Thread: Route 30 Casa D'Ice sign king backs Arizona immigration law

Route 30 Casa D'Ice sign king backs Arizona immigration law




By Eric Heyl

Wednesday, May 19, 2010


Let's go road metaphor for a moment.

If political correctness is the stop sign preventing many Americans from voicing their true feelings, Bill Balsamico is the guy who floors the accelerator as he approaches the intersection.

And once again, he's putting the pedal squarely to the metal.

Balsamico is the owner of Casa D'Ice, the North Versailles lounge famous for the candid and controversial messages adorning its large marquee along Route 30.

For nearly a decade, Balsamico, 64, has entertained and infuriated both passers-by and a worldwide Internet audience at casadice.com as he vents. Seldom do his opinions fail to provoke a reaction.

In 2006, he garnered attention for supporting Joe Vento, a Philadelphia fast-food restaurateur who was criticized nationally for demanding his customers place their order in English.

Balsamico immediately put up a message stating, "When in Philadelphia, Order Your Cheesesteak In English." He also made a few dollars selling plush teddy bears decorated in red bows and wearing T-shirts that said, "No Shoes, No Shirt, No English, No Service."

Given those sentiments, you knew Balsamico wouldn't shy away from voicing his thoughts on the strict anti-illegal immigration measure adopted last month in Arizona. State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, has proposed similar legislation in Pennsylvania.

The Arizona law makes it a misdemeanor offense for an alien to be in the state without possessing the registration documents required by federal law. Critics contend the legislation, which is slated to go into effect in July, encourages racial profiling.

Balsamico strongly disagrees.

"That's a bunch of nonsense," he said. "All they're trying to do is enforce the existing (federal) law."

He stated as much almost immediately after the law was adopted on the Casa D'Ice sign, which reads:

Regarding Arizona

Support 'Em

Don't Boycott the Only State

Enforcing the Laws

Punish Washington

With Your Votes

"I got a very positive reaction," he said. "I wasn't surprised. It's just common sense. It's reality. The politicians don't want to address the problem, they just want to cater to that growing Hispanic vote."

Balsamico said inquiries from some of his nearly 100,000 e-mail subscribers in more than 130 countries prompted him to put his latest message on a T-shirt. Within an hour after he began selling them Tuesday, he said he had orders from 15 states.

He wasn't surprised by that, either.

"I'm just giving people what they want," he said. "People are frustrated, and they want to display their frustration."

Balsamico doesn't consider his opinions radically right-wing. To him, they're just the right way of thinking.

"There really isn't a thought process," he said. "I just have reactions."

And a willingness to continue barreling through that stop sign of political correctness.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... rss&feed=2

You can view most every sign he's ever put up through out the years at his website:

http://www.casadice.com/

http://www.casadice.com/outside_sign.htm