There are colonies of homeless people living in the Queen Creek
wash. It is littered with trash and human feces. It has gone unchecked
for years and years, and now they are living in unsanitary
conditions. The Queen Creek wash looks like a landfill and public
toilet. Please help to get these homeless people out of there, for
their own safety.

http://wrer.org/wash/qcwash075.jpg
http://wrer.org/wash/qcwash012.jpg
http://wrer.org/wash/qcwash028.jpg
http://wrer.org/wash/qcwash023.jpg
http://wrer.org/wash/qcwash046.jpg

Remember, when you talk to the Queen Creek, AZ Town Officials and they promise they are "working the issue," remember they've been "working the issue" for years and years now to no avail. Their words are empty. Their action is nil.

The exact location is zip code 85242, in the Queen Creek wash, south
of Ocotillo road, between Hawes continuing east about 1/4 mile past
Ellsworth.


>> What brought this situation to your attention?


My fiance and I moved here for the equestrian opportunities and trail
riding areas. We live in the Will Rogers Equestrian Ranch subdivision,
which backs up against the Queen Creek wash just east of Hawes. After we
moved in we noticed a tent in the wash, south of the horse stalls on our
facility. We saw and heard people at the tent in the evening. We had no
idea the extent of the problem. After inspection we discovered there
were colonies of illegals in the wash from Hawes continuing east all the
way past Ellsworth. And these illegals weren't poor and downtrodden.
They were partying it up, littering the wash with their beer bottles,
human feces, and landfill quantities of garbage. We soon came to realize
the illegals in the wash were "Queen Creek's dirty little secret."


>> Do you live nearby?


Yes, I live in the Will Rogers Equestrian Ranch neighborhood on Ocotillo
between Hawes and Ellsworth. The wash runs south of our equestrian
facility. We were disappointed that we could not boldly use our facility
in the evening out of fear. We suspect the illegals come onto our
property at night because we have open water spigots to water the
horses, so they could get free water.


>> Why does it bother you?


It bothers me that we paid a great deal of money to live down here in
Queen Creek only to find we are afraid to use our neighborhood facility
at night. Or to explore the wash without fear of slicing our feet on
broken beer bottles, contracting a disease, stepping in uncovered human
feces, or being a victim of a crime. There has been talk that illegals
bring hepatitis and TB with them. It is unsafe to explore the wash with
their garbage, broken beer bottles, and uncovered human feces laying
about. I fear for the children in the neighborhood who play in the wash.
If I lived here as a kid, that would be the first place I'd explore and
play around. I read a statistic that the illegals make up 80% of the
crime. It is only a matter of time before a little girl gets raped down
there. It bothers me that we are prisoners in our own house. Out of fear
our freedom to explore and trail ride in the wash has been taken away.


>> What do you think needs to be done?


There are already laws in place that need to be enforced. The property
owners who own those parts of the wash need to be publicly exposed,
shamed, and arrested! Their property will be seized. Harboring and
aiding illegals is a felony (Federal Immigration and Nationality Act
Section 8 USC 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)(b)(iii).) Section 1324a states: "Any
person who knowingly hires/harbors/transports any illegal alien is
guilty of a felony punishable by 10 years jail + $2000 fine per illegal
alien + forfeiture of the vehicle or property used to commit the crime".

The public parts of the wash should be swept by the border patrol,
INS, and/or the feds. The QC Town Officials should initiate this
action as public servants to the citizens.


>> Why?


To remove the blight that is an embarrasment to the Town of Queen Creek.
It is not comfortable bringing friends, family, and other relatives to
come experience where we live. It is shameful! The reputation of Queen
Creek is at stake.


>> Who do you think is responsible for this situation?


The property owners who own those parts of the wash, and the town
council and MCSO for the public parts of the wash. After we learned the
extent of the problem we could not believe people were putting up with
this, so we contacted the Maricopa County Sherrif's Office. They put
Deputy Mike Lucas on the job. He told me he found a bike in the wash and
ran some people out. Also we noticed some large trees and brush where
some of the illegals were living in back of Will Rogers Equestrian Ranch
were bulldozed down. On Oct 26 the QC Independent put this issue on the
front page and quoted Deputy Mike Lucas as saying my claims were
"unfounded." The contradiction is obvious. He also states it's been a
problem for years, as if that makes it okay. This is unacceptable! I
knew my complaint was not "unfounded" so I took photos in the wash which
are publicly viewable at http://wrer.org/wash/.

If the Queen Creek Town Officials haven't addressed this problem and
have known about it for years, as claimed by Deputy Mike Lucas, they are
not acting as public servants and should no longer receive our votes.


>> How do your neighbors feel?


The ones who have lived here the longest are worn out over the issue and
have lost their fight. It is a shame. They are willing to accept defeat
and a tarnished QC reputation because they feel the Town Officials are
powerless and/or too incompetent to take on the issue.


>> Are you willing to go into the wash and clean it up?


Not unless the town is able to keep the illegals from destroying the
wash. I am not a maid service to the illegals and their apathetic
lifestyle. If the Mayor sponsors a "Take Back Our Wash" campaign and
establishes a cleanup party then I will lead the effort! However, my
perception of the Mayor and Town Officials' silence and inactivity means
it is political suicide for them to take on this issue. It is possible
their major contributors and votes come form builders and farmers who
hire the illegals. Taking away the wealthy and powerful constituents
bread and butter means you won't get voted back into office.


>> Do you think that the Town should take control of this issue or is it
>> private property?


Both. The private property owners need to be exposed, publicly shamed,
and arrested! Their land must be seized according to the felony they are
committing. The town officials should NOT be voted back into office
until they do something about it. They've let the problem go for years
without doing anything. The least they can do is call the feds. The
private property owners are harboring and aiding illegal aliens. This is
a felony! See
http://www.americanpatrol.com/REFERENCE ... C1324.html.


>> Are you aware that the tree at the Intersection of Ellsworth and
>> ocotillo was cut down by the Town in an effort to prevent further
>> crime and problems underneath the tree?


Yes. We felt this is the type of reasoning a 3rd grader might make. The
persons who came up with the idea and voted on it should be impeached!
You can chase and address symptoms all day and never solve the problem.
The reasoning is akin to an overweight person removing the forks in
their house to lose weight. Sound reasoning tells you this will not
solve the issue. Just as overeating and lack of exercise is the most
common cause for obesity, people hiring the illegals is the most common
cause for the illegal invasion. Cutting down a majestic tree was utter
poor judgement.


>> What would you like your elected leaders and the community to know
>> about this situation?


Reread the General Plan that was created in 2002. On page 49 it states,
"Queen Creek Wash is a not only a landmark throughout the planning area
but is also the source of the Town's name. This unique feature, along
with Sanokai Wash, needs to be carefully integrated into the developed
environment that is to come and be a focal point of recreational
activities and community pride."

It seems to me the Town Officials are not executing according to the
plan. The destruction and human feces in the wash is an environmental
emergency. That's some community pride eh?

Come, let's explore the wash together:

Your children are playing in human feces in the wash!
http://wrer.org/wash/tn/qcwash075.jpg.html

We flushed one out.
http://wrer.org/wash/tn/qcwash099.jpg.html

Can't be too poor and downtrodden with these kinds of clothes just
thrown away. Or maybe they are sun-drying their clothes?
http://wrer.org/wash/tn/qcwash012.jpg.html

Drink up, it's party time. I thought these guys were poor and downtrodden?
http://wrer.org/wash/tn/qcwash028.jpg.html
http://wrer.org/wash/tn/qcwash023.jpg.html

The Phoenix landfill? No, the Queen Creek wash where your children play.
http://wrer.org/wash/tn/qcwash046.jpg.html

What's the other side of the story?

What's the other side to an environmental emergency? The human feces
will flow down the wash during the next rain and get into peoples well
water out here. It is untreated sewage flowing through the wash.

What is the other side to illegal activity? Harboring and aiding an
illegal is a felony. What is the other side to breaking the law?

If you intend to have the "other side" be a compassionate, helping hand,
refer to zebu's post on the blog:

"If you had a wash running behind your home that you hiked in and rode a
horse in and these people, who have entered our country illegally,
turned it into a dump site would you be so eager to feed these illegals.
Would you encourage them to continue to defecate in your area and
despoil the adjacent property by feeding them. They came here to work so
why would you want to feed them.

Why do you suggest a "loving and caring solution" to stop illegal
activity? Has the whole world gone mad? They're here illegally. They're
breaking the law. Your bleeding heart is commendable but it doesn't
apply to people who flaunt our countries laws by living here illegally
and polluting our communities with their human waste and trash.

If you want to show compassion, take them into your home. Feed, clothe
and shelter them. Be my guest. You're heart is in the right place but
you're applying compassion where it doesn't belong. You wouldn't help an
escaped convict would you? Well, what's the difference? It's still
illegal activity."

These people came here to WORK. They make $10/hr+ and send their money
to Mexico, and drink the rest as is evidenced by the unending beer
bottles in the wash. A good journalist would go into the wash herself
and snap photos. Get a first hand look.

For the record, I am against racism, bigotry, and illegal
discrimination. I am in support of the U.S. existing laws concerning
immigration and hiring of illegals. I support their enforcement.

I find it atrocious that business owners are profiting, illegally, off
the backs of our friends to the south. I am a supporter of capitalism,
but this exploitation is morally reprehensible.

I find it eye-opening that "for 40 years, the number of recorded cases
of leprosy within the United States totaled 900. Today, we know of
more than 7,000 current cases of leprosy in the U.S. Most of those in
the U.S. who are suffering from leprosy are from Mexico, India,
Brazil, and the Caribbean." --
http://www.americandaily.com/article/7751

I am in support of LEOs (law enforcement officers) being crowned with
temporary federal agent authority in matters of illegal alien
deportation.

I embrace the Mexican culture that has permeated throughout the
Southwest U.S. I have lived here all my days. I also embrace the
United States laws on illegal immigration and hiring of illegal
aliens.

Racism, bigotry, and illegal discrimination are wrong and should not
be tolerated.

Many Americans have expressed the view that they don't care why "they"
are here, just get "them" out of here. Friends, that is not my
viewpoint. My viewpoint is to simply uphold the laws of the United
States.

The United States is a diverse mix of cultures and races. I am in
support of preserving the unique cultures that make up this great
nation.

The United States was built upon LEGAL immigration. Let's keep it that
way.

--
clu, Oct. 2005