country, they look down on them from their ivory white towers and pass judgement threw their rose coloured glasses.

[NTBFW]

That's a very objective pov. But what part of what he said isn't true? I am curious. If I understand correctly the majority don't have high school diplomas. They do take advantage of some entitlement programs. I guess the part about how they would vote is speculation. But none of that means they are not smart or lazy. But honestly why isn't this Mexico's problem? Why hasn't anyone pointed out the disgrace that Mexican citizens are forced to leave their country just to support their families? Mexico has all the natural resources to be a very prosperous country. Why is there not an education system there? I'm not pissed at the Mexican people that come here. I am pissed at the Mexican government for making them come here.

[DerivePI]

Except for the "most" part. When dealing with statistics you are allowed to be 'racist'. When dealing with individuals it is verboten. If he stated what the headline for this article says "Congressman Suggests Latinos Are Uneducated and Government-Dependent" (clever but dishonest Politix) then yes, he'd be properly labelled as a racist.

http://nationsreportcard.gov/images/S0307-al-...

[Denizen_Kate]

IMO the GOP is attempting to change its "messaging" only to gain votes, and not because they've had a change of heart or their views are evolving into something that functions in the current millenium.

[Hireman]

"Congressman Suggests Latinos Are Uneducated and Government-Dependent" -- Misleading title much? The congressman was referring to the illegals. If you're going to use biased sources like HuffPo as "Editor-in-Chief", at least attempt to display some integrity of your own by matching the title to the content.

[cleverusername]

perfect!! I didn't see this post when I did mine. Excellent. I have noticed the morning crew on politix seems to be the biased ones to the left.

[USailCapital]

@cleverusername It's run by the very same uber-liberal biased folks at Topix. What did you expect? Fairness? Balance? Honesty? Not hardly.

[NTBFW]

I wonder exactly what is the average level of education of illegal immigrants when they first arrive?

[jessejaymes]

My deceased wife was first a teacher, then a counselor, an assistant principal and finally a Principal in Southern California. As a minority herself she was very compassionate of the Latino kids. But the truth is when she started teaching in middle school she taught ELD. Those illegal's kid seldom could read or write in their own language. So you're starting from scratch with 11-14 year olds. Schools have to hire translators if the teacher doesn't speak Spanish and you're starting with the ABC's with kids that are already running the streets with gangs, acting as lookouts, around drugs and what appears to a 12 year old as "great money".

To further complicate educating them the parents generally yank them out of school around Christmas and "go home for a visit" for about a month. They they "extend" the spring break for another month long visit. It's impossible to educate kids who miss that much time from school every single year. It's no wonder that illegals have the highest drop out rate from school and the largest gang percentage of any group in America. And it's broken the California education system. In Los Angeles alone the L.A. times estimates that around 5 million speak English and around 3.5 million speak only Spanish and most who speak Spanish are reading and writing Illiterate in their own language.

[cleverusername]

Barletta listed statistics from a 2007 Heritage Foundation report that concluded granting all of the illegal immigrants in the United States citizenship would cost the government roughly $2.6 trillion because of the various programs they'd be on. The same report said 60 percent of illegal immigrants do not have high school diplomas.

[jessejaymes]

He's absolutely right that the vast majority of illegal Latinos are unskilled and uneducated. The majority of Latino school age children entering this country including teenagers cannot read or write in their own language. They won't keep their kids in school They have the highest drop out rate in America and the largest percentage going to gangs.

Liberals like to scoff at claims that illegal citizenship will result in mass additions to the welfare rolls but it most certainly will. Currently in California, according to the San Diego Union, 25% of illegals have found their way onto the welfare rolls. The Los Angeles Times puts that number at 29%. It gets worse when California legal Latinos are figured, right at around a third. There is no way welfare and medicaid can absorb 11 million new citizens most of who will beat feet to welfare. And why wouldn't they. Most Mexican villages today are ghost towns. Everyone has gone to El Norte with the exception of some very aged and some Catholic Priests and staff. They came here because they had NOTHING and the low pay and non benefits is better than than nothing. Now as citizens, subsidized housing, EBT cards, free healthcare is a LOT BETTER than working the fields. And you get to lay on your ass while doing nothing. It's full circle. it's Mexico all over again but with money, food and housing. If they had of had that in mexico they would have never left. But now with Citizenship they can have it without lifting a finger. They will flock to welfare. Anyone in their position would. And the GOP won't get chit out of the whole thing. Nada.

