Comprehensive Immigration Reform Resolution to be Presented at Columbus City Council Meeting Monday - June 21, 2010

CALL TO ACTION!!

TODAY!! - June 21, 2010, Councilwoman and CIR supporter Charleta Tavares will be introducing a non-binding resolution at the Columbus City Council Meeting supporting Comprehensive Immigration Reform on a national level. Reform Immigration for America and other individuals have been working with her office on this resolution.

It is important that as many CIR activists and supporters attended the Council Meeting. The meeting begins at 5:00 PM. Reform Immigration for America will be holding a Press Conference after the Resolution is voted upon. We do have the support we need for it to pass!

Columbus will be the second city in Ohio to pass such as resolution. Cleveland passed a similar resolution last month. Toledo has a resolution pending.

It is important to spread the word and work on turn-out for at City Council Chambers.

1.The Columbus City Council Meeting begins at 5pm.
2.The meeting is located at City Hall - 90 West Broad street, Columbus, OH 43215. (However the entrance into the building is from Front Street).
3.Once you enter the building you will sign in at the security guards station (Please note that you will need to have identification when signing in).

Please spread the word. For more information contact:
Ruben Castilla Herrera
Ohio State Director
Reform Immigration for America
rherrera2457@yahoo.com



Columbus is about to jump back into the immigration debate.

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2010 02:50 AM
BY ROBERT VITALE
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A month after Mayor Michael B. Coleman touched off a nationwide backlash by banning city-worker travel to Arizona, City Council members are poised to endorse immigration reforms that would both tighten U.S. borders and grant legal status to undocumented workers now in the country.

Councilwoman Charleta B. Tavares will sponsor a resolution on Monday that calls on Congress to "solve our broken immigration system" and urges federal and state lawmakers to help cities pay for the services they provide for immigrants.

"It's a message to Congress: You are responsible, and all 50 states need uniform immigration policies," Tavares said. "It should be done in a comprehensive way, not a piecemeal way."

Four other council members - Hearcel F. Craig, Andrew J. Ginther, A. Troy Miller and Priscilla R. Tyson - are co-sponsoring the resolution, ensuring its passage.

President Michael C. Mentel cannot attend Monday's council meeting, spokesman John Ivanic said. Councilwoman Eileen Paley isn't listed as a sponsor, either, and wasn't available for comment.

Tavares' resolution echoes Coleman's call last month for "comprehensive immigration reform," but it goes far beyond his support for rules that would let immigrants become U.S. citizens.

Among its suggestions:

• Reforms should address border security, as well as enforcement inside the country and within U.S. workplaces.

• Provisions should let undocumented immigrants with clean criminal records earn legal status by paying fees and back taxes, having steady work and meeting English-language requirements.

• Changes should keep families together, protect immigrants' human and civil rights, and "uphold our values as Americans."

Many of the resolution's stands have been proposed by the National League of Cities.

Coleman's Arizona travel ban came in response to that state's new law, which allows police to demand documentation if they suspect people who they've stopped for other reasons are in the country illegally.

rvitale@dispatch.com


http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/06/19/copy/city-to-push-immigration-reform.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Fairfield supports Arizona-type immigration reform Mayor: ‘Something has to be done’

This is the letter from Fairfield Mayor Ron D'Epifiano to Governor Ted Strickland which he read at last nights Fairfield City Council Meeting (Jun 14, 2101). Stay tuned for details on the meeting

SW Ohio Action Alert: The Fairfield, OH City Council will be meeting tonight to further their Anti-Immigrant Political Agenda!

Meeting Place: 5350 PLEASANT AVENUE
FAIRFIELD, OHIO 45014

Time: 7:00pm

Below is the latest available 1st person report:

"There is no vote or ordinance to be brought up for a vote.

The mayor and council plan to read and sign a letter addressed to Sheriff Jones, the Governor and President in support of Sheriff Jones and his actions.

He was emphatically against not allowing people to be here "illegally", as he said they should "do it the right way".

I asked him to watch the trailer for "9500 Liberty" and explained how a Virginia community passed laws similar to those in Arizona, which they later repealed due to the economic impact (they now have one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country), and the increased cost to staff and run the police department in effort to enforce the laws.

He did not agree to watch the movie or consider my feeble attempts."

UPDATE: The apparent reason as to why this is not on the meeting agenda is because the Mayor is set to raise the issue as a "private citizen"...even though he is the Mayor: Mayor Ron D'Epifiano, 513- 829-4939. 

"I spoke with the Mayor. He said that he is going to offer a letter to the governor and president in support of Sheriff Jones’ and Courtney Combs’ efforts. He said the letter will be offered not as Mayor, but as a private citizen letter. He is asking the council members to sign in private capacities as well.

He claims that he has done research on the impact of illegal immigration. He started spouting talking points about diseases brought into the country from immigrants. He then talked about uninsured drivers having accidents.  He claims he has friends who are legal immigrants from non Hispanic countries. He said he is a first generation US citizen.

