Clear Channel's John & Ken Show called racist

LA duo on KFI oppose DREAM Act, for E-verify

Los Angeles – Battle lines between conservatives and liberals spilled over into the airwaves this past week.

Hispanic activists who favor the California DREAM Act are calling for an end to the John and Ken Show on Clear Channel's Radio KFI.

The drive-home talk radio show, which airs between 5 and 7 p.m., is the largest in the U.S. in terms of local listenership, and has been pulled off the air before due to its controversial nature.

One of the latest John and Ken stunts involved giving the cell phone and office phone numbers of an ardent supporter for financial assistance to be provided for children of undocumented immigrants who attended high school in this financially troubled state at least three years, graduated, and have been accepted at state-supported colleges and universities and community colleges.

According to the Democracy and Media Coalition, “On September 1st, 2011, John and Ken began a rant about undocumented immigrants and specifically targeted Jorge-Mario Cabrera of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA).

“Instead of taking issue with Jorge-Mario's politics, the duo provided Cabrera’s office and personal cell phone numbers and encouraged their listeners to call and harass him. Mr. Cabrera proceeded to receive over 430 abusive and threatening calls. Many of the callers repeated John and Ken’s exact words, and then wished death upon Mr. Cabrera and/or threatened his life and his physical safety. And indeed, many callers directly referenced John and Ken in their nasty messages.”

To qualify for the DREAM Act, students must declare that they are in the process of applying to legalize their immigration status, show financial need.
Assemblyman Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), who authored the bill, praised Governor Brown for signing the bill.

"After having invested 12 years in the high school education of these young men and women, who are here through no fault of their own," Cedillo said, "it's the smartest thing for us to do to permit these students to get scholarships and be treated like every other student."

Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, described the development as "a great day for California, for education and for immigrant students who have kept their end of the bargain and continue to give their best to the only nation they know as their home."

Republican lawmakers and conservative groups assailed Brown for approving AB 131.

"It's morally wrong," said Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-San Bernardino). "We have just created a new entitlement that is going to cause tens of thousands of people to come here illegally from all over the world."

TEA Party operatives and the conservative California Assemblyman are calling for the repeal of the act, recently signed into law by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, through a ballot initiative in the general elections of 2012.

Hispanic activists, union members and Democrats are by and large in favor of California's DREAM Act.