The immigration debate The immigration debate (August 12, 2005)

Immigration story was unfair

By Robin Iwai

As an employer and advocate for the Worker Center for the last 10 years, I am compelled to reply to your July 15th article "The Immigration Gamble."

Your story depicts the center as a den of illegal immigrants, hiding from the law, led by a woman who married her way to citizenship. Sigh. Yet another example of the Voice's failure to provide fair and balanced coverage of an important local issue.

First, the article is filled with emotionally loaded phrases where objective wording would suffice. For example:

* Replace "snuck into the U.S." with "entered."

* Replace "grab a free lunch" with "share."

* Replace "La Migra started snooping around" with "began investigating."

* Replace "a well-known gathering spot for illegals" with "a nonprofit organization that provides a safe and clean place for workers and employers to meet."

Second, many statements are false or misleading. Among them:

* You wrote that the center "had just lost its lease at St. Joseph's Church in Los Altos." The center was originally housed at St. Joseph's Church in Mountain View. Four years ago the lease to the office on El Camino Real in Los Altos was terminated.

* You wrote that "obtaining funding continues to be a struggle." An anonymous donor gave $10,000, and the Peninsula Community Foundation, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, and City of Palo Alto Community Development Block Grant and Housing Development Fund have all awarded grants.

* You wrote that one worker "waits, like so many others, for jobs that are not coming." Each day about a dozen workers are placed. On some days all 50 people on the list get work, and many have obtained permanent employment.

Third, why did the Voice print a close-up photo of the brown-skinned hand with plaid sleeves washing a Mercedes? All types of vehicles are washed at the center. Are you trying to emphasize class differences?

The center recently celebrated three years at the Calvary Church. A priest, pastor, attorney and Mountain View City Council member are among the local business people and community leaders sitting on the board of directors. Mayor Matt Neely and Assemblywoman Sally Lieber are supporters of the center. A workers board determines policies and procedures. Volunteers teach English and provide clerical assistance. Several workers have completed the Mountain View Fire Department's community emergency response training.

I am proud to be associated with the Worker Center. In the past 10 years I've employed dozens of men and women who were eager, polite and hard-working. It is gratifying that I can help lessen the unequal distribution of wealth in the world by employing those who were born into less fortunate circumstances than I.

The center, located at Escuela and California, is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors are welcome to drop by and observe the friendly atmosphere, get a car wash, offer a donation of time, money or services, or hire a competent and honest worker.

Clueless on illegal immigration

Editor:

Your editorial in the Aug. 5 issue, "Many sides to the immigrant question," misses the mark entirely.

Your statement that the current wave of immigrants isn't much different than those who flocked to this country from Europe and Asia years ago is a lie. My parents and many others came into the country legally. They came in through the front door and didn't sneak in while no one was looking. They didn't ignore the laws of this country. In addition to having to wait for permission to enter and fall within the quotas, they had to be screened for contagious diseases, pass stringent criminal checks and had to provide a friend or relative who would agree to support them in the U.S. if they could not support themselves.

By condoning illegal immigration we put ourselves and our children at risk of being exposed to tuberculosis and other diseases that are common in Third World countries. There is also no control of the criminal element coming across our borders. We hear daily about an illegal alien who is wanted for murder or some other heinous crime.

The editorial admits that these day workers are paid under the table, meaning they pay no taxes. In return they get free medical care and free education at the expense of the taxpayers. The billions of dollars we Californians spend on illegals is money that could be used to improve schools and medical care for people who pay taxes or maybe even lower our tax burden.

Knowingly hiring an illegal alien is a crime. The Day Worker Center in Mountain View is aiding and abetting that crime. Just like the massage parlors that were closed by the city a few years ago for aiding and abetting an illegal act, the city should close down the Day Worker Center.

Mr. Editor, when will you support our law-abiding citizens who pay the bills and condemn those that try to get around the system? Ron Lautmann Saint Julien Way

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