Weighing Hispanics' impact on community

[jimpasz]

Weighing Hispanics' impact on community
By LISA MARCHESONI Senior Writer




Hispanics who build homes in Rutherford County keep the prices affordable and available on the market, a subcontractor said.

Mario Miller operates a masonry company whose employees subcontract to build houses in the county.

“If they weren’t in construction, construction would stop in my opinion,” Miller said. “Houses would probably be twice as much as they are now because you couldn’t find anybody to do the job.”

The U.S. Census Bureau reports Hispanics or Latinos comprised about 5 percent of Rutherford County’s 218,292 population in 2005. Hispanics account for 6 percent of the population in the Rutherford County Schools and the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center.

While Miller appreciates the hard work by his Hispanic work force, Sheriff Truman Jones finds most of the Hispanic inmates booked into the jail are in the U.S. illegally. In the near future, the sheriff hopes the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement will allow his staff to identify illegal immigrants for deportation.

The increase in the Hispanic community in Rutherford County and other high-growth places produces a political debate being mirrored nationally with many sides and many related issues. At the national level addressing the immigration issue has been virtually stopped with differing proposals by President Bush and the two major parties at a seeming impasse. A large number of bills have been proposed in the Tennessee Legislature — many by local representatives — with most awaiting action until associated fiscal costs can be determined.

Because the issue of illegal immigrants prompts such strong and diverse opinions, one Rutherford County homebuilder didn’t want his name used for fear that hiring Hispanics would cause him to lose business. He builds about 100 homes each year.

He estimates 30 percent of the labor done on houses is done by someone of Hispanic origin, but many buyers indicate they don’t want to buy a house with Hispanic labor.

Like it or not, the homebuilder said America’s economy and quality of life depends on the Hispanic workforce.

“My opinion is if we shipped all the illegals out, you wouldn’t be able to go out to eat, nothing would be on the grocery store shelves, and you couldn’t buy a brand-new house,” the builder said. “The economy would come to a complete stop.”

Legal Hispanic construction workers fill in the labor gap.

“We probably hire the people who work the hardest for the least amount of money,” the homebuilder said.

Miller, whose mother is from Spain, estimates about 80 percent of the county’s home construction workers are Hispanic.

Starting employees earn $8 an hour, while bricklayers earn $12 an hour and up.

Miller believes the Hispanic workers pay much of their own way because they are registered with the state with work identification numbers. They pay income taxes on wages and sales taxes on their purchases.

If the U.S. tries to deport millions of Hispanics, Miller hopes the ones who pay taxes will have the right to stay in the country.

As for the quality of work, Miller said it’s fine “as long as you show them what you want.”

General contractor Mark Gipson said Hispanics primarily do drywall and brick for the homes he builds. He termed the quality of work as “so-so, probably not as good” as Americans.

“Basically, it’d be tough to find someone else to do it,” Gipson said, explaining most Americans in construction work for large contractors. “Most of them are hard workers. They’re here trying to make a living and better their families just like everybody else.”


Education

In the Rutherford County Schools, spokesman James Evans said the system educates almost 35,000 students. Of that number, about 6.4 percent are Hispanic. Other students are from Asian, American Indian and Pacific Islander nationalities.

“Some are fluent, some are not,” Evans said.

Federal funds pay for 31 English as a Second Language teachers, 28 educational assistants and two parttime interpreters who work in the system.

In Murfreesboro City Schools, spokeswoman Cheryl Harris said of the system’s 6,739 students, 541 or 7.7 percent are Hispanics.

Federal funds pay for educating students to speak English. The system is working to hire an outreach coordinator and translator to help with a focus on the Hispanic community.

Health needs

Rutherford County Health Department served 4,279 Hispanic patients or 17.8 percent of the 24,008 patients in 2006, said spokeswoman Andrea Turner of the state Department of Health.
“Services are provided on a sliding scale” based on income, Turner said.

Some of the services include vaccinations to protect the individual or the masses such as tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS. Some of the foreign-born immigrants have an illness, so the vaccinations help prevent the spread of a disease.

“Our goal is to provide treatment for the community and care for pregnant mothers and children to stay well and babies born healthy,” Turner said.

The health department serves patients from infants through age 64.

“Because we don’t ask about their status, we don’t know if they are legal or illegal,” Turner said. “Some are legally here, and some are illegally here. We don’t know the percentage who are not citizens.”

Public relations manager Angie Boyd-Chambers of Middle Tennessee Medical Center said Ashleigh Beyer, maternal child education coordinator, works with the health department to offer the free five-week Healthy Beginnings (Comienzos Saludables) class for expectant mothers in Spanish. At the end, mothers receive a free car seat for their infants.

A grant from Wal-Mart Super Center fund a baby shower for the expectant mothers. They receive items babies need and prepare them to enjoy being a mother.

Also, the medical center and health department offer a quarterly class for brothers and sisters-to-be.
“They talk to boys and girls about being brothers and sisters and what to expect to get ready for the baby,” Boyd-Chambers said.

At the medical center, staff members interpret for Spanish-speaking patients.

Law enforcement

Murfreesboro Police primarily arrest Hispanics for alcohol-related crimes such as public intoxication or DUI or driving offenses such as leaving the scene of an accident or driving without a license, said spokesman Lt. Alvin Baird who supervises the records division.

While the department doesn’t check if the suspect is illegal, Baird said Mexican-born residents with lack of a Social Security number on the arrest report indicate they may be illegal immigrants.

The U.S. Department of Justice, an agency that provides federal funds to the police department, recently audited the department for its accessibility to Hispanic residents.

