Thread: PA: Allentown brings back immigration issue

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allento ... entown-hed

Last Updated: February 8, 2007
Allentown brings back immigration issue
Council member changes mind on ballot question; issue is sent to committee.
By Scott Kraus Of The Morning Call
Like Lazarus—or a flesh-eating zombie, depending on your perspective—Allentown's illegal immigration debate has been raised from the dead.

After toying with the emotionally draining issue for months, City Council had seemingly driven a stake through its heart in January.

It rejected two proposals by Councilman Louis Hershman: one to force city police to sign a cooperation agreement with the federal bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and another to place the issue on the ballot.

That was until Councilman David Bausch made the surprise announcement Wednesday night that he had changed his mind to being in favor of the ballot question, providing the one vote needed to bring the referendum back for reconsideration by a 4-3 margin.

Council then directed the ballot question ordinance to its Legal and Legislative Committee for further discussion, where some council members speculated it would end up dying a second death.

Bausch's announcement ignited a chaotic series of heated exchanges among councilmen and even some in the small audience.

Councilman Julio Guridy called the proposal racist and divisive, and a ''slap in the face'' to the city's Hispanic community, and he noted that a recent report by the Anti-Defamation League determined that the Ku Klux Klan was increasingly using the illegal immigration issue to recruit new members.

''If you want to have Allentown filled with Ku Klux Klan members, you have the right to do this,'' Guridy said.

But Councilman Tony Phillips, who voted in January to put the issue on the ballot, said a referendum might finally put the issue to rest.

''Whether it's divisive or not, it's an issue that has to be resolved,'' Phillips said. ''We keep ducking the bullet.''

Guridy said he was appalled that Phillips, who is black, would support the referendum, and he said people who seek a crackdown on illegal immigrants are targeting Hispanics. Phillips replied that he represents everyone in the city.

''Everybody in the world, even the most ignorant person in the world knows this issue is against Hispanics,'' Guridy said.

Hershman took offense to that, and also the references to the Ku Klux Klan, saying Guridy was turning the issue into a racial one.

''I think the ordinance reads 'illegal immigrants,''' Hershman said. ''It doesn't read 'Hispanics,' it doesn't read 'Indians,' it doesn't read Syrians….''

Bausch, Hershman, Phillips and Council President David M. Howells Sr. voted to reconsider the ballot question ordinance.

Councilman Michael D'Amore proposed sending the ballot question to a committee rather than voting on the spot and was joined by Howells, Phillips, Guridy and Councilman Martin Velazquez in that vote.

D'Amore even contacted the absent Velazquez, who could not attend the meeting, via cell phone in the middle of the debate to allow him to vote on the issue by phone.

In January, Bausch cast one of only two votes to simply order the police department to sign the agreement, but then voted against putting the measure on the ballot. He said after the meeting that he changed his mind on the ballot question because he was approached by supporters of the proposal who wanted city voters to weigh in.

D'Amore said he thought it was important to make sure the ordinance was not voted on immediately because many who had spoken out on the issue in a series of previous, often emotionally-charged meetings, had no warning the issue would resurface.

''Please stop the vitriol....'' D'Amore asked his colleagues at the height of the debate. ''If you want to know the best reason for not putting this on the referendum ballot, just look at the seven of us up here.''

Illegal immigration is something that voters should have the say on. We need to have a special issue and ensure that only legal voters vote on the issue. It is really disappointing to realize how many illegals are registered to vote.

Good for them! Never say die!

''If you want to have Allentown filled with Ku Klux Klan members, you have the right to do this,'' Guridy said.

They're everywhere, They're everywhere! Run for your lives!

That was until Councilman David Bausch made the surprise announcement Wednesday night that he had changed his mind to being in favor of the ballot question, providing the one vote needed to bring the referendum back for reconsideration by a 4-3 margin.

Bausch diserves a big old virtural smooch for that!

Dixie

Guridy said he was appalled that Phillips, who is black, would support the referendum, and he said people who seek a crackdown on illegal immigrants are targeting Hispanics. Phillips replied that he represents everyone in the city.

Mr. Guridy, did you ever stop and consider that maybe you are the racist?

''Everybody in the world, even the most ignorant person in the world knows this issue is against Hispanics,'' Guridy said.

Ah, I see - people who happen not to agree with you MUST, by definition, be 'ignorant'. Hmmm, now there's an interesting way to win people over to your view on the issue...

Good luck Allentown.

I am waiting for the fireworks to begin after one of these cities actually have this come up on the ballot and the voting public REJECTS all that the illegal immigrants are demanding. I don't think it will take long before many many more citys jump on board.

The hypocrisy is just astounding. Expecting immigration laws to be enforced is "racism" but crashing into someone else's country and demanding amnesty is just fine; all of those with the "reconquista" mentality are a "fringe" but the KKK membership is exploding. Please stop the insanity.

Funny how the media refuses to do a special on MECHA and the Mexicana Movement. Someone call Paula Zahn.

Go Allentown!

Allentown like all of us found there's no choice. They don't ever stop coming. Fight it!