of a horrible act of gun violence. the last time we ever gathered in this chamber church together they were both in the hospital receiving treatment for their injuries. you thankfully are seeing fair beautiful spiles since. this is kendall and nathaniel. we're so grateful to have them here. give them a warm welcome. [applause] [cheers and applause] . .[applause] 's. [applause]

[applause] >> kendall needed to surgeries including one to replace a punctured artery. nathaniel is blind in his left eye. theirs was an unthinkable experience and the road to recovery we will belong. kendall has said she wonders if she will ever be loved because of the scars she has yes, you are and will always be loved.

we are going beyond that. you will also be successful. you too. taking a group picture with several kids trying to get an. i almost tripped and fell. such quiet confidence and with your injury he quietly said don't worry i'll catch you. [applause] we are pulling for both of you, and it is my hope that our actions in this

legislative session will stay firmly that we are pulling for every new mexico child to be as successful as their hearts desire, to go as far as they want to go to be whoever in life they want to be a the matter how they grew up no matter their background and no matter the adversity that they face. to do good and to be better than we were. ladies and ladies and gentlemen, now is the time to choose progress over politics. politics. now is the time to be courageous and bold not comfortable and apathetic. now is the time to commit to change and to reform that will better the lives of our children because they deserve our very best and best, and we should resolve to give it to them.

[applause] [applause] >> our best days are ahead of us. god us. god bless you all. god bless our great state. let's move forward for our children. thank you. god bless new mexico. >> here are a few of the comments we recently received. >> very excited. i would have liked to here

him talk a bit more about job security. i would like to here what policies are going to be in place here help people to hold onto the jobs that they have and people who are having a difficult time finding work. >> well, i was actually unimpressed. you know maybe know, maybe i am a little old school but to me that universally paid even community college really takes away the initiative out of the student. i don't know. maybe back in my error we had to work our way through college. we found a way to get through college. college. to those that have nothing that are flat broke potentially are should be

some help but i think we have to be cautious and judicious on how we are throwing that money out and not just from a budgetary standpoint but what it does or doesn't do for the recipient. >> the republicans from iowa did make a comment that said you don't need to come from wealth and privilege to understand what is right for this country. i just want want to let everyone no that i am a first-generation american so i do understand what it means to build from nothing, to come to something that you can be proud of. we need to let go of old ways of thinking and embrace where we are as a country today. we need to continue to salute our troops and their sacrifices and embrace where our future is headed. i also want want to say that we still have so much ahead of us mastery is proven that we can be judgmental of our leaders. i just hope that in the next two years we can keep

focused and hold tight to our values despite party lines to continue to grow our country. >> and continue to let us know what you think about the programs are watching. call us. e-mail us. send us a tweet. for every weekend the only television network devoted to nonfiction books and authors. watch us an hd like us on facebook follow us on twitter.

recently sworn in for a 4th term during a ceremony at the state capital. he previously served as governor from 1995 until 2,003 only to return to the office again in 2011. this is 20 minutes. >> thank you very much. i want to briefly recognize my two sisters who have come here today and, and, of course my son, logan. i also want to thank the general from the american national guard and the superintendent of the state police and all our 1st responders for everything they do.

wish you had tickets. i certainly wish i had. but it is amazing. i saw a guy on friday in full-blown front on beaver regalia black black sneakers, or depends, black shirt, or jacket black with an orange beaver on the and the a great big go ducks yellow sticker on his chest. sure you felt the same, but all these people packing together all walks of life, and it doesn't matter. united united in the common cause of making sure that there team wins. sometimes i wonder what it would take.

childhood hunger or education or creating jobs in and oregon. that's what i want to talk to you about briefly this morning. 197936 years ago. getting sworn in as a freshman member of the house of representatives. right before we swore in a 32nd governor. i remember the 1st time. that was 30 years ago presiding over the 1985 legislative session and looking out at the names that are engraved. the men and women of our state. as it turns out, i spent

most of my dough was in this building and love it very much. since i had just been sworn in for the very last time ever take a few minutes and reflect about what i have learned over the last 36 years why did it. a little personal information, although thanks to our friends at all think there is much left out there my career really was the result of two things. the 1st was the fact that 67 years ago i was born to parents who were members of what was called the greatest generation.

my mother was born in oregon in 1917 and they met in washington university in 1939 and got married the next year. when the us entered the 2nd world war my father was drafted and left his wife of less than two years and boarded a troop transport for the dangerous trip across the north atlantic. just before the ship sailed a red cross volunteer came on board and told my father his 1st child had been born. my father landed in france and launched across europe. and from the day he was drafted including the seven months he was with patents army in europe the parents wrote to each other almost every day. i always thought it was kind of a poignant tribute that they kept all those letters. in 2002 my father edited them and put them in a volume that he simply called the war letters.