I asked if he saw that offering such a letter at a council meeting, while sitting behind a sign saying Fairfield Mayor didn’t look like an official act.  He disagreed. I asked him if he had asked the Hispanic Chamber their views.  He said no. I asked him if he cared if Hispanic business owners would feel unwelcome.  He did not respond."

 

Action:  If you have input on these policies and an interest in Ohio immigration politics:

PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL ONE OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING COUNCIL PERSONS; EXPRESS OPPOSITION TO SUCH ACTIONS!

Mike Snyder, First Ward: 513-703-0355, msnyder@fairfield-city.org

Marty Judd, Second Ward: 513-615-5190, mjudd@fairfield-city.org 

Mitch Rhodus, Third Ward: 513-829-0111, mitch@zoomtown.com

Terry Senger, Fourth Ward: 513-829-5712, tsenger@fairfield-city.org 

Tim L. Abbott, Council Member at Large: 513-829-9921, tabbott@fairfield-city.org 

Tim Meyers, Council Member at Large: (Phone Unavailable), tmeyers@fairfield-city.org

Mike Oler, Council Member at Large: 513-829-4003, moler@fairfield-city.org

 

*ALL NUMBERS & E-MAILS ARE AVAILABLE PUBLICLY AT: http://www.fairfield-city.org/council/biographies.cfm  

Brought to you by your friends at LULAC
Leo J. Pierson

WTVN Officials Apologize for Words

Talk-radio's plan to give away trip to Phoenix seen as insensitive

Saturday, June 12, 2010 02:50 AM
By Encarnacion Pyle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A local talk-radio station has apologized for insensitive language it used to promote a giveaway of a trip to Phoenix after Columbus' mayor suspended city travel to Arizona to protest a new immigration law, city and community representatives say.

Columbus officials said WTVN (610 AM) pledged this week to work with the city to build better community relations after the controversial promotion.

The apology reportedly came on-air last week and during a meeting with community leaders on Tuesday. The promotion, which ran in May, characterized Phoenix as a city "where Americans are proud and illegals are scared." It also suggested that the winner could spend the weekend "chasing aliens."

The giveaway offended many advocacy groups, including Reform Immigration for America, which held a news conference denouncing the promotion.

Jose Luis Mas, chairman of the Ohio Hispanic Coalition, said he's pleased that WTVN admitted a mistake.

"It was a lame attempt at humor at the expense of a vulnerable community," Mas said.

Mike Elliott, program director at WTVN, didn't return several phone calls.

Officials with the radio station and its parent company, Clear Channel Communications, met with community representatives this week to hash out their concerns, said Napoleon Bell, executive director of Columbus' Community Relations Committee.

He said in an e-mail that the commission sent a letter to WTVN this week expressing its "condemnation of the language used in the promotion."

When the controversy first erupted, Elliott said the company did not plan to apologize and disagreed that the promotion contained racial overtones. He said the contest was created to capitalize on the debate kicked up by Mayor Michael B. Coleman's travel restriction last month.

Although the incident divided the community, Mas said, it should be celebrated as a learning opportunity.

"I think a lot of people misunderstand the challenges facing immigrants," Mas said.

epyle@dispatch.com

SEIU, Labor Unions call on Voinovich to Show Leadership on Immigration Reform

By Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Jun 10, 2010 4:22:04 PM ET

Workers took to the streets of downtown Columbus to reject enforcement-only policies and Arizona’s racial profiling copycat laws in Ohio. Instead, these activists – coalition partners of Reform Immigration for America -- are pushing for comprehensive immigration reform that would protect all workers and boost our economy.

According to the Immigration Policy Center, comprehensive reform would yield huge gains for the American economy – up to $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

After the rally at the Statehouse, the group headed to the office of retiring Republican Senator George Voinovich to ask him to take leadership on immigration reform and help his party find real solutions instead of pushing costly and ineffective policies that do nothing to actually fix our broken immigration system.

Last year, the U.S. spent $18.1 billion on immigration enforcement, as reflected in the U.S. Homeland Security budget report. “In this deeply troubled economy, we need to do everything we can to jump start a recovery,” said SEIU District 1199 President Becky Williams. “Immigration reform is the only way to stop the current immigration crisis and boosts our economy at the same time.”

Studies have shown that if all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Ohio, the state would lose $4.0 billion in expenditures, $1.8 billion in economic output, and approximately 25,019 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time, according to a report by the Perryman Group. “We need Senator Voinovich to actively push for immigration reform for the benefit of working people. The time is now, let’s strengthen our economy!” said Williams. “Senator Voinovich can show the leadership and courage that Ohio’s workers need by pushing for comprehensive immigration reform.

We must not stand-by as states pass piece-meal legislation or enact Arizona racial-profiling copycat laws,” said United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1059 President Becky Berroyer. “This broken immigration system divides families, harms workers whether documented or undocumented, and delays an economic recovery for workers. Reform, not raids, will strengthen Ohio’s workplaces and boost our economy.”

