Thread: Waukegan's Hazletons journey -need advice/encouragement...

Yesterday I had the day off and spent many happy and determined hours making the move locally here in Waukegan Illinois. This board motivated me all the way. I encourage anyone who hasn't approached their city yet -to do so. I don't know what will happen -but they have the info now and their talking about it.

1. I emailed a respectful letter and a copy of the recent Hazleton article about illegals leaving. Learn from my mistake -the council meeting was last night, so it will be another 2 weeks before they all meet and discuss this. But I bet the halls will be buzzing. I haven't heard from the aldermen yet, but the planning administrator said he would forward on a copy to the city lawyer. And the director of government services said he would tell the mayor and aldermen about it.

2. I emailed a respectful follow up email this morning to all of the aldermen and city officials with my background; that I went to school in Wkgn k-12, worked there, etc...

3. I emailed a thank you letter (using one of the form letters in archive here) to Mayor Barletta. I tagged on a paragraph about my town. I asked if he had a form email of encouragement for other mayors to send it to mine!

4. I put many suggestions on my town site for citizens to do. Here is where I'm discouraged -only one person emailed that they would email the mayor too. If you have time check out my posts from yesterday (last few pages) and my two responses.

http://www.waukegan.org/Forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=4

5. We were driving home Friday night around 10pm. It was through quiet residential areas. All of a sudden that changed. Both sides of the street for 2 or 3 blocks was completely lined with cars. Same with the next street over. Following street -1 car... so yesterday I emailed Waukegan's Code Compliance office. SURE enough my instincts were right. She emailed me that they had 'busted that area before for illegal basements and overcrowding.' She would ask her officers to keep an extra eye on this area -they just couldn't go into a house with out cause

6. I emailed the police chief as well. Asked him to check for city stickers and if there were Wisconsin plates (big sign in this town that it is illegal aliens driving). Haven't heard from him yet.

SO what do you think? It's a big step -my hands were clammy when I was typing the city officials yesterday! I haven't called ICE yet. Bit nervous. Someone give me a kick in the pants. I'm going to post again in a minute as to what a city offical said to do next. Sounds formidable...

Stay tuned.

To be placed on a council agenda, this ordinance would first need to be reviewed and discussed at the committee level. You had mentioned that you sent a copy to your alderman. Your alderman, in turn, could request that the item be placed on the Judiciary Committee agenda. As I mentioned, I have forwarded a copy to Bob Masini in the Corp. Counsel office. The Judiciary Committee meets on the first Monday of every month at 6:30 and the Chair of that committee is Alderman Figueroa. The agendas are usually set at least two weeks prior to meeting date so that the committee packets can be delivered to the members with any necessary information to be reviewed prior to the meeting.

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All right... I think I'll email all of the aldermen first to ask if they will request this dicussion of the ordinance for the Judiciary Committee. What do you think of the paragraph above? I'm more then willing to put in the time to chase this down. Will it be struck down in the Jud. Com though...

I encourage you all (who haven't already!) to start emailing/contacting your city leaders/aldermen. The more of us that do this, the better it will be for all of us.

I have to think what to say to ICE next. I don't want to blow this.

Exellent!!! So you got a BUST? Citizen action really works sometimes. But they will just flood the next leinent county over...at least you can push them out, maybe.....

fedupinwaukegan - Good for you! We need more people willing to do what you are doing. Just remember that you are a constituent and have every right to do what you are doing. As a matter of fact our very form of government only really works when many people get involved like you are doing. Keep up the good work!

You just keep up the good work! I'm sure there's plenty of people who agree with you, but don't know what they can do about this problem.

I moved to upstate NY from the Chicago area (born and raised) a little over 20 years ago. Recently, I'm shocked at the changes in all the areas I knew and loved.

Waukegan, every little bit helps right now! For example, I live in a "sleeping suburban" apartment complex. It's beautiful and surrounded with natural wooded areas. Rents are fairly hefty for the area.

