Illegals Officially Unwelcome in Escondido

Another small step in an ongoing struggle to state the obvious.

Calif. city bars illegal immigrants from renting
Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:11pm ET

ESCONDIDO, California (Reuters) - Local authorities in Escondido, California passed a controversial measure on Wednesday to prohibit landlords from renting to illegal immigrants, a law which opponents say is racist.

The city is the latest of several from California to Pennsylvania which have passed laws in recent months to deny access to housing or jobs to illegal immigrants in their communities.

Lawmakers in Escondido, which lies about 50 miles north of the Mexican border near San Diego, passed the measure by a 3-2 vote following a heated debate that was interrupted by shouts, chants and catcalls.

Police officers removed two men from the council chamber after an argument erupted, while outside city hall dozens of police and sheriff's department officers separated boisterous supporters and opponents of the law. There were no arrests.

The law is set to come into effect in 30 days in the community of 140,000 residents, where more than a third of the population is Hispanic.

There you go America. Be glad this law passed, but it won't be worth much unless the Feds not only close the border but also begin actively seeking out and deporting illegal immigrants everywhere, and quickly.

Marie Waldron, the woman behind the Escondido ordinance, is running for reelection. Please support her. Send her an email and tell her what a hero she is.

If you've never seen or heard a politician like her challenger, Olga Diaz, then steel yourself. Chicano politicians are coming your way. Loud. Angry. Insulting. Arrogant.

Why take my word for it? I created a YouTube account and took a crash course in video editting just so you could watch Olga in action:

I'm gonna add to my list of greatest hits and call you people nuts. You're either incompetent or malicious and neither speaks well for our council. You have given us a black eye in this community. Sam and Ed you have held this city down while Marie kicked it around. That man just told you that study you keep waving around in the air as proof in the pudding that this city is pouring down the drain, you have misused it. You have violated the trust of this community, you have angered the community, you have divided the community. Hell, we don't even have a community any more. Do you feel happy about that?

And it occurred to me the other day you might not know how to turn back. You just might not know how to look these people in the eye and tell them that you're not going to support this ordinance. You're probably afraid of them. Most of the people here are. They're unreasonable. They're not even nice. There is no conversation going on about this. There is no dialog. You are in a position of power when you should consider it a position of service. You have done a disservice to this community. That's unfortunate. I don't know how else to tell it to you other that straight up. You are wrong.

Which community is Olga talking about? The illegals and their compadres?

Over the course of months, during several public meetings dozens of people had an opportunity to speak, including some who spoke only in Spanish or broken English. They pleaded for compassion. They cited the UN. They said not having illegals would hurt their businesses, or simply hurt their feelings.

The arguments in favor of illegal immigration make no sense. But they've been heard. Loud and clear. How can anyone pretend there has been no dialog, or that anyone but the scofflaws are being unreasonable or divisive? Divisive, as a subsequent speaker well put it, is waving a Mexican flag at a demonstration in the USA. Divisive is ignoring the law. Divisive is demanding special treatment for yourself or your compadres. Divisive is hurling insults.

The common theme of pro-illegal arguments is: leave this alone, or else. Or else the economy will suffer. Or else God will disapprove. Or else we will make trouble. Which of course only reinforces their image as lawless sociopaths led by treasonous rabble rousers.

The difference between what the Escondido city council is doing and what Olga Diaz would prefer is the difference between night and day. On the one side you have a group doing its sworn duty in the full light of public scrutiny. Holding open discussions broadcast to anyone who cares to watch and recorded so posterity can understand.

On the other side are the low and slimy tactics of a group who knows the immigration status quo is wrong and unfair. They have silently defied the law for decades - with no announcements, no hearings, no consent from the people. Motivated by financial gain, leeching directly or passing the costs off to others. So accustomed to the crime that for them it is no longer a crime, or for that matter even a source of shame. They can "migrate" wherever they like and those who already live where they feel like migrating can go to hell.

This past spring they thought they were strong enough to finally come out in the open. The reaction they got was probably not what they expected. Even the illegals have by now noticed that "migrants" have "migrated" to almost every corner of the US. Hence the nationwide outcry. A ton of bricks, real and electronic, shipped to Congress indicates the depth of American's dismay at how out of control immigration has gotten. They want it fixed, pronto.

So. Now completely exposed and clearly unwelcome, what do the pro-illegals do? Complain there is no dialog. Cry racism. Make demands. Threaten lawsuits. And through it all show no regard for the rights and desires of legal residents.

Fortunately the heroes serving on the Escondido city council are aided by ordinary people speaking out. America has been and still can be a wonderful melting pot, given a reasonable rate of influx. The best evidence of this is that her most moving defense comes from legal immigrants. Inoculated against slurs of xenophobia and racism these people waited in line, and have friends and relatives who are still waiting. They came not only to escape a bad situation elsewhere, but to become Americans. They have integrated into society. They respect its norms and laws, and lend their support to it.

Take for example Saul Lisauskas, who spoke right after Olga Diaz. And make sure to watch Olga's face in the backgound.

Federal government has failed to do the job it is supposed to do for us. Thank you very much for you doing the job. The federal government doesn't do it, we have to do it. This is We the People. This is We the People government. For the people by the people.

Just consider this - what she just said. They are being the ones insulting us. They are attacking us. They are coming here breaking the law. They continue to break the law. And you know what's going to happen next? You do not fit the mold. You're not brown enough. You're not Mexican. You're not from the south of the border. You will be voted out even if they even if they succeed in doing what they're trying to do.

This is what's called Aztlán, Reconquista, la MEChA, La Raza is coming here. So please stand up and thank you very much for doing the job. You are doing it correctly. Thank you.

I took the liberty of adding the links. If you haven't heard these words before go read a bit about them.

Did you see Olga's face? You can practically hear her thoughts. "We the people? Yeah whatever. Attacking us? Smirk. That's right gringo, you better be afraid. The law? Well shit, I got nothing for that. Squirm. Toss hair. Brown? Feign shock. Reconquista? Oh crap. Feign ignorance. Do the other gringos understand him? Ohhhh man I hope not. Ok, act natural..."

Olga showed a different face in a previous appearance:

If you're gonna do this, do it right. And know what you're getting us into and know what we're getting out of it. I'd just like to speak in support of making sure we are all aware of the costs and again then we can measure the benefits.

"Make sure we know what we're getting into" indeed. While we're at it let's find out what we're already into. How much has illegal immigration already cost? How much will it cost if we do nothing? We're told immigrants are a boon to the economy. Whose economy?