this is really a remarkable document. and it chronicles the lives of two ordinary people, regular citizens and the amazing sacrifices that they made to win the war and to rebuild the world and its aftermath. before he died i used to father of every year on june 6, 6th the anniversary of d-day and would thank them for seven the world. that is exactly what the generation did. not only did they win the 2nd world war, they created a higher education system, gave us gave us the civil rights movement and landmark environmental legislation, put in place the great social programs social security and medicare and medicaid and in their spare time they cured polio eradicated smallpox and went to the moon.

so i grew up in an era where people still believe in government and believe that it was a vehicle through which we can do amazing things for a whole society. i still believe it. i'm here today because i still believe in our government does a competence are only possible if they are driven by a sense of common purpose. it was very clear and unambiguous, to defeat not to germany and the axis powers rebuild america and do all that they could to make sure that their children were better off than they were. today things are a little more ambiguous. problems are more complex, often interrelated, a little obvious solutions with little low hanging fruit and almost no quick fixes in a a

nation addicted to fast food and instant gratification. the need for common purpose is just as important today as it was 70 years ago. a sense of common purpose is the one essential ingredient necessary to build community which allows people to come together and do collectively things that we will be difficult or impossible for them to do by themselves and as a sense of common purpose which offers the adhesiveness oppose us together and allows us to act in concert as a community. that brings me to robert kennedy and the influence he had on my life. 21-year-old college student when bobby kennedy ran for president, and it was a remarkable campaign, unlike any i've seen before or after. it was a campaign that after. it was a campaign that truly focused on equity and

opportunity, a campaign about unrepresented farmworkers in california, i campaign about poverty and hunger and children starving to death in the mississippi delta and on the pine ridge reservation can i campaign that asked difficult and disturbing questions about gdp that measured wealth but not well-being by questions about how we can allow this to exist these contradictions, and it asked questions about who we were and how we treat one another as americans and fellow human beings. a very short campaign, lasting 8282 days from when he announced and so when he was assassinated on june 6 which interestingly enough was the 21st anniversary of d-day. i was inspired by that campaign because of his sincerity, his passion his courage to speak from the heart and say things that needed to be said and for the moment that he died in los angeles i knew that this is where i wanted to be an wanted to commit myself to public service. to me the central message and bobby kennedy's last

campaign was this a sense of common purpose is essential to build community and if community is what allows us to come together to do collectively things that we cannot do individually and the strength of the community is inversely proportional to the level of disparity or inequality that exists within a. what robert kennedy was doing in that campaign was calling out the disparities and the inequalities in our society and asking people why we allow them to exist. that exist. that made a lot of people really uncomfortable. it was 46 years ago, and asking the same questions today still makes a lot of people really am comfortable, but those questions need to be asked and answered because disparity is the enemy of community separating us, divides us, reflects inequality reflects a lack of fairness and says somebody is being left behind, somebody is being

excluded and if you are the person being excluded from the community, then there is no sense of common purpose. without common purpose you can have community, and if we don't have community we don't have the capacity to meet the challenges that face us today as a society and the state. last week i had the honor of speaking at our state business summit. the theme of that summit was in it together. a commitment to ensure that all of us have the opportunity to achieve a greater share of prosperity prosperity command i must tell you i am proud to live in a state with the business community's end that set goals for collective action around education infrastructure, rural economic development. even if we are successful in meeting those goals and i support each and every one of them we we will not succeed in getting all

oregonians a greater share of prosperity was going to have the courage and honesty to question one basic fact the inherent contradiction between a growing economy and the increasingly desperate plight of hundreds of thousands of our fellow oregonians. sometimes i feel i feel a bit disingenuous using the word economic recovery because i am certain that that term does not have much meaning for hundreds of thousands of people in the state today. we currently measure economic recovery in two ways, how many jobs we are creating and how fast the state gdp is growing. by those metrics we are doing really well. we had gained back all the jobs were lost and as measured by growth from gdp we have the 5th fastest growing economy in the nation in 2,011. here is the question, how does that actually translate into the well-being of our fellow oregonians?

