Councilman resigns over support of Hispanics

  CARY (AP) – A Cary city councilman plans to resign because his colleagues de*cided to donate $5,000 to a Hispanic cultural group that has honored a person opposed to cracking down on illegal immigration.
  “This organization was supporting people with our money that I find to be a detriment to America,” said Councilman Mike Joyce.
  Joyce last month pro*posed cutting off Diamante Inc., the organizer of the Aug. 5 Ritmo Latino festi*val. But the council in this Wake County city just south of Raleigh refused to back him.
  Joyce, who joined the council in 2004 after spend*ing more than eight years trying to get elected, said the stony silence of his col*leagues helped him realize that he’s better off teaching fellow plumbers than at*tending city council meet*i ngs.
  “I don’t want to serve on a government body that com*pletely abuses its authority to tax the citizens,” said Joyce, 46, who plans to sub*mit his resignation next week.
  In 2004, Diamante hon*ored Ilana Dubester, a Chatham County woman who took part in a rally ear*lier this year against a con*gressional plan to increase deportations of illegal immi*g rants.
  Joyce believes the $5,000 donation amounts to Cary using taxpayer money to help illegal immigrants.
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