Campaign for Community Change

TUCSON, ARIZONA (October 10, 2006) The Campaign for Community Change will hold a press conference at their headquarters on Thursday, October 12, 2006 at 2pm launching their campaign, "Neighbors Working for Immigrant Dignity", an effort to increase voter turnout against the four anti-immigrant November 7 ballot initiatives, Propositions 100, 102, 103 and 300. The Campaign is designed to defy the "politics of fear". It's time for a responsible debate on immigration reform that puts children, families and neighbors first.

Campaign Director Rich Stolz says Arizona has become the most polarized state in the nation on immigration. "If politicians can continue to use the immigration issue and the politics of fear to get elected in Arizona, this will hurt any chances for a meaningful immigration proposal in Congress for years to come." The Campaign strongly opposes Propositions 100, 102, 103, and 300 as mean-spirited, ill-conceived, poorly thought out, and just plain wrong initiatives for Arizona. These propositions are degrading and dehumanizing to all people – young and old, people of color, immigrants, and residents alike. Two out of the four ballot initiatives would alter the Arizona Constitution. Three out of the four propositions are unfunded mandates.

Stolz strongly believes that the CCC can impact the process. "If we can defeat one of these ballot measures, our hope is that we can send a message that Arizonans are getting tired of the extreme rhetoric being used in this immigration debate so that we can finally get to some real solutions that are impacting our neighbors, friends and families."

The Campaign's Ramon Garcia who is leading the charge to get voters to the polls believes that "the Campaign can turn the immigration discussion to a more humane and dignified discourse. The immigration debate is NOT about borders. It IS about people. It seems politicians have forgotten that. Enough of the rhetoric of fear."

The Campaign for Community Change is a 501 C-4 organization working to elevate the profile of issues of concern to low-income and immigrant communities and communities of color—economic, social, and racial justice; educate and empower these communities—person by person—to influence the public policies that affect their lives.