{"id":651,"date":"2018-03-17T21:15:15","date_gmt":"2018-03-18T01:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=651"},"modified":"2018-03-17T21:15:15","modified_gmt":"2018-03-18T01:15:15","slug":"the-kochs-have-a-message-for-hispanics-not-all-republicans-are-like-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=651","title":{"rendered":"The Kochs have a message for Hispanics: Not all Republicans are like Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Camila
\n
OCTAVIAN CANTILLI FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE<\/div>\n
Camila Gomez, 27, from Colombia taught one of the advanced English classes at The Libre Institute in Orlando this month.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
By\u00a0Annie Linskey<\/a><\/span>\u00a0GLOBE STAFF\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\n

ORLANDO \u2014 On an evening here last week, Allison Martin, who works for a group backed by two of the wealthiest men on the planet, pitched Hispanic immigrants on the benefits of a $1.5 trillion tax cut President Trump signed into law last year.<\/p>\n

She handed out worksheets. She calculated savings on a whiteboard. She even used a translator so her Spanish-speaking audience of 20 people could follow along.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\u201cWe are journeying toward economic freedom,\u201d said Martin, a Florida-based staffer with one of the many organizations controlled by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch. \u201cWhen we are journeying toward economic freedom, we need money.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The audience nodded in agreement.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
Get\u00a0This Week in Politics<\/span>\u00a0in your inbox:<\/div>\n
A weekly recap of the top political stories from The Globe, sent right to your email.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n

It\u2019s no accident that the Koch apparatus is targeting this audience: Hispanics who have recently arrived in Florida and have every reason to disdain the country\u2019s harsh-on-immigration, paper-towel-tossing president. The Koch groups, in a subtle but shrewd tactical move, are trying to build a bulwark against the Trump-fueled erosion of support among Hispanics in key states like this one.<\/span><\/form>\n<\/div>\n

And they\u2019re trying to prove that their key priority, the massive tax cut, should be popular with immigrant newcomers and the economically struggling. After funding the Tea Party movement that ushered in an era of complete Republican control of the federal government, the Koch groups spent millions of dollars lobbying for this tax cut.<\/p>\n

Their privately held company has benefited from it to the tune of more than $1 billion a year, according to one\u00a0estimate<\/a>\u00a0by a left-leaning group.<\/p>\n

Now they\u2019re going to extraordinary lengths to sell it, taking steps well beyond the typical TV and digital advertising used by most political groups, and sponsoring a host of town-hall-type meetings in Florida and in five other politically important states to inform people about the benefits of the tax measure.<\/p>\n

\"New
\n
OCTAVIAN CANTILLI FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE<\/div>\n
New attendees at The Libre Institute in Orlando took a test to assess their English language proficiency at a class this month.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

It\u2019s all an effort to stem the potential losses from a demographic that is peeling away from President Trump in droves, and in a crucial state that could provide one of the keys to the 2020 election. They\u2019re not just selling the tax cut, they\u2019re providing a host of Spanish-language<\/b>\u00a0events infused with the free market, limited government philosophy the Kochs hope will appeal to Hispanics \u2014 and help them look past the many offensive comments made by the president. It\u2019s a case, in other words, of the wealthiest GOP benefactors looking for ways to mop up after the GOP president.<\/p>\n

Over the course of several days on the ground in central Florida, there were some indications that the approach was making inroads. While there was near-universal skepticism about Trump, many of the people interviewed were willing to consider voting Republican \u2014 at least some day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have heard about both parties, and I\u2019m trying to stay in the middle,\u201d offered Carlos Hernandez, a 51-year-old who brought his family to Orlando from Venezuela about eight months ago.<\/p>\n

He was there for the tax cut town hall, but he\u2019s enjoyed many of the free events offered, from a resume-writing class to English courses. \u201cYou build a network,\u201d he said, adding that he and his family appreciate the friends they\u2019ve made at the Koch-backed seminars.<\/p>\n