Anyway, about a year ago, Mexicans rented 10 apartments in the complex. I'm sure the renters "on paper" were legal (to pass the credit check), but I doubt that the tons of people they packed into those apartments were not. Their kids ran wild, took over the swimming pool as their "turf," and threatened the health of many longterm tenants. Well, we scoped out their comings and goings and reported all the people living in each apartment. BAM! All but one family was evicted. (PS: After the evictions, one displaced family moved in with the single family who wasn't. That single family was also warned with eviction to get the "guests" out.)

Sometimes, I think all we can do is PRESSURE the legislators and clean up "our own little corner of the universe."

SilverLee

Sometimes the apartment owner will not enforce the law, they knowingly love illegals, but you got a good one it seems....

Check out the story about North Chicago in the news section!! That is the town right next to us. 'It' is spreading. There was a HUGE demo/uproar when Waukegan started the $500 fine. The minutemen even came to town.

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Waukegan has thousands of illegal immigrants, mainly from Mexico. While most drive to work, many have no valid driver licenses or vehicle liability insurance.
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Word to budding politicans -when your constituents (sp?!) email you, email a short note back that you got their note and will look into it.

The city planner and goverment director answered me within 10 minutes. As you see above the city planner gave me advice on what to do next (my gut tells me he really wants this out and discussed!). Now here's my beef -I have not heard from the mayor or ANY of the 9 aldermen. They probably don't want to touch the Hazleton ordinance with a 10 foot pole. I don't exactly blame them. (wish I could be a fly on the wall in city hall)

I haven't called ICE yet. Keep me accountable!!

I heard from our mayor today. It doesn't seem like he is exactly pleased with my request... I sent him a thank you note for responding and a copy of the article where more cities are going to use the Hazleton ordinance. _
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Dear ,

I would like to advise you on how Waukegan has addressed this situation. We cleaned up about 3 blocks of overcrowding. The Justice Department told us our ordinance was illegal and fined us 300,000.00 the first time we appealed it and we lost. Our Code Compliance has cleaned up countless basement apartments and overcrowding. There is no longer a single family home. It is determined by square footage to how many people can live there. We had to change our ordinance according to Justice Department.

Anytime we get a complaint on overcrowding we investigate. If you would like to come down to my office, I’ll explain all the cities problems. I mean other cities as well as our.
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I hope it's okay that I keep the board informed as to what happens in my town. Test case if you will...

OH, I went to a meeting tonight where a our new controversial latino principal for the high school was introduced. He kept saying he was for all students to go to college. One question was what would you do for the undocumented students. He said at his past school they were like a lawyer; they offered assistance getting citizenship, had a partnership with Rep. Guiterrez (sp?), he would seek corporate funds, kinda alluded to using the pop monies -the audience let him know in no uncertain terms the pop monies were to go to the school and not towards a scholarship for an undocumented student (sorry Armedia).

fedup,

Keep going. Don't get discouraged. I'm so happy you have taken the first steps. Stay the course!!!!! Steady as she goes!!!!!!!!!!

Get your tail down there and talk to your mayor. You got a personal invite!!!!!!! He/she is willing to talk with you and open the dialogue... Jump on it!!!!!!! Remember, he is just another human being and you should not be afraid to converse with him. I'm sure you will be a little shaky at first but you will warm up and everything will be OK.

Waukegan has thousands of illegal immigrants, mainly from Mexico. While most drive to work, many have no valid driver licenses or vehicle liability insurance.

Go to your police department and ask them to give these drivers all kids of grief. Ask them to do random checkpoints for license and insurance...

The Justice Department told us our ordinance was illegal and fined us 300,000.00 the first time we appealed it and we lost.

Ouch! Sounds like they tried and failed. That's a lot of money to loose. I can see why they are being cautious. Look at it this way, some other cities learned from their mistake.

We would love to hear about your successes. Be careful not say anything in the open that might benefit your opposition. For instance, you may not want to disclose every thing your mayor tells you. Some things have to be kept quite because it will effect future events. I know it stinks that we can't talk openly but that's the times we are living in. You can always PM some of us.

Go get'm,

Dixie

Thank you once again for your excellent advice. I'll offer a summary next time. I still haven't heard from an aldermen. It sounds like I need to ask one of them to ask for the ordinance to be on the Jud. Com. agenda before it can be dicussed at an open council meeting.

I'll be emailing today!