Thread: Town's Spanish-speaking employees to get bonus

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Town's Spanish-speaking employees to get bonus
Monday, September 11, 2006


HILTON HEAD ISLAND - Employees for Hilton Head Island who know Spanish soon will make an additional $1,200 a year.

The program is meant to help workers from emergency crews to building permit officers better communicate with the region's growing Hispanic population.

Critics say the program eliminates a reason for immigrants to learn English, with some of the harshest detractors asking why the town is catering to illegal immigrants.

But Hilton Head Island officials said the policy is pragmatic.

It wouldn't be worth it to have to hire an interpreter for code-enforcement officers needing to tell someone they were cutting down a tree improperly, officials said. Also, emergency workers can't refuse to treat someone who doesn't speak English, and state law requires interpreters in courtrooms, Mayor Tom Peeples said.

Peeples said he does agree with critics who say the program shouldn't have been extended outside of emergency workers. Beaufort County has a similar program only for law enforcement officers. But he said Town Council doesn't like to micromanage Town Hall.

At a Council meeting last week, Fabia Kendall, who said she didn't know English when her family came from Italy, said her family didn't expect government workers to speak anything but English.

"Your incentive plan treats this issue with little or no respect for the obligations that come with legal immigration, and completely sidesteps the issue of illegal immigration. It is just plain wrong and an insult to all of those who came to this country legally and properly to improve their way of life," Kendall said to applause.

This is ridiculous, just no intestinal fortitude in local government.

It wouldn't be worth it to have to hire an interpreter for code-enforcement officers needing to tell someone they were cutting down a tree improperly, officials said. Also, emergency workers can't refuse to treat someone who doesn't speak English, and state law requires interpreters in courtrooms, Mayor Tom Peeples said.

Well, I wonder how "pragmatic" it would be after they pay all the fines and serve all the prison sentences for illegally emploing or otherwise harboring, aiding and abetting illegal aliens that speak Spanish?

:P

Gee, If it's gotten that bad there I'll have to find another vacation spot. I'll write and tell them.

http://www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/Co...tml#TomPeeples

http://www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/Co...tml#SteveRiley
Thomas (Tom) D. Peeples, Mayor
4 Hartford Place
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
686-4138 - home
681-2600 - work
689-3229 - fax

Kenneth (Ken) S. Heitzke, Mayor Pro Tem
Ward 6
3 Audubon Place
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
681-8182 - home
681-9864 - fax

Willie (Bill) Ferguson
Ward 1
634 Highway 278
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
686-2863 - home

W. J. (Bill) Mottel
Ward 2
30 Glenmoor Place
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
689-2787 - home
681-6302 -fax

John D. Safay
Ward 4
19 Starboard Tack
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
785-4489 - home
785-4696 - work
785-4696 - fax

George W. Williams, Jr.
Ward 5
8 Braddock Cove
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
363-6601 - home
363-6604 - fax

Drew Laughlin
Ward 3
5 McIntosh Road
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
689-5723 - home
689-5700 - work


Stephen (Steve) G. Riley
Town Manager
One Town Center Court
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
e-mail - stever@hiltonheadislandsc.gov
341-4701 - office
842-7728 - fax

Loservillelabor that is a good idea.....i'm joining you and doing the same....thanks for making it easy by providing the info, you're so thoughtful!