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By NANCY VICKERS-PYLE
Highlands Today
AVON PARK - “Thank you for calling the city of Avon Park. For English, press one.†That message continues with similar words in Spanish.
But that is subject to change if City Council members give final approval to an ordinance that makes English the official language of the city on July 10.
That ordinance was added to the council agenda late last week and was given initial approval by the council at the regular meeting Monday.
The ordinance goes beyond declaring an official language. The ordinance provides a $1,000 fine to any landlord who rents property to illegal aliens and the same fine for any person or business that knowingly employs an illegal alien.
TBO POLL:
Mayor Tom Macklin introduced the Illegal Immigration Relief Act Ordinance that mirrors an ordinance that was also initially approved by the city of Hazleton, Pa.
“I would like to have the City Council pass this on first reading. We have been hamstrung and handcuffed by the issues of having illegal aliens around. This is something the majority of the community would support.
“This would send a strong message to the community on what it is we’d like to do, and put the rest of the county on notice that if we make it difficult for illegal aliens to do business here they will go somewhere else,†Macklin said.
City Councilman Doug Eason made the motion to pass the ordinance and Macklin seconded it. Council members George Hall and Sharon Schuler voted no and Brenda Gray joined Macklin and Eason’s vote of approval.
“If there’s no legal housing for illegal aliens, then they won’t necessarily live in this area,†Macklin added.
“Very few of them are going to walk here from Lake Placid to find work. Our first line of defense is the landlords that typically rent or lease to illegal aliens,†he said.
Macklin said illegal aliens were living in deteriorated housing and were taking jobs from legal citizens.
“There are a number of jobs out there that we could be doing if it wasn’t for the fact that some employers hire illegal immigrants for cheap labor taking jobs from people who could do the work,†Macklin said.
Establishing English as the official language of the city would apply to all official city business, not to private businesses or conversations on the street, he said.
“We’re not singling any language out or any respective community,†he said.
Not Right
Maria Rodriquez is the director of the Florida Immigration Advocacy, a pro immigration group. “It’s sad that a municipality would be preoccupied with something that is already in place on the federal level. This sends a message of exclusion rather than integration and inclusion. I’m not a lawyer but I don’t think it is legal to discriminate. I believe it is unconstitutional. This is racial profiling.†Rodriquez said.
Rodriquez said her research shows that about four of 20 businesses in the city were of Latino derivation and that the ordinance was sending a hostile message to the Hispanic population.
She said she was not aware that Hispanics were contributing to criminal activity but if that were the case local law enforcement would be the entity that would respond to that. Ray Royce, director of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association, said the same thing and added, “If you have a deteriorating neighborhood, then code enforcement deals with that.â€
Hall said that he wanted to know more about how the ordinance would be enforced.
“It’s like the fire assessment tax. If we can’t enforce it, then it isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on,†Hall said.
Royce said enforcement is already in place with the Immigration and Naturalization Services, and that citrus growers depend on migrant labor. Growers he knows employ legal immigrants, he added.
“But for a town to start profiling people, that can be very dangerous. Are they going to go house to house? Will they be able to verify the documentation?†Royce asked.
“What he wants is a little clamor, a scare tactic to try and get Hispanics to move out of Avon Park. There are jobs out there like picking fruit or pulling weeds that most of us prefer not to do. When you have full employment like you do here, you need immigrant labor to do the work, long-term and legally.
“There’s a few bad apples in any ethnic group. What I found when I was in private business is that Hispanics are good family people, are hard-working and I applaud them for that.
Royce said, “They are making money here and sending it home. They also spending money here. They shop in Winn-Dixie. They are paying sales tax on gas and food. I don’t see a lot of Hispanic criminal activity here but if there is than that falls to law enforcement. If you have poor housing and neighborhoods that are deteriorating, you have code enforcement in place.â€
Is It Constitutional?
Jeanne Butterfield is the executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She said such an ordinance would likely “wind its way through the legal system before it will be determined whether it is constitutional or not.â€
“Generally, immigration issues are dealt with federally and not on the state level,†Butterfield said.
She said federal policy on immigration found some states’ attempt to use trespassing charges to bar immigration as unconstitutional.
Therefore, it is likely, local immigration ordinances would go the same way.
On the subject of English language only, Butterfield said there is no federal law that mandates English only, with good reason.
“Immigrants want to learn the English language,†she said, backing that with the miles long lists of immigrants who want to take ESOL courses, English speaking classes for those who speak other languages.
She said learning to speak English for immigrants is a process. By the third generation, most have lost their native language. It helps the integration. It makes them more informed citizens.
