Sparks fly over Carpentersville proposal on illegal immigrants

The Daily Herald ^ | 09/28/06 | Larissa Chinwah

[chicagolady]

The illegal immigration debate in Carpentersville will likely spill over to the next village board meeting.

What began as a civilized audit and finance commission meeting Wednesday night quickly turned into a hostile, 45-minute debate complete with accusations, finger pointing and dissent.

After the commission moved on the issue of rental unit inspection and licensing, commission Chairman Paul Humpfer introduced a discussion item he said was related to residential housing and rental units: illegal immigration.

“I have seen an increase in gang activity, crime, overcrowding, and I am concerned there are illegal aliens living in the village,” said Humpfer, to the applause of some residents in attendance. “There have been situations that found people who are illegal aliens are living here.”

Humpfer cited several instances, including the writing off of more than $372,000 in ambulance bills because two collection agencies “could not find these people.”

When Humpfer attempted to move the Illegal Alien Immigration Relief Ordinance to the village board for discussion and approval, Village President Bill Sarto opposed.

“There is overcrowding where there are no illegal immigrants residing in the village,” Sarto said. “It is difficult to make a blanket statement. I agree code enforcement needs to be toughened up. But the economics of the housing situation, have you thought about the fact that some houses would be empty if not for the five people living in it?”

The proposed ordinance would recognize English as the official language of the village and punish landlords or business owners who rent to or hire illegal immigrants.

[chicagolady]

I was at this historic meeting! Thank God for our Hero's Paul Humpfer and Judy Sigwalt.

Please e-mail them with your encouraging words!!


phumpfer@vil.carpentersville.il.us …… Paul Humpfer

Judy Sigwalt... JSigwalt@vil.carpentersville.il.us

[chicagolady]

Thank God for Patriots

illegal immigration ping!!

[Froufrou]

The proposed ordinance would recognize English as the official language of the village and punish landlords or business owners who rent to or hire illegal immigrants.

This is all any of us want. It's too late for TX. Maybe you can save you little village.

[Condor51]

I've been pondering bringing up a proposal like this at our monthly Village Board Meeting during the open mic part. We don't have an illegal 'problem' - not yet anyway. But it's never too early to get the ball rolling.

I know one Trustee would go apoplectic. He's a Dem, even though all are supposed to be 'Independents' - and he's a typical one. From the day the mope got elected he wanted to change our village gubmint to mimic Chicago's with Wards, Alderman, Precinct Captains and cr@p. And he also tried to ban handguns - which went nowhere. Then he tried 'assault rifles' - ditto.

We also hate each others guts. (we've exchanged some 'testy' emails)

So I know as soon as I mentioned 'illegals' he'd go mental. Heck the second I stood up and headed for the mic, he'd probably go nuts.

Maybe I'll do it just to p*$$ him off.

[He's also a snot nosed lawyer and most of the other trustees don't exactly like him either, and that includes our Mayor]

[Congressman Billybob]

PLEASE be certain to give this information to your friends who sponsored this activity. The ACLU usually threatens to sue towns which propose such ordinances. Some of the towns cave in for financial reasons -- the cost of their own attorneys to defend the case, plus the possible court award of fees and costs to the ACLU attorneys.

There are two ways to reduce those risks to zero: 1) The Town can pass a Resolution saying that it approves of such ordinances, and intends to pass them in the future. The ACLU cannot sue against a mere expression of opinion, which is what a Resolution is. Any ACLU suit against one will be thrown out of court, with fees and costs awarded AGAINST the ACLU.

2) The Town can pass the ordinances now, but with an effective date of "30 days after the final US Supreme Court decision concerning Hazleton, Pennsylvania, ordinances on illegal aliens." Again, the ACLU would be thrown out of court if they sued right away, because a law is not really a law and subject to suit until it has gone into effect.

Bottom line: your friends have these two ways to move ahead without fear of anything the "open borders" types at the ACLU, might do.

John / Billybob

[gubamyster]

ping

[LibertarianLiz]

I grew up in Carpentersville from about 1955-1973. It was a very small town at that time, I don't know what it is like now, but I was surprised to see it in the news.

[Trunk 71-74]

You should do it. Maybe you can get him to do a Bill Clinton impression!?!

