Day laborers to lend hand at historical home
The Chaffey-Garcia House will get a mini makeover on Sunday from some unlikely volunteers.
Day laborers from Arrow and Grove will make landscaping and maintenance improvements to the historical home in time for the Etiwanda Historical District Street Faire on Nov. 14. The volunteers are part of the Fernando Pedraza Community Coalition, a group of interfaith leaders, students, day laborers and other community organizers. The coalition is named after day laborer Fernando Pedraza, who was killed at Arrow and Grove in 2007 when an out-of-control car hit him.
Day laborers from Arrow and Grove will make landscaping and maintenance improvements to the historical home in time for the Etiwanda Historical District Street Faire on Nov. 14. The volunteers are part of the Fernando Pedraza Community Coalition, a group of interfaith leaders, students, day laborers and other community organizers. The coalition is named after day laborer Fernando Pedraza, who was killed at Arrow and Grove in 2007 when an out-of-control car hit him.
For those of you who may have forgotten what Fernando Pedraza stood for please click and read this article in the Daily Bulletin published in 2006:
http://www.dailybulletin.com/search/ci_4141604?IADID=Search-www.dailybulletin.com-www.dailybulletin.com
Celebrating lawbreakers by organizing self-serving, do-gooder style events is disingenuous to the millions of legal immigrants who followed the rules and came here legally. Thankfully, so called, "interfaith leaders, students, day laborers and other community organizers," do not govern. But those who do are still denying the fiscal damage uncontrolled illegal immigration has caused and is causing this nation, including additional border security, increased education costs, rising unemployment and quite possibly, thanks to the Hispanic Caucus, of which Congressman Joe Baca and Rep. Napolitano are members, free health-care for illegal immigrants. Fernando Pedraza would be proud.
Well Mr. Fred, will we see you out providing the community a helping hand? Probably too busy at the union hall huh? What you forget to mention is everytime someone, citizen or not, buys something they contribute to the tax base which funds our the items you say are being fically damaged. There are basically three classes of people in our country, soon to be two. Try being on the lower rung and attempt to climb up. For the work and jobs your crying about imigrants fulfilling, the financial impact to the economy is insignificant.
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate the fact that when we buy something it contributes to the tax base. But would you call 54.5 million dollars insignificant? That's the amount spend by the county since 2004 to jail illegal aliens.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_13740432
The point is illegal immigration is a huge fiscal expenditure that law abiding citizens and legal immigrants pay for with the very taxes you claim are insignificant. And events, no matter how seemingly noble, designed to legitimize those who break our laws does not address the real problem. How about if these interfaith leaders, students and other community organizers start by helping those who wish to stay in this country get in line to become legal citizens? That would have a much more significant impact on our community then just cajoling these hard working laborers to work for free. Where's the tax base in that?
FYI Fernando Pedraza was a legal resident, and many other day laborers are U.S. citizens:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/nov/02/new-faces-day-labor/
FYI Fernando Pedraza was a legal resident, and contrary to popular belief many day laborers are citizens: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/nov/02/new-faces-day-labor/
My final two points on this one.
1. "54.5 million dollars insignificant? That's the amount spend by the county since 2004 to jail illegal aliens". You make the assumption that day laborers are all illegal aliens. Much to the contrary. Do you not have to credit day laborer's who are out early in the morning attempting to find work for pay to be worthy of respect? To leap to the conslusion that these are the same group maiking up the jailed illegal aliens in the county is just not the case. There are many agencies that help the same people get work, they just want a slice of the financial action. Is that ok? Maybe you just don't like to see it in the streets. Kinda keep it hidden huh?
2. Interfaith leaders, community organizers, and I suppose maybe not students but the educational community do help those not a citizen to get educated and become a citizen. Like our high schools, not everyone makes it to the end and is successful. But a whole lot are successful. Next time they have a citizenship ceremony at Fairplex, stop by and check it out. Talk to some becoming proud american citizens. Listen to their stories and recognize not every imigrant who starts here as a day laborer, are of the morale makeup that you make them out to be.
I'm not for providing services to any one here illegally nor am I for any one with citizenship to be cheating on unemployment benfits, welfare, insurance benefits, etc. But those who are hard woking, trying to get by within the system, and are legal, I have to respect.