Federal policy already requires employers to verify an employee’s status, and that there are too many methods of getting citizenship for a landlord to be able to determine whether someone was legal or illegal.
“What would happen is a landlord might try to avoid renting to anyone who looked or sounded foreign,†Butterfield said.
She said the landlord issue most likely violates equal protection laws.
On second thought, don’t vote; I’ll vote for you!
This proposed ordinance makes me ashamed to be from AP. It is totally against the Constitution and the bill of Rights which guarantees free speech. If I want to speak complete gibberish that is my right. If you can’t understand me it’s either my problem or yours, but it’s my peroggative as an American to speak whatever i PLEASE. This is just more right wing rascist bull that is so prevalent in this state. It is wrong and no manner of justification will make it legal. it goes against every Constitutional Right Americans are guaranteed. Don’t like our constitution? Then maybe you people who support such discriminatory provisions should return to your ancestors homelands.
Remember to vote- IF you’re a U. S.
citizen- and this problem is going to GET FIXED, and soon!
First, let me set the record straight - 85 percent of us in the U.S. are not immigrants. Therefore, we are not a nation of immigrants. We are a nation built by immigrants but virtually every country is. It’s funny how people are so anxious to call us a nation of immigrants but not a nation of Christians, even though 85 percent of us consider ourselves Christian.
Second, towns need to work on the illegal immigration issue. We need to eliminate the magnet. The costs of illegal immigration far outweigh the benefits.
If the federal government won’t do it’s job, it’s up to state and local governments.
Way to go Avon Park.
That is a wrong idea and discriminatory. My primary language is Spanish but I came five years ago and thank you for the help from the people who no matter if I don’t speak English they help me and now I have my work my children have outstanding grades in school. The fathers of this nation help the ones that are discriminates (Abraham Lincoln) and if the look the Constitution this Nation doesn’t have an official language, is none, because the fathers of this Nation knows that here life people from different cultures, idioms, and beliefs. No matter if I speak Spanish or English the important thing is that we are here because we want be successful in our lives and nobody have the right to destroy them, because when you hold the hand that is helping the needy people you destroy families, society, and the Nation. So I will appreciate if this message can be meaningful to somebody in Avon Park City Hall and stop this very very discriminatory and wrongly by-law.
Thank you.
This mayor has lost his mind comparing his wake up call to a reglious experience. It has become popular (politics) to hate on the immigrant. We are a nation of immigrants. Why, now, all of the sudden, let’s make it hard on a group of people. Mayor, check your own family tree! Somewhere is an immigrant or two. What if government then made it almost impossilbe for your immigrant family to find a place to live? It has been okay’ed by the governement to hate immigrants. That is the latest thing for those pro-family- fundamnetists to spout. Just one queston for you, Mayor!
What Would Jesus Do? WWJD? I am willing to bet you belong to some fundamentalist Christian church who thinks Christ was white and spoke English.
Alright all you rednecks in Avon Park, roll up your sleeves and start pickin them oranges.....If we got paid what they get paid for their labor maybe we would not be able to live in decent homes either.............Live and Let Live!
Don’t judge till you know what hunger and poverty is.
Hats off to Mayor Macklin and the city council for abidding by the law of the land. It is illegal to entry this country illegally. People that hire illegals are subject to a $10,000. fine. Too bad our federal government isn’t enforceing any of these laws. For if they were all the cities across this great nation would not have the problems we have today.
God Bless America.
A FED UP HARDWORKING AMERICAN TAXPAYER.
Pat DeFilippis
I read about this in the NY Times and came to this site to read more. I wish more areas would do that.
As for the advocate who says it’s wrong because federal regulations are in place, we all know that the federal government is not enforcing those laws.
Here in the Northwest, the problem is horrible, and I moved out of one area because it was 46% Hispanic, mostly illegal, most could not speak Englsh. I grew up in this city, but I no longer recognize it.
Finally, people forget this is not a race issue; this is about legality, economy and security. We need to take care of our own. Congratulations on this bold and necessary stand!
I agree with the mayor. We need to sweep the streets of illegals` and focus on our own. Most of the complaints on this board have good cause or concern for illegals` and there is nothing wrong with that. Compassion is human but what is wrong with forcing employers to pay fair wages to people who are legally living here? This is why the rich keep getting richer and the poor get fat on welfare. Wages stink all over Highlands County so why not do something about it? Take pride in your city and in your selves. Those being asked to re-locate are those who are not legally here. Should they do what it takes to be here legally, by all means welcome them in but there is a dark cloud hanging over Avon Park and its time that cloud is lifted.