The tax courses focus on savings the new law offers. But the curriculum steers clear of the concerns other pro-Hispanic organizations have identified. UnidosUS, which is one of the oldest Hispanic advocacy groups in the country, has called the tax cut a \u201chistorically bad\u201d piece of legislation that will drive up the cost of health care and trigger cuts to programs like food assistance that Hispanics use.<\/p>\n

But for the Koch-funded Libre groups, the tax town halls serve multiple purposes. They help make good on a promise made by the Koch groups to sell the tax plan to the public. And they\u2019re a fresh installment of Hispanic-friendly programming that Koch-aligned groups are producing to woo the rapidly growing voting demographic.<\/p>\n

There are technically two sister Libre groups, the Libre Institute and the Libre Initiative, and they operated with a combined budget of $13.5 million in 2016, the last year that tax forms were available. The Koch network this year has set a goal of increasing their activities in all areas by a factor of 10, but a spokesman declined to provide more up-to-date budget figures.<\/p>\n

\"Some
\n
OCTAVIAN CANTILLI FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE<\/div>\n
Some Koch-backed groups offer English-language classes as part of a \u201cWelcome to Florida\u201d program.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Koch groups also hold seminars for Hispanics on how to write resumes, with the aim of helping them get a job. They offer English-language classes as part of a \u201cWelcome to Florida\u201d program geared specifically to Puerto Ricans who are descending on Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria \u2014 and, of course, arrive as US citizens with voting rights. They hosted a recent town hall on immigration issues to explain the efforts that the Kochs have made to support for changes that would make it easier for people to immigrate to the United States.<\/p>\n

This is an area where the Kochs and Trump hold different views. And Libre has funded digital ads pushing Congress to protect so-called \u201cDreamers,\u201d undocumented immigrants brought here as children. Trump initially said he\u2019d protect them but threatened to veto legislation that would have delivered that promise. The Koch networks also been critical of Trump\u2019s call to end chain migration \u2014 where family members join those already settled here \u2014 saying they don\u2019t support what they call \u201carbitrary\u201d caps for legal immigrants.<\/p>\n

The tax town halls are new \u2014 and will also be held in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, and New Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here to talk about tax reform,\u201d says Martin, who led Monday night\u2019s tax town hall. \u201cHow do you feel about taxes?\u201d<\/p>\n

She passed out a worksheet showing the old and new tax brackets, and then led the class through a detailed discussion of tax deductions and tax credits, and how they\u2019ve changed under the new law. Then she had the class calculate how much a person making $35,000 a year would pay in taxes under the old law, and then again under the new law.<\/p>\n

Her conclusion: $1,050 in savings thanks to tax reform, a figure that\u2019s similar to other nonpartisan analyses. \u201cIf you\u2019re noticing an increase in your paycheck, this is why,\u201d she said. \u201cThat is one thing the tax reform did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making people do math seems like a tortured way of selling the plan, but the audience reacted with delight. Omar Santiago, 26, said he was skeptical of the tax cut because he\u2019d heard it largely benefited the wealthy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are definitely getting more money in our pockets,\u201d Santiago gushed afterward. \u201cThat is one thing that stood out. Because who doesn\u2019t want more money in their pockets?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Libre Institute is careful to stay away from partisan politics, as its work is being done via a tax-exempt branch of their network. But the locations the group has picked tell a different story. Libre\u2019s hosting tax workshops in five politically important states that have had close elections. There\u2019s no Libre effort in Puerto Rico. There\u2019s also none in California or New York, two states with the large numbers of Hispanics.<\/p>\n

\"All
\n
OCTAVIAN CANTILLI FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE<\/div>\n
All that is required from attendees who participate in the free English classes offered at The Libre Institute in Orlando is that they register with some personal information.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Libre also does not register people to vote, but it is invested in keeping track of the people who come to events, ostensibly to build a deeper relationship with them. The staff makes sure to collect personal information from everyone in the room, passing around an iPad where attendees enter their names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses.<\/p>\n

