LIBRE Embraces Romney Call To Raise Taxes on Latino Working Families

In the past, we’ve called the LIBRE Initiative a Koch-backed Latino-outreach propaganda machine with little regard for the actual interests of the Hispanic community.

It still is.

LIBRE’s lack of genuine concern and conviction was put on public display last week, when LIBRE’s executive director, Daniel Garza, jumped to defend Jeb Bush in the wake of his Mitt Romney-esque “we should not have a multicultural society” moment. Garza defended Bush’s call for assimilation, doubling-down on the notion that immigrants should “embrace American ideals and put them first,” as he put it. So much for the preservation and celebration of cultural heritage.

We saw more of the same from Garza in July, who refused to outright denounce Donald Trump and the GOP field’s offensive, anti-immigrant rhetoric, only daring to say, “It’s a distraction, a major distraction.”

Evidently defending Jeb’s offensive comments weren’t enough and when LIBRE spokeswoman Rachel Campos-Duffy appeared on The O’Reilly Factor, she echoed Mitt Romney in saying Latino working families should be paying more taxes.

Asked to evaluate Donald Trump’s tax proposal that would eliminate income taxes for millions — including millions of hardworking Latinos — Campos-Duffy expressed strong opposition:

Campos-Duffy: Well, I just think it’s bad for the country when you have 50% of the country not paying any taxes. And it’s bad because of spending.

O’Reilly: But they don’t have any money.

Campos-Duffy: I know. But it’s bad because of spending. Even if it’s just a little bit — everyone has to have a little bit in the game.

There’s a reason Campos-Duffy’s call for raising taxes on Latinos sounds familiar — it’s the same offensive language Mitt Romney used when he lamented on the 47 percent “who pay no income tax,” “are dependent upon government,” and “believe the government has a responsibility to care for them.”

LIBRE’s agenda couldn’t be any clearer. They will defend and embrace the policies of the wealthy like Jeb and Mitt, even if it means raising taxes on Latinos they claim to represent.