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Uploaded: Friday, March 7, 2008, 2:31 PM
Day worker center eyes new location
Escuela Avenue site not too far from longtime Calvary headquarters
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by Daniel DeBolt
Mountain View Voice Staff
| At long last, the Day Worker Center of Mountain View has its eye on a permanent home: an abandoned cinderblock building near the train tracks at 117 Escuela Ave.
"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity," said director Maria Marroquin about the building, which the center is in contract to buy for $300,000. While it is in need of renovation, the building is structurally sound according to inspectors, and has "a lot of potential," Marroquin said.
She was enthusiastic enough to say that the site could become "the best day worker center in the world."
The center's board president, Steve Olsen, said they have already raised most of the $300,000 to buy the space, a former dry cleaners closed several years ago.
But there are some caveats. For one, Olsen said, the site is zoned residential and requires a conditional use permit from the city. The site may also lack parking, but a paved city-owned lot next to it may be the perfect solution if the City Council allows its use.
City manager Kevin Duggan said the lot was "unused at this point." He said the small buildings on the northern edge were once used for Hetch Hetchy water fluoridation.
Duggan added that the center does not need the city's permission to buy the building. The Los Altos Hills city council has reportedly been discussing helping out with funding for the Worker Center purchase, and is scheduled to discuss it again on March 13. Mayor Craig Jones said he was open to helping with funding if Mountain View would pitch in as well.
"We're surprised that's there's discussion at other councils at this point," Duggan said. "It is a relatively new topic for us. We don't have a letter or any formal request."
Olsen said he hopes to have some idea of whether the city would support the purchase, because the center's board will make a decision on whether to buy the building by April 30. The center would close escrow by the end of May, he said, and has already had donors pledge about $250,000 so far. Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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| Comments
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Posted by Acero, a resident of the Shoreline West neighborhood, on Mar 9, 2008 at 6:52 pm Others, including myself, were interested in buying this building. I, along with the others, were told by the city that it's zoned residential and no "businesses" would be allowed to operate on that site. Their desire is that this non-conforming building be demolished and replaced with housing. Now it seems that certain "businesses" might be allowed, if they cater to certain special interest groups. Seems the city's land use policy could potentially be discriminatory and opening it's self to legal action.
It's also interest to note that this was first mention in the Palo Alto Daily News not the MV Voice:
Web Link
And when it did finally come out in the Voice it's on-line after the printed version came out on Thursday.
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Posted by Matt, a resident of the The Crossings neighborhood, on Mar 10, 2008 at 1:00 pm Acero,
I know for a fact that churches are typically sited on land that is zoned as residential. I would imagine that other non-profit "businesses" may enjoy the same zoning exemption.
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Posted by Eddie, a resident of the Jackson Park neighborhood, on Mar 10, 2008 at 7:55 pm I say send them all packing back to Mexico.
The center justs brings blight to the city.
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Posted by Jose, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Mar 10, 2008 at 9:33 pm Sorry Eddie, your comments are out of place.
The center show cases how truly diverse and welcoming the City of Mountain View can be. It is something we can be proud to take part in.
- A 5th generation Mexican-American who will not go back to Mexico
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Posted by BillyJoe, a resident of another community, on Mar 11, 2008 at 4:14 pm Great...[Portion removed by Mountain View Voice staff] That will really be great for the city and housing prices! Not to mention the crime rate! Mountain View is getting what it deserves [portion removed].
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Posted by 4l4n, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, on Mar 11, 2008 at 4:41 pm I think that sounds like a good place for the day worker center. I am glad that we have a day worker center, and day workers.
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Posted by Observer, a resident of the Whisman Station neighborhood, on Mar 11, 2008 at 6:06 pm I just love the dirt cheap labor. I don't have to pay payroll taxes or any of that nonsense. I pocket all profits. If they get hurt working on one of my sites, I just drop them off at El Camino hospital and let the tax payers foot the bill. I tell them all how to abuse our social and welfare systems as well. I also like to keep them shacked up along California Ave. It's a really convenient location. They can send their kids to Castro school, while I exploit the hec out of their parents. Gosh, the diversity and welcoming attitude of this town is just great.
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Posted by taxpayer, a resident of the Castro City neighborhood, on Mar 12, 2008 at 1:22 pm Jose, if you really are a 5th generation descendant of Mexican-American immigrants then you know the Illegals are hurting you too!
For most who object to supporting Illegals with our tax dollars it is NOT about race or ethnicity. It is about not rewarding people for violating the laws, at the expense of people who went to the trouble to get here legally (as I hope your ancestors did) respecting the laws of the land.
Personally I would like to see it become an easier process for people to immigrate legally, so there would be less temptation to break the law.
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Posted by 4l4n, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, on Mar 12, 2008 at 1:49 pm Everyone has a right to come to the USA. How dare our government try to say that certain people are "illegal"?
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Posted by Clark, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Mar 12, 2008 at 2:18 pm If someone stole a loaf of bread to feed their family, they would be thrown in jail! So why should anyone else be re-warded for breaking the law! Why can't the US help people in Mexico, so people would not want to come here to live? and if they want to come to the USA, come here legally.
We are hurting so bad here in the US, jobs are hard to find, so many people are losing their homes, Gas and food is going through the roof, how can someone live here without a good job!
