Presidential Election Prediction & Chapter From My New Book!

By Jaime Rojas, Jr.
November 3, 2016, Book Launch - Los Angeles, CA
Chapter from "Fiscal Conservative's Pocket Constitution 2.0 aka Latino Republicans"

Predictions of the November 2016 Presidential Elections and Beyond

If I was a betting man, never in my wildest imagination would I have predicted Donald Trump to be the Republican Party’s Presidential nominee for the November 2016 elections.

In September 2015, the Republicans had over a couple dozen potential candidates for the position of President of the United States of America. These Republican candidates’ policies fell on various parts of the “conservative/right” spectrum: moderate right to “God is going to scorch your ass” beliefs. But the interesting part, many more candidates were closer to the “God is going to scorch your ass” than usual. Overall nothing to out of the ordinary, well at least for the Republican party, since the 1980’s and its hostile take-over by the Southern Conservative Christian extremist.

The Democratic Party too was going through its form of “extremism”. Once again you had the presumed Presidential Candidate and political machine, Secretary Hillary Clinton, who just eight years ago lost to a no brand name candidate from Chicago, President Obama. On the leftist spectrum, she is very moderate, some even feel more Republican than Democrat in her policies and beliefs.

Now to the extreme left you had the very popular Congressman from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, who in my humble opinion would give everything to the American people for FREE or more on the socialist ideal. But to be honest, as a former Democrat, I felt Bernie was more refreshing and “Obama” like in his philosophies (at least in the aspect of “hope”) than his counterpart of Secretary Clinton.

The stage is set and now we have both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton representing their respected parties.

I will preface my next statements by saying I am a first-generation American and the product of immigrant parents who came from Colombia to the United States over forty years ago. As many immigrant stories, they too came with no money, no network, and not speaking a lick of English. But they had the burning desire of the “American Dream” and God bless them….they achieved it! My parents, like many of yours, have a strong work ethic, have old-school beliefs, saved money and were entrepreneurs in their thinking and in their actions. They worked hard all their lives and have a retirement to show for it.

But I believe their crowning jewel above all is the success of their two American sons. Who in just one generation, attended & taught in the best universities, worked for Fortune 500 companies and in the White House, became entrepreneurs themselves and who at the end are productive American citizens.

So back to the Republican party’s nominee, El Donald Trump. As you remember over eight years ago, he just like Hillary, ran for his prospective party and lost. But back then he was a kinder and gentler Trump, who everyone remembers as the person who hobnobbed and networked with anyone who he thought would either make him richer or bring him higher TV ratings, including his friends the Clintons.

Welcome back to 2016 Presidential campaign. The “new” Trump starts off his bid for the Presidential Republican nomination by calling “Mexicans” everything under the big, blue sky and the scapegoats for all of America’s problems. They are rapist, murderers, illegals….who came to this country to basically gut it and return back to their Mother country fat and rich. He now wants to build a continuous wall on the  Mexican/American border to keep America safe. But I wonder what happed to building a wall between the Canadian/American border as well….oh yeah….those Canadian have white skin and look European.

The blame game has been played since the inception of this already great country. It all started when the Puritans were being persecuted in Europe for their religion. They decided to escape this persecution and they landed on Plymouth Rock. The American Indians for the most part welcomed them and helped them with the necessary survival skills to make it through the harsh seasonal weather….and America was born…more or less.

In return, these Europeans gave them diseases and in the long-run committed genocide through the slaughter of the native Indians of this country.

If that wasn’t enough, the agricultural revolution was in full swing, and it was very labor intensive. Due to the lack of numbers of strong European men (and the social class mentality)….slavery thus began. African men were being shipped to America in high numbers to meet the demand of tobacco, cotton and other agricultural products.

As most business-minded folks know, the highest expense any business has is human resources (aka labor), and the conservative numbers is somewhere around 50% of a business’ expenses. So how did the United States become so rich and powerful so quickly….the cost of labor = “zero”….so profits soared through the roof.

Almost forgot….so as American was born, the fore-fathers were very intelligent and forward thinkers of their time. They designed and created a government that was like no other and still is like no other. The core foundation of America are two documents: the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights (luck you, this book contains copies of both).

Our founders believed passionately of the protection of its citizens from its government. But also a controlled government was necessary to protect the people and keep balance and harmony.

So now we have a Presidential Republican nominee (or more like a snake-oil salesman) that literally spews fear, hatred and racism all under the cause of the “Let’s Make America Great Again” slogan. Blaming everyone but himself for the problems of America. What’s wrong with this picture….many things!

America is currently facing a fork on the road. On one hand you have, for example, coalminers in Virginia who have seen their great paying, union jobs decline (if not almost disappear) and are not be prepared for globalization. They are undereducated, underemployed and really pissed off. On the other hand you have immigrants (I include African-Americans in this mix….they too are immigrants) who have dealt with racism, glass-ceilings, police/government brutality, scape-goating…they too are pissed off.

So what now? This is the million-dollar question.

