Thread: CA-Minutemen can join Calif. Adopt-A-Highway program

Minutemen can join Calif. Adopt-A-Highway program, director says

By Steve Wiegand

March 23, 2009 Monday
SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ There is no legal way to ban the Minutemen, a controversial group that opposes illegal immigrants, from participating in California's Adopt-A-Highway program without shutting it down entirely, the state's Department of Transportation director, Will Kempton, said Monday.

"The bottom line is there is no way to deny these folks regardless of how we feel about them," Kempton said in a meeting with a dozen Latino legislators and representatives of minority organizations. "We will lose in court if we try to eliminate these folks."

Latino lawmakers are angry that Caltrans issued a litter pickup permit to the San Diego Minutemen for a stretch of Interstate 5 that straddles a major immigration checkpoint south of San Clemente.

The group contends it is a patriotic organization that seeks to ensure U.S. immigration and border security laws are enforced. But critics contend Minutemen are racist vigilantes who use intimidation and harassment against immigrant rights activists.

"If they were people of color, they would be labeled a gang," said California Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, a San Diego Democrat. Saldana said she has been repeatedly harassed by group members at public events in her district.

In a telephone interview, Minutemen president Jeff Schwilk responded that "we wouldn't waste five minutes on Lori Saldana except to respond to her wild charges that lack one bit of truth."

The Adopt-A-Highway program, in which volunteers collect roadside trash and get an acknowledgment road sign in return, stopped issuing new permits last June. Caltrans officials said the moratorium was necessary while they redrafted rules for the program.

Meanwhile, the Minutemen are suing several state officials and legislators for allegedly conspiring to deny the group's free speech rights by revoking its permit and taking down the sign. A federal judge ordered the permit and sign restored until the case is decided.

Kempton said Monday that the moratorium has resulted in about 1,200 miles of roadside not being cleaned by volunteers.

Democratic Assemblyman Tony Mendoza suggested that groups participating in the program be required to submit a list of officers, group bylaws and other information.

Kempton said that might result in "informal" groups not being able to participate, but agreed to meet again next week with some of the 26-member caucus to try to address its concerns.


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"If they were people of color, they would be labeled a gang," said California Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, a San Diego Democrat. Saldana said she has been repeatedly harassed by group members at public events in her district.

Here we go with the racist stuff again. The membership of the minutemen includes people of every ethnic origin, but they are LEGAL citizens.

Originally Posted by Newmexican

"If they were people of color, they would be labeled a gang," said California Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, a San Diego Democrat. Saldana said she has been repeatedly harassed by group members at public events in her district.

Here we go with the racist stuff again. The membership of the minutemen includes people of every ethnic origin, but they are LEGAL citizens.

How true! Looks like Saldana doesn't like hearing from her constituents unless they agree with her? Then maybe she should get out of politics. Oh and Lori? We AMERICANS don't like being harassed by illegal aliens, so why don't you listen to your LEGAL constituents and do something about it!

Caltrans Worried: No Way to Deny Minutemen From Highway Adoption

By H. HUGHES

Updated 10:30 AM PDT, Tue, Mar 24, 2009
Related Topics: California Department of Transportation

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A judge has allowed the San Diego Minutemen's request to add two lawmakers to their lawsuit.

The debate over a local anti-immigration group stretches all the way to our state's capitol. The controversial anti-illegal immigration group, San Diego Minutemen are continuing the fight against Caltrans' Adopt-A-Highway program. Meanwhile, the program is on hold while the state tries to wade through the legal battle.

There is no legal way to ban the controversial anti-immigration group, Minutemen, from participating in California's Adopt-A-Highway
program without shutting it down completely, said state Transportation Department chief Will Kempton.

"The bottom line is there is no way to deny these folks regardless of how we feel about them," said Kempton. "We will lose in court if we try to elimiate these folks."

Lawyers for the San Diego Minutemen say the Department of Transportation is drafting new rules for the litter celanup program to prevent the froup from getting a sign with its name on it along the freeway.

Latino lawmakers are upset that Caltrans issued a litter pickup permit to the San Diego anti-immigration group in the first place. The stretch of highway being disputed is a two-mile section of I-5 that includes a major U.S. Border Patrol immigration checkpoint, near San Clemente.

The Adopt-A-Highway program allows volunteers to pick up roadside trash and get a road sign with their name on it in return.

Minutemen states they are a patriotic organization that seeks to ensure that U.S. immigration and border laws are enforced. Critics, however, say the Minutemen are racist vigilantes that use intimidation and harassment against immigrant rights activists, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Minutemen founder Jeff Schwilk has denied that his group advocates violence or discrimination.

Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, D-San Diego, told the Sacramento Bee that she has been repeatedly harassed by group members. "If they were people of color, they would be labeled a gang."

Back in February 2008, the Minutemen sued Caltrans after the agency revoked its permit to pick up trash along that section of I-5.

Immigrants rights groups objected to the Minutemen's presence there and Caltrans officials said they feared vandalism or confrontations, according to our media partner the North County Times.

Caltrans offered to move the Minutemen to another location near Santee, but they refused.

Earlier last summer, the judge in the case ordered Caltrans to replace the sign, pending ongoing litigation. The judge said there was "little, if any, evidence" that would endanger the public.
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CalTrans is now drafting new rules that would allow the state greater flexibility in refusing applicants.

Read the full North County Times article, "OCEANSIDE: Minutemen expand legal fight over highway cleanup".
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/C ... ption.html

"If they were people of color, they would be labeled a gang," said California Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, a San Diego Democrat. Saldana said she has been repeatedly harassed by group members at public events in her district.

LORI... harassed or exercising their right to freedom of speech and upholding US law that apparently you forget about when its important