Posted on 05/30/2006 9:38:53 AM PDT by BurbankKarl
BURBANK -- Protests and demonstrations at the Home Depot day labor center have racked up law enforcement costs of more than $46,000, prompting worries that the extra costs are a burden on city coffers.
Between Sept. 30 and April 21, Burbank Police responded to 11 incidents involving anti-illegal immigration protests against center, which offers employment assistance to workers who are often not United States citizens, according to a Burbank Police memo.
The memo has raised questions from residents about the purpose of the $94,000 annual fee that Home Depot pays to the city, intended to cover costs related to the center.
"Initially [the council] was talking about the $94,000 going one place and all of a sudden it shifts," Burbank resident David Piroli said.
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At a public hearing in April 2004, the fee was posed as a mitigation measure for potential problems that could arise at the center.
"In addition to the center, we also have funding to the tune of $94,000 that is not given to us specifically to run the day labor center, but rather funding that is given to us specifically to address the problems that may be related to the Home Depot facility," Councilman Jef Vander Borght said at the hearing. "So as a result we have even additional discretion to use those funds for other means, as policing, as the way by which we can achieve better control of potential problems that would surface."
But when the council unanimously awarded management of the center to Catholic Charities of Los Angeles on Jan. 10, the council elected to put the entire fee toward the center's operations costs, Marisa Garcia, an analyst for the Parks, Recreation and Community Service Department said at the meeting.
The fee has funded the center's operation since it opened alongside Home Dept. on Jan 14., Deputy City Planner Roger Baker said.
"We've been using it at our choice to run the daily operations at the center," Baker said.
The conditions under which Home Depot and the labor center were approved give the council full discretion over how the annual fee is utilized, Baker said.
But Councilman David Gordon said the center has become a "lightening rod" for community protest, and taxpayers should not have to bear the costs of increased law enforcement related to the center.
Overtime costs for officers providing crowd management and minimal code enforcement during labor center demonstrations amounted to $41,618 of the $46,749 total costs accrued, the Police Department memo said. The remaining $5,131 covered the salaries of on-duty officers.
But a strong police presence at these events is what assures they do not spiral out of control, Burbank Police Lt. Dave Gabriel said.
"While at first glance that may seem a large amount of money ... the Burbank Police Department has always had the policy to prevent problems before they happen," Gabriel said. "Our hope is to keep issues as under control as possible before they become really significant problems," he said. The department has succeeded in maintaining the peace during the 11 labor center demonstrations and no arrests were made, the memo said.
And the citizens believed it?!
SNORT.
Ie- THAT NOTHING CHANGES.
Question.
My local HD has 200 illegals out in front of it every day.
What would happen to HD if someone is accosted or worse outside of their store??
Seems they have tremendous liability. No? Do we have any freeper lawyers?
Caveat emptor.
But when the council unanimously awarded management of the center to Catholic Charities of Los Angeles on Jan. 10, the council elected to put the entire fee toward the center's operations costs, Marisa Garcia, an analyst for the Parks, Recreation and Community Service Department said at the meeting.
Easy, pull the money from Catholic Charities and let em run it if they can......on charity!
What a novel idea.
Can't some enterprising lawyer file a class action suit seeking an injunction and damages because they are actively aiding and abetting illegal activities?
Or how about the use of RICO that the SCOTUS is about to rule on....
Here is a wacko idea - HOW ABOUT SENDING THE BILL TO THE ILLEGALS VIA THEIR ILLEGAL LABOR LOUNGE?????!!! Why not let the illegals pay for some public services for one? And unless Burbank has a sanctuary policy (localized amnesty) then they should just arrest the illegals and turn them over to the INS and SHAZAM!! the need for new law enforcement disappears!
ping
> ... racked up law enforcement costs of more than
> $46,000, prompting worries that the extra costs
> are a burden on city coffers.
These people do NOT represent "cheap labor". Although
they may be depressing market wages, their indirect
costs are a huge burden that everyone pays for: crime,
health care, identity theft, insurance rates, etc.
Home Depot is probably safe from any liability (say, for negligence) if the people doing the hiring are "independent contractors" (IC). A building contractor is a classic IC: if they use their own tools, set their own hours, etc.
Under agency law, HD would be liable only for the actions of their employees during the course of their employment.
Contractors who say they are "licensed and insured" sometimes have only workmans comp insurance, if that. And they don't have to withhold any SS, FICA or other taxes.
I've been urging that RICO be used against employers of illegals for weeks.
Well I guess this is how we make the point. We protest to the point it gets so expensive to defend the undefendable position of allowing a site to be used to foster illegal labor they are forced to end that practice.
Noone should be paying those costs because it shouldn't be there for illegal aliens anyway. Here is a thought, eliminate the center for illegals and the cost is a non issue.
For construction companies who hire illegal immigrants
http://www.mnforsustain.org/immigration_hiring_law_excerpts_from_us_code.htm
hahahahahahahahahahahaahahaha!
For that to have any relevance, you'd need to have a governement interested in enforcing the law against illegals. Fat chance with Bush as President.
The advantage of filing a private RICO lawsuit is unlike the DHS/ICE enforcement it is not influenced by political factors. Private RICO lawsuits actually force the government to get tough on employers who hire illegal immigrants.
http://www.ricoact.com/ricoact/faq.asp
http://www.vdare.com/fulford/ricol.htm
http://www.vdare.com/fulford/lawsuit.htm
http://www.cis.org/articles/2003/back1103.htm
ROTFLMAO!
I no longer shop at Home De'pot.
I hope all future protests are held on holidays...that will ramp up their overtime costs three times quicker.
: )
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