We can see that culture involves changes, but this does not happens fast. It takes time.
What if you all go to live to Europe, are you going to be like europeans? By time, you are going to receive influence from another cultures. But to change everything in your culture is impossible. It is like “not being you”.
P.D. excuse my mistakes, my english is not perfect.
Culture (Cont.)
An individual’s attitudes, values, ideals, and beliefs are greatly influenced by the culture (or cultures) in which he or she lives. Culture change takes place as a result of ecological, socioeconomic, political, religious, or other fundamental factors affecting a society.
Culture is:
Integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behaviour that is both a result of and integral to the human capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations.
First, I want to give you all the definitions of America just in case
u forgot it.
AMERICA
either continent (N. America or S. America) of the western hemisphere
United States is not America, is North America. America includes South, Central and the Antilles too.
So, the people of this side of the World we are Americans.
Too many government agencies working against each other. And the ones that know what’s up in the other’s ‘camp’, well, they don’t want to rock the boat, cuz then, the other guy might blow the whistle. Know what I mean? [I’m trying to sound like the government folks; not really saying what I mean or being very direct]Aren’t all government officials elected into their positions. Really, it’s so easy to read a blog and respond to it. Why not do something more proactive? Call and write your local, state and federal officials. Do some research and get solid facts and statistics to present before a public forum, so a lot more people can hear your voice. There’s no way to change people’s opinions. But you CAN show them the facts and help them be informed. When every one knows the same facts it’s a lot easier to come to agreement on even the hardest subjects.
Maria Rodriquez is the director of the Florida Immigration Advocacy, a pro immigration group. “It’s sad that a municipality would be preoccupied with something that is already in place on the federal level. This sends a message of exclusion rather than integration and inclusion. I’m not a lawyer but I don’t think it is legal to discriminate. I believe it is unconstitutional. This is racial profiling.†Rodriquez said.
I just have to say this about Maria, integration and inclusion means when you move to the united states you are supposed to integrate with our culture not the other way around. Hispanics aren’t the only immigrants in this country, how come all the other immigrants try to learn the american way of life instead of trying to impose their way of life on us. 
Now, Now Terry. Don’t go wastin ol’ Hank’s bandwith now.
For those that do not live in small immigrant ran communities HUSH. I am sick and tired of having to know spanish every where I go. You can’t even get a job unless you are bilingual and I do not feel that’s fair, just because I can’t speak spanish I can’t get hired anywhere. This is America the official language is English, learn it. I know sign language but who cares if someone they hire can speak with the deaf, NO they want to speak to the spanish. Also many spanish speaking people really do know English, they just try to pretend that they don’t understand when in reality they do.
Try enforcing this one. Like the police don’t have enough to do. What idiots.
Hank dear,
An earlier post talked about shipping all the rednecks out. That is what I responded to. Bite me.
I just saw on Cavuto (Fox) where an Oregon firefighter was demoted from his supervisory position because he had a Spanish only speaking employee and could not understand him. As the firefighter said, in this case it happens to be Spanish in question, however, imagine that you’re a supervisor and your company hires a Spanish person, then a Mandarin Chinese, then a Swahili. Should you be demoted because you do not speak all these languages, or.....should it be a requirement that ALL employees speak English as well as whatever else they know?
It’s encouraging to see people doing something about this problem. It should have been dealt with a long time ago. The corrupt Socialistic dictator governments of Central America have failed their citizens. Now they sneak in and want to make this place more like the place they wanted to get out of. There can be no serious defense of these sneaks; encourage them to sneak back out by making an example of the worst violators.
What part of illegal don’t you understand?
I love this country very much, but I do not like the direction it is headed. Our government is trying to intervene on the MLB Steroid Issue!!! I am a huge baseball fan, but our leaders have a lot more problems at home and abroad than juice. I don’t care if Barry Bonds’ head swells up so big that it will be a float in the MACY’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. And I don’t appreciate that people like Hillary Clinton voted against English being the 1st language. And she is a main candidate for the Democratic Party? Bush is by no means perfect, but with people like that, I’d vote him in for a 3rd term if possible.
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Posted by Angelo Anello, Land O Lakes, FL on 07/25 at 08:29 AM
Americans don’t like sneaks. The rally proved one thing- that these people have no understanding of our laws and don’t want to learn about our ways. The socialistic Hispanic regimes of Central America have failed due to corruption and incompetence. Now their citizens want to come here, and make this place more like the place they were desperate to get out of. Send them ALL back by making examples of a few of the worst criminals, and we’ll solve this problem permanently. I will demand some changes in the next election by voting out incumbents!