The visit to this state and our Legislature by a foreign head of state is always a noteworthy 
occasion. The western state swing by Presidente Vicente Fox of Mexico left many in quandary and some in no quandary at all. To show respect for this foreign leader or make a firm statement to him with your absence. Our Assembly Republican Caucus Leadership requested an audience with President Fox to have a frank and constructive dialogue about how his policies and rhetoric are affecting this state, its business and its citizens lives. His promotion of illegal immigration and offensive statements about our sovereign nation trying to get a handle on it, his non-cooperation on extraditing cops killers back to us for proper disposal and a litany of other issues worthy of discussion with a few of us Assembly Republicans would’ve been a positive sign of two neighbors trying to work things out together. Of course, there is great potential for our two countries to do great things when there is a mutual respect of each other.
But not under the present conditions. Our request being denied by the Mexican delegation sealed my decision that attending the speech would not be a productive use of my, or my constituents, time.
Respect for fellow elected officials goes only so far. One can be polite or tolerant or hostile towards another, or even just ignore, depending on the forthrightness or disingenuousness that the other exhibits. So whether this is another legislator or a President interloping in an area where they should not, it’s their behavior that dictates the proper response.
My decision to spend the time with my district constitents,as I had previously committed, trumped staying around for a speech by a man that rejected the opportunity to have a constructive dialogue with the decision makers his policy affects. I figure I can listen to it in the car on the way to Redding just as easily, and with lower blood pressure after comments like "our country is one of few with a balanced budget" [that drew applause…OK count to 10, take a deep breath] Yeah, it’s cool that you can balance your budget when you export $10 billion of your problem across the border illegally and blow our state budget.
But, we allow it. Until the Feds get it right [President Fox being happy with the Senate immigration bill just passed tells you what you need to know about the Feds getting it right as Congressman Campbell very capably explained here in the FR] we will suffer this continued mess. In California we can take steps starting with the California Border Police initiative by author Assemblyman Ray Haynes that I co-chaired, and will do so again if no constructive and effective Federal action is taken. If we don’t control our border first, [Mexico controls their southern border very aggresively, see my Floor seatmate Chuck DeVore’s excellent comment about that elsewhere in the FR] nothing else we do about licenses or work permits or any other policy will mean a thing. Oh, and our legislature’s majority could get real and stop making policy to encourage it, like drivers licenses, college tuition and other benefits.
Overall, the speech had lots of platitudes and happy talk. It would be a reverse-course from recent rhetoric. Wouldn’t it be nice if it happened… But with months left in his presidency, this last minute Foxtrot around western USA sure does leave a dandy legacy for Vicente Fox, doncha think?