The small-government philosophy sets the group apart from the Hispanic outreach in Florida that is done by groups that are more aligned with liberal organizations. That includes UnidosUS, which has 15 affiliated groups in Florida that reached at least 100,000 in the last year. They work with local groups that help connect Hispanics with affordable housing, education programs, and health care.<\/p>\n

The Kochs are swimming upstream in this effort to woo swing-state Hispanics and are contending with a Republican Party and a president that have shown little interest in this group. Trump has labeled Mexicans as \u201crapists,\u201d he insulted a Venezuelan beauty queen by calling her \u201cMiss Housekeeping,\u201d and he tweeted a photo of a taco bowl on Cinco De Mayo, a day when Mexican history is honored.<\/p>\n

Republicans are growing increasingly worried that they\u2019ll pay a political price among Hispanics. Trump won Florida by about 120,000 votes in 2016, powered largely by running up massive margins in the suburbs and among white voters. But after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in August, tens of thousands left the island and came to Florida; one estimate pegs the number as high as 300,000.<\/p>\n

Puerto Ricans are a particularly important group of Hispanics because, as American citizens, they can vote in US elections. So the Koch effort, at the very least, offers the possibility of a welcoming haven amid a Republican coalition that is largely walking in step with Trump.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Kochs are doing it part out of ideological conviction and part out of political necessity,\u201d said David Jolly, a Republican former member of Congress from Florida. \u201cWe know in Florida what a 1- or 2-point swing among any demographic can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jolly said he\u2019s \u201cvery concerned\u201d that Trump is alienating Hispanics from the party for years to come.<\/p>\n

And he should be concerned. There was little affection for Trump among the attendees at a variety of Koch-backed events last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wants to separate families,\u201d said Mayia Belloli, a 38-year-old from Colombia who attended a Koch-sponsored English class on a recent Monday night. She scrunched up her nose in disgust with the president but was clear that her view doesn\u2019t necessarily extend to all Republicans. \u201cThey hold more family values,\u201d Belloli said.<\/p>\n

This effort is being eyed with some measure of concern among Democrats in the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes our math harder,\u201d said Steve Schale, a Democratic strategist who spearheaded former president Barack Obama\u2019s 2008 and 2012 campaigns in Florida. \u201cThe way you win Florida, it\u2019s all about managing the margins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s victory in 2016 probably showed the ceiling of white support for a Republican, he said, so as the state becomes more diverse, the GOP is going to have to find other groups willing to support their candidates.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they can chip our 70-30 advantage [with Hispanics], it just means we have to find votes elsewhere,\u201d Schale said. \u201cThe Koch Brothers have the ability to play the long game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Playing the long game is exactly what the Kochs, with their tangle of nonprofits, super PACs, and politically oriented nonprofits, are attempting to do. Libre\u2019s most popular programs are its free English-language classes, which the group offers several times per week.<\/p>\n

About 100 people showed up to an English class last Monday evening, including about 40 new students. It was too many people to fit into Libre\u2019s modest offices, so the group used space owned by the Casa Roca Orlando church. The Libre staff added a temporary banner to each classroom emblazoned with the slogan \u201cFreedom drives progress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of you from Puerto Rico understand the big debt that government can pile up,\u201d Juan Martinez, the Orlando field director at Libre, told the group in Spanish. \u201cIn Venezuela, you\u2019ve had a similar situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

He went on to explain that here, at the Libre classes, students would learn how they can avoid making those kinds of mistakes in their personal lives.<\/p>\n

\"Juan
\n
OCTAVIAN CANTILLI FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE<\/div>\n
Juan Martinez, Orlando field director at Libre, gave an introduction to new attendees at The Libre Institute in Orlando this month.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Annie Linskey can be reached at\u00a0annie.linskey@globe.com<\/a>. Follow her on Twitter\u00a0@annielinskey<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OCTAVIAN CANTILLI FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE Camila Gomez, 27, from Colombia taught one of the advanced English classes at The Libre Institute in Orlando this…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":652,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-politics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-17_21-14-02.jpg?fit=787%2C519&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8VBh7-av","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=651"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":653,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651\/revisions\/653"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}