So many people are on welfare, that's where a lot of out tax dollars are going.
I don't mind helping out, but help out the ones who do not break the law. Come here legally!
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Posted by 4l4n, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, on Mar 12, 2008 at 2:31 pm Day workers are not stealing our bread, they are working for it. Stealing is a separate crime. As inhabitants of the earth people have every right to work for bread where ever they choose. Its not really practical (or possible) to try to take that away from some people for no good reason other than that they were born on the other side of an arbitrary line the government drew.
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Posted by Kristy, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Mar 12, 2008 at 5:36 pm I am sure if you break the law in Mexico or other countries, you will have to pay, why is it ok to break the law in the USA?
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Posted by 4l4n, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, on Mar 12, 2008 at 6:15 pm Because immigration law is unjust and wrong. Just as it is your duty to obey just laws, it is your duty to disobey unjust laws. (according to mlk)
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Posted by Jenny, a resident of the Blossom Valley neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2008 at 1:30 pm So if it is NOT an issue of being illegal like people are saying, then can someone who is legal go to work at the Day Worker Center? If we are for equality, why do the illegals get to avoid paying taxes while all of us who also work hard get a large sum of our checks sent to FICA or Social Security, etc?
If I go to the Day Worker Center and demand equaliy, they won't give it to me because I am legal. Why do they get special rights and priveledges for coming here illegallY?
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Posted by 4l4n, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2008 at 3:53 pm They get special rights because they love America so much that they crossed the border, evading billions of dollars in worthless security to be here. If you loved America that much, you would be demanding special rights too.
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Posted by taxpayer, a resident of the Castro City neighborhood, on Mar 16, 2008 at 6:51 pm "...if you break the law in Mexico or other countries, you will have to pay, why is it ok to break the law in the USA?"
Oh, don't you know it's ok these days to have a double standard?!
I hear the IRS is cracking down on self employed taxpayers who may have errors on their returns. What about people who don't report their self-employment/day labor income at all? If citizens or legal workers get caught doing that they can go to jail. In fact, don't most countries prosecute tax evaders? Yet somehow it's supposed to be ok for Illegals to do that here, and then to demand the services that our taxes pay for.
But oh, you may say, the Illegals are so eager to pay their taxes they steal people's social security numbers so they can pay taxes!
Well, if you went to Mexico and got caught stealing someone's identity you would probably end up in a Mexican prison.
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Posted by taxpayer, a resident of the Castro City neighborhood, on Mar 16, 2008 at 7:14 pm Better than spending a lot more money on border security and fences:
It might help to make it easier to immigrate/visit for work legally
(and stop punishing those who try to do things the right way);
and to enforce the wage and labor laws we already have have ...
(for example if employers know have to pay everyone - legal or not - the same minimums wage and benefits, they will have less incentive to hire and exploit Illegals.)
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Posted by taxpayer, a resident of the Castro City neighborhood, on Mar 16, 2008 at 7:25 pm Better than spending a lot more money on increasing building border security and fences:
It might help to make it easier to immigrate/visit for work legally
(and stop punishing those who try to do things the right way);
and to enforce the wage and labor laws we already have have ...
(for example if employers know have to pay everyone - legal or not - the same minimums wage and benefits, they will have less incentive to hire and exploit Illegals.)
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Posted by Sam, a resident of the Shoreline West neighborhood, on Mar 19, 2008 at 7:21 am Did this come up at the recent city council meeting? This screams of corruption if others were denied this property. A worker center is totally inappropriate across the street from Rengstorff Park. It's presence creates traffic and litter.
Does anyone even have any knowledge how this Day Worker Center operates? The whole concept seems like it has to be a completely illegal operation masked by the nice concept of 'helping people find work'. Why don't the donors of the $300,000 just help these people out directly. I don't think finding daily worksite jobs is building skills towards getting a permanent job.
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Posted by Robin, a resident of the Martens-Carmelita neighborhood, on Mar 23, 2008 at 12:48 am Jenny, you are welcome to come to the Day Worker Center, Monday through Saturday, 7am-2pm and put your name on the list of women who are waiting for jobs cleaning house in order to support their family. And no one will ask if you are "legal" or not. Even people who were not born into poverty are welcome at the Center.
Sam, please drop in some time to observe the 30+ English-as-a-Second-Language classes that are offered each week. Or you might want to donate blood next time the Stanford Blood Center mobile unit holds a blood donation event in collaboration with the DWC; last time I believe the workers donated about 30 pints. You are also welcome to stop by and observe periodic job skills trainings, community service projects, and regular visits from the mobile medical clinic, local law students, and local dental hygiene students.
Fee free to stop by at 11am, and for a $1 contribution you can enjoy a hot lunch, cooked from scratch, and much good company.
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Posted by Lookmanohands, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Mar 30, 2008 at 3:40 am "I just love the dirt cheap labor. I don't have to pay payroll taxes or any of that nonsense. I pocket all profits. If they get hurt working on one of my sites, I just drop them off at El Camino hospital and let the tax payers foot the bill. I tell them all how to abuse our social and welfare systems as well. I also like to keep them shacked up along California Ave. It's a really convenient location. They can send their kids to Castro school, while I exploit the hec out of their parents. Gosh, the diversity and welcoming attitude of this town is just great. "
ROFL.
EPIC RACISM.
But sadly, tis true.
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