in terms of an ability to support families and meet basic needs to treat kids and the answer is not very well not very well. it is not that we are creating well-paying jobs. we are. this is actually something that has been going on for a long time between 1945 the end of the 2nd world war and the mid-1970s mid- 1970s, productivity grew 96 percent and wages grew by 94 percent. between the mid-1970s and 2011 productivity 2011 productivity increased 80 percent and wages increased 10 percent. the.is, our workers are more productive than ever before but are not sharing equitably and the welfare helping to create. that trend is increasing. it seems to me that should be troubling to all of us because one of the basic

predicates is to believe that an america hard work is actually rewarded with a better life. that is something not not the case for a growing number of people. a growing number of people are trapped in low-paying jobs which they cannot possibly raise a a family with absolutely no hope of moving our moving up. why? 's wire one out of five still living in poverty? why are over 30% of our children facing food insecurity on a regular basis? why is unemployment among latinos 27% and among african-americans, native americans, hawaiians, pacific islanders, and those with disabilities over, and those with disabilities over 30 percent. most importantly, why is this acceptable? i think we can all agree that the situation is not only unfair but it divides us and adds to the

disparities in our community and makes it harder for us to come together in common cause. the answers to these questions are complicated. i know that. but if we begin to ask the right questions, if we begin to ask direct questions i know we can make progress. an organ economy that move some and leaves others behind slows down progress for all of us. as thomas been shot observed in his novel if they can get you asking the wrong questions you don't have to worry about the answers. if the only questions we are asking is how fast the state gdp is growing and we don't have to worry about the quality is. but if we are willing to come together and ask these are questions and hold on for the purpose that it is

our intent to lift up the whole community, not just part of it confidence we can move ahead. forty years 40 years ago i finished up my in denver colorado. twenty-seven -year-old invincible er dr. who is young and really naïve and idealistic. ten years later in 1978 four years later, ten years after bobby kennedy was killed try to save the world but my parents had. i have learned a few things along the way. saving the world is a lot harder than it sounds. it does not happen with a flash of lightning or a cup of thunder command it does not flow from inspirational speeches. robert kennedy was inspirational but i have absolutely no idea whether he would have been a good or effective president.

to achieve what robert kennedy dreamed would have taken a lot of hard, unglamorous work in the trenches making compromises dealing with egos balancing egos, balancing conflicting agendas, being patient and tenacious in the face of setbacks showing up hanging in there not giving up. the role of government is not to fix things but to create a space where people can fix things for themselves and you cannot advance the common good from salem but only by engaging people where they live and showing them that they have a stake in the problem in some sense of ownership in the solution. we are doing that every day here throughout regional solutions committees coordinate a chair organizations, early learning hubs watershed councils, watershed councils and through the oregon business plan. here is something else i learned my people in our state and across this land want community. they year and for a sense of belonging and some greater common purpose. after 36 years after 36

years i am am certainly no longer young and no longer naïve but i am still idealistic and believe that all of us want to rise above our own worst day and give something back to our families and communities command i still believe in the power of individuals acting from courage and conviction to change the world in which they live for the better. let us commit to that. but us commit to the proposition that we are going to ensure everyone in the state has an equal opportunity to meet their basic need to strive to achieve there full potential and have hard work actually rewarded with a better life and to leave their children better off than they were economically and new line -- environmentally. it won't happen overnight or in the next four years probably not in the next ten much progress has been made a a long road stretches out before us and some of us will see the end.

i can tell you as the follower of that -- as the father of a 17 -year-old son it is the contributions we make that will ultimately matter the most. am going to close today. very eloquently captures the challenge and responsibility and i think the opportunity before us and what he calls lead story. lloyd reynolds, the international citizen spent his last days in pain silent, unable to write or speak. his last a at home but made his way outside. there she found him on his knees awkwardly. you will never see those flowers bloom.

he smiled at her. they are not not for me he said. they are for you. because of the cause of the wild geese, they are for you. to the seven generation and beyond. good words to hold onto as we start this 78 session of the oregon legislature. thank george w.

bush administration. this is this is an hour and 15 minutes. [applause] >> thank you. thank you for joining us today. today. it is a little early but we appreciate everyone being here. thank you for carrying about a cause that is so near and dear to many of our hearts copper ticket only many of us on the panel and each one of us in different ways connected to the island in the cause of democracy on the island. my parents are political refugees. they came in 1981, actually one, actually one of the initial families to seek asylum. enough about me. it's about these three guys on stage. each and every one has participated in the cause of democracy on the island and

is very vocal about their opinions on this new cuba policy and the implications for human rights and democracy. so i would like to introduce a member of the cuban liberation movement and the daughter the famed cuban activist. highly suspected that the cuban government was behind his death. the cuban liberation movement was founded almost three decades ago. as 20000 signatures, and in the country like cuba in a totalitarian state like cuba it was completely unprecedented. for the past two years she has testified before the un and other international organizations asking for an independent inquiry into her father's death and most recently she was senator rubio's guest at the state of the union.

