01-15-2009, 06:08 PM
Here is a translated article. Looks like Guzman Jr. is back on the ballot.
Father and son aspire to positions of mayor and councilman of Waukegan
EFE Latino
Posted: 2009-01-14 17:02:45
Antonio Zavala
Waukegan (Illinois), Jan 14 (EFE) .- Two Hispanic father and son, seeking to change the anti-immigrant atmosphere in the city of Waukegan, north of Chicago in the elections on February 24 to aspire to the mayor and council respectively.
Jose L. Guzman, 52, an employee of the District Parks Libertyville, aspires to be the mayor of this city 40 miles to Chicago while his son, Joseph A. Guzman Jr., 32 years and an employee of the state of Illinois, seeks to be councilman.
Guzman father told Efe that the anti-immigrant climate that has been seen in the city over the past three years has caused some Hispanics have moved.
"Those who remain," he said, "prefer to do their shopping in neighboring towns because of the fear of the police checkpoints."
Such a change in shopping habits, according to Guzman, has caused a problem for traders in the city, looking for something to change his candidacy.
"Even now many Hispanics will buy petrol at the neighboring towns," the Hispanic candidate.
Originally from Uriangato, Guanajuato, and 38 years of living in the country, Father Guzman was known as an activist in Waukegan against local anti-immigrant forces.
Three years ago the checkpoints, conducted by the police under federal guidelines to arrest undocumented Latinos, were so frequent, the candidate for mayor says that until he came to be arrested.
In the election next February 24, Guzman facing the current mayor Richard H. Hyde, who seeks reelection, and Sam Cunningham, the only African American councilman in the city.
"The change I would be here because they are part of the problem," said Guzman father, who if elected will seek to work with Hispanics in the city, where Latinos are about 60 percent of the 92,000 residents.
While his son Joseph Jr. seeks to be elected as the third Hispanic city councilman.
Guzman son faced a challenge when the opposition disqualified 16 signatures demonstrating the grounds that his candidacy was written in block letters and not heading, as is the custom.
The dispute was resolved today when the judge in the Waukegan Board of Elections decided in his favor.
"The first battle and we won," his father told Efe after learning of the news.
For now, both candidates said they were working hard to inform voters of their campaigns.
"We are very excited, we are helping the two, both can learn from each other," Guzman told Efe son.
The father, meanwhile, said his campaign is working hard on "Waukegan Para Todos" and raises funds to get its message. It said it intends to create an Internet site to inform residents of Waukegan that Hispanics already arrived.
"What we have here is not political power."
His son said that they have the determination to walk his district block by block "to meet personally with all voters."
They said the candidates, there are about 7,000 Latino voters in Waukegan. If only half the votes for them, victory is in your hands, something that would represent a change that is necessary to consider this place.
"If the Latino community comes out to vote, we will make history," said Guzman father, who said that "diversity will come to Waukegan." EFE
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Father and son aspire to positions of mayor and councilman of Waukegan
EFE Latino
Posted: 2009-01-14 17:02:45
Antonio Zavala
Waukegan (Illinois), Jan 14 (EFE) .- Two Hispanic father and son, seeking to change the anti-immigrant atmosphere in the city of Waukegan, north of Chicago in the elections on February 24 to aspire to the mayor and council respectively.
Jose L. Guzman, 52, an employee of the District Parks Libertyville, aspires to be the mayor of this city 40 miles to Chicago while his son, Joseph A. Guzman Jr., 32 years and an employee of the state of Illinois, seeks to be councilman.
Guzman father told Efe that the anti-immigrant climate that has been seen in the city over the past three years has caused some Hispanics have moved.
"Those who remain," he said, "prefer to do their shopping in neighboring towns because of the fear of the police checkpoints."
Such a change in shopping habits, according to Guzman, has caused a problem for traders in the city, looking for something to change his candidacy.
"Even now many Hispanics will buy petrol at the neighboring towns," the Hispanic candidate.
Originally from Uriangato, Guanajuato, and 38 years of living in the country, Father Guzman was known as an activist in Waukegan against local anti-immigrant forces.
Three years ago the checkpoints, conducted by the police under federal guidelines to arrest undocumented Latinos, were so frequent, the candidate for mayor says that until he came to be arrested.
In the election next February 24, Guzman facing the current mayor Richard H. Hyde, who seeks reelection, and Sam Cunningham, the only African American councilman in the city.
"The change I would be here because they are part of the problem," said Guzman father, who if elected will seek to work with Hispanics in the city, where Latinos are about 60 percent of the 92,000 residents.
While his son Joseph Jr. seeks to be elected as the third Hispanic city councilman.
Guzman son faced a challenge when the opposition disqualified 16 signatures demonstrating the grounds that his candidacy was written in block letters and not heading, as is the custom.
The dispute was resolved today when the judge in the Waukegan Board of Elections decided in his favor.
"The first battle and we won," his father told Efe after learning of the news.
For now, both candidates said they were working hard to inform voters of their campaigns.
"We are very excited, we are helping the two, both can learn from each other," Guzman told Efe son.
The father, meanwhile, said his campaign is working hard on "Waukegan Para Todos" and raises funds to get its message. It said it intends to create an Internet site to inform residents of Waukegan that Hispanics already arrived.
"What we have here is not political power."
His son said that they have the determination to walk his district block by block "to meet personally with all voters."
They said the candidates, there are about 7,000 Latino voters in Waukegan. If only half the votes for them, victory is in your hands, something that would represent a change that is necessary to consider this place.
"If the Latino community comes out to vote, we will make history," said Guzman father, who said that "diversity will come to Waukegan." EFE
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://noticias.aol.com/articulos/_a/padre-e-hijo-aspiran-a-puestos-de/n20090114170209990073">http://noticias.aol.com/articulos/_a/pa ... 0209990073</a><!-- m -->