The White House

Photos Courtesy of TLQNews

President G. Bush' legal  Counsel  Al Gonzalez	Ruben Barrales, White House Director Intergovernmental Affairs	Leonard Rodriguez, White House Hispanic Public Affairs	Hispanic Congressional Caucus with President George Bush	Senator John Kerry, TLQNews

              
The White House news and other
                                                                                                                                               "Some people may not want to lead others.          
                                                                                                                                                If you decide not to lead, then you have to
                                                                                                                                                follow the lead of others" Victor Pinzon

Some of our Communications with The White House

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

RE:      HISPANIC EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
           Promoting Educational Excellence for Hispanic Youth and Students

Dear President Bush:

We congratulate you, as reported by The Washington Post on March 30, 2001, for your pledge of $1.4 billion increase for historically black colleges. You said: "What government can’t do is cause people to love one another. What government can do is encourage faith-based programs and their mission. Government shouldn’t fear faith-based initiatives, we ought to welcome them." We invite you to consider pledging a similar or a higher funding amount for Hispanic colleges and our youth’s education, including exceptional programs such as The Americas Foundation’s "Empowerment –Agents of Change" programs. We remind you and the country that while 33% Hispanics voted for you, about 9% African Americans voted for you in the last presidential elections.

We suggest obtaining consensus on a strategic plan and take corrective action to start immediately. We suggest involve community leaders, business leaders, religious community, parents, teachers, superintendents, students, corporate America and others. The parties listed should review, modify, agree and embrace the plan, taking responsibility and then, commit cooperatively to its successful implementation.

Our strategic plan identifies the overall goals and determines at least the top five priorities for the first phase of the program implementation, which we suggest:

• Review and improve the educational and vocational training for Hispanic youth and students
• Increase the number of Hispanic families actively engaged in their children’s education
• Coordinate and improve the existing Hispanic services in the community
• Seek and secure federal, state and local government funds, resources and assistance directed to Hispanic educational issues
• Increase the number of Hispanic staff at all levels, particularly at the top levels, in the Public School systems and in the community.

cc Mr. Leonard Rodriguez
        Mr. Ruben Barrales
        Mr. Abel Guerra
        Ms. Rebeca Contreras

The Honorable George W. Bush
    President of the United States of America
    The White House
    Washington, DC 20500

RE:    “Empowerment -Agents of Change” Internship Program

Dear President Bush:
   
    We herein propose an exceptional program that tracks your vision to enhance your Administration’ outreach to the rapidly growing Hispanic community in the United States and also the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. Our program will enable you to assuredly increase the Hispanic support to your Administration above the reported 33% you received in the past presidential election. Our program develops and forms what we call “Empowerment -Agents of Change.”
    We have been working for over the last five years designing, planning and testing the program. We are ready to start bringing to Washington, DC hundreds, then thousands interns, and other interested selected individuals: both, Hispanics from the U.S., and from Latin America. We will engage them in an exceptional program so that they will learn and experience how the government and democracy works as well as establish lasting relationships. Thus, they can become, with our planned continued logistic support, Agents of Change when they go back to their communities or countries.
    We are inviting other governments, corporate America and private sector, other NGOs and other interested party to join and support us in the empowerment of Hispanic Americans in the US and of our Hemisphere. Attached is a copy of our proposal to The Honorable Fernando Margain Berlanga, President of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate of the Republic of Mexico to start bringing a group of staffers from the Mexican Senate within our internship program.
    How much is worth each percentage point increase of the Hispanic community support for your Administration? Our program is just, highly needed now, and will show substantial visible and measurable results and benefits to the American people and to our hemisphere.
    We respectfully invite you to lend your ideas, center of influence and support in the effective implementation of the program by providing seed funds and operational matching funds and resources for said program.
    We are ready to meet with your liaison to present the details of our proposed program, answer any questions, and with your support, proceed speedily with the successful program implementation.
Sincerely yours,
       
Victor Pinzon                                                                                                                 March 6, 2001  
President/CEO

cc    Mr. Leonard Rodriguez   
        Mr. Abel Guerra

Home

March 4, 1999

The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton
President of the United States of America
ATTN: Public Liaison - Mary Best Cahill
The White House
Washington, DC

RE:    Government Corruption in Latin America and Caribbean Propose Initiative

Dear President Clinton:

    We, at The Americas Foundation, once again write to you to congratulate you on your leadership and interest for Central America on the eve to your trip to the region. There is one area which we specifically consider of substantial importance for your efforts to be successful and that is Anti-Corruption overseeing.

