Stephanie Jackter - 10-10-2003 at 09:25 AM
Baja Gov. Congratulates Schwarzenegger
TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) -- Arnold Schwarzenegger's counterpart in Baja California congratulated him on Thursday and asked him to respect the rights of
Mexican migrants when he takes over as governor.
Eugenio Elorduy, the governor of the Mexican state across the border from California, said Schwarzenegger's office has been in touch with his own
cabinet and he looks forward to meeting with Schwarzenegger "when he finds it convenient."
Elorduy said he hoped to have a productive relationship with Schwarzenegger as he did with his predecessor, Gov. Gray Davis. The governor cited
agreements on security, car thefts and border crossings among others.
He also appealed to Schwarzenegger to respect a law recently signed by Davis allowing illegal migrants to apply for driver's licenses. Schwarzenegger
has spoken out against the measure.
Elorduy said California owes much of its economic success to Mexican labor. Hispanics account for one-third of California's 34 million people.
"I'm asking him to consider always the dignity of the migrants, respect for this dignity," he said. "As a migrant from Austria, I'm sure he will
always take into account the situation of Mexican migrants who go to the United States, particularly to California, in search of a better quality of
life."
Mexican federal legislators on Wednesday expressed alarm at Schwarzenegger's election, saying his history of anti-migrant comments bodes ill for
current and future Mexican migrants to California.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved.