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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 12:47 pm Post subject: NC Sanctuary County Policy In Chatham Challenged by ALIPAC
NC Sanctuary County Policy In Chatham Challenged by ALIPAC
January 26, 2009
CONTACT: William Gheen, President of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC
(866) 703-0864 & WilliamG@alipac.us
RALEIGH - A North Carolina based national organization credited with helping establish local immigration enforcement measures in NC and around the nation is moving into position to reverse the decision of Chatham County Commissioners to create the state's first "Sanctuary County" by prohibiting local police from deporting illegal aliens.
"The recent decision by Chatham's Commissioners is an affront to state and federal laws and offensive to the majority of our state's legal citizens," said William Gheen of ALIPAC. "Local police enforcing immigration laws is favored by over 80% of the public and the programs save lives!"
ALIPAC helped pass NC laws that encourage all counties to enter the 287(g) program with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while grass roots supporters have lobbied their local police and Sheriffs to join. The group has been active supporting and passing local immigration enforcement measures nationally.
William Gheen of ALIPAC will be traveling into Chatham County this Tuesday night to be the guest speaker addressing local officials and citizens who are concerned about the formation of a Sanctuary County for illegal aliens. He will provide information on how grassroots efforts can reverse the decision of the commissioners.
Members of the media and NC citizens who favor enforcement over Amnesty for illegal aliens are encouraged to attend.
The event is being hosted by The Chatham Conservative Voice (www.tccv.org) on Tuesday, January 27, 7pm, at Virlie's Grill located at 58 Hillsboro St., Pittsboro, NC 27312
For more information, please contact Heather Johnson of TCCV or William Gheen of ALIPAC.
###
Paid for by Americans for Legal Immigration AMERICANS FOR LEGAL IMMIGRATION PAC
Post Office Box 30966, Raleigh, NC 27622-0966
Tel: (919) 787-6009 Toll Free: (866) 703-0864
FEC ID: C00405878 _________________ Vox populi vox Dei
Ad majorem Dei gloriam
Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 37 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 2:05 pm Post subject:
Thank You for coming William to Chatham County North Carolina, it was nice meeting you in person and getting educated on this topic. The CCV taped your visit and presentation for all to see and was quite informative. There's a stir in town (Pittsboro NC) for asking outsiders to come in. But it was the Chatham County Commissioners and Human Relations that brought in outsiders first, as the ACLU and hispanic organizations for pro amnesty groups and other human relation dt from out side our county to get this resolutoin passed. I guess it's a double standard the Commissioners place on their citizens. Now the Commissioners are going to have a ceremony for the Human Relations dt for getting this resolutoin passed. We have lost all controll of our local govt and officials. This will come back to haunt elected officals next election. But we haven't given up, we will be attending the public input meting with the Commissioners the evening of Feb 16th. They are hoping that their liberal agenda will go unnoticed, but were not going away. The CCV of Chatham County has put out alerts of the Human Relations dt activities. They feel they may step all over the voters with their liberal and irresponsible agenda. I live in Pittsboro NC and glad you came. Please continue to guide us and we'll do the work. Randy
Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 37 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:43 pm Post subject:
Here is my letter I mailed to Sherrif Webster;
Dear Sherriff Webster,
I live in just north of Pittsboro off old Graham. I want to voice my concern with the opposition to any participation with the Federal ICE program. I for one do not understand why Chatahm County is the only county around that actually "passed" a resolution to prevent any ICE participation, in fact it's the first time in my life I ever heard of a County making a resolutoin not to be in ICE program. It is not a emotional issue with me, just the law. We need cooperation with ICE at some level so illegal immigrants that are committing crimes our ID'ed and ability to check state and federal criminal history with the ICE technology which is paid for by the federal govt (including software and training) I myself in the nest few years will be watching closely if any Chatham citizens or children is killed by a illgal alien rather it be a homicide or a DUI fatality or child molestation. I myself would call 278 g crime prevention. I also become concerned as well as you would know to follow the money. It does catch the citizens eye that someone had a financial interest in passing this resolutoin, rather it be farming, agriculture or construction concerns. For the life of me I can not understand why this resolution was ever passed or publisized that it was in the making. Since the Chatahm Commissioners and human Relations brought in outside help to get this , we to our bring in outside help to get it reversed. I will attend the CCV meetings and William Gheer's ALIPAC group to asst use along with several other org. You have lisrted Chatham County as a sanctuary County for all to see, especially after passing a resolutoin that supports that knowledge to illegal immigrants all over the hemisphere. I am very disappointed my Sheriff and commissioners.
Sincerely,
Last edited by randynurse on Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:51 pm; edited 3 times in total
Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 37 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:48 pm Post subject:
Here's my letter to the Commoners:
I want the ICE resolution "reversed". The 287g program has several "levels" of participation that local law enforcement may be part of and our community. I feel is was very rash decision to place a resolution that opposes any ICE participation and have it spread that Chatham County is now a open sanctuary for illegal immigration. I'm from southern Ca and be fully aware this information has already made it through the coyote lines of information to Mexico, Central America and South America. Coyotes make their living researching information as this and what to charge their clients to come here. The is much more money involved in this coyote run to North Carolina. It is for the safety of our community and future. The Federal govt pays for all computers, software and training. I and several other citizens have researched the ICE/287g program online and spoke with representatives at ICE. Please reconsider this resolution. I as a citizen was not made aware that this resolution was every being discussed, even though it might of been on the committee agenda, second to the last item. I also agree with the CCV that only one side of this argument was heard. We have also contacted out state representatives and Congressmen of this issue in our county.
Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 37 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:39 pm Post subject:
Siler City in Chatham County (yes that's where Barny and Andy used to take the women folk to diner and dance) was mentioned on ICE report in capture of Illegal immigrant fugitives. I want to know why they were let our of jail in the first place
RALEIGH, N.C. — Five North Carolina counties are joining a program to deport illegal immigrants.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Thursday that eight counties helped deport more than 3,100 inmates last year.
Orange, Harnett, Duplin, New Hanover and Buncombe counties are joining a program called Secure Communities.
It gives jails equipment that uses inmates' fingerprints to check immigration status and criminal records and automatically alerts immigration officials.
Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 37 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:06 pm Post subject:
Well the word is getting out. I just had a total stranger call me from Siler City Amy Bloomfield a life long democrat thanking me for my response she read in the N&O article on calling out the commissioners for passing that resolutoin. She also wanted to thank the CCV fro bringing attention to this. Amy said she would not belong to any conservative group, but did give her support on this issue. She feels that we should file a Class action law suit against the county Commissioners and Sheriff Webster for passing this resolutoin without public input if they do not reverse their decision that only got input from groups like the LaRaza organization, ACLU, Outside human relation's from the counties. Praise God to the highest that people are starting to see this for what it is. Ms Bloomfield did give me permisoin to use her name on this issue.
Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 37 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:12 pm Post subject:
Now the Human Resources dt in Chatham county is giving everyone awards. I think this commision costs us tax payers a hundred thousand dollars;
CHATHAM COUNTY HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION PROPOSED 2009 HUMAN RELATIONS MONTH PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, the members of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners and the Chatham County Human Relations Commission (CCHRC) believe in the dignity and worth of each individual regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, gender, national origin, age, or ability; and
WHEREAS, we promote a spirit of goodwill, tolerance, and mutual respect among individuals, groups, races, and persons of differing social and economic status as well as religious beliefs; and
WHEREAS, we work steadfastly to build strong communities through the celebration of diversity and the elimination of discrimination; and
WHEREAS, we recognize that our residents are protected from discrimination by federal laws including, but not limited to, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1974, as well as a wide range of state laws; and
WHEREAS, we recognize that our residents are entitled to all of the rights and freedoms set forth in the Constitution of the United States without distinction of any kind; and
WHEREAS, the Constitution of North Carolina, Article I, Section 1, reads, “We hold it to be self-evident that all persons are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, the enjoyment of the fruits of their own labor, and the pursuit of happiness"; and
WHEREAS, the residents of Chatham County have made tremendous progress in human relations in the years since the establishment of the Chatham County Human Relations Commission and recently with the establishment of the Office of Human Relations; and
WHEREAS, we look forward to continued progress in facing the challenges before us including, but not limited to, educational disparities, housing disparities, health disparities, hate crimes and biases, immigration issues, and employment issues and opportunities;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Chatham County Board of Commissioners appreciates all who contribute to the advancement of mutual understanding, fairness, justice, and equal opportunity and, upon the recommendation of the CCHRC, bestows special honor and recognition for their service to the following individuals:
2009 Robert A. Siler Lifetime Achievement in Human Relations Award
(Honoring an Individual Who Has Demonstrated a Lifelong Commitment to Better Human Relations in Chatham County)
Margaret B. Pollard
2009 Margaret B. Pollard Outstanding Community Service Honor
(Honoring Past and Present Contributions to Better Human Relations in Chatham County by Chatham County Residents)
Larry Brooks
Alphia Cheek
Marcia Espinola
Vanessa Farrar
Betty Fox
Capt. Charles Gardner
George Gregor-Holt
Harvey Harman
Nancy Harman
Karl Karchergis
Nona Mensah
Ivan Remnitz
Gabriel Soltren
Roy Stawsky
Brenda Thompson
2009 Samuel B. Obie Commendable Community Service Honor
(Honoring Past and Present Contributions to Better Human Relations in Chatham County by Non-Chatham County Residents)
Rev. Sampson Buie
Chief Gary Tyson
2009 Jerry L. Markatos Diversity in Media Honor
(Honoring Past and Present Contributions to Inclusive Reporting and Media that Reflect Accuracy and Fairness toward Diverse Segments of the Population in Chatham County)
Paul Cuadros
Jeffrey Starkweather
2009 Carl E. Thompson Distinguished Civic Service Honor
(Honoring Past and Present Contributions to Better Human Relations in Chatham County while Serving as Elected Officials)
Pam Baldwin
Helen Buckner
Norm Clark
Tim Cunnup
John Grimes
Ernest T. Hanner
Uva Holland
Gary Phillips
Randy Voller
Betty Wilson
2009 Margie E. Ellison Making a Difference Community Action Award
(Honoring Past and Present Contributions to Better Human Relations in Chatham County Communities through Grassroots Organizing)
Delcenia Turner
Cassandra “Shirille”
Lee Rosa Sutton
Rebecca Loflin
2009 Javier Benitez Outstanding Pastoral Service Honor
(Honoring Past and Present Contributions to Better Human Relations in Chatham County through Pastoral Care and Action)
Rev. Carrie Bolton
Rev. Norma Bryant
Rev. Barry Gray
Rev. Mansel McCleave
Rev. Juanita Milliken
Rev. Daniel Pantoja
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Chatham County Board of Commissioners hereby joins all of North Carolina in proclaiming February 2009 as Human Relations Month in Chatham County and urges all citizens to commend this observance to their neighbors.
Chatham Commissioners Take Stand on ICE Immigration Enforcement
On Jan. 5th, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners joined the county’s Human Relations Commission in approving a resolution that expresses “strong opposition to any local governmental agency contracting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enforce federal immigration laws.” The major concern is that participation in ICE can have negative consequences for the community and local governments.
“The resolution supports the current position of Chatham County’s law enforcement agencies, which have chosen not to contract with ICE, an optional program,” said Esther B. Coleman, director of the county’s Office of Human Relations.
“The purpose of the resolution is to convey the beliefs of the Human Relations Commission and the Board of Commissioners that enforcement of ICE agreements can lead to such problems as violations of civil rights and liberties, distrust of law enforcement, the separation of family members and racial profiling,” Coleman said.
While it is important to respect immigration laws, Margie Ellison, who chairs the county’s Human Relations Commission, said that “ICE appears to have various problems, even if many of these are unintended consequences.”
George Lucier, chair of the Board of Commissioners, agreed and added that “we fully support local law enforcement’s duty to uphold the law. At the same time, we commend our law enforcement leaders for not participating in the optional ICE program, because it has helped us avoid some problems that other communities are facing.”
Ellison said that “one of most tragic consequences is that the ICE detention process may separate family members, including abrupt separations of children from their parents.” A 2007 joint study released by the National Council of La Raza and The Urban Institute found that the children suffer both psychologically and economically during these periods of detention and uncertainty about the fate of their parents.
“The youngest and most vulnerable children, who often are U.S. citizens, can experience an extended period of time without adequate supervision, care or financial support; and this can do tremendous damage to children,” Ellison said.
The resolution notes that one of the stated purposes of ICE is to remove dangerous criminals from the streets, but a North Carolina legislative committee report from May of 2007 produced data that showed the program veering from this intent. In the report, statistics from in Gaston, Mecklenburg and Alamance counties indicated that the vast majority of ICE detentions were for minor offenses, mostly traffic violations, instead of felony charges.
Another area of concern, identified by the North Carolina Human Relations Commission, is that immigrant residents in communities with active ICE agreements are more reluctant to report crimes to local law enforcement, because they fear that they or family members would be detained. “Public safety suffers if any person feels that they cannot report criminal activity,” said Sheriff Richard Webster. Siler City Police Gary Tyson gave his support to the ICE resolution.
A national organization of police chiefs, the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCC) has opposed ICE agreements because it undermines the trust and cooperation between law enforcement and immigrant communities. Other concerns that the MCC has related to ICE are:
Insufficient funding to effectively train local officers to lawfully and effectively enforce federal immigration laws;
The complexity of federal immigration laws that would be enforced put local law enforcement officers and local governments at risk of legal challenges; and
Local law enforcement has no local authority and very limited state authority related to immigration enforcement.
Commissioner Lucier said that the resolution also acknowledges the vital role of diversity and immigration in the rich history and development of Chatham County.
“Our county has been blessed with a diverse population for much of its existence. This has included people of color and immigrants, who were not always American citizens or documented residents. All of these residents have enriched our economy, our character and our culture as well,” Lucier said.
Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 37 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:20 pm Post subject: copy of actual resolutoin
CHATHAM COUNTY RESOLUTION ON THE
FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE) PROGRAM
Part A – The Resolution
Approved January 5, 2009,
by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners
George Lucier, Chair, District 3 Sally Kost, Vice Chair, District 1 Allen Michael “Mike” Cross, Commissioner, District 2 Carl E. Thompson, Commissioner, District 5 Tom Vanderbeck, Commissioner, District 4
Proposed by the Chatham County Human Relations Commission
Margie Ellison, Chair Heather Rodin, Vice Chair Marisol Jimenez McGee, Secretary/Treasurer Roy Barnes Ilana Dubester Scott Ford Mary Harris Jan Nichols Martin Spritzer
Prepared by the Office of Human Relations
Esther B. Coleman, Director
1
CHATHAM COUNTY APPROVED ICE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA) added Section 287(g), performance of immigration officer functions by state officers and employees, to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and authorizes the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies permitting designated officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA); and WHEREAS the enforcement of immigration laws by local law enforcement officials in cooperation with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) program has resulted in abuses in the field of human relations including, but not limited to, racial profiling, conducting raids that instill fears in the minds and hearts of a portion of the immigrant population, and separating children, who may be American citizens, from their parents without ensuring proper care; and WHEREAS according to the North Carolina Human Relations Commission (NCHRC), people in communities that are targeted by ICE are much more reluctant to report crimes to the sheriff/police departments because of the possible undocumented status of individuals; and WHEREAS Senate Bill 1523, the North Carolina General Assembly’s 2006 Technical Corrections Bill, permits state and local law enforcement agencies to give their officers the authority to investigate, arrest, and detain undocumented immigrants; and WHEREAS local law enforcement leaders in Chatham County may find themselves in the position of deciding whether or not to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to enforce immigration laws on their behalf; and
2
WHEREAS the Major Cities Chiefs (MCC) association has taken a stand against local law enforcement agencies contracting with ICE and has delineated a number of significant concerns including, but not limited to, the potential for undermining the trust and cooperation between law enforcement officers and immigrant communities, the lack of fiscal resources to support the necessary training of local law enforcement for enforcing federal immigration laws, the complexity of federal immigration law that results in confusion at the local level and that puts local law enforcement officers and local governments at higher risk of civil liability, and the lack of local authority and state law limitations of authority to enforce immigration; and WHEREAS Chatham County is home to a diverse population – including people of color, documented and undocumented immigrants, citizens and non-citizens – whose contributions to the community are vital to its character and function; and WHEREAS the Board of Commissioners is committed to upholding the civil rights of all persons in Chatham County and to protecting the enjoyment of any and all rights and privileges secured by the constitutions and laws of the United States, North Carolina, and Chatham County; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners supports local law enforcement in the execution of their duties in accordance with the constitutions and laws of the United States, North Carolina, and Chatham County. BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that, in continuing its belief of controlling its own destiny… while proudly preserving diverse cultural heritages, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners stands in strong opposition to any local governmental agency contracting with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration laws. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution will be forwarded to all Chatham County law enforcement agencies, locally-elected officials, and to our state and federal legislative delegations on behalf of the residents of Chatham County.
Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 37 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:56 am Post subject:
FYI, here is Commissioner Sally Kost email reply to me this morning. I do give her credit for responding to me though, bit it is her that has been misinformed;
Mr. ------,
I stopped reading the bulletin board because of the negative tone and completely false information that is posted by some folks (not all, but some). I would urge you to validate information on the bulletin board with the source before assuming what you read is correct.
When I campaigned last fall, I spoke frankly against the intensive paperwork of the 287(g) program, the ill-efficiency of the program, AND, that deportation proceedings are a responsibility of the federal government. Deportation is not something local governments are equipped to do.
So I am being true to what I said on the campaign trail.
Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 37 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:18 am Post subject:
I've been posting here for about a month, but I do need to speak out on recent events. I no way believe William Gheen or NC LISTEN has anything to do with the recent threats that our Commissioners and Sheriff Webster has received which was reported by WRAL news this week.
http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/4562538/
Even though these folks our my opponents in the ICE Resolution, I do not want any part of folks calling in or emailing threats to my local politicians. I say this because I know their are a few bad elements in society that read this great organizations discussion board. I also want to make it very clear that I love Mexicans people, they are the most decent and hard working folks I know. And I also believe these folks need to have someway in the future to be placed on a probation period and placed on a payment plan to reimburse this country with the fines for crossing our boarders illegally and pay any back tax's they may owe this country. I agree the Chatham County Commissioners and their HR dt brought this on themselves by passing such a broad resolution that prohibits our law enforcement from participating in any ICE programs, that was just irresponsible and questoin our local politics basic judgement. But I do want to make it perfectly clear to the few out their that have access to reading this discussion board to stop and cease any kind of illegal threats to my community. That is wrong by every statue of my being. If you disagree with your opponent, go address publicly and discuss your disagreements to them in a civil and rational manner. But I also don't buy this argument that pro illegal immagratoin organizations are placing full responsibility on my government. Illegal immigrants broke the law by entering our country illegally, that's no argument for me. Plus illegal immigrants are the ones that put their children in this position, not my government. Thank you for hearing me out and stand 100% behind Americans For Legal Immigration. Here is some of the videos of the BOC meeting last Monday night of public input of the ICE resolutoin that's was passed in Jan. Theirs no doubt we got blind sided in this input session, special interests groups were organized and a hung support base in the audience and were out numbered by far. We still need to get to the public in Chatahm County of what the Commsoiner passed of declaring Catham County a sanctuary county. I still speak to the general public in m7y county that still have no clue what the Commsoiner passed, some even ask me. what is ICE. Only the few of us that have that has taken time to educate ourselves on this issue, still our the only few that is aware of whats going on in our local politics. Mayor Randy Voller also put out a call to folks on his FB to come and speak at the BOC meeting favoring folks to speak up that they support the resolution. Mayor Voller also got up and gave a 5 min speech and silly history lesson why the community should support this resolutoin not to participate in any ICE program. Here is the link that over the next few days will be uploaded of most the speakers that spoke at the public input forum at the BOC meeting. I think out of 38 speakers, only 3 of us spoke out against the resolutoin. We were definitely outnumbered and out organized, some of the hispanic population that spoke were not even from Chatham County.