more than two decades of public policy experience focusing on us interest in the russian hemisphere, twice been appointed pres. george w. bush and confirmed by the u.s. senate which we all know is a pretty impossible feat sometimes. a visiting fellow at the american enterprise institute and managing director of the consulting firm vision america's. he also played a pivotal role in drafting the cuban liberty and democratic solidarity. and last but most definitely not least the was born in cuba and has testified before congress on cuba and the united nations on

various occasions. he served for over ten years as a washington representative for freedom house. very respected human rights organizations and has written many articles for major dailies in the united states and elsewhere and appeared -- anybody who watches hispanic american teething as you always see his face. and his work at the center for a free cuba until the development and maintenance of these contacts with congress and the democratic government officials around the world. with that with that i pass it over. >> thank you. thank you very much. to hear about the situation in cuba. we are facing a knew era, a knew scenario that we have to assume it is a fact that

we are into this new approach between two governments that in my opinion has skewed the opinion and the voices of the cuban citizenship. but that doesn't mean that we cannot start to influence these conversations. it does not mean that we cannot raise our voices. especially in this country but also inside the islands try to put our points to locate our topics. the cuban people are important. more than 25,000 cuban citizens delivered into the hands of the national assembly in my country and illegal initiative to change the law the right to free

association, declaration of the political -- real enterprises which is not the same thing. the situation is that this reform or changes that they cuban government has been trying to sell to the international community actually implemented in the island not the recognition of the human trials of the cubans, the recognition to

have the fleet enterprise, but the permission that the cuban government could give you your political prediction for maybe if you are a person that could travel or are in contact with foreign people or are in contact with people from their position people from the civil society. and in the same way they have implemented all the rest of the reform to travel to with the island and to enter the island is not right that cubans have. it's a privilege that the cuban government gives command that's why for instance the artist that was recently trying to make a performance in the revolution in nevada

is now -- she cannot travel right now, cannot lift the island. actually fed her. if she wants to lift the island she had to do it in a definitive way. so she denied to leave the island and is now on the island without a passport because they cuban government does not allow her to travel if she is not leaving the island like forever. this is this is the reality of the reforms. ..

>> >> the the united states government is normalized with relations discussing with the government in a the process so with these negotiations should be part of the citizenship. but the demand that the

cubans have already prepared trying to obtain with the very base of democracy without a system for its dissipation but if they're not consulted the government of the united states and others bet that democratic institutions of the world and to have free and realistic elections in the country we try with free

expression and access to the media. and to have a lot of international support. we cubans do not deserve less. something that is also important but also in the conversations in relation with the cuban in government is the fact that that the cuban government has been in our region. with that high-level of impunity with the game the

larger area in argentina and the stooges that disappeared in mexico and also of the teenagers one year ago. i am not saying the cuban government is guilty for this but we're facing a nondemocratic movement and i think the cuban government has a large stability for the is not in this region

that we have since replicated the goal of the international community in the dialogue also with my father louis is though winner. the leader with that movement they were killed two years ago in an attack. and we think the imputed the is very important.

if necessary to be able to talk for the reconciliation process to walk together because we have to walk together because cuba what belongs to all cubans but we need to stop the purity. the with the cuban people have prepared a and demanded for a long time rainout.

but the ability with the international affairs. but it is also going to support the democracy and the rest of the region. less than one year ago in havana we had to residents to proclaim indri have to say that teenagers disappeared.

young people are not so young people died with a lot of preparation so sometimes if we can just learn with real democracy there is a nation that needs to be coherent. thank you so much. [applause] >> thank you very much. is an extraordinary privilege should be here from the free cuba in she is

the daughter of a murder she wrote. i of the mexican american from kansas who was raised right to. [laughter] but as young people in the audience here who are listening, this is your struggle. this is your opportunity to step up to make the world the better place and to do that you have to understand the reality what is going on in cuba today into are the bad guys and quite frankly those of us you were critics do not oppose them because we hope he is wrong bet we know this in gold biggest obstacle to political freedom in cuba for 55 years is the castro regime.

with your own constitution with july 2012 with the american aid worker who offers a small jewish community internet access on the island was held hostage five years for his efforts and will deal on the administration was holding secret talks in havana he was holding more than and human-rights activist in other political critics say yes we know better than to expect anything positive and frankly president obama and should know better. from nixon to afford to carter to clinton sought to normalise ties with havana

however none of them saw capitulation between anti-american and dictatorship to be a national interest and tell obama. president reagan in the two bush administration and adopted a program to reach out and empower the people of cuba including the marquee broadcasting and direct support team. none of these presidents until now it was a good idea to resuscitate the castro regime for that dictatorship it is not whether to oppose sanctions that when and how to lift them. could do we help risk the regime or dewey -- do we resume relations to use as of lever to reduce fraud and profound irreversible reforms to effectively

