Thread: Cook Co., IL: Pro-immigrant resolution fails

Pro-immigrant resolution fails

May 2, 2007
By Jonathan Lipman Staff writer
The Cook County Board rejected Tuesday an attempt to make the county an immigrant-friendly government by forbidding its employees from investigating or asking about anyone’s immigration status.

Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado, who has championed the resolution for more than a year, looked visibly upset after the resolution failed on a tie vote with three abstentions.

“I’m not going to give up,” Maldonado (D-Chicago) said. “I’m going to bring it back. ... When we fought for civil rights legislation, it did not happen overnight.”

The bill, similar to one that passed Chicago City Council last year, would have forbidden county sheriff’s police and other officials from inquiring about anyone’s immigration status unless it was connected to an investigation into other criminal wrongdoing. County services could not be withheld based on immigration status.

Along with four of the board’s five Republicans, the board’s five black Democrats and Commissioner John Daley voted to oppose or abstain on the bill. Republican Tony Peraica supported it.

“There is a big disconnect between the African-American community and the ... Latino community when it comes to this issue,” Maldonado said.

“There is a distorted perception out there ... that immigrants ... agree to work for lower wages than the African-American community would be willing to do,” Maldonado said. “It’s absolutely untrue. We take the jobs that nobody else wants.”

Commissioner Deborah Sims (D-Chicago) said she abstained because she didn’t think the resolution, which was changed from the original, stronger proposal, really accomplished anything.

“You want to put some meat on this,” Sims said. “Bring it back to us.”

West Side Commissioner Earlean Collins (D-Chicago) said she was worried the resolution would encourage more patients to use the over-burdened county health system.

Board President Todd Stroger, who joined Maldonado at a news conference to support the measure Monday, declined Tuesday to cast a tie-breaking vote that would have won passage. Stroger said critics have questioned his legal right to cast a vote since he is not a commissioner, and he didn’t think the issue was worth the inevitable protracted legal battle.

http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/3663 ... 02.article

“There is a distorted perception out there ... that immigrants ... agree to work for lower wages than the African-American community would be willing to do,” Maldonado said. “It’s absolutely untrue. We take the jobs that nobody else wants.”

Once again the OBL's have got it all wrong. They are comparing apples to oranges when using the African American civil rights movement to further their cause. And there is no "distorted perception" about immigrants working for lower wages, it's the ILLEGAL immigrants who work for next to nothing.

Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado, who has championed the resolution for more than a year, looked visibly upset after the resolution failed on a tie vote with three abstentions.

Did you ever notice that the bums who propose these pro-illegal measures always put the desires of their race above the good of our country If we dare to protest they have the audacity to call us racist.

Now if only the driver's certificate bill for illegal aiens in Illinois will be defeated as well.

Do you have a moment to send an email to help stop it?!



http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... 2&start=50

“I’m not going to give up,” Maldonado (D-Chicago) said. “I’m going to bring it back. ... When we fought for civil rights legislation, it did not happen overnight.”

Was this maldanado even in our country during the civil rights movement, or did he come here illegally after that and gain citizenship through the last shamnesty? Is he black? Were he and/or his ancestors dragged to this country against their will? Because if he wasn't and his ancestors weren't slaves here in the 19th century...then the civil rights movement wasn't about him and his "people" at all, now was it?