Upland council has mixed feelings on public support for Arizona

Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 07/13/2010 05:36:06 PM PDT

UPLAND - Arizona's controversial immigration law has the support of Mayor John Pomierski, but not the rest of the City Council.

A group of anti-illegal immigration activists on Monday requested that the city adopt a resolution supporting Arizona's law that is set to take effect July 31.

Pomierski said he would not have a problem asking City Manager Robb Quincey to draft a resolution for the council to vote on.

"I can't speak for my colleagues, but I guess there's one way to find out where everybody's at if there's a resolution brought forward and see who is for it and who isn't," Pomierski said.

Quincey said he did not have the authority to draft such a resolution until the council met and discussed the issue.

Councilman Ray Musser said he personally supports the Arizona law, but believes the city should stay neutral on the subject.

"Why would we take a stand when it divides the city?" he said. "And I prefer not to divide the city, but let them each decide on their own."

City officials need to stay focused on city business, rather than spend time drafting a resolution not directly related to residents, council members Tom Thomas and Brenden Brandt said.

"I don't think it's so much whether that the entire City Council is for or against (the law)," Thomas said. "I think it's just the whole idea of do we want to start spending staff's time and taking positions on more national type issues or should we stay focus on our local community, which is really what I think we're elected to do?"

Councilman Ken Willis said the city's adoption or rejection of a resolution will not have an impact on the big picture of immigration reform.

"The only thing we can demonstrate is our desire and I think all of our desires are for a complete solution, but that is not possible at this time," Willis said. "I think that when we begin to think clearly and coolly and carefully as a state and a nation we can begin to figure out a resolution to this issue."

The anti-illegal immigration group - which includes local Minutemen activists and members of Claremont-based anti-illegal immigration group, We The People, California's Crusader - has attended council meetings throughout the region to push members to show their support for Arizona law.

The group has also requested council members to consider implementing E-Verify - a program used by employers to check the legal status of an employee - and possibly cancel contracts with Los Angeles over that city's boycott of Arizona.

Yorba Linda, Orange, Hemet, Menifee, Rancho Santa Margarita and Costa Mesa, CA. have adopted resolutions supporting the Arizona law.

"I think what Arizona is doing and what Rhode Island already did are admirable, and we need to take a stand," Pomierski said.

In 2008, Rhode Island lawmakers proposed a series of measures aimed at illegal immigrants. The measures range from expelling illegal immigrant children from the state's healthcare system to putting business owners and landlords who harbor illegal workers to jail. Republican Gov. Donald L. Carcieri issued an executive order mandating immigration checks on all new state workers and ordering state police to assist federal immigration officials.

http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_15507934