liberate the of human people? the president chose the latter and i hasten to add there is strong bipartisan in a consensus that normal relations should be reserved for one moving to democracy. part of that leverage he can expect a robust opposition to lifting the economic embargo on cuba. the misconception that is looking at the cumin -- cuban the dirty solidarity act the title to that act made by a democratic senator is a formula for establishing normal trade or

a dad to cuba in a post castro era. it anticipates more friend of the transitional government frees political prisoners and respects freedoms to dismantle the police state to hold fair elections and in addition to having these three public commitments to honor international recognized human rights and labor rights. the charter that with this kind that sets up a more detailed benchmark for all members of the organization these are not draconian requirements there the only ones in the hemisphere that cannot meet any of them. is the president doing

anybody any favors that there rights do not matter or they are worth less than the others of the western hemisphere? he is in a hurry to trade with the bankrupt governor. all measures reinforce the status quo of a track record of opposing change from the regime. purposeful trouble is a good thing. i travel the 1988 and i saw this the filleting repression in impact on the cuban people. the new regulations be easier to travel and visit family members for other purposes but the concern is a tourism will represent a bad fall to the of hospitality all of which is.

owned by the regime and benefits the military and security apparatus. and in support of family and small farmers to allow u.s. telecom companies treated best that should have been used to leverage reform and and tell them have is the regime will continue to deny access to the cuban people to the internet and free communications with the rest of the world and will start to shake that u.s. companies while restricting the benefits to the people. accepting this is not with the president intended, he must get serious about a kj and the other 11 million people of cuba rather than trying to placate the receive that torments.

unfortunately the president has yet to offer a meaningful strategy to support real change in cuba. i think he should dispatch a high profile personal envoy to caribbean and european capitals to explain how the united states proposes to help the cubans under the castros. the president should invite his counterparts to explain their own efforts surely they can agree to a simple steps to deliberate -- to let liberate all prisoners not just a handful and allow people to exercise their liberties and commit to supervise elections as soon as possible to allow unfettered access to that internet and the inter

america to establish the island to monitor conditions to give the international committee of the red cross to inspect the cuban prisons and jails. the government's their presidents have had ascii obama since he was elected about u.s. cuba policy it is time he pushes back to insist they do something for their latin american friends and caribbean neighbors. id the five weeks since islamic this decision the castro regime has arrested more cuban dissidents even several of those that were free as a deal from the president and have demanded of the embargo or of the act or that the the be removed from the list of terrorist

states. in the last month the number of cubans colliding on rickety rafts fleeing fair country has more than doubled. they know what to expect from washington's weakness. this was predictable nobody expected meaningful steps to the liberalization of any kind because it is already been handed a major diplomatic victory for a political recognition in exchange for doing nothing. the normalization of diplomatic relations have very little positive impact on the lives of the cuban people unless the president rallies other countries to press for political change on the island. if he fails and does not

follow up with a. democracy campaign to incorporate authentic human voices in to that dialogue then his new approach will be exposed as an amateur blunder to prolong the dictatorship the al accomplished little else. paid you very much. [applause] >> into the al frank. >> i would like to thank heritage for in writing the and the key for coming to this event. it is difficult to know what is in anybody's mind. one thing for sure that the president admitted those who support the new cuba policy have bought into is that castro dynasty garett jeff. for example the united

states is partly responsible for castro's repression because the american policy provides a rationale for the cuban government repression in. i learned in the government's 101 that governments are repressive whether knots in the -- shot to germany or the communist regime they have to repress the people because they want to have freedom. the a very little to do with a foreign policy with the government. the president also said a number of other inaccurate things.

is and mean -- many people ask why does the u.s. have a policy for china or vietnam? it is simple. politics 101. first of all the cubans are not vietnamese or chinese they would like to have the kind of policy that the united states has with the society that they live. people live in chile over costa rica. why is it some people like to have the worst level applied and be all that? i guess the folks at the state department know very well the idea of one policy for the whole world is nonsense. it is not the same as the

policy for mexico as canada. that gets this is what we hear from this white house. and they say by having foolhardy and diplomatic relations will bring civil liberties respected and the recovery of the cuban economy. do they know cuba has full diplomatic relations with spain, france, canada? do they know they have trade relations with those countries more than 50 years? is it the american dollar is better than the dollar that goes from the canadian gore the british? as a matter of fact cuba has had more assistance, more

development aid in the revolutionary period the the in european countries had after a world war ii under the marshall plan. american dollars go to the cuban government you cannot trade with cuba. you trade with the government starting with the cigars. the government has a monopoly on cigars like the spanish colonial government had 200 years ago if of farmer was to grow a cigar and so that he will go to prison and it applies across the board. some of these reforms that we talk about me that i cubage can work as a barber to manufacture paper flowers

but cuba is to not have the same rights in cuba as for investors to. most of them are members of the castro family. you were talking about a dynasty that resembles one from somebody else to the family, to somebody else who has to be obedient a and respectful. the present cuba policy i am sorry i have to say is based on outright lies. the president promised the cuban dissidents before anything that there be brought into the discussion. the president promised. but more recently why do i say allies?

