Thread: Farmers Branch voters to decide anti-illegal immigration mea

Farmers Branch voters to decide anti-illegal immigration measure
By ANABELLE GARAY
Associated Press

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas — Residents of this Dallas suburb on Saturday will be the first in the nation to vote to repeal or approve a city ordinance that bans landlords from renting apartments to most illegal immigrants.

Opponents of the ordinance gathered enough signatures to force the city to put the measure on the municipal election ballot. The ordinance requires apartment managers or owners to verify the immigration or citizenship status of each apartment occupant before entering into a lease. Families that include citizens and undocumented members could lease if they meet three conditions: they’re already tenants, the head of household or spouse is legally in the U.S., and the family includes only a spouse, their minor children or parents.

Council members first approved the ban in November and then revamped it in January. They said the ordinance is necessary because the federal government has failed to address the issue.

“I think in the long run...that this pays large economic dividends to our city and our residents and our business. We’re already seeing it,” said Tim O’Hare, the Farmers Branch councilman who led efforts to adopt the ordinance.

So far, more than 1,300 residents have voted during early balloting. That’s hundreds more than the number who voted in each of the past two municipal elections, according to the Dallas County Elections Department.

State and federal observers are expected to be on hand Saturday for the election, said Bruce Sherbet, the Dallas County elections administrator.

If voters approve the ban, the city will still have to defend the measure in state and federal courts from four lawsuits brought by civil rights groups, residents, property owners and business.

Opponents say the ordinance places landlords in the precarious position of acting as federal immigration officers and discriminates against residents based on ethnicity and national origin. Attorneys also allege the ordinance is flawed because it attempts to regulate immigration, a duty that is exclusively the federal government’s.

Attorney William Brewer, who is handling three of the suits, said his clients would seek a restraining order to stop the city from enforcing the regulation and try to get the case to trial.

http://www.heralddemocrat.com/articles/ ... tate04.txt

I hope the officials are making the voters prove they are legal citizens.

Why is it so hard for the elected officials to see this trend? Whenever a vote is put up, the minority screams as loud as they can but the voters overwhelmingly want to put a stop to illegal immigration! This is our country. The people we put into office at every level of government are supposed to reflect the wishes of their constituents that want it to stop. Where is all this resistance coming from?

The ACLU doesn't have enough money to sue every city in the country over it...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... cbf57.html

Early voting in FB breaks 14-year record

Issue may make final turnout 50%; numbers are low elsewhere

09:09 AM CDT on Wednesday, May 9, 2007

By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
bformby@dallasnews.com

Farmers Branch voters – fired up over a divisive and controversial ordinance aimed at illegal immigrants – hit the polls in record numbers during early voting that ended Tuesday.

More than 3,400 residents – or 24.7 percent of the city's registered voters – laid to rest a 14-year-old record of 3,289 voters in a city election there. Dallas County Elections Commissioner Bruce Sherbet said that by the time polls close Saturday, turnout may stand as high as 50 percent.

"We could literally be looking at a turnout comparable to what you see in a gubernatorial or presidential election for this particular city," Mr. Sherbet said. "I've never seen anything this high, so there's nothing to compare it to."

Yet in most North Texas cities and school districts, a lack of heated contests or contentious issues kept early-voting turnout at or below average numbers. Some cities with large pools of council candidates saw increases over previous years, but they were minor. Even a state constitutional amendment that would extend property tax breaks to homeowners who are 65 and older or disabled has done little to get large masses to the polls.

"Voters will turn out, but you've got to hit the right buttons," Mr. Sherbet said. "Farmers Branch is definitely hitting the right buttons."

Some countywide totals and estimates for early voting turnout in North Texas were unavailable after polls closed Tuesday night. Most individual cities' numbers also were unavailable.

Typically, Farmers Branch sees voter turnout of 5 percent to 8 percent in city elections. Mr. Sherbet had originally expected about 25 percent to cast a ballot by the end of voting Saturday. But two hours before the end of early voting, turnout stood at 23.6 percent.

"That shocked me, I gotta tell you," he said.

Are we screaming loud enough for you, Bush???

50% of voters estimated by Saturday!!!!

Have you ever seen numbers like that before????

Whoo-hooo!!!

(I'm just mad about our mayor being chicken at the last moment. He had his house vandalized months ago (at the beginning of all this furor), and said he wouldn't put up with this kind of stuff. Now he's backing down and relinquishing his support for the ordinance. Where are our strong leaders!!)

TexasGal