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    Super Moderator Newmexican's Avatar
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    Boulder appoints man in country illegally to human relations panel

    Boulder appoints man in country illegally to human relations panel

    By Yesenia Robles
    The Denver Post
    P
    OSTED: 03/19/2014

    The Boulder City Council this week appointed a man who is not in the country legally to the council's Human Relations Commission, making Jose Beteta the first beneficiary of a rule change that city voters approved in November.

    "I think it's exciting to actually see we changed the rules, and someone applied and took advantage," City Councilman Tim Plass said during the council's meeting Tuesday. "We now have someone like Jose who is going to be on our board."

    Last year, the Human Relations Commission asked the City Council to place a question on the ballot that would eliminate a requirement for members of volunteer boards and commissions to be registered voters.

    The measure passed with 62 percent in favor.

    Beteta, 34, was born in Costa Rica and has been in the United States illegally for more than 20 years, including the past three in Boulder. He was one of five applicants for the vacancy on the commission.

    Beteta, who said an error by a lawyer years ago left him without legal permission to be in the United States, said he hopes to inspire young people and Latinos to realize they can succeed and participate in their community.

    "I'm basically opening the door for others to follow," Beteta said after being selected for the five-year term. "It's one more opportunity for people to be able to contribute to their community."

    Beteta revealed himself as being in the country illegally about a year ago after seeing a play in Boulder by young Latinos titled "Do You Know Who I Am?"

    "It gave me the courage," he said. "I realized I have nothing to lose because my knowledge and experience, no one can take that away."

    The Human Relations Commission is in charge of promoting diversity and enforcing the city's Human Rights Ordinance, which prohibits discrimination.

    Beteta is also a small-business owner. He started LeapTech Solutions in 2008 and is the president of Boulder's Latino Chamber of Commerce.

    Boulder council members said they were excited about Beteta's opportunities to involve the Latino community through his position with the chamber.

    http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25...nted-man-panel

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    Super Moderator Newmexican's Avatar
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    March 21, 2014, 5:05 pm
    Boulder’s appointment of man in U.S. illegally to human rights panel (2 letters)

    Re: “Boulder appoints man in country illegally to human relations panel,” March 20 news story.


    Jose Beteta, 34, was born in Costa Rica and has been in the U.S. illegally for 20 years. He was appointed this week to Boulder’s Human Rights Commission. (Matthew Jonas, Longmont Times-Call)

    News coverage of Boulder’s empowering illegal immigrants indicates that a law passed there by voters last year has been misapplied, if not abused. The election was to let people who are not registered voters be appointed to certain agencies. One can be a not-registered voter and still be a citizen. The law makes sense.

    But Boulder, being Boulder, has interpreted its mandate to expand the plain meaning of the law and embrace and condone illegal activity.

    And that, folks, is what’s wrong with Colorado and America today.

    Anthony T. Accetta, Denver

    This letter was published in the March 22 edition.


    I’m sure Jose Beteta is a fine person, but how can he have been in this country for 20 years without becoming a legal resident or being deported? How can Boulder appoint him to a city position when he is not even in this country legally?

    Apparently we have become a nation of citizens who are perfectly willing to pick and choose which laws we are to obey. I just have one question for the supporters of “undocumented” immigrants: How is any of this fair to immigrants who have gone through hell to come to this country legally?

    William R. Stoneham,
    Centennial

    This letter was published in the March 22 edition.

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