Thread: English-only resolution gets hearing

English-only resolution gets hearing

Oak Point: Petition seeks to rescind city's language mandate


06:35 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 14, 2007
By PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE / Denton Record-Chronicle
pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com

OAK POINT – A new English-as-official-language resolution is disturbing the tranquillity of this Denton County lakeside community, where just 7 percent of the 2,450 residents are Hispanic.

The resolution declaring English the city's official language will be the focus of a town hall meeting tonight. Also, the organizers of a petition drive to rescind the resolution will give an update on the petition's progress.

Former Mayor Duane Olson said he was concerned about misinformation, such as some cleaning service employees who fear driving in the city – they've heard that if they are stopped and don't speak English well enough, they'll get a ticket.

Oak Point's English resolution has no provisions for businesses or residents and limits only the city's ability to adopt a policy or procedure that undermines the language.

Those circulating the petition said they were concerned about council procedure and the economic impact of the measure.

Mary Bell, a board member of the city's economic development corporation, is helping with the petition. She said that most people she's talked to would say publicly that they wanted the resolution rescinded.

"We hold the council accountable for the process," Ms. Bell said. "This resolution could have been about vanilla ice cream. They bypassed citizen input on the measure."

One of the leaders behind the resolution, council member Jim Almond, said the people he talks to support it, so the residents were represented in the adoption of the resolution.

The petition is "nothing but folks trying to stir the pot," he said.

"The only way the resolution will come up again [in a council meeting] is if a council member brings it up and asks for it to be rescinded," Mr. Almond said. "Then the majority will have to vote to rescind. I don't see that happening."

Mr. Almond said that the resolution, while symbolic, is an important step to address the effect of illegal immigration on city government.

Knowing other languages is great, he said, but "when it comes to dealing with federal documents, there has to be unification in language."

Oak Point Mayor Tom Kanuch called the town hall meeting in order to give residents a chance to have more input.

"We have a situation where a lot of citizens didn't know about it before it came before the council," Mr. Kanuch said. "With an open forum, more people can talk about it."

The council passed the measure in June in front of packed chambers; rules at the meeting limited each speaker's time.

Ms. Bell said she believes that some other kind of resolution could come after the town hall meeting, because "the council has a good body of people," she said.

She said she had fears that the resolution would make it difficult to recruit businesses to its nascent commercial corridor on FM720.

"It [the resolution] puts this obstacle out there for economic development," Ms. Bell said. "It's not a good strategy."

Mr. Kanuch said that federal policies have sent mixed messages about immigration, but he isn't sure what local government can do to fix differences between federal agencies.

Local fixes to national problems haven't survived constitutional challenges, said Michael Olivas, a University of Houston law professor and board member of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. That group works on lawsuits challenging anti-immigrant measures around the country, including the challenge to the referendum overwhelmingly passed in Farmers Branch that puts the onus on landlords to check the legal status of renters.

A governmental body doing something substantive, such as passing ordinances that could limit people's freedoms, should be prepared for the time and money that it takes to settle the issue legally, Mr. Olivas said.

Mr. Almond said the council will not be coerced into backing down with the threat of legal action.

"We're doing the right thing," Mr. Almond said. "The reality is that an English-only resolution is patriotic. The best way to unify a country is through its language."

Don't forget the links! Thanks, Dixie
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 22f0b.html

"It [the resolution] puts this obstacle out there for economic development," Ms. Bell said. "It's not a good strategy."

Oh and pandering to illegals is?

Yeah, thanks Dixie! I'm spanking my hand right now.

Please send a note today and show your support!

http://www.oakpointtexas.com/

Mayor Kanuch mayor@oakpointtexas.com
Councilmen mail to Clerk@oakpointtexas.com
JIM ALMOND
JIM WOHLETZ
JUDITH CAMP
LESLIE MAYNARD
MARK RAKESTRAW

Comments are being left after this article at the source link.
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English-only rescission fails in Oak Point


By Ann Marie Shambaugh, Staff Writer
(Created: Monday, August 20, 2007 9:59 PM CDT)


The Oak Point City Council voted 2-3 not to rescind their “English-onlyâ€

Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm doing the happy dance!!!!!!!!!! :P

Dixie

Originally Posted by Dixie

Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm doing the happy dance!!!!!!!!!! :P

Dixie

:P :P :P

Yep! That's me!!!!!!

Thanks for the graphic jean!!!!!!!

Dixie

You're welcome Dixie!
We need all the 'happy' we can get.