a few weeks ago with a congressional hearing someone appeared before a number of senators. someone from the state department talking about u.s. cuba policy and that official in the old bid hearing said before anything would change the committee and the congress would be brought into the discussion. a and yesterday he said he was sorry about what he had said the nevertheless though whole idea of secrecy and keep the the congress the way is not a good thing. i guess the choking in cuba is raul castro has not

changed other will said mr. alibaba has changed because his policy resembles the way fidel castro there is new discussion in this is what we deal with. a year and another issue but i often did come across why do cuban-americans have to play a rule -- a role in policy? is this something that is not appropriate? and i hear that sometimes that is what the government says. but they forget cuban americans are here and have been for more than 50 years.

the pay taxes to become presidents of universities and serve in the armed forces and if anybody wants to go with me this afternoon to the vietnam memorial you can put your hand on the name of cuban-americans who died serving under the american flag. i think they have earned a right to like people in the jewish community or black americans or gay americans or people love the financial sector to be a part of the discussion and not to be ignored when something significant to them is being discussed. some they had a significant having been done in secret that would affect the black community is taken for granted but it is not right

for everybody else. so then there is the historical perspective because the policies to though little countries are in a news today but cupid's will remember it when i was alone little boy in cuba they knew the war between state hint their net with a spanish diplomat is betrayed the americans than the spanish they decided the future of cuba in secret without consulting the or allowing them to be a part

of the discussion in the same thing is happening today. i help 50 years from now cubage children will the say what the -- let's put america did. what is happening in paris is a tool of castro's propaganda he said united states is evil. look what they did they went to paris and though cubans were allowed but now castro does the same thing. >> for a while we were wondering what is the campaign about lifting the embargo to get to keep off the terrorist list? sova to exchange cuban spies now we know the answer for about one year they have of

the coalition a respectful organization that they'll have an agenda this is not a personal attack in getting the embargo lifted to provide more dollars for tourist travel. all of those issues were part of a rigid the that was promoted with the iq the project of an the council of the americas like the group the center for strategic studies for all of them had some ideas something was

happening and gabriel's new but they were campaigning for a guess what the president would do. now they have a policy to be held responsible for the consequences. i am also sorry to say that it appears that the president a and to put it has the same chemical spillage the president has exchanged with one of the spies of american prisons serving two life for killing

three americans in international airspace. he was sentenced but he went back to cuba but florida arrested him the aircraft was stolen in nine sorry to say no one in the administration had the decency of calling the of mothers of these folks that were killed by those that were ordered out as then minister of the armed forces raul castro. i assume i hope those are some of the issues that are part of the discussion to

say that those responsible for those mergers will be brought to justice. they have not what castor did was ted medals on them. and aunt it might be too late for the president to pick up the phone to explain to those folks what is that the murder of their sons is now in its mitt cuba. >> but. >> it remains to be seen that of those advocating will be able to have self-respect. a thank you very much. [applause] >> now be open to you questions and we ask your

organization and your name please keep it in the form of a question. >>. >> what do you think about the argument of the previous policy did not have a strong enough effect because the previous policy was not affected? >> we will give a shot two minutes each spiritous because for a policy does not work it will work just because the medicine doesn't work doesn't mean you don't

take any medicine. it is not logical. beyond that looking at what the policy did their previous policy in conjunction with new technologies have resulted in the development inside cuba of the substantial and courageous opposition. and then they go to church every sunday. but nine of those of our soon there may have been a reason to make adjustments. the waiter was done is not the way to do it with a

dozen health the cuban people? now the government once american support and with those entities as a part of a single society but biggest to from the taxpayer. >> may be the changing policy is new for the united states but what are they doing? it is similar the way the rest of the and and you said

it would be that way in the relationship. but with the coherence of the democracy in this country. and to support the people and also with the investigation but now we

maintain a high as will. >> that is all around the world. thank you. >> period briefly. i agree with what has been said we tried but 78 initiations but they were flabbergasted they heard the announcement and they got nothing. for those university campuses this is how sophisticated president obama is to get nothing in return for political recognition of the machine

but we're looking for more creative ways to engaged the cuban people live of the eric would be very but simply to embolden the any sector but there is a total capitulation of negotiations. it is a secret i think. >> i also into rigid my colleagues changes on the ballot form policy doctrine isn't it will the guide s to

