Alvarado Spoke in Lubbock:
Alvarado to Austin: All we want is our fair share
Alvarado will face Leticia Van De Putte in primary
Alvarado to Austin: All we want is our fair share | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Maria Luisa Alvarado says she is ready to flip Austin on its head and be the politician who represents the people's interests.
“I bring a message from the people: All we want is our fair share,” she said.
Alvarado is a Democratic candidate for the lieutenant governor’s job held by Republican David Dewhurst since 2003. Dewhurst faces three other Republican candidates for his party’s nomination in the March 4 primary. Alvarado's visit came the same day State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, announced her candidacy for lieutenant governor.
“It’s taken a lot of cooperation to bring Ms. Alvarado here today,” said Kenny Ketner, Lubbock County Democratic Party chairman.
Alvarado spoke to a small group of people at the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union No. 629 at 20th Street and Avenue J on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 23.
“She was a nominee in 2006,” said Fidel Acevedo, outreach coordinator for the campaign. “We were there with her then, we’re there with her now and we’re going to carry her to another nominee position.”
The retired Air Force master sergeant ran for lieutenant governor in 2006 and for the U.S. House in 2012 for Texas’ 35th district. She was defeated in the 2012 primary.
Alvarado said she is running another grassroots campaign and will not accept endorsements from corporations on this run either. The only support from organizations she has accepted has come from unions, she said.
“But the choice was this: ‘Do we go ahead and buy into special interest now and compromise already or do we stay with the people?’” Alvarado said. “And that’s what we did.”
She came to the union hall without a prepared speech and instead challenged the audience to have a conversation with her.
Questions ranged from voter ID laws to undocumented residents.
When asked about immigration issues, Alvarado said she recently attended a conference on the subject. She said many of the immigrants told her they were hard-working people who couldn’t understand why they couldn’t get a driver’s license.
“I’m listening to all these folks, and I’m also listening to the panel,” Alvarado said. “And basically, they’re all saying we’d like to help you, but there’s these things called laws.”
Alvarado doesn’t believe this is true. Texas would have a law on the books that allows undocumented residents to get driver’s licenses if Gov. Rick Perry hadn’t vetoed the legislation, she said.
“This is all in mind of one set of individuals that have a certain perspective about immigration,” Alvarado said.
The San Antonio resident said undocumented residents contribute to the nation's economy and want to make the country better.
“They live here. We can’t ignore them,” she said. “We can’t send them back.”
Alvarado said undocumented residents who spoke at the conference she attended were passionate people with good values. She said they were the kind of people she would want to represent her.
“Imagine what they would do if they started voting,” Alvarado said.
Immigration reform is needed, Alvarado said, and it’s been on Congress’ desk for a number of years. Leaders need to look at immigration reform from a positive stance.
“They’ve just sort of put Band-Aid over Band-Aid, and to really do a good job, it really requires knowing about all the people out there,” she said.
jennifer.loesch@lubbockonline.com • 766-2159 Follow Jennifer on Twitter
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