Santa Cruz mayor declares March as "Lou Dobbs-free Month"

(Lou discussed this during the third hour of his radio show today also.)

Read the article and comments at:

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_846 ... st_emailed

See video and access "proclamation" at:

http://www.santacruzlive.com/blogs/vide ... obbs-free/


Sentinel staff report
Article Launched: 03/05/2008 01:40:04 PM PST

SANTA CRUZ -- The mayor, in a quixotic move unrelated to city business, is asking Santa Cruz residents to turn off "Lou Dobbs Tonight."

The boycott, announced Wednesday in a proclamation written by Mayor Ryan Coonerty that declares March a "Lou Dobbs-free month," is retaliation for the CNN anchor's criticism of Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, after the congressman told an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official last week that his constituents view the agency as similar to the secret Nazi police, the Gestapo.

"This is a tongue-in-cheek effort at a real serious issue," said Coonerty, who acknowledged the proclamation is somewhat silly. "So, this is my little way of saying I wish our national journalists would engage in a little more thoughtful journalism ... and not pick out one word out of a two-hour hearing on a hard subject."

Neither Dobbs nor a CNN representative could be reached to comment Wednesday.

Farr, who has represented the Central Coast in Congress since 1993, was lambasted by Dobbs on his Feb. 26 show for remarks made at a House committee hearing while questioning ICE chief Julie Myers about recent raids.

According to transcripts, Farr said, "The public image of you becomes one of not this compassionate law enforcement agency but essentially a Gestapo-type agency that is knocking down doors."

Myers immediately responded, "We are not the Gestapo."

Dobbs, a vocal opponent of open borders who has advocated for illegal
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immigration crackdowns, has welcomed Farr to come on the show to defend the comment.

Farr has not withdrawn the remark. He said it came from the impression many of his constituents have of ICE, which periodically rounds up people without proper documents and deports them.

Coonerty's proclamation, which did not use up any staff time or city money, is supported by council colleagues and other community leaders.

Doug Keegan of the Santa Cruz County Immigration Project praised the proclamation, saying immigration raids spread fear.

"Farr's comment might have been a little over the top," Keegan said. "But it is a very scary situation. I'm always being asked if immigration is going to come get my mom or if immigration is going to come get my brother. We need to find a reasonable compromise."

Councilman Mike Rotkin defended Farr's comments, saying they accurately represent his view of U.S. immigration officials.

"I appreciate Farr using forceful language. It helps make your point and I like to see that," Rotkin said.

Farr was unavailable to comment Wednesday. His spokesman Tom Mentzer said, "This is why I like Santa Cruzans. They won't be censored by anyone. They tell it like it is."
Contact Shanna McCord at 429-2401 or smccord@santacruzsentinel.com.