My Presidential election prediction should not be too shocking. If we have a high voter turnout, Hillary wins in a landslide. If we have poor turnout, Trump wins a close race.

But the question all Americans should be asking, what happens after Tuesday, November 8^th? Are our problems fixable? My short answer is yes but with a hell of a lot of work.

America needs to go back to the basics. We need to begin by getting involved on the local level…that means with our families first. We need to be better parents and better children. I truly believe this is the start of the renaissance of America. Without love and structure of a strong family (traditional and non-traditional) as the foundation, American will continue in this downward spiral of fear, anger and hatred.

How American is that?

Please be a responsible Americans and vote on election day…your country is depending on it.

BUY BOOK HERE!

Merry Christmas From Jimmy's Politico

"We want to wish all our readers and supporters a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!"

- Jimmy's Politico

Corruption hits again in local government!

Corruption...this is not the norm but the exception in local government. Unfortunately stories like these must be brought out to light to show all of us that this type of activity is not only illegal but will not be tolerated.


In Los Angeles, the previous Los Angeles County Assessor, John Noguez, once a rising Latino elected official, has been indicted by the Los Angeles District Attorney of multiple counts of bribery and using his office to lower property taxes to campaign contributors.

Here is the full story from the Los Angeles Times:

Los Angeles County Assessor Accused of Corruption. (CLICK HERE)



Just Southwest of downtown Los Angeles, where the famous Beach Boys grew up, the City of Hawthorn has been the issue of corruption and scandal in the past few years. Now, Mayor Daniel Juarez, billed as the "reformer" is now being accused of accepting monies and not reporting them.


Here is the full story:


Mayor of Hawthorne accused of taking money. (CLICK HERE)



So America...what do you think? Love to hear your feelings and responses!

Opinion: Republicans are grooming Latino leaders, Dems are not

Here is my debut as a contributing writer for NBC Latino!! Thank you for the opportunity.....

Opinion: Republicans Are Grooming Latino Leaders, Dems Are Not. (CLICK HERE)

Opinion: Republicans are grooming Latino leaders, Dems are not

by Jaime Rojas Jr.

6:42 am on 09/07/2012

We saw this week the Democratic National Convention and its sea of diversity among its delegates on the Convention floor, a very stark contrast to the Republican National Convention faces we saw on television the week before. But behind the scenes, I see a very different picture regarding the grooming of Latino leadership for the future of American politics.

The Democrats paint a party of the “people” who represents the last frontier to protect what’s left of the American middle class. At the DNC, they showcased their Latino leadership. We saw my mayor, Antonio Villariagosa, prominently displayed as the chairman of the Convention. Julian Castro, the mayor of San Antonio, is billed as the rising Latino star in the Democratic Party.

The RNC, on the other hand, spotlighted their chosen ones too: Congressman Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and Governor Susanna Martinez of New Mexico. So we ask: “Which political party is really grooming our future Latino leadership?” My short answer is….the Republican party. Here is why: The Democrats, with all their fanfare of diversity, really has no real infrastructure on a national or state level focused on grooming Latino leadership. Since Latinos just happen to make a large number in their party, really by default they have taken some leadership roles. And if you think about it, Democratic Latinos are not really in too many high level positions like governors or senior ranking congresspersons, considering the number of Latinos in the party.

The reason is simple. The Democratic Party has a “union” mentality when it comes to grooming its next leadership. You have to start practically at birth as a member of the Party and promote your way up the ladder, until it’s your time to eventually lead. Being from California, that process and mentality is obvious with the State Democrats and the union machine. So what real chance does a young Latino have of high level leadership in the Democratic Party, if they don’t follow this “promotional” leadership process…none.

The Republicans surprisingly enough, invested last year, on the national level into a fund specifically to identify and groom 100 top Latino leaders for the Party. Impressive? Well, the fund only started with less than 2 million dollars, which in today’s economy is not much, but it’s a start. For the first time we heard not just one but two Latinos, Congressman Marco Rubio and Governor Susanna Martinez on the short list for Vice President! We recently saw Congressman Ted Cruz come in and shock everyone with his win in Texas. He had some support (money) of the RNC too.

I believe the Republican party has the better chance of grooming and possibly delivering Latino political leaders that actually will not only look like us, but also represent us appropriately. Believe it or not, Latinos’ beliefs are very similar to those of the GOP: family, fiscal conservancy, small government, and support of entrepreneurship and business. Yes, I know, shocking but very true. With our potential voting power, Latinos can vote into office (or take out of office) the right candidate to represent and act on our legislative needs. What is good for Latinos is good for America…and what is good for America is good for Latinos!

The Latino community must continue investing in ourselves and believe that our time is here now. We must support leadership-training beginning with our youth, and support national organizations like the National Hispanic Institute, based out of Texas, who go after our cream of the crop of Latino youth and train them to think like leaders and entrepreneurs. At the end of the day, it is our responsibility, no one else’s, to train, groom and support America’s future leadership! Let’s all take this call for action….it is really the American thing to do, no que no?