[stepped_in_it]

And this is something that is too hard to explain to most unless you live within 500-700 miles (or so) from that border! Texas, Arizona and So. California take the brunt of this "immigration". To live it is to experience it. Major reason I left So. Cali....(except now I live in the district over from that backwoods Tennessee congresswoman....lol). Don't think I could live in L.A. again....

[jessejaymes]

@stepped_in_it I used to love Southern California. But it a massive barrio of filth and crime today. I live in a city where the encroachment of violence moves about two blocks every two years. A city of half a million that is bascially 400,000 ghetto people. It's not pretty.

[cleverusername]

wow politixdavid...point out where in the link you provided because I am missing it..that this happened..."Congressman Suggests Latinos Are Uneducated and Government-Dependent ".
""The majority that are here ILLEGALLY are low-skilled or may not even have a high school diploma. The Republican Party is not going to compete over who can give more social programs out. They will become Democrats because of the social programs they'll depend on.""

Sounds to me like he said most of those here illegally and then referred to a study done that shows that to be true.

[stepped_in_it]

Hope you are making your lobby connections, because comments like "The majority that are here illegally are low-skilled or may not even have a high school diploma." will most likely make your political career a very short one! Good luck in your new ventures!

[tomincali]

is he talking of latinos that are illegal aliens or latino citizens? the media loves to leave that part out. then again i see illegal aliens as very smart,who else can invade a country without firing a shot,get rewarded for doing so. anyone from here want to go try this in another country will see justice served swiftly on them.

this guy needs to explain who he talking about so his words cannot be twisted as the media loves to do on this issue.

[DomesticG]

He is speaking in regards to the illegal aliens.

[Starsplash]

Illegal aliens, and in some respect, I could agree with him a little bit. But you know republicans. They like to lump all latinos into one, so its really hard to tell.

[Knightkore]

I'm hispanic....latino....while he is broadbrushing things....there is a problem of uneducation and government-dependency within the hispanic community....

Take New Mexico for instance....

The problem comes in the government-dependency that leads to uneducation....

I know full well once they break free of that dependency they are some of the most educated....but the government {specifically progressive liberals} have a stake in keeping them dependent....

[Vance1]

"they'll depend on social programs." YOU BET!!!

[cleverusername]

again I looked over both biased articles that are wreck-less, misleading and well untruthful and did not see this...that politix david posted "The Pennsylvania Republican says GOP attempts to win more of the Hispanic vote are futile. Most are uneducated, government-dependent individuals who wouldn't support the party, Barletta suggested"

He did talk about the illegals and referenced a study that shows most do not have a HS diploma.

But I did see at the end of that sentence I quoted it says "barletta suggested".
I would say those two biased links are suggesting he said something he didn't. Then even adding meaning and words not used. I suggest this whole this is inaccurate and biased.

[cleverusername]

"I suggest this whole this is inaccurate and biased. "should be..... this whole thing on those sites and here are biased and inaccurate at best.

[OhWiseOne]

@cleverusername Good points. Politix David posts articles from Huffpo and PolitixMary posts articles from Mother Jones. Hey Politix how about some good articles by conservatives like Pat Buchanan?

[Ashstop]

There is a difference between uneducated and unintelligent, he said they are uneducated, nothing racial about that, we all were at one time, because a lot of good jobs require higher education then it's a given that they need more help from government, uneducated can be fixed, unintelligent can't, hence the votes saying he's racist

[harold_lloyd]

He's right about the 'win them over' thing.

As for illegals being ignorant and stupid, I'm not so sure. They were smart enough to get here...

I suspect that Rep Barletta is already in the running for the 2014 election.

[2b1ask1]

'bout the size of it......

[TheJimmy]

There's a lot of Mexican migrant workers residing in my area and they really bust their butts year round for some chump change. Not sure what this joker is talking about.

[Cheenoguy]

If Republicans hate liberal ideas so much why are they trying so hard to insure Democrats win the house in 2014? Conspiracy or stupidity?

[RobertJHarsh]

Just like the 47% remark, Barletta's remark is spot-on....169% The entire immigration debate is a hope by the GOP to dupe Hispanics into voting for them. But Hispanics aren't that stupid. The GOP isn't going to endorse gimmedat programs for the nation's useless. Democrats already have that market cornered.