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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.
This is a great ordinance to be enacted on the books. Regarding the comment left by Anthony below, your the reason we have the problems in this country to begin with! Treehuggers and meathaters like yourself are the reason we have this problem. Your so concerned about the well-being of others in the world instead of focusing on the hard working citizens of this country that are here legally and have gone through the proper channels to gain citizenship in this great country. Never mind the fact they are here illegally!! Not to mention the jobs you speak of the “rednecks and uneducated” not getting. How can they get a job when all the illegals have taken them? Before you put all people in a category, realize the fact not all people here are rednecks and uneducated. I have a 4 yr degree from USF. I don’t see any mention of you having a degree? If they’re not here legally then yes go back to where you came from end of story!!
Hey Anthony Cowper the reason you can talk all your crap is because they can’t afford to live in South Tampa with you yet. Wait until the invasion begins. Because I can guarantee you they wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire. But a redneck probably would...so don’t cart rednecks off to Mexico you might need one to protect you one day. Shame on you. You say common decency knows no borders. Then why were they built? Of course we feel bad that they live in bad conditions in there country, all we are saying is if you want to live here pay your taxes get a job and not live off of our tax dollars(welfare etc.) And learn the English language. Not trying to hate on you but you have to be fair about this.
What nation is this and what is the official language? There is no argument here. If you want to live here, you need to abide by our laws and speak our language. Please tell me why that is so hard to ask of people. Also as far as illegal aliens go, if they don’t want to go through the proper channels to gain citizenship, ship them all back. PERIOD. How can American citizens argue that?
Is it a far fetched idea that if an illegal alien needs medical treatment or an education that it will be refused until they can produce proof of citizenship? I for one like that idea.
The fact is, we need to stop being so accommodating to illegals. No wonder why they want to live here. I say we deport them all!!!!
This is the greatest law ever in the United States, sadly it’s only in Avon Park. If we had that law here in Tampa life would be 100 fold better. I live in T-N-C and all i see when i’m driving are mexi-ricans driving all crazy & flying there little alla puerto rico flags. Everyone is so up tight about the mexi’s, what about the ricans (atleast mexi’s work)? It so irritating when all you see is foreign flags and billboards when you drive around our great city. All they talk about is equality, when they have done nothing to earn this right. Look @ blacks. Blacks faught for what they beleived (and is) right - being equal. They earned their rights and all these spanish people need to do the same. They have the Puerto rican and mexican parades in our fair streets (which for the most part are attended only by them), I think that we should have an AMERICAN PARADE and only invite the true citizens of this country: THE PEOPLE WHO WON THE RIGHT TO BE FREE - BLACKS AND WHITES!!!
The level of xenophobia and hatred in this country has reached epic proportions.
I am sickened and embarrassed by the comments and actions of my countrymen.
Common decency knows no borders. These people are simply trying to better their lives and the lives of their families...the same thing that each of you would do if placed in a similar situation, unless you were a lazy slob who didn’t care to better yourself, which indeed may be the case.
I can’t help but think all that scream, “Go back to where you came from” are toothless, uneducated rubes who simply use the illegals as a whipping post. Get your lazy butt out and find a job.
To all you racists....although I pity you, I wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire. You represent everything that is wrong with this country.
What this country really needs is to round up all the rednecks and cart their butts off to Mexico and let them see what it’s like.
You wouldn’t last a minute.
To Mark Kurt, If you haven’t already, please do your duty as a U.S. citizen and turn this employer who hires illegals in to the proper authorities. I too, am very upset with the fact that things have gotton to this. I shop at Walmart and the announcements are in spanish and then I received an advertisement flyer in the mail from Walmart and it was in spanish. One day I went to get gas at Walmart and noticed that on the pump in caps it said, “PRESS FOR SPANISH”, ("press for English"). And by the way, this is not an illegal Mexican alien issue with the Spanish speaking thing. Some how these two issues have been merged together. I live in a predomintly growing Puerto Rican section of Tampa and there aren’t very many Mexicans around here. I also deal with a lot of Spanish people from different countries at my job so I see which groups are imposing their language upon us. Don’t be fooled.
Josephine, I’m with you! I agree that illegal aliens should go through the proper channels to get here, but I fail to see the connection between being bilingual & being a legal US citizen. I speak two languages besides English. Does this mean I am to be deprived my constitutional rights in “Avon Park”?! I was BORN & RAISED here!!! Next they’re gonna try & tell us that your skin has to be a certain color to live there too!
Let’s translate what the City (Insert Joke Here) of Avon Park just said: “We don’t want any Mexicans in our neighborhoods"…
This not about National Security. If it were, we would be securing the Canadian border ALSO. It is not about jobs-our State government says we have less than 5% of the population unemployed. It is not about illegal inmigration; if it were, there would be raids in NYC’s Little Italy, San Francisco’s Chinatown and Little Havana every other week.
This is about xenophobia, intolerance and fear of people that look and sound differently. I hope the citizens of Avon Park have no problems seeing their tax dollars used to pay NYC Law Firms to defend the constitutionality of the “Law”. Otherwise, they may have to raise their taxes…
This is a no brainer for Avon Park. Of course english is right language for them. If non english people do not like go some place else.