Possible threats against Chatham officials investigated
Chatham County courthouse
Posted: Feb. 18 6:42 p.m.
Updated: Today at 9:59 a.m.
Quote:
Pittsboro, N.C. — Members of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners have received threats following their recent decision not to take part in a federal program to identify illegal immigrants charged with crimes.
The board voted last month to pass on an opportunity to participate in the federal 287(g) program administered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying they thought it was costly and ineffective.
Chatham County Sheriff's Office cruiser
WATCH VIDEO
Chatham's pass on 287(g) prompts threats
Under the 287(g) program, ICE agents give local law enforcement agencies access to federal immigration databases so they can identify illegal immigrants they have arrested on local charges. ICE also trains officers how to initiate deportation cases against those people.
Wake, Durham, Cumberland and Alamance counties already participate in the program, and Orange County recently joined a separate ICE program called Secure Communities that doesn't include the deportation portion of 287(g).
After the decision in Chatham County, commissioners Chairman George Lucier started getting e-mails with messages like "Sleep soundly while you can!"
"We are monitoring some incidents with the commissioners," said Maj. Gary Blankenship of the Chatham County Sheriff's Office. "So far, none that we have seen constitutes a threat, so we are just staying apprised of the situation."
Extra deputies were assigned to Monday night's commissioners meeting in case of problems, and Lucier said an evacuation plan was drawn up. There were no problems at the meeting.
Deputies also investigated something said to a county employee who answered one of many calls the county offices have gotten about the 287(g) decision.
"The person went on talking about how bad it was and so on and so forth and said, 'We'll just come in and take you all out,'" County Manager Charlie Horne said.
Horne said the number of upset callers increased after information about the county's decision was posted on the Web site of Americans for Legal Immigration. William Gheen, the organization's president, said he got involved because local resident can't.
"They are afraid to speak out. They are afraid of retaliation," Gheen said, adding that he plans to remain involved in the issue.
Horne said the issue is beginning to die down, but he said he isn't taking anything for granted.
"We are obviously cautious and vigilant about what is going on around us," he said. "It's a distraction on the things we need to do."
* Reporter: Erin Hartness
* Photographer: Pete James
* Web Editor: Matthew Burns
Maybe when it is law that State Unemployment Offices have to E-Verify I-9 Immigration Forms. Everyone will understand the invasion America is under. North Carolina do not be a California. _________________ Politics of Illegal Immigration - Census, E-Verify, and I9s: http://tinyurl.com/3ru8w5
Pittsboro, NC - Chatham County's first Human Relations Director, Esther B. Coleman, joined the county on Jan. 2, 2008. The position was approved by the Board of Commissioners last year to promote better relationships between the county residents and to promote non-discrimination practices and policies throughout the county.
Coleman's new position is in the County Manager's Office and will be part of its Community Relations function, led by Debra Henzey. Coleman also will work very closely with the Human Relations Commission, which played the key role in securing the new position.
Henzey said that "my role of fostering better public understanding and involvement in county government goes hand in hand with Esther's efforts to promote positive relationships between various groups of residents. Esther is well qualified to assume this new role, and I look forward to working her with her."
Coleman is originally from Virginia, but now lives in Chatham County. She has extensive experience in promoting non-discrimination and human relations.
Since 1996, she served as director of instructional enhancement for Palm Beach County Schools (Florida), as an independent consultant to schools, as a personnel/ instructional specialist and teacher for Virginia Beach City Schools, as executive director of the American Association of School Personnel Administrators, and as director of personnel for Loudoun County Schools (Virginia).
