Thread: CA: Day laborers ignore ban in protest of ordinance

Ah, California where law breakers feel emboldened.
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Day laborers ignore ban in protest of ordinance
By Tania Chatila and Fred Ortega Staff Writer
San Gabriel Valley Tribune



• Photo Gallery: Day laborer's ordinance
BALDWIN PARK - A city ban on solicitation in parking lots and on sidewalks was met with defiance Friday, the first day of the law's implementation.

Day laborers continued to line up near medians inside the Puente Avenue Home Depot parking lot despite earlier warnings from police they would be cited.

The ordinance states laborers cannot solicit in parking lots or seek work on sidewalks unless they leave a 3-foot buffer for pedestrians.

The Mexican American Legal Defense Fund has filed a lawsuit against the city, arguing that the law infringes on laborers' First Amendment rights.

"We are just looking for work, we are not looking for any trouble," said Gerardo Vasquez Hernandez who, with a group of about seven other laborers, refused to stand on the sidewalk Friday afternoon. "It's harder to get work that way because we are all bunched up."

City officials say the law was triggered by claims that day laborers were harassing customers, littering and urinating near the Home Depot.

Many laborers have said those accusations are exaggerated.

But business owner James Park said those kinds of incidents have happened in the past.

"It's not all of them, but throughout the course of the year it would happen and you would see people sleeping on the side of the business, harassing people," he said.

Park's shop, Han's Cosmetics, sits in the same shopping center as the Home Depot.

"It downgrades the appearance of the retail environment," Park said, adding that he supports the idea of a day laborer site.

City officials are in negotiations with representatives from the Home Depot for such a center, said Councilwoman Marlen Garcia who supports the city ban.

"We understand their situation and we want to be able to come to a happy medium on both ends, but they need to understand that we need to work together," she said.

Garcia did not visit the Home Depot site on Friday but said she had been getting positive feedback from residents.

"People are happy we are actually moving in this direction," she said.

Violators could be charged with a misdemenor or infraction.

An infraction carries a $100 fine for the first offense, $200 for the second and $500 for the third. A misdemeanor carries a $1,000 fine or six months in jail or both, officials said.

MALDEF officials had hoped a temporary restraining order they filed last week would halt the ban's implementation, but a judge delayed making a decision until July 16.

"We are continuing to fight on ... our position has always been this ordinance is a defacto ban on solicitation," said Kristina Campbell, a lawyer for MALDEF. "It's unworkable and pretty much impossible to enforce."

Councilmen David Olivas and Ricardo Pacheco have voiced similar sentiments, and both are opposed to the ordinance.

"My primary issue is our constitutional rights," Olivas said.

Baldwin Park police Chief Edward Lopez, who could not be reached for comment, said on Thursday he would not be increasing patrol as a result of the ban's implementation.

But police did respond to an early morning complaint near Home Depot on Friday, Sgt. Chris Hofford said.

"We received a call from one of the businesses saying there were some folks loitering," he said. "We did send some officers out there, they talked to some people and that was it."

No citations were issued, Hofford said.


http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_6319847#

A city ban on solicitation in parking lots and on sidewalks was met with defiance Friday, the first day of the law's implementation.

Why not defy the city ban, they have defied all our other laws. But listen to them whine and wring their hands and demand that our same laws protect their so-called rights. Rather selective on their part, don't you think?

because they do not care about our laws...they make their own rules

City officials are in negotiations with representatives from the Home Depot for such a center, said Councilwoman Marlen Garcia who supports the city ban.

"We understand their situation and we want to be able to come to a happy medium on both ends, but they need to understand that we need to work together," she said.

This is an outrageous response on the part of city officials as well as the representative from Home Depot. It is this type of tolerance that bestows 'rights' where none are due.

in ohio its about 5 Laws that are being voilated those men would not be there long ....
they would be cited, arrested and on they way to the home land if found to be a criminal immigrent