Showing posts with label Tommy Castellano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tommy Castellano. Show all posts

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Local Civic Leader and West Tampa Businessman Outed for Racist Comments

Tommy Castellano, former GOP Congressional candidate and former Tampa City Council candidate, took to Facebook in recent weeks to not only share his pro-Trump views and commentary, but also to perpetuate racist myths about immigrants.  The owner of Castellano A/C Services feels he is being slandered in public for his comments, however, we will let you be the judge.  On September 7th, Tommy thought it ok to repost a video saying that “DREAMers and DACA recipients get Section 8 housing, welfare, food stamps, free medical, free college…enough is enough! What do you get?”

DREAMers are millennials who were brought to this nation as children by their parents.  They attend American public schools and many of them have hard working parents who risked everything to come here and be productive members of society.  Under President Obama, executive action (DACA) was taken to protect these products of the American education system from deportation when Congress failed to pass any type of immigration reform.  

In recent weeks, President Trump rescinded that order.  Congress is now faced with addressing a growing crisis in our immigration system which cannot afford to deport 12 million undocumented immigrants in America.  Furthermore, many DREAMers are now college graduates and make up some of the best minds this nation has to offer.  Despite all the challenges and hurdles faced by these children of undocumented immigrants, many are not afforded in-state tuition in certain states.  It was only in the last four years that Florida sought to tackle this issue of in-state tuition for DREAMers.

Benefits of attending a Florida university at in-state tuition rates aside, DREAMers and DACA recipients are far from given handouts.  DREAMers are not eligible for SNAP benefits or Medicaid.  Does knowingly reposting videos and memes from racists media outlets on Facebook because you agree with them make one a racist?  You decide.

-Christopher Cano
Fmr. FL Deputy State Director for Young Adults
League of United Latin American Citizens





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