"In these positions, I had the opportunity to develop programs and to offer workshops that promoted the hiring, retention and promotion of minority faculty and the fostering of an understanding between various racial groups in school systems," Coleman said.
"During my entire career, including my classroom teaching experience, I have been preparing for the human relations position in Chatham County," Coleman added.
Even her early years as a classroom teacher were critical. "That is where I had the chance to observe the development of human
relationships, including how young people start to develop values and beliefs about others," she said.
In working with Palm Beach County Schools, Coleman coordinated the Undoing Racism initiative, which addressed reducing discrimination barriers and involved both school employees and community members from various racial and ethnic backgrounds.
"This gave me a chance to learn more about the community's Latino and Haitian residents as well as various other ethnic and racial groups in the school system. Another project involved working with two low-performing schools with nearly 99% African-American and Latino populations to help them improve student achievement," Coleman said.
At the American Association of School Personnel Administrators, Coleman wrote several publications related to promoting non-discrimination and valuing diversity in school systems. During her five-year tenure, the organization also offered various seminars and conferences, including working with other national organizations to host a summit on increasing the number of teachers of color in the classroom.
For two years, Coleman managed her own consulting firm, which advised school systems and related groups on how to make sure teachers understand various cultural, ethnic, and racial groups.
Coleman said that starting a County Human Relations Office will be a challenging task involving several phases. "We cannot immediately do everything that an established human relations function does, so it will be important to learn from other offices across the state about how they got started."
A critical initial phase is to find out more about the current status of human relations in the county. Coleman said, "We need a clear picture of what the real human relations issues are before we can develop strategies to address them."
This will involve getting to know many people across the county and asking them to identify existing or emerging issues related to human relations, she added.
"I want to hear from residents of the county if they have been involved in or have seen evidence of discrimination or know about suspected hate crimes or conflicts between various groups in the county. This information will be compiled and documented."
Even though the office may take some time to evolve, Coleman said that she is excited about the work ahead. "Helping people better understand and get along with others who are different than themselves has countless benefits for all of us. A united community promotes better schools, a more attractive place for businesses to locate, and a better quality of life."
Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 37 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:54 pm Post subject:
Sounds like Esther B. Coleman has been paid most her career off my tax dollars and most her projects have been paid for by tax dollars, lets keep it real. I'm sure she's a decent person over all. But how many of her programs have been paid by tax money, while my family is just making it in the real world of working folks in the free enterprise system that pays for all these programs. Our families income has been cut 20% do to employers cut back in hours by every employee, yet my taxes our still going up and my property tax just went up 18%. I'm going to feed my family and legal citizen of this country first. Even my church that does wonderful thing for the less fortunate, still has a budget they must live within its means or the church will just go away, by no means will the word go away, but the church will if they over spend and can not pay the bills.
Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 37 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:17 pm Post subject:
Here is the video taped by our local media Gene Galen as i was confronting the Board of commissioners on this resolutoin the passed by slipping under the door away from the general public eyes. Were taking our fight directly to the public and local politicians
Joined: Nov 01, 2007 Posts: 2883 Location: New Alien City-(formerly New York City)
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 12:51 pm Post subject:
Randynurse I salute you as a true activist!
Keep up the good fight. _________________ If a man sneaks into your home he is a burglar, not an undocumented tenant you must provide for!
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Well the word is getting out. I just had a total stranger call me from Siler City Amy Bloomfield a life long democrat thanking me for my response she read in the N&O article on calling out the commissioners for passing that resolutoin. She also wanted to thank the CCV fro bringing attention to this. Amy said she would not belong to any conservative group, but did give her support on this issue. She feels that we should file a Class action law suit against the county Commissioners and Sheriff Webster for passing this resolutoin without public input if they do not reverse their decision that only got input from groups like the LaRaza organization, ACLU, Outside human relation's from the counties. Praise God to the highest that people are starting to see this for what it is. Ms Bloomfield did give me permisoin to use her name on this issue.
maybe you can have four brave souls. Keep educating one at a time.
