San Pablo mayor irate over immigrant forum

[had_enuf]

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cct ... 966832.htm

Posted on Sat, Mar. 24, 2007

San Pablo mayor irate over immigrant forum
Morris upset 'Stop the Deportation' meeting claims city as co-sponsor, and that councilwoman passed out flier for event

By Tom Lochner
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

San Pablo Mayor Paul Morris is objecting to the city's involvement in "Stop the Deportation," a community forum on immigration at Maple Hall on Saturday.

"I certainly do not think it appropriate that a meeting of this nature be held on city property to promote an illegal action on behalf of illegal immigrants," Morris wrote in an e-mail Wednesday to City Manager Brock Arner, with copies to police Chief Joe Aita, City Attorney Brian Libow and Morris' fellow council members.

The forum, organized by Promocion Latina and subtitled "Want to know what happens when ICE (federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement) stops you?" will include an update on pending federal immigration legislation. An immigration attorney will talk about people's rights when they are questioned or detained by agents. Organizers also have invited local and state officials to speak.

A flier lists the West County Latina/o Democratic Club and City of San Pablo as co-sponsors. Club President Andres Soto said San Pablo is on the sponsor list because the city waived the $130-an-hour rental fee for the hall. But Arner said that isn't so.

"The city is simply renting (out) the hall," Arner said.

Promocion Latina will get the nonprofit rental rate if it provides documentation, he said.

In his e-mail, Morris also took Councilwoman Genoveva Garcia Calloway to task for distributing the forum flier at a meeting Wednesday of the 23rd Street Merchants Association.

"Who is Promocion Latina? Why are they promoting this through a sitting council member?" Morris asked.

"I do not for the life of me understand why any local, elected-by-the-people council member would be out there representing an illegal group who did not vote her into office," he said, in an apparent reference to illegal immigrants.

Promocion Latina President Arturo Cruz said it is "a community outreach organization dedicated to the health and well-being of all the residents of San Pablo and the surrounding community." Cruz ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2006.

Calloway, a co-founder of Promocion Latina in 1996, though no longer a member of the group, said Friday that the Saturday event will provide legal expertise, not promote illegal action.

"It's a community forum," she said. "The merchants association is very interested in providing service to its customers and the community."

The 23rd Street corridor has many Latino-themed businesses. The city's population is 51.7 percent Latino, according to the latest Census figures.

Morris, in his e-mail, said, "If the City of San Pablo is to be involved with the 23rd Street Merchants Association, then it needs to take a good look at why this type of propaganda is being perpetrated through this organization."

Councilman Leonard McNeil responded to what he characterized as Morris' "tirade" in an e-mail Thursday, with copies to his fellow council members as well as Arner and Aita.

"A flyer about an upcoming public forum circulated at the 23rd Street Merchants Association is hardly considered propaganda," McNeil wrote. "Your ranting is much ado about nothing and bears a striking resemblance to the substance that bulls leave on the ground!"

Calloway said the notion, since rebuffed, that the city waived the rental fee and thus made itself a sponsor of the event was the result of "a miscommunication."

"At this point, because of the misunderstanding, the city will not be a co-sponsor," she said.

Morris said Friday that he's still hearing two versions: that the rental fee is being waived and that it is not.

"If they're donating the (rental) cost of a city-owned hall to a group condoning illegal activity, I have a problem with that," he said. "If they're actually renting it, I'll back off."

Morris has said illegal immigration is among the most urgent problems facing his city and the nation. He has defended ICE and its enforcement actions and has said many of the complaints against the agency alleging mass sweeps are fiction.

"All they're doing is targeting criminals," he said.

The agency came under attack recently at another Maple Hall function, a Feb. 20 City Council study session on ICE and illegal immigration.

"The other people who said they were afraid and getting their doors kicked in -- that's what they were saying at our special council meeting -- I suspect some of those stories are made up. It just doesn't ring true," Morris said.

At the February meeting, the council formed a subcommittee of Calloway and Councilwoman Sharon Brown to draft a resolution dealing with immigration issues for consideration by the full council. The committee is expected to report to the council next month.

Reach Tom Lochner at 510-262-2760 or tlochner@cctimes.com.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: Community forum on immigration

• WHEN: 1 p.m. March 31

• WHERE: Maple Hall, 1 Alvarado Square, San Pablo

[ProudAmericanFamily]

"I do not for the life of me understand why any local, elected-by-the-people council member would be out there representing an illegal group who did not vote her into office," he said, in an apparent reference to illegal immigrants.


Thank you Thank you and Thank you!
Finally, people who make sense are starting to speak up.
I don't blame him. I know this town well! It was once a nice little bedroom community for San Francisco commuters. It is now terribly run down. The streets and buildings are worn and there is rampant crime. I think this mayor is terribly brave to speak out as he has done. I hope he is rewarded by support and another win at election time.

[Dixie]

My State rep is doing it. He makes me ill.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to write them?

Let the Mayor know you agree with him.

Mayor Paul V. Morris
Telephone: (510) 215-3000
Fax: (510) 620-0204
Email: councilmanpaulmorris@yahoo.com

Vice Mayor Sharon J. Brown
Telephone: (510) 215-3000
Fax: (510) 620-0204
Email: sharonsell@aol.com

Councilmembers

Genoveva Garcia Calloway Supporter of "Stop the Deportation"
Phone: (510) 215-3000
Fax: (510) 620-0204
Email: gcalloway@sbcglobal.net

Joseph M. Gomes
Telephone: (510) 215-3000
Fax: (510) 620-0204

Leonard McNeil
Telephone: (510) 215-3000
Fax: (510) 215-9127
E-mail: l_mcneil@comcast.net







Dixie

[cvangel]

I wrote all of them except Councilman Gomes who didn't have an email address. My email Genoveva Garcia Calloway:

Dear Councilwoman Garcia Galloway;

I read the story about the “Stop the Deportation” meeting in the Contra Costa Times and I was very impressed with Mayor Morris. He raised the key question here: "I do not for the life of me understand why any local, elected-by-the-people council member would be out there representing an illegal group who did not vote her into office," he said, in an apparent reference to illegal immigrants.” In reference to your support of this meeting. I am wondering that very same thing, and I wonder that about many of our elected officials. Elected officials are supposed to be representing the CITIZENS of their respective elected districts, etc. This is the key issue, exactly WHO do you represent Councilwoman Galloway? If you are representing the illegal community you are not keeping to the fiduciary of your oath of office to represent the citizens. How can this be justified? I ask this of Congressmen/women and Senators too. Even of our President.

Illegal immigrants should expect to be deported. They are breaking our laws. Crossing the border illegally may be a civil infraction under our laws, but the moment they use a false/stolen document to obtain employment or services they have committed a felony. A felony in itself makes them ineligible for legal entry or citizenship in this country. Citizens are imprisoned for this; does “Fraud” ring a bell to you? When Americans go to prison for committing felonies I hear no outcry for what’s happening to their families who are being broken apart. Nor should we; they knew they were taking the risk of getting caught and they have to pay the penalty which is prison. Why the outcry over illegal immigrant’s families being broken up when they commit a crime? Are you saying they didn’t know they could be caught and deported? They have the option of keeping their families together. They can go home together, if they don’t it’s their choice. Why is it you think they shouldn’t take responsibility for their actions? Why aren’t the efforts in trying to improve the conditions of the Countries illegal immigrants are fleeing from? Why is it the pro-illegal immigration groups seek to change America to suit the wants of illegal people? When immigrants come, they should come legally and want to become Americans, not want to change America into the country they fled.

When Americans work in other countries and bear children there do they leave their children behind when it’s time for them to come home? Think about it, why the double standard? Leaving my child behind wouldn’t be a consideration for a second; would it be for you? I surely wouldn’t expect to be able to stay there simply because I bore a child there.

No Nation can survive without laws. I tire of the accusations of racism in this debate. To me they are accusations of desperation from those who have no other argument to present. I’m sure you’ve seen this before but it is truly the basis of the border enforcement argument. Theodore Roosevelt’s ideas on immigrants and being an AMERICAN:

“We should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with every one else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birth-place or origin. But this is predicated upon the man’s becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn’t doing his part as an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. . . We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people.” (To President of the American Defense Society, January 3, 1919; last message, read at meeting in New York, January 5, 1919.) Mem. Ed. XXIV, 554; Bishop

President Roosevelt’s words represent the strength of America, the cohesion of Americans, and unity of Americans. That is not racism; it is Americanism.


I hope you will consider these thoughts

[cvangel]

I received a reply from Councilwoman Calloway:

Thank you for your opinion. Councilwoman Calloway

Impressive huh?

And one from Councilwoman Brown (although to the others besides Calloway I wrote a different note to encourage them to support the Mayor's stance):

We are sure trying to keep a common sense approach but our patience and humor are hard to maintain at time. I have been an elected official for 22 years and I am counting the months till I retire. I appreciate the email

It must be hard to fight to enforce the law in this climate. This email tells me we need to always let our elected officials know we support them when they are trying to do the right thing.

[firecracker]

San Pablo Mayor Paul Morris is objecting to the city's involvement in "Stop the Deportation," a community forum on immigration at Maple Hall on Saturday.

Mayor Morris should be objecting! America has laws and the right to DEPORT illegal aliens. Why is there a community forum on "Stop the Deportation" anyway?

The forum, organized by Promocion Latina and subtitled "Want to know what happens when ICE (federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement) stops you?" will include an update on pending federal immigration legislation. An immigration attorney will talk about people's rights when they are questioned or detained by agents. Organizers also have invited local and state officials to speak.

Organizers at Promocion Latina are holding a forum at a town hall titled "What to know what happens when ICE stops you? illegal aliens are the only people who should be concerned about ICE stopping them.
In America, illegal immigration is against the law. Why are organizations using our town and city halls to discuss the rights and latest federal updates for illegal immigrants. That's absurd!
Any "local and state officials" should decline any invitations to "speak" at these meetings. To do so, would be encouraging groups like this to meet, and would make it seem okay to be illegal.