Foes say measure targets immigrants

By Angela Lau
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

September 12, 2008

Ongoing tension about illegal immigration in Escondido exploded into a barrage of bitter words about a proposed ordinance to restrict overnight street parking.

The debate at Wednesday night's City Council public hearing focused on proposed regulations that would limit the number of cars that can park on many streets from 2 to 5 a.m.
At the end of hearing, a council majority – Sam Abed, Ed Gallo and Marie Waldron – expressed support for overnight parking control, and Mayor Lorie Holt Pfeiler and Councilman Dick Daniels were opposed.

The council sent the ordinance, which has been in the works for more than a year, back to city staff members for fine-tuning. Abed, Gallo and Waldron wanted to find out if it should specify that residents must park in front of their homes.

Waldron also wanted to ban commercial and recreational vehicles from parking on neighborhood streets, and to require residents applying for overnight street-parking permits to show their drivers' licenses.

City Attorney Jeffrey Epp said an updated ordinance may not be ready until October.

About 70 people attended the hearing. Thirty spoke as two Escondido police officers and a sergeant guarded the entrance to council chambers.

Opponents of the ordinance angrily accused some council members of racism, maintaining that the proposed restrictions were really aimed at pushing out illegal immigrants who share a house with multiple families.

“This is about three council members wanting to control illegal immigrants. Why don't you say it straight up?â€