DOJ recommended offering signs and documents such as complaints about police officers in Spanish and providing civilians and not bilingual police officers to interpret when questioning suspects. Spanish-speaking dispatchers should be available.

Two police officers and one records clerk speak Spanish. The department has provided classes for police officers to learn common words used in dealing with Hispanics in arrest situations.

Police are tracking the number of residents who don’t speak English by writing LEP (Limited English Proficiency) on reports.

Not all Hispanic residents are illegal.

“Hispanic citizens are good, law-abiding hard-working people,” Baird said. “It’s unfair to equate them with illegal immigrants.”

Baird compared drug enforcement to illegal immigrant enforcement.

“If I were to address a drug problem in a community, rather than target the users, I would do more to solve the problem by targeting the sellers, which is what is drawing the users to the area,” Baird said.

“What is drawing illegals to this country are jobs,” the lieutenant said. “So the only way to solve the problem is to target employers of illegal immigrants.”

Incarceration

Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Bob Asbury said the adult detention center jails 44 Hispanic inmates or 6 percent of the 770 prisoners. Two are being held for the state prison, six are serving more than one year, one is a parole violator, 11 serve sentences less than one year and 22 are held for trial.

“The majority are illegal,” Asbury said.

Chief Deputy Virgil Gammon said many suspects arrested on alcohol-related offenses are bonded out by their employers so they can return to work quickly.

Capt. Curtis Little said many of the Hispanic prisoners can’t speak English. Other inmates or a few deputies interpret.

Asbury said the division plans to offer more classes in commonly-used Spanish phrases.
They work closely with the ICE agent assigned to Rutherford County.

Because of the increasing Hispanic population, Sheriff Jones talked with federal ICE agents about the problems of identifying Hispanics who commit crime. He hopes to implement a program with ICE to target illegal Hispanics and send them for deportation.

Asbury said the Hispanic population is growing in Rutherford County.

“Our goal is going to be to help immigration deport the illegal immigrants back to where they belong,” Asbury said.

They now notify the ICE agent about illegal immigrants but the agent is overwhelmed by the number of cases he investigates, he said.

Courts

Interpreter John C. Osier is certified by the Administrative Office of the Courts to interpret for defendants in Rutherford County courts.

“I must translate word for word,” Osier explains during a break.

He primarily works each day in Rutherford County. He’s paid through court costs. He interprets most days but on the days the cases settle, he doesn’t receive any income. His only days off come when court is not in session, usually only on holidays.

Circuit Court Clerk Eloise Gaither said Osier earns $50 for each traffic plea and $100 for each misdemeanor and Circuit Court case. Defendants who represent themselves or hire an attorney pay Osier.

Tennessee taxpayers pay for defendants who can’t afford an attorney and obtain representation from the public defender’s office.

General Sessions Court Judge David Loughry said the defendants who use Osier’s services pay for the service.

Osier attends General Sessions Court five days a week.

“Obviously with the increase in Hispanics, there’s a need for someone who can translate English to Spanish and Spanish to English,” Loughry said. “Some of the terminology we use in the courts is beyond every day language.”

Under Constitutional rights, the defendant is entitled to know about the plea and have the interpreter. Osier lets the judge know the defendant understands the plea.

“That’s import in the judicial system to have that knowledge,” Loughry said.

Lisa Marchesoni may be reached at 869-0814 or at lmarchesoni@murfreesboropost.com.



http://www.murfreesboropost.com/news.php?viewStory=3967

[pjr40]

“If they weren’t in construction, construction would stop in my opinion,” Miller said. “Houses would probably be twice as much as they are now because you couldn’t find anybody to do the job.”

This is pure lies and nonsense

[AngryTX]

“If they weren’t in construction, construction would stop in my opinion,” Miller said. “Houses would probably be twice as much as they are now because you couldn’t find anybody to do the job.”

If that BS were actually true, because of what they pay illegals, how come prices have not dropped rapidly??

[jimpasz]

If all the illegals went back home Construction of jails and Schools would stop because we would then have a suplus of both

[SOSADFORUS]

What a load of crap! but it also confirms if 80% of the people building homes is hispanic, then they are definitly takeing Americans jobs now aren't they, and at $8.00 to $12.00 and hour you can go out of business for all I care because anybody making that can't even afford to buy a home no less feed their family any more, and were not willing to live 5 families to a house, so I hope when all these people get deported you get what you deserve! And with any luck you'll lose your own home and see how it feels, because mister every dog get their day!hopefully yours is coming!

[NotGoingToTakeItAnymore]

Hmmmm...$8-12 an hour. Doesn't that just make these two more jobs where Americans used to make decent money into two industries where wages have been cut in about half in the last few decades? I never heard of these two skills being paid so little!!

[steelerbabe]

What a load of crap! but it also confirms if 80% of the people building homes is hispanic, then they are definitly takeing Americans jobs now aren't they, and at $8.00 to $12.00 and hour you can go out of business for all I care because anybody making that can't even afford to buy a home no less feed their family any more, and were not willing to live 5 families to a house, so I hope when all these people get deported you get what you deserve! And with any luck you'll lose your own home and see how it feels, because mister every dog get their day!hopefully yours is coming!

My sentiments exactly. With housing costs being what they are, where are you suppose to live on $8.00 an hour? 15 people to a house

[Americanpatriot]

This explains why the new homes are shody and start falling apart right away. I don't see any deals the new homes are not affordable and worth 1/2 the price being charged.

Buying land and building my own house is my solution.