Jaime Rojas Jr. worked for The White House’s Office of Public Liaison and Latino outreach for President Bill Clinton, and for The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. He is also the former President and CEO of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (CHCC) and he wrote his first book in 2011 titled, “The Conservative’s Pocket Constitution.” Follow Jaime on Twitter @Jaime_Rojas

One of my political commercials!

Political Commercial with Jaime Rojas Jr - CLICK HERE

Here is a political commercial I did when I was with the CA Hispanic Chambers of Commerce!

 

It's Labor Day...but where are all the American Jobs?

I will start today's blog with a quote from President Reagan back in 1981,"...government isn't the solution, government is the problem!"


As America waits for the President to give his long awaited jobs plan speech this Thursday, we got to think for a moment and say is this really America? The August employment report came out and the number of new jobs created: ZERO. The unemployment rate, as of today, remains at 9.1%. The number of fellow Americans who are unemployed today is officially 14 million people. A CNN poll that just came out last week, stated that 8 out 10 Americans think we are still in a recession. The situation is dire.

In a recent interview with Ken Rogoff, a professor at Harvard University said, "Well, clearly we're stagnating. I mean, the employment numbers have been getting weaker and weaker for a while. I think what it really underscores is that the recession never ended. We have not got back to where we started on output. We're not close on employment. We're still very much crawling our way out of the recession. And right now...nothing."

The editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal, Stephen Moore says, "There is a BIG difference between the two parties and it may lead to gridlock." I think that train has unfortunately already passed us. "But I don't think either party has anything that they've proposed that will get us out of this because I think they're missing the fundamental point. And that this economy does not appear to be capable anymore of creating enough jobs to put enough decent jobs on the table."

Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO and a member of the President's Council of Jobs and Competitiveness, also has some interesting things to say about America's current economic situation. Trumka states, "We have bad trade laws, we have tax laws that reward people for moving jobs overseas. If we'd focus on manufacturing here and all of us coming together, labor, government and business, and business and labor all working together, we can compete with anybody in the world. Because if you don't compete, if you don't manufacture things, you can't compete in the global economy!"

So where do we turn? Who has our best interest? What are some solutions?Here are some possible solutions being put on the table from both the business and labor sectors:

1) Eliminate the number of government regulations that are killing job creation.

2) Lower taxes on individuals and corporations (maybe even a possible flat tax?)

3) Target specific communities throughout America for job creation.

4) Regulate Wall Street.



We must remember economics 101....demand drives up business and hiring. From CNN's Your Money show, the host Ali Velshi says to the President:

"And finally, go big Mr. President. Americans are not spending money because they're frightened about their economic prospects....you have to tell America how it can be great again. Extract yourself from the embarrassing quagmire that Washington has become. America has reason to be proud and hopeful. This is a tall order, but lay out the road map on Thursday. Tell us how you think we'll get there. Maybe you will be right, maybe you won't be, but we'll have something to talk about other than politics as usual."

TAXING Warren Buffet

In today's Los Angeles Times, a great editorial piece was written titled "Taxing Warren Buffet" which discusses how Republican critics are seemingly oblivious that, in many ways, Buffett's tax ideas mirror those of Ronald Reagan. 

Believe it or not it has been a quarter of a century since the last comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. tax code. President Reagan signed the Tax Reform Act of 1986 in which: 

* the number of tax brackets was reduced 
* loopholes here closed 
* the top tax rate was lowered 
* capital gains were taxed at the same rate as ordinary income 

Unfortunately Congress has slowly reinstated loopholes back into the tax code while lowering the tax burden for wealthy people who make money through investments rather than labor. THIS was the basis for Buffett's complaint. 

Now its interesting what the current politicians are saying on both side of the aisles! History is cyclical and in the past few years I keep hearing "isn't that what President Reagan did 25 years ago". Read on this LA Times article....but maybe we should learn from our past. 

Talking CENTS on Tax Reform

In today's LA Times, staff writer Anthony York writes about LA Mayor Villaraigosa's most recent trip to Sacramento. He discussed the "third-rail" issues that many politicians do not want to touch, including himself according to his political record. 

The mayor called

...for changes in Proposition 13, challenging Governor Jerry Brown and state lawmakers to remove business property owners from some provisions of the groundbreaking 1978 law

according to York. The mayor also called on the state's business leaders to "stand up and come forward as coauthors of a long-term solution" to California's ongoing financial problems.

Some of the responses by California's business leaders were not all that positive. The CEO of the CA Chamber of Commerce, Alan Zaremberg called Villaraigosa's speech

...about raising taxes on business. It's exactly the oppposite of what we want to happen to pull California out of recession.

As the LA mayor begins his retoric on "reform and change" for his sites for a possible run for governor, will he actually or anyone for that matter stand up and lead California and the rest of this nation to actual reform? If this interchange of dialogue between the government and business sector is any indication, it unfortunately does not look good! So where is the leadership hiding??