anywhere. >> first and i think the panel was excellent. fake you very much. it is a reflection with the assessment of many here there is the policy of why it is misguided. considering it is the policy and i think the ambassador talked about what the president should do with foreign leaders. i don't fade he will do that because this policy reflects a fundamental understanding. so i will count myself not in the obamacare lamp but what from a practical standpoint can we do? over the next two years

knowing the realities around the edges we can do and to. >> not what the president should do but we have to do because what the president should do we will not to put them into his speech to do the microphone drop then walk away. he has to all violations of human rights violations that occur under the new policy to be held accountable for that. there are some things we should use this as an opportunity to educate the american people. when news seize 60 percent of the people support a

president, but the equal number says it doesn't bring about change is important to explain and the alternate is and how to engage the cuban people i think telecommunications avenues should be exploited fully. i've silly expect the rashid will resist the eric and, also the president's policy is doomed to fail as oil prices have caused a disintegration of the venezuelan a program that once gave the cuban regime 80,000 barrels per day and that was down a 40,000 in the fall that assess the domestic consumption so they could not sell the excess to generate currency i hear it is even half of what they need to exist. there is no way the

president can deliver any sort of windfall of revenue that the regime needs. so what we should do is do what we have always done which is to be prepared to step in with a coherent response which is a collapse to have security implications but they will play a you meekly helpful in a positive role to help the cuban people reclaim their future. the president's glorious chester cannot save cuba from gravity. >> thinks for the question

but they think all the persons to live in a democracy should be engaged not with the cuban government the with the citizenship. a year and in this sense, i have said that we to stop the pd because we need to protect those purses that are fighting for there rights as the fighting has proved a aunt we need to stand up for basic rights.

that starts the process that's to think that the cuban people to the governments of the world. we are in engaged in the campaign that could actually affect the decision that i

could support and is not even political it is a human right. . .

seems to be a great success , but a dialogue by itself means nothing. what are american interests in the region connection the united states, the president be concerned, speak out about a large cuban military contingent in venezuela political police that train the venezuelan police the participate in the abuse and the repression of the venezuelan people.

on the issue of north korea again a few minutes ago lots of people concerned about north korean getting into the internet. there is a disconnect that cuba is sending raw materials north korea and we are concerned about the internet. it's not simply a couple of years ago. a couple of months ago to my surprise the body of the united nations passed a resolution sending or asking the united nations assembly to send the name of the north korean dictator to an international criminal. he was defending north korea and the united nations? cuba. cuba.

cuba was the leader and rallying folks in the united nations against american. should the president be concerned? shouldn't the pres. and the administration be concerned about what is happening as far as cuba and syria cuba and iran? cuba is not simply a little island in the caribbean. we are not really about cuba. we're talking about the castro family insistent on doing everything that they can against the united states and the american people. that should be part of the debate. the other thing is simply very simple. now the president is talking about lifting the us embargo. what about suggesting to the general president -- remember, is the brother of fidel no other reason than that.

what about suggesting to him that he ought to lift the embargo that the cuban government has had on the cuban people the internal embargo that cuba cannot trade, cannot buy a car and engage in trade. cuba cannot set up a factory and you are talking -- i think you're saying, well, now that the policies the policy. yes, we are going to have, it looks like looks like a man american embassy in havana. what about looking at the way the american diplomatic mission in cuba functions? do you no that the american taxpayer is paying for cuban spies? isn't that crazy? check it out. this is our quirks. works. at the intersection of the embassy in havana about 80

or so american diplomats couple hundred cuban nationals when the intersection is to receive the cubans to commend they have a cuban national. but the intersection might need someone to clean the penta walls the walls many other things. a couple hundred more than 200. how did those cubans you get to work on the american diplomatic mission in cuba? when the american mission needs help make all the cuban government entity. so the embassy says, i need a cook this, that the cuban government provides. in the united states pays the cuban government and in

the cuban government pays. i ask someone months ago who should know these things whether all of those cuban nationals are spies. i was told, well, not all of them but i was told somebody in the government, all of them are susceptible to pressure from the cuban intelligence service. we have a couple of hundred potential spies that the american taxpayer pays for. one of the things that congress should do is decide this is not a good deal and if the united states is workers, the united states octagon find those workers. if the cuban government doesn't let us do that well, that's too bad. the level of work or whatever will have to be reused to what the americans

can do. the problem when you have surveys if you ask an american are you in favor of american taxpayers paying for cuban spies inside the diplomatic mission in nevada what percentage do you think would respond to that? and like that their are a number of other issues that have to do with the us intersection. this was a was a good time for the congress to look into it as well as to have hearings and call the administration to explain what havana is doing and as well, the role of obama was syria or north korea were supporting international terrorism because the facts are there. the pres. wants to get cuba out of the terrorist list, but cuba is providing hostages to american terrorists, including a woman who killed a state trooper in new jersey and

escape from prison and is now in cuba. if you look at the list that is out here now that woman is in that most wanted list. somebody else put that flyer in the presence briefing so that he we will be aware of what he's doing with. >> we have time for one or two more questions. the gentleman in the front. >> thank you. i was wondering what you think about it, 53 political prisoners were released and if you answer my question, do you have any good estimates of how many political prisoners there are in cuba?