Following upon Vice President Gore’s “A GLOBAL FORUM ON FIGHTING CORRUPTION,” which he successfully convened last week, as an NGO, we are highly concerned on issues impacting Hispanics in the US and Latin America and the Caribbean. We are particularly interested in assisting you and herein answer your and the Vice President’s call for NGOs to be partners in fighting this terrible decease in our region.
    Specifically, we herein offer a novel initiative and our help in coordinating, overseeing the United States Government Aid, funds and other resources being given to the Central American as well as Colombia and other countries starting with the Reconstruction Programs due to Hurricane Mitch and earthquakes. There is already reported potential corruptive practices occurring in said effort and funds.

    We, again offer our professional know-how and will bring on board other experts to make the proposed and highly needed effort a model of effective government overseeing practice in subject matter. Also, once more we call upon your fairness to include as your Advisors United State citizens of Central and South American origin on issues dealing with said region. We sadly remind you that Hispanics in the United Sates continue to be polarized by country of origin.

    We await your communication or your liaison person to explore this initiative and start implementing an effective plan of action.

Sincerely yours,

Victor Pinzon
President/ Founder
cc     The Latin Quarter News

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The Honorable Al Gore
Vice President of the United States of America
ATTN: Mr. Moe Vela
The White House
Washington, DC

RE:    Invitation and Request Liaison Staff Person for Specific Initiatives

Dear Vice President Gore:

    Hispanics in the US continue to be polarized by country of origin. Deep divisions among each national segment still exist. This condition substantially hurts America. From our personal and our organization’s own experience, it is amply demonstrated that there is no yet visible interest nor motivation to help us address this issue by those who have valuable tools at their disposal. The Americas Foundation, TAF understands the discrepancies and origins of said condition and has developed a strategic plan ready to be implemented, and for that we seek your cooperation and resources.    

    It has been and continues to be our sad experience with most government officials of Hispanic origin, some of them in your Administration, who are uninterested -in outreaching to the disadvantaged, underprivileged, and discriminated Hispanic community- to help us effectively address the issues of polarization, bringing Hispanics into “mainstream” America. We have written and communicated innumerable times with your office and staff for the last six years, and have yet to receive a reply to our initiatives.
    Some of them are not only not interested, but arrogant. It is highly frustrating for those Hispanics like us that for many years, even much before 1991, when we founded TAF, have dedicated full time, energy, and resources to develop creative and innovative programs to tirelessly work on these and other issues of great importance to Hispanics, Latin America and thereby to all Americans.

    We respectfully request your appointing a liaison staff person to work cooperatively with TAF on the issues stated above and others of immediate significance, such as: Hispanics in the US Census 2000 and the Hispanic vote in the elections 2000. We have designed specific creative initiatives on all said topics and seek your support to effectively implement them for the benefit of all Americans. Please let us know whether you agree with us on these matters and the name of the liaison official.

    I take this opportunity to invite you to send your representatives to our next program of our Speaker Series on “The Economic and Political Importance of South & Central America to the United States.” It will take place next February 25th on Capitol Hill, Rayburn Building, Gold Room 2168. The speakers will be: US Congressman Philip M. Crane and Brazilian Minister Counselor Regis Arslanian. Attached is a copy of our invitation.
   
Sincerely yours,

Victor Pinzon                                                                                                        February 20, 1999
President/ Founder

TAF sent the following message to President Clinton on November 18, 1998:

We, The Americas Foundation members, alongside of our Hispanic and non-Hispanic American brethren unequivocally support and recommend the appointment of the 8 term US Congressman Esteban Torres as your Rovin Ambassador to the Americas.

This takes on increased relevance after the departure of the distinguished Mr. Thomas MacLarty, and his superb, but too brief job as your Special Envoy to Latin America. Congressman Torres has the most prestigious record and credentials for this most important post. His credentials are impeccable as a very capable consensus builder in Congress, and as a former UN Ambassador, once-qualified Representative of Congressman Torres' outstanding achievements and acumen has been his legislative prominence in the creation of The North American Development Bank, which cemented the approval of NAFTA.

We believe that Congressman Torres will use his demonstrated abilities in performing the daunting work prerequisite to the enactment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), and effectively addressing the many other needs and challenges facing our important Latin American and Caribbean neighbors.

With great respect, I remain,

Sincerely,
Victor Pinzon
President/Founder
                                                                      Americas Global Foundation was known as The Americas Foundation (TAF)
Home

TAF sent the following message to Vice President Gore on November 18,1998:

We look forward to your kind reply.
Sincerely,

Victor Pinzon
President/Founder

The President of the United States Praises The Foundation’s Work

The President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton, wrote the following message to The Foundation :

"Greetings to everyone gathered in Miami, Florida, for the Bi-National Chambers of Commerce Presidents Conference. I am delighted to commend all involved in the Hispanic-Latin Foundation for their efforts to foster and to enhance the vital relationships within the Hispanic-Latin community and with our neighbors throughout the Americas and the Caribbean.

Men and women of Hispanic and Latin heritage have profoundly shaped the spirit and character of the United States and, indeed, of this hemisphere. In the coming years, I am hopeful that our nations will strengthen longstanding bonds of friendship and will cooperate to build a common future of greater prosperity and lasting peace.

The members of the Hispanic-Latin Foundation will surely play an important role in this exciting process. Your tremendous endeavors in helping to secure passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement have already enabled us to win a historic victory for all of North America. As a result of NAFTA, we can look forward to more opportunities to expand trade, stimulate investment, and promote sustainable, equitable economic development for citizens everywhere. You have my heartfelt appreciation for your role in making this bright vision a reality.

Best wishes for an enjoyable and productive event.

Bill Clinton"

(Please note that the name of the Foundation was changed in 1996 from Hispanic-Latin Foundation to The Americas Foundation.)
________________________________________

The Americas Foundation has been and will continue to write to the President and other White House officials on issues related to the mission of The Foundation.

The following are samples of some of them:

TAF wrote to President Clinton, Vice President Gore, Chief of Staff Bowles, and Chief of Staff Klain last September 4, 1997 the following:

"We at The Americas Foundation recently learned of The White House announcement that Audrey Haynes has been appointed Director of the Office for Women’s Initiatives and Outreach. The Foundation applauds this appointment. Women’s issues are indeed special, and they are important to our country and our future.

At the same time, however, The Foundation would like to point out that the issues affecting Hispanic Americans are also special, and they too are important to our country and our future.

Furthermore, we would also like to point out that there are more than 33 million Hispanic Americans in the United States. Moreover, Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic community in our country. Indeed, as we approach the year 2,000 Hispanics will be the largest ethnic minority in the United States.

While we applaud this Administration’s strong efforts to appoint highly qualified Hispanic Americans to top government positions, Hispanics continue to lack fair representation at top decision making levels in government and business. With your help we can do better.

As we build the bridge to the 21st century, The Foundation suggests some modest proposals to help empower our Hispanic Americans. Specifically, The Foundation respectfully requests the creation of the White House Office for Hispanic Americans Initiatives and Outreach. While The Foundation applauds the Vice President’s Reinvention of Government Initiative, it is clear that America is in the process of reinventing itself. Our new America is comprised of millions of Hispanic Americans and they need their voices to be heard. From California to New York, and south to Florida and Texas, back north to Illinois and states in between, Hispanic Americans are here to stay.

In addition to the creation of the Hispanic Americans Initiative Office, The Foundation also requests that a major survey of Hispanic Americans and their views be conducted. This survey should be funded by the federal government and conducted by a 501(c)(3) Hispanic American non-profit like ours.

The Foundation respectfully requests a meeting with appropriate Senior Administration officials to discuss issues pertaining to our Hispanic Americans and to more fully explore the recommendations contained in this letter."