Make English Our Official Language(Tell Your Senator to vote YES on the Inhofe amendment!)

The Eagle Forum ^ | Apr 4, 2006 | Phyllis Schlafly/Eagle Forum

[B4Ranch]

The taxpayers would object that the laws are being broken and if necessary we could have the attorney general or even a local prosecutor take action. You or I could file a lawsuit.

[Pearls Before Swine]

My Senators are Kennedy and Kerry.I wonder if a call from me might sway them!

You beat me to it. Maybe if we both call? In conference?

[mlc9852]

So if I see a sign in a grocery store printed in Spanish I could sue the store? Wow, I can't wait. This could be the answer to my retirement!

[B4Ranch]

Do you have any idea the costs of printing ballots in 114 different languages. That's what is being done these days.

4. BILINGUAL BALLOTS ARE WASTEFUL

By a 10-1 ratio, jurisdictions covered under Section 203 said that the language assistance "was not needed" in a 1986 GAO report about the cost and use of bilingual ballots. (5) Fifty-three percent of the 49 jurisdictions that responded - more than half - said that no one in their jurisdictions used the language assistance.

Yuba County, California spent $17,411 for Spanish language ballot materials for a 1996 primary election despite the fact that the county's registrar of voters reported receiving only one request for voter information in Spanish during his 16 years on the job. (6)

This pattern of gross under-utilization of bilingual ballot materials has not changed. King County, Washington (Seattle), reported that after printing 3,600 Chinese language ballots only 24 people requested them for a September 2002 primary election. (7) The number of Chinese ballots subsequently used in the County's general election increased to 119 - 90 absentee ballots that were returned and 29 cast at the polls. (8)

In addition to under-utilization, bilingual ballot requirements impose significant logistical problems. Election officials that are often hard pressed to recruit sufficient numbers of English-speaking poll workers due to long hours and low pay are now being forced to search for bilingual poll workers or risk lawsuits by the Justice Department. As Representative Clay Shaw noted on the floor of the House, 150 Broward County, Florida poll workers failed to report for work in the 2002 primary election. (9) Arlington County, Virginia's voter registrar expressed relief that her county was not included in the list of covered counties issued by the Justice Department in time for the 2002 elections because she noted there was not enough space to translate the ballot into Spanish on the voting machines the county uses. (10)

The law also requires all municipalities and smaller subdivisions of a larger political entity that is covered by the law, to provide the same bilingual ballot materials - even if almost everyone in the smaller subdivision speaks English.

In 2004 the Justice Department ordered Briny Breezes, Florida to print notices for a local election in Spanish, because the town happens to be in a county covered by Section 203. The Justice Department required this despite the fact that Census data showed that 98 percent of the town's residents are life-long U.S. citizens and 99 percent speak English "very well." (11)

The Section 203 coverage formula is overbroad and wasteful. A state may be covered and force thousands of municipalities and political subdivisions to provide bilingual election materials in languages that almost nobody in the local area speaks.

5. BILINGUAL BALLOTS ARE AN UN-FUNDED MANDATE THAT FUNCTION LIKE A TAX ON ENGLISH-SPEAKING CITIZENS

[B4Ranch]

No, if a store chooses to spend its own money for multi language advertisements that would be their decision and their money. I have no objection at all about that.

[mlc9852]

Imagine something the government does being wasteful. I'm shocked. But I would think Spanish ballot decisions should be left to local governments who know if they are needed or not.

[yellowdoghunter]

Exactly. I am tired of having to pay for government forms to be in different languages. Speak any language you want amongst yourselves, but I am not paying for forms to be in Spanish or Russian or French, etc...

Good for Inhofe! Remember, as conservatives we are for LESS spending. This will help accomplish that, any little thing helps.

[ZULU]

You might have to speak Spanish to get your message across.

[mlc9852]

So this would only mean the government could not print anything in Spanish, right?

[B4Ranch]

If a city wanted to put the decision on the local ballot box, I have no objection to that. I see that you didn't read what I posted previously.

We're done.

[Cowboy Bob]

Why not put this on the ballot for the November elections? Do it State by State. Our elected officials are too spineless to pass such a law without the "nudging" of the electorate.

[candeee]

It might encourage more immigrants to assimilate into our society if we become less accommodating to their lack of English language skills. The gov't could save a little money if it didn't have to provide forms/publications in multiple languages.

[mlc9852]

I read it but I'm not sure how accurate it is.

[mlc9852]

However, you can't just learn a new language overnight. As least I haven't been able to.

[candeee]

I agree with you there. However, when immigrating to another country, you'd think the immigrant would consider that fact.

[TChris]

They should also make it illegal to have English/Spanish bilinguality as a consideration in employment.

Yeah, yeah! Take away the rights of employers! That's sure to help!

Sheesh!

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

They should also make it illegal to have English/Spanish bilinguality as a consideration in employment.

This is as dumb a statement as I have ever seen on FR. I deal with a Houston based, American owned company, that does 80% of their oilfield business with Mexico. You think they shouldn't be able to require Spanish?

Please keep the government out of private business.

[mlc9852]

"However, when immigrating to another country, you'd think the immigrant would consider that fact."

I believe most immigrants try to learn our language as quickly as possible. I deal with Spanish-speaking clients and most seem to really try. It just isn't easy learning a new language. And I wonder how many people who complain about immigrants not knowing English volunteer their time to help teach them? I know there are churches which have classes to help them. And their children will pick up English quickly and will help also.

[NearlyNormal]

Switchboard (LOL):

"sólo español, por favor presione el número 2"

[B4Ranch]

Did you click the link?