Columbia County Wrestles With New Hiring Measure
BY APRIL BAER

Scappoose, OR November 17, 2008 9:05 a.m.

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Columbia County, a largely rural area of Western Oregon, is in the midst of a dispute over a ballot measure approved in this month's election.
The measure bars the hiring of illegal immigrants by the region's businesses. And it assigns the task of enforcement to the county.

As April Baer reports, the measure passed but many issues remain unresolved.




The real diversity in Columbia County is diversity of opinion about 5-190.

Ursula Murray works as a hairdresser at the Scappoose Barbershop. She's an immigrant from Germany herself, and she's heard a lot about the measure from her customers.

Ursula Murray: "As a matter of fact it was brought up the other day. I didn't know much about it but, I believe that--I came to this country legally. I think we should let them come in I think we ought to join forces with Mexico and....no, really!"
Hold off on your expectations about the county that just passed Oregon's first local ban on the hiring of illegal immigrants. It's the same county whose voters preferred Barack Obama over John McCain by nine percentage points in the presidential election.

Also, the initiative passed despite being vastly outspend. Sponsor Wayne Mayo spent less than $500 -- compared with the opposition's $66,000.

Mayo is well known around Scappoose and St Helens. He's a contractor himself, and says he's tired of seeing others in his industry flaunting the law.

Wayne Mayo: "When I saw the way the presidential race was shaping up, I just knew we'd go through another eight years of no enforcement of the borders, no protection for Americans, so I gave up on the federal government doing anything."

Borrowing language and ideas from a similar initiative in Arizona, Mayo drafted a ban on the hiring of undocumented workers.

The measure says the county must act, and must do so without raising taxes, or diverting money from services like the sheriff's department.

It also mandates a series of punishments, including fines up to $10,000 for any business found in violation.

Some people in Columbia County are uneasy about the passage of 5-190. And there are those who take the issue very personally.

"Paco": (in Spanish, translated by "Maria") "I feel like it's a bad idea because I've been living here for 12-13 years, and I never done anything wrong, and now everyone's being racist about it."
"Paco" and "Maria", who asked that we not use their real names, are brother and sister. They come from a family whose legal status varies from person to person.

Paco owns a service industry business. Maria is translating for her brother. She says she feels the same way. She says her views are similar to his.

"Maria": "I mean, Just because one person doesn't like what's going on, cause he's just trying to do this for his own good, but he's not really thinking about anything else, or how much it's going to cost the county to take action."

Columbia County was neutral during election season, and is taking a guarded stance now that Measure 5-190 has passed.

An legal opinion researched by the commissioners' legal adviser listed enumerates a list of possible complications.

Aside from the question of finding money to fund enforcement, the county thinks it might be overstepping state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination based on nationality. And, there are rules in the workplace that govern when and how employers can ask about legal status.

For the time being, county officials have kicked the question to the courts. They've asked a circuit court to determine whether 5-190 is enforceable, in whole, or in part.

Rita Bernhardt : "You know I really can't imagine -- it's got so many twists and turns to it.

Rita Bernhardt is a Columbia County Commissioner. She says no one's interested in flaunting the will of the voters. But it's hard for her to envision how the county will proceed on this one.

Rita Bernhardt: "People are very concerned about enforcement at the federal level, and do not feel that's happening. I think this was a message, people saying we need to do something. Unfortunately, this is just a little teeny, tiny piece of that system."

Over the next ten days, the court is taking public input. Officials with the county say they're not sure when the Circuit Court will issue a decision.

Measure sponsor Wayne Mayo says if the court or county refuse to back him, he'll file a legal challenge.


© 2008 OPB
http://news.opb.org/article/3561-columb ... g-measure/