As a hispanic immigrant, I agree we all should speak English in United States, because this is the first language; however, I would like everyone not to forget that we are a mix of several cultures, and the only ethnic that is truly “american” is the “native-american”. The rest of the people, including European, North American (from Canada and Mexico), Central American, South American, African and Australians are immigrants…
Hate between the races only divides!
Tony, it is obvious you have trouble with the English language, you cannot even spell it correctly. How wonderful to find a city that is taking such action. It makes me feel much more American and not like a guest in my own country. Like most people say, as shown in the poll, it you come here learn the language or go away. We don’t need you.
I have to say, nothing surprises me anymore. I find it amazing the lengths people will go to avoid integration, to avoid diversification, to avoid interaction.
One of the reasons I moved to Florida was the varied cultures found here. I am very dissapointed to see all the same closed mindedness I had hoped to leave behind.
So good to see an American city INTERESTED in Americans!
Speak English or get the hell back to the country you left. Americans are tired of the slap in the face and it is a sign of patriotism to me to see a city take a stand. God Bless Them!
WOW, I can tell that this is a pretty sore subject… But lets face it, If we were in Mexico, do you think people would offer us a job cause we spoke English?? (I dont think so). If we were in Mexico do you think they would put English labels on all of there food in the store??? (I dont think so). So,.... Why do we do it here. Why do we have to accomodate all the Illeagle people here. Why are WE as TAXPAYERS paying for this? It doesnt matter to me when someone is bilingual, it’s the fact that most of the people that speak Spanish, DONT try the effort to learn ENGLISH.... But the whole thing that a lot of people are missing is the fact that it’s NOT just the Illeagle immigrants from Mexico, It’s EVERYWHERE… the only thing about that is, from Mexico to here, it’s just more convenient, then from France or Germany.
Inglish is the official language of the people who came and destroy what was here and made it their own, I don’t think the natives said “Hello” to the colonist. But if you want fairness, fine.....let’s all get out because not of us belong here. Deal?
I agree with M. Koller and to go one step further, it’s beyound me that we do and do for non English speaking people then any country in the world. The reason behind everyone coming to the States is for a better life, so learn English and become a citizen. This has to stop, if one cannot and will not learn English, then go back to your GREAT Country and feel free to speak your language. We are a English speaking country,not Spanish, French,German,and so on.
First Of All Josephine, I do not believe that 82 % of the American people are bilingual. That is why some people get jobs anymore because employers want bilingual employees so they can accomodate the spanish speaking community. CRAP!!!
This is America people either come here legally and learn english or go back to your beloved homeland. I am tired of reading billboards in Tampa that are all in spanish. How are Americans that speak English supposed to know what the sign means. How much more accomodations do you need? You even have the grocery stores putting spanish labels on products that we can not understand. And let us not forget all of the spanish flags hanging from your rear view mirrors. If you guys love and miss your country that much, go back. There should be no flags flying in this country except for old glory. Like it or leave it. It’s that simple.
To K Bender: FYI The individuals burning our flag are not bi-lingual or illegal, they are born and raised here and probably have not mastered one language.
Well there goes that sale. Mr. Peterson i will not need that house afterall, the property is nice but i do not want to raise my children in an ignorant community. You seemed nice, but were you thinking the same, This family is Mexican? Unfortunately, we are all categorized the same whether illegal or not we are Latinos. Oh by the way i get paid more money than you to speak 2 languages. Mexican-American and proud of it!
Not every Mexican or Latino is an illegal.
Nor is everyone who speaks spanish an illegal. I speak spanish and was born in Virginia (and I am caucasian).
Your ordinance will be an instrument of racism and zenophobia and a further embarassment of the south.
Makeel, spoken like a true stereotypical racist.
I think the polls speaks for itself with 76% Approval so far. This is not racial profiling like Ms. Rodriguez would like to believe, it is simply keeping people that are illegal out. As for making English the official language good this is America I wish more cities pass something like this. Why should we cater to people that are burning our flags. They can get the hell out.
These employers who are hiring these “Illegal Aliens” should have them take mandatory English classes. The money they are saving in paying the minimum wage should be put into good use instead of just fattening their wallets. Who’s at fault here? The aliens or these rich stuck up snobs who would rather pay these aliens the minimum wage? This is America, the land of the Free and the Brave. The government should be looking into these business instead to see who’s ripping off who.
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Posted by Terri Anaya, gibsonton on 06/29 at 11:53 AM
The language you speak or don’t speak is a matter of choice not race. many people of different races speak many different languages. My husbands family came here from Spain and asemelated into thier coummunity, getting, jobs, speaking the language , educating there children and working for a living. They did not ask for hand outs and special services because of there language or cultural diffrences. Any race who wishes to come to this country is welcome to do so, do it legally, pay your way. Most seem to come here for the hand outs, know how to work the system and send what monies they make back home. Try to get all these benefits in any other country including theirs and you’ll get laughed right out of the place.