Thread: Spanish-language station airs story about Payson's immigrat.

http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/fr ... tory/27181

Spanish-language station airs story about Payson's immigration ordinance
By Michael Maresh, Roundup staff reporter

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Radical.


Jason Pettifield/Roundup

Univision 33 reporter Victor Rodriguez, carrying a Payson Roundup article he pulled from the Internet, interviews Police Chief Gordon Gartner Friday.

That's how one Valley television station characterized Payson on Friday when a news crew drove up to do a story on a possible town ordinance cracking down on illegal immigration.

Univision 33 reporter Victor Rodriguez and camera man Jenaro Delgadillo spent several hours in Payson Friday after hearing the town was considering an ordinance to take away business licenses from employers who hire undocumented workers and penalize landlords who rent to them.

Univision is a Spanish-language station broadcast on Channel 47 on Cablevision. The piece aired at 5 p.m. Friday.

Rodriguez, carrying a Payson Roundup article he pulled from the Internet, spoke with the community development department, Police Chief Gordon Gartner and Mayor Bob Edwards.

Town Attorney Sam Streichman declined the station's request for an interview.

Rodriguez said the recent article on illegal immigration shows the Town of Payson is radical.

He said he was able to go to a construction site and interview a few workers who were working and living in the town illegally.

He was surprised that Payson's stance appears to be that illegal immigrants are not welcome in the town.

The topic is and has been a hot button issue, he said, and added he wanted to tell his viewers about the possible ordinance the town legal department is drafting.

When the police chief was asked what he thought of legislation that is being pushed by Rep. Russell Pierce from the Arizona House of Representatives, about making law enforcement responsible for illegal immigrants, Gartner said he was not sure his department has the resources to take on the additional responsibility.

Rodriguez also wanted to know if it concerned the police chief that illegal immigrants would be wary of coming forward to report a crime for fear of being deported.

"We want to explore what is going on today in Payson," Rodriguez said. "Immigration is a hot issue in Arizona with anti-illegal immigration bills (being proposed)." He mentioned that four immigration bills were approved in the last session.

"(Our viewers) want to know what is going on," he said.

Mayor Edwards stressed that the Payson Town Council has nothing against Mexican nationals or illegal immigrants as people.

"What we are looking at is an even playing field," he said.

"(Our viewers) want to know what is going on," he said.

I am sorry but boo hoo for your veiwers

http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/fr ... tory/27290

La Voz picks up story on immigration ordinance
By Michael Maresh, Roundup staff reporter

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

"More of the same" is how Mayor Bob Edwards described his interview with La Voz, a Spanish language newspaper owned by Gannett, the parent company of The Arizona Republic.

A reporter for La Voz came to Payson Friday to speak to people about the ordinance the town is considering that would crack down on employers who hire undocumented workers.

"They all want to make this into an illegal immigration (issue)," Edwards said. "They are trying to make it into a bigger story than it is."

Edwards said he expects that only the Spanish media will continue following the issue.

About two weeks ago, Univision 33, a Spanish language news station out of Phoenix, came to Payson to talk about the proposed ordinance.

Edwards said the La Voz reporter asked why Payson is taking this stance and how it all came about. He added that he was also asked how much of a problem it was in the town.

"We are dealing with the employer side of it," Edwards said.

The mayor said when Channel 33 decided to come to Payson to cover the immigration issue, they first called Town Attorney Sam Streichman, who referred them to Edwards.

La Voz, on the other hand, contacted him directly.

The Spanish language newspaper also contacted Tina Bruess, director of the Rim Country Regional Chamber of Commerce, to discuss the impact the proposed ordinance would have on the local business community.

Bruess, when contacted by La Voz, asked them to meet with the mayor before talking to her.

"I told (the reporter) the chamber had no stance on the issue," she said. "Our goal is to educate and inform (businesses of) what the laws and regulations are."

She said the key word in any discussions about an ordinance at this time is the word "proposed."

"We tell (businesses) what laws are out there, and what they need to do to stay in compliance," she told the La Voz reporter.

The reporter informed Bruess that he was going to meet with various trades people to get their views on the proposal, including employees from the restaurant, construction and landscaping industry.

Bruess said she was told by the La Voz reporter that there are residents in Phoenix who are very upset with the proposed ordinance.

The article is scheduled to run in La Voz on Wednesday, and can be viewed on its Web site the following day at www.azcentral.com/lavoz.

Originally Posted by redbadger

"(Our viewers) want to know what is going on," he said.

I am sorry but boo hoo for your veiwers

Thats because they want to have plenty of time to make a run for it, you know,get out of town.