One step that Senator Voinovich can take right now is to co-sponsor the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. The DREAM Act would provide an incentive for immigrant youth to stay in school. By reducing dropout rates, our economy stands to benefit greatly.

According to one RAND study, the increased contribution to the economy from an immigrant who graduates from college is nearly $9,000 more than one who drops out of high school. The DREAM Act would also result in higher incomes and contribute greatly to increased consumer spending and investment.

LULAC Strongly Opposes Hartman's Proposal to Cut Indigent Care

Aiding Wealthy Sports Teams by Taking From the Poor is Shameful 

CINCINNATI, OH--The Cincinnati Council of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) strongly opposes Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Hartman's proposal to cut indigent care funds.  Commissioner Hartman would have these critical resources rerouted to what he calls a "broken Stadium Fund."   Based on his proposal, Commissioner Hartman would reroute $110 million, which is currently used to provide critical healthcare services to indigent individuals at University Hospital.  Those monies would be used to subsidize a mismanaged Stadium Fund.

University Hospital has efficiently used these funds for more than half a century to provide a safety net for our region.  Mr. Hartman inappropriately justifies his proposal via our newly passed national health care legislation. However, emergency services cannot wait until our federal and state bureaucracies resolve the details of a national health care bill, which will likely not be fully functional until 2014.  LULAC will not stand silent on this issue so long as our local government seeks to prioritize entertainment and  supposed needs of wealthy sports teams ahead of the value of the lives of our community's less fortunate.  

LULAC urges leaders from across Greater Cincinnati to join together in our efforts to protect those lives which will be impacted by such an irresponsible action.  

Please show support; call these Hamilton County Commissioners TODAY:

Greg Hartman: 513.946.4405

David Pepper:  513.946.4409

       Todd Portune:  513.946.4401       

The League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest and largest Hispanic membership organization in the country, advances the economic conditions, educational attainment, political influence, health, housing and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.  

Toledo Free Press Needs Reality Check

In a recent article entitled "Protecting the Borders," Toledo Free Press President Tom Pounds criticizes Toledo City Councilmen Adam Martinez and Joe McNamara for their proposed resolution condemning Arizona's SB 1070. Mr. Pounds's arguments just don't hold up. His main point is that the situation in Arizona is happening 1,700 miles away; why would we want to get Toledo involved?

If Toledo and other cities don't get involved in this issue, the issue will come to them. As the OAC has pointed out, we will likely face an issue on the ballot in 2011 which would codify and mandate Arizona's style of immigration enforcement here in Ohio. Statewide. Including Toledo.

If you share the view that heavy-handed local immigration enforcement, racial profiling and general disregard for the US Constitution is something that happens only "over there," frankly you need to wake up. This is already happening in your own backyard.

The following is the text of an email that I sent to Mr. Pounds in response to his article. I'm still waiting for a response.

Dear Mr. Pounds,

I respect your views on the proposed nonbinding resolution by Toledo City Council. However, I think your argument that this is not a Toledo-relevant issue (or even Ohio-relevant) deserves a second look. You correctly point out that Representative Combs is pushing legislation in both the Ohio House and Senate. The reality is that he is not the primary force behind the bills. He is working closely with Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones to bring not only legislation, but a ballot-initiative for 2011.

Sheriff Jones's record on local immigration enforcement speaks for itself. He has worked with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which is designated as a "Hate Group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center as well as the Anti-Defamation League. Recently he was sued and subsequently settled out of court for alleged misuse of his 287(g) program, which deputizes local law enforcement to enforce Federal immigration policy. He and Combs recently visited Arizona, and have publicly advocated for Arizona-style policies in Ohio. I invite you to check the Ohio Action Circle blog for more information about the proposed ballot initiative herehttp://ohioactioncircle.blogspot.com/2010/06/sheriff-jones-plans-to-bring-arizona-to.html

Clearly this is something which will very soon be thrust onto the statewide scene (I would argue that it already has). Furthermore, this is inherently Toledo-relevant due to Toledo's proximity to Ohio's international border with Canada. US Customs and Border Patrol has jurisdiction to set up checkpoints up to 100 miles from our international border. Their Ohio outpost in Marblehead (50 miles from Toledo) has recently been placed under scrutiny by Toledo organizations FLOC and ABLE in a lawsuit alleging racial profiling and harassment of legal residents and US citizens. Article here: http://www.laprensatoledo.com/Stories/2009/121809/Border.htm

The argument that these laws encourage racial profiling is not hyperbole; it is reality. The policies are being challenged before our courts, and there is already data to back it up. Clearly this is not an issue unique to Arizona, and I think we'll see more city councils in Ohio begin to take up similar resolutions.

Respectfully,

Nick Torres

Ohio Grassroots Organizer

Reform Immigration For America