Thread: Carpentersville: Immigration meeting too hot

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Immigration meeting too hot for Carpentersville

By John Keilman
Tribune staff reporter
Published October 23, 2006, 6:31 PM CDT


A meeting sponsored by the mild-mannered League of Women Voters has proven too hot for Carpentersville.

That's because the discussion was to focus on immigration, a subject that set passions aflame in the village after two trustees proposed an ordinance to crack down on undocumented residents.

Nearly 3,000 partisans protested that measure at Village Hall three weeks ago, and though police reported no violence, Village President Bill Sarto didn't think his town could afford a repeat. At his request, the senior center that was supposed to host the league's meetingthis week canceled it Monday.

"It would be similar to having the Nazi Party and the Jewish Defense League get together to discuss if the Holocaust really happened," Sarto said. "Let's be honest about this. This is not a situation that's easily discussed."

The non-partisan League of Women Voters is not known for fire-breathing debates. Its tightly structured forums for political candidates are normally genteel affairs at which audience members submit questions in writing.

The immigration meeting, scheduled for Thursday, was to be part of a statewide effort by the league to come up with an official position on the issue. Many of Illinois' 45 local chapters have already held public discussions without incident, said Paula Lawson, president of the League of Women Voters of Illinois.

"This is just meant to be an informational discussion," she said. "There really aren't going to be any decisions made."

But immigration is especially divisive in Carpentersville, where two trustees have proposed a measure that would penalize businesses that employ illegal immigrants and landlords who rent to them.

Last week, the Village Board narrowly voted to postpone consideration of the ordinance until legal questions surrounding a similar law in Hazleton, Pa., are settled. There was no discussion of when the meeting would be held.

Sarto, though, said the massive protest this month, along with a bombardment of vitriolic, often racist e-mails, convinced him that further public discussions could be dangerous.

"I think I've got a real education on this based on the reality of the emotion on both sides," said Sarto, who opposed the ordinance. "It's heated and volatile, and there's a possibility for violence.

"We never got to the point [at Village Board meetings] where the public made any comments. We can only speculate as to how that could go, but I'm really fearful that if you allow the public to ask questions or make comments, it has the real potential to create problems. The next thing you know you could have a real melee on your hands."

He said he was also worried about the safety of police officers who would have to handle security at the meeting and about their overtime costs.

Sarto relayed his concerns to the Dundee Township Park District, which owns the senior center that was scheduled to host the meeting. On Monday, park officials canceled it.

"In light of the situation that existed with the discussion in the village, we thought it would probably be best not to have one of our facilities in a position where we could have a heated climate," said parks Executive Director Tom Mammoser.

The Carpentersville-Dundee Area chapter of the league hasn't determined how to respond to the cancellation, said Carol Schoengart, the member who organized the meeting. But she added that she was troubled by the notion that a subject could be too dangerous for public discussion.

"This is the United States," she said. "We are a country of laws and government, and the idea behind the league is educating voters. How the heck can we ever come up with good legislation if we can't talk?"

"It would be similar to having the Nazi Party and the Jewish Defense League get together to discuss if the Holocaust really happened," Sarto said. "Let's be honest about this. This is not a situation that's easily discussed."

I am so glad you don't represent me Mr Sarto. You answer is to stifle and run away from it. You are a Chickensh*t Mr Sarto! You are being intimidated and as a result you will continue to allow our communities to be put in danger. You think avoiding the issue will make it better or go away?

God save us from "leaders" like Mr Sarto.