[TheLion]

Bttt!

[Lurker]

Here are a couple of suggestions from a town just a bit to the south of Carpentersville.

1.) Pass an ordinance requiring the impounding of vehicles driven by unlicensed persons. The fine in our town is $500.00 cash. Also require proof of insurance and proper ID to retrieve the vehicle.

2.) Pass an ordinance regarding the number of people who can occupy rental dwellings. In our town no more than 4 people can live in a two bedroom apartment. Then have your local building and zoning folks ruthlessly enforce that law. We fine landlords $500.00 a day for violations. Repeated infractions can cost them their business license.

3.) Pass an ordinance requiring contractors doing business in the village to certify that they use only bona fide legal labor. If they're caught using illegal labor, they forfeit their performance bond.

That should do for a start, and the ACLU can't say spit about any one of them.

L

[Old Professer]

With the ACLU it all comes down to collecting those court costs; that's how they pay salaries.

Cut off that pipeline and they will disappear.

[Old Professer]

I hope you mean 4 unrelated people.

[TheLion]

Good ideas!

[Lurker]

Yes, I do.

L

[chicagolady]

Suburban Ordinance Targets Illegal Immigrants
Opponents Charge Discrimination

Katie McCall
Reporting

(CBS) CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. There's heated debate in Carpentersville over a very tough ordinance aimed at illegal immigrants. It would make English the official language of the village. It would also be illegal to do business with undocumented immigrants, even rent housing.

CBS 2 North Suburban Bureau Chief Katie McCall reports on charges of discrimination.

Latinos in Carpentersville make up 40 percent of the village population, but some residents worry these business will move out if a proposed ordinance passes.

“It's not about race. It's about illegal aliens. It's about overcrowding in homes. It's about the rising cost in medical and education,” said Village Trustee Judith Sigwalt. “It's as plain as the nose on our faces. You know the law is the law.”

Trustee Paul Humpfer drafted what he calls the Illegal Alien Immigration Relief Act after learning the village spent $372,000 last year on ambulance fees for residents who he says were illegal.

"We're paying for it here, on a local level, and we feel we need to address the problem," said Trustee Paul Humpfer.

The ordinance prohibits anyone in Carpentersville from doing business with, or renting to, people it calls illegal aliens. Violators risk losing their business license-and landlords face $1,000 fines.

It also establishes English as the official language of Carpentersville, saying the village must print all of its documents and signs in English only.

Board President Bill Sarto calls it a bad idea.

“I really have more faith in our board than to pass something like this,” said Sarto.

Trustee Linda Ramirez Sliwinski calls it racist.

“They are targeting the Hispanics,” said Sliwinski.

Local real estate agent Sylvia Realzola agrees, and wonders who would enforce it.

“It is a slap in our faces as a Latina woman and a Latina business woman. I grew up here,” she said.

A town in Pennsylvania just passed an almost identical law, and has already been sued by the ACLU and another civil rights group, but proponents say they're determined to pass the ordinance here.

The board of trustees in Carpentersville will talk over the ordinance on October 3rd, and then vote 2 weeks later.

[NewsJunqui]

I grew up in Carpentersville from about 1955-1973. It was a very small town at that time, I don't know what it is like now, but I was surprised to see it in the news.

1973? You probably wouldn't recogonize it as Chicago's suburban sprawl now extends west of the Fox River. To get an idea of what's going on, look at our local paper: http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/index.html

[varon]

But the economics of the housing situation, have you thought about the fact that some houses would be empty if not for the five people living in it?” (My emphasis)

No sh*t, Dick Tracy. Any house would be empty if it didn't have people living in it!!!

[KristiJac]

ok....guess my last post was deleted because of something bad I accidently said. My Apologies. ;-)

Lurker, you claim your town requires the impounding of vehicles by unlicense drivers? That's great. Elgin impounds them, and then releases them. Here's some stats on unlicensed drivers as given by Elgin PD.

From 7/15/04 to 07/15/05 1280 tickets for No DL were issued.
From 07/15/05 to 07/15/06 1733 tickets for No DL were issued.

That's a 35% increase in one year! Think there's a problem in Elgin?