during the talk your that the regime was adding more political prisoners as the negotiations are going on. >> can i jump in very briefly pleased to answer more thoroughly. i was in cuba in 1998. i have the honor of visiting with archbishop santiago. and i asked him, how many political prisoners are there? today 11 million. it is difficult for us to understand that.

the state reserves the right to jail anybody for any reason, absolutely arbitrary it is shocking that in the context of this debate people are in such a big hurry to justify what president obama has done categorize some of these people as hard-liners. new line dissidents dropped on the side of her role people who just advocate for the simple respect for universally recognized human rights can be detained at a time the policy that is posted be helping the cuban people as staggering lack of

comprehension that this is precisely what these brave cuban dissidents are trying to do engage their own rulers in a dialogue about the future. the cost can be death. it's hard. clearly people think this is going to help and it is hard for them to grasp just how terrible their existences. >> the real number. i know that hundreds of political prisoners. we have to remember that the cuban government has changed its tactics now. he covers the person.

spent like a week in jail and then is released in panic. i can tell could tell you that one of the political prisoners. the son of a woman. then been in jail for four years are now. the maximum-security prison even when for the amount of thc is been in jail he is now legally deserves minimal security prison.

i could talk. an artist in cuba. he was declared two months ago and a lot of because he was trying to make a performance and he is still in jail. he is actually sick right now with no access to medical attention and is a a political prisoner that is not even condemned by the cuban government. you know when you enter but you never no when you're going to be able to be in your house. political prisoners have become also a strategy of the cuban regime. he can use the political

prisoners. he can always produce more political prisoners. he can always liberate some of the political prisoners that have been in jail for eight years after 75 four years ago interest 50 or a hundred more. the liberation of the political prisoners are always going to be in the center of our demand for the center of our speech, but we need to no one of the strategies of the cuban government. we need to also know demand the strategies of the regimes in order to have sense to implement with the

democracies of the world. >> the question was about the political prisoners. you say in regard to cuba in this context often not the real truth. first of all, on the 17th of december when the president announced that we were all happy that the american hostages being released the president did say that the cuban government was going to release 53 cuban political prisoners. the assumption was then december 17 how well, maybe for holiday, christmas there we will be home. well that never happened. what happened was happened was the number of statements

on capitol hill and in the media and finally more than two weeks later the state department refused to release names. one looks at the list. you will find that at least one of them would have been released a year earlier. in the list you find a number of folks who were just about to be released short of a month or two or whatever and then some of them were bought back to prison. and when you you no what i'm talking about, amnesty when he was imprisoned for attacking the barracks he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. about two years later he was released in amnesty by the brother dictator batista.

but amnesty method fidel could go out and organize rallies, talk. he was free to do whatever. but that's not the case with these folks. they are conditionally released. they are told that if they engaging criticism of the regime they can and in fact do get sent back to prison. you know you here the 53 and then you start looking into it and it is more complicated than that. i was very impressed by his statement, amnesty international when they announced the release of the so-called 53 they talk about the cuban decrees that are used to send people to prison. there is one called dangerousness. if the government believes

that you are a dangerous person that you might at some.do something inappropriate they can put you in prison for a couple years. there is is no conspiracy, no action. it's just dangerousness. with all that happens is the release of the prisoners without changing the whole process is release amnesty said the smokescreen. it was more than that. so it's not simply going for

a few days. furthermore there are always people who are kept in prison for longer term. a a couple years ago in cuba. the banner saying freedom or championing freedom or something. the police came. a couple days before. they took her and her husband think after imprisoned for about two years. in their letter go. the cuban people

and there's a huge crowd. so the opposition in cuba is growing. more courageous everyday. the castro government to ignore them. low printers. the cuban government does not want the united states to do for the cubans what america did for the polls. or for the south africans and they were fighting for freedom and and i don't necessarily mean american government or american society. what shall we do? well, if anyone wants to borrow a laptop a printer a telephone a copier you

can -- they are good people that go to cuba. a hostage to change. >> thank you. we going to have to wrap this up. at this.we can all pretty much agree. [applause]