Part 3: Meet Jorge Bonilla, Candidate for Congress in FL – 9

Jorge Bonilla

Previous: Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview with Jorge Bonilla.

Our interview with Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, Jorge Bonilla, with his thoughts and views on the U.S. border and immigration…

Part 3: The U.S. Border

BB: Mr. Bonilla, what are your thoughts and ideas on how to handle the U.S. border security problem? What should be done about the massive illegal immigration problem in our country?

JB: Border security, is above all else, national security. Before we have a democratic conversation regarding the fate of the undocumented, we must address the border, ensure it is secure, and reform our visa system, which accounts for over 40% of our illegal immigration problem. We seemed to have an alternative in place, we just need to be sure it is funded and implemented. Once that is accomplished, we can begin to talk about everything else.

In August, The Heritage Foundation presented a list of U.S. border and immigration questions voters should be asking their Congress members. I felt it was a very good list to present to Jorge Bonilla to answer for this part of the candidate’s interview…

The Heritage Foundation: 5 Immigration Questions for Your Congressman

1. How can we afford an amnesty for illegal immigrants?

JB: I’ve read many different studies on the economic impact of legalizing the undocumented. I think that there might be a net long-tern positive impact under the right conditions, but am unsure that Washington is willing to do what it takes to ensure those right conditions.

2. If illegal immigrants win amnesty, how is that fair to the 4.5 million who are waiting to enter the United States legally?

JB: It is my personal belief that any proposed “pathway to citizenship” must first take into account those immigrants who arrived here via legal means.

3. Can we ensure that a House-passed immigration bill doesn’t become a vehicle, in a deal with the Senate, for blanket amnesty?

JB: It seems that the House and the Senate are at currently at an impasse, so it is up to the people to hold their representatives accountable; this is true on both sides of the issue.

4. Does Congress need to pass new legislation to secure the border and strengthen interior enforcement?

JB: In my view, these goals could be accomplished within existing legislation and the will to enforce it.

5. Is there any guarantee that we won’t face this problem again with millions of new illegal immigrants in the future?

JB: There is none whatsoever, which is why we need to ensure we have legislation in place that actually works, as well as the will to enforce it.

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What would you ask the cast and creators of “Wassup en LA?”

It’s been a while since the last fresh episode of ¿Qué Pasa USA?

Now, some young Cuban Americans are working on bringing cubaneo back to the small screen in a sitcom project called Wassup en LA? The premise (as I understand it) is that one of the kids wants to become an actor, so the whole family moves out to Los Angeles with him as he follows his dreams.

Like true 21st-century aspiring sitcom stars, they’re trying to get their project off the ground using Kickstarter (think social media for raising capital).

Tomorrow evening, I’ll be interviewing creator Carlos de la Vega and cast member Jean Paul San Pedro via Google+ Hangout. We’ll talk about the show, Cubanness, their approach to portraying a Cuban family for a broader audience, and other things.

What would you ask? Leave your ideas for questions in the comments below. I just might use them in the interview.

In the meantime, check out some of their YouTube content here.

Interview with Heather Burky, director of “Lost Country”

Heather Burky and I met in a Google+ Hangout to talk about her documentary, “Lost Coutry,” which tells the story of the Cuban Revolution through interviews with three exiles who fought back.

Here’s the interview. This was my first time “broadcasting” a Hangout, and I didn’t realize I needed to click “Start Broadcast” until after Heather has introduced herself. Sorry about that.

What would you ask “Lost Country” filmmaker Heather Burky?

Tomorrow I’ll be interviewing Heather Burky, who won a Student Academy Award for her film school thesis film, “Lost Country.”

I’ll be recording the interview tomorrow (Saturday) at 3 p.m. Eastern, then sharing it with you via this blog after the fact. If you have questions you would like to see included in the interview, leave them in a comment on this post. There’s no guarantee that I’ll use questions you submit, but I can’t consider them if you don’t suggest them.

Here’s the trailer for Lost Country:

And here’s Burky’s acceptance speech: