Thread: Immigration debate challenge Effect on C'VILLE

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Immigration debate challenge
Effect on C'ville is topic of forum

November 16, 2006
By JEANNE HOVANEC STAFF WRITER

CARPENTERSVILLE -- Two village trustees and the head of a group that bills itself as pro-legal immigration challenged Village President Bill Sarto on Wednesday to a peaceful dialogue and debate on the effects of illegal immigration on the village.

In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Robert Sperlazzo, flanked by Trustees Paul Humpfer and Judy Sigwalt, issued the challenge to Sarto.
» Click to enlarge image
Carpentersville village Trustee Paul Humpfer watches as fellow Trustee Judy Sigwalt discusses a proposed town hall forum on the effects of illegal immigration on Carpentersville.


SCOTT M. BORT Staff Photographer

Set tentatively for Nov. 28 in the auditorium of Lakewood School, the debate will focus on "Illegal Immigration's Effects on Carpentersville."

The forum is in response to an accusation by Sperlazzo's nonprofit group, Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration, that Sarto has been ignoring First Amendment free speech rights and has been censoring debate on the immigration issue.

Carpentersville's controversial proposed Illegal Alien Immigration Relief Act, which drew 3,000 protesters to village hall last month, became the catalyst for the formation of Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration. The ordinance is based on one passed in Hazleton, Pa., that sought to address illegal immigration on a local level.

The ordinance would establish English as Carpentersville's official language and would set fines for employers and landlords who aid and abet illegal aliens.

Carpentersville trustees tabled the local version of the ordinance, opting to wait for the results of a constitutional challenge to the Pennsylvania town's law.

"The town hall forum is for a discussion that is long overdue," Humpfer said. "The president has gone to great lengths to squash all debate."
'Not about race'
In front of about 40 people -- mostly senior citizens -- at West Dundee's VFW Hall, Sperlazzo explained that the debate panel would consist of himself, Humpfer, Sigwalt and, hopefully, Sarto and "primary supporters of his controversial policy," preferably Village Trustee Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski and Jesse Bereles, a real estate agent and member of the Carpentersville Community Alliance.

The panel would be moderated by Eileen Byrne of WLS 890-AM, while members of the audience ask questions.

"This is not about race but what is legal," Sperlazzo said to the crowd while it applauded in approval. "We are not deaf to the other side, and I hope they are not going to be deaf to us as well."

Sarto and Ramirez-Sliwinski were not present at the event but did say they were told by Village Manager Craig Anderson that they received letters from Sperlazzo earlier that afternoon. Although Sarto had not read the letter yet, he said he was wary of the reason for the discussion.

"If the group wants to get information on immigration and what is legally available for local governments to do, why don't they ask our congressmen to attend so they can speak to the people on this issue?" Sarto said. "It would be more productive to get information from someone who truly knows the law and what we can or can't do."
Security, legal issues
In addition, Sarto said he was concerned over the legality of the debate.

"I think I need to speak to the village attorney before I can respond to this," he said. "But there are legal problems here from what I can see. Who is going to make a determination of police and security that would be there or needed to be there?"

The group has addressed issues that have been a factor for Carpentersville meetings in the past, such as security and venue problems. Sperlazzo informed the audience that the event will comply with Illinois' Open Meetings Act. He said there would be ample security present to "assure the peace and to ensure the safety of everyone."

He said 500 tickets would be available in advance and at the door for a suggested $5 donation to help defray the cost of the forum. He said it would be open to Carpentersville residents first and, if space remained, anyone else who would like to attend.

When asked if Community Unit School District 300 officials already had given their approval of using one of their facilities, Sigwalt told the crowd that the group has been speaking with District 300's assistant superintendent of operations, Chuck Bumbales, who said the district probably would give its approval as long as the nonprofit could show proof of insurance for the event. Sigwalt assured the crowd that the group already has received positive feedback from insurance agents.

"People just want to be heard," Sigwalt said. "It's our job to make sure your concerns are addressed. We are not just here for cutting ribbons and kissing babies."

Wooo Hooo, throw the nay-sayer to the mat.

Dixie

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Immigration debate sought
Group calls for discussion of proposed Carpentersville crackdown

By George Houde and Tim Kane
Special to the Tribune
Published November 16, 2006


A group born of a controversial anti-illegal-immigration ordinance proposed in Carpentersville vows to keep the issue on the front burner despite what it says are opponents' efforts to duck the debate.

"We're not here for just cutting ribbons and kissing babies," said Village Trustee Judy Sigwalt, a co-sponsor of the ordinance and co-founder of the Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration. At a news conference Wednesday in the VFW Hall in West Dundee, she called on Carpentersville Mayor Bill Sarto and Trustee Linda Ramirez Sliwinski to discuss the immigration issue.

Sarto said he found the challenge "humorous" and didn't rule out making an appearance at a town hall meeting tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 28 in Carpentersville's Lakewood School auditorium.

"I'm not an expert, nor are they," Sarto said. "So I don't know what would come out of the debate. I would suggest that they invite House Speaker [Dennis] Hastert or some top-ranking federal law-enforcement official to get credible information.

"I'm against illegal immigration. There's no point hashing back and forth what could be a moot subject."

Sarto said the village attorney advised the board that it should see what happens in legal challenges to similar legislation in other U.S. communities before voting on the proposal that advocates stiff fines for businesses that employ and landlords who rent to illegal immigrants.

But some trustees expect the ordinance to be back on the agenda by the end of this month.

"I don't think it's going to stay tabled very long," said Trustee Kay Teeter, who supports the proposal. "I've listened to the voices of our residents, and I'm disappointed that Sarto tried to take away the opportunity for others to hear those voices."

Teeter referred to Sarto applying pressure to the League of Women Voters and Dundee Township Park District that resulted in the recent cancellation of a forum on the ordinance and illegal immigration. Park District officials said they had security concerns.

Sarto questioned how security for a debate would work and questioned the group's plan of charging a "voluntary" $5 ticket fee to pay for security.

The citizens group began meeting in October, after a contentious Carpentersville Village Board meeting in which action on the ordinance was tabled. An Oct. 3 meeting, which included the ordinance as a discussion topic, attracted 3,000 protesters, almost all Hispanic.

Trustee Paul Humpfer co-wrote the ordinance and helped organized the group. "It's the residents [of Carpentersville] who have been pushing me to do this," he said.

Jay Radke said he joined the group when he got wind of it.

"For some time I've been upset that we have so many illegals in the country," said Radke, who lives in the Carpentersville area. "I joined to see if I could help get rid of the alien invasion."

Radke's enlistment underscores what organizers say is a growing movement to support a law aimed at stemming the wave of undocumented immigrants into the village. The proposal has created unusual and sometimes awkward relationships in a community in which an estimated 40 percent of the population is Hispanic.

The group's mission is to "preserve and promote legal immigration, defuse racial tension and misunderstanding, clarify proposed ordinances, support the efforts of courageous local leaders and encourage the assimilation of legal residents."

"If we pass an ordinance here and make it stick, that will start a movement in the country and change things," said Radke, who noted that his father came from Germany legally.

The group says it has 114 members, most of them Carpentersville residents, said Bob Sperlazzo, group chairman.

"This is not about race; it's about what's legal," he said. "It's about doing what is right for Carpentersville to make it a safer and better community.

"We haven't had to do much. People were already fired up when I stepped in."

Betty Muir, 76, a widow who works full time, said she joined because she is bothered by illegal immigrants who take advantage of government services, including education and ambulance services.

She said village residents used to get free ambulance service but now are charged $350 a trip for basic emergency transport.

"Why should I have to pay for ambulance service and they don't have to?" she said.



Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

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Debate on immigration debate goes on via e-mail

November 28, 2006
BY GLORIA CARR Staff Writer
CARPENTERSVILLE -- A debate over who should be on a panel debating illegal immigration is as controversial as the hot-button topic, evidenced by a flurry of e-mails sent Monday between the village president and the group planning tonight's town hall meeting.

Bob Sperlazzo, chairman of Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration, challenged Village President Bill Sarto to debate the effects of immigration on Carpentersville. The forum comes on the heels of a failed attempt to propose the Illegal Immigration Relief Act, a local ordinance targeting landlords and employers who rent to or hire illegal immigrants. Sarto declined to accept the challenge based on Village Attorney Jim Rhodes' recommendation.

Rhodes said the forum would violate the Open Meetings Act, since a gathering of three or more trustees and/or the village president creates a quorum, which constitutes a public meeting. Any such meeting requires a legal notice be published at least 48 hours prior.

Monday, Sarto announced he made a counteroffer to the group. He said he agreed to discuss the topic one-on-one with Sperlazzo, provided Trustees Judy Sigwalt and Paul Humpfer do not attend. He said he wanted to avoid any potential Open Meetings Act violations.

"I am going in reluctantly," Sarto said. "Frankly, I don't think this discussion needs to take place, but I am willing to do so because there are people who feel it should be discussed."

Sperlazzo agreed to compromise, provided certain conditions were met. He countered by offering to have himself with only one trustee as a panelist along with Sarto and a panelist of his choosing, as long as it is a Carpentersville resident. Each panel may change its members at any time but there will never be more than a total of two per side, he said. WLS talk show host Eileen Byrne will serve as moderator.

"It's fair and legal," Sperlazzo said. "That is our compromise."

Sperlazzo said the group is willing to compromise even though it received a letter from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office stating a public hearing could have been held as long as the village posted the agenda with the proper notice. He said Sarto could have had the whole board participate if he had followed that step.

The Open Meeting Act is his "escape clause," Sperlazzo said.

Late Monday afternoon, Sarto's offer stood but he would not compromise further. He did not like the idea of the rotating trustees during the discussion. The only way he would appear is to discuss the topic one on one.

"If he (Sperlazzo) is really interested in getting this forum out there and getting discussion started, I don't understand his hesitancy to getting this done the proper way," Sarto said.


Resolution unclear


The heated e-mails between the two continued most of the afternoon Monday with no clear resolution. Sperlazzo again conferred with the attorney general's office to verify the presence of Sarto with one other trustee does not violate the law.
"You are making yourself very clear that you do not want to compromise even if it benefits all the village residents who will be present," Sperlazzo wrote in one e-mail. "We will be there either way, with or without you."

Sarto said he is willing to participate in a way that is possible for him to do so. He added that Rhodes reiterated his opinion that having two trustees present while Sarto is present would violate the Open Meetings Act. That tickets are being sold and money donated is another factor that may trigger the act.

"If they agree, I will be happy to be there," Sarto said.