Posted on 08/03/2003 6:58:02 AM PDT by chambley1
For Immediate Release
Friday, August 1, 2003
Contact:Diana Sun (703) 228-3247 (voice), (703) 228-4611 (TTY)
County Board Approves Pick-Up Site for Day Laborers
Project Will Address Safety, Traffic Concerns At its July 29 recessed meeting, the Arlington County Board voted 4-1 to appropriate up to $140,000 to create a pick-up site for day laborers in the Shirlington area. The funds will be used to purchase and install a covered shelter and related equipment and landscaping for the pick-up site.
"The Board acted in response to numerous concerns from the community," said Arlington County Board Chairman Paul Ferguson. "This pick-up site will provide an orderly gathering place where people seeking employment can match up with potential employers."
After examining three possible locations for the pick-up site, the Board approved a county parking lot at the Jennie Dean Park at the corner of Shirlington Road and 27th Street South. The site will be in operation from 6 a.m. until noon, Mondays through Saturdays and will be managed by the Shirlington Employment and Education Center (SEEC), which will receive $30,000 of the funding for staffing.
The site will include a prefabricated, covered shelter to protect the day laborers from the weather; a portable toilet with wash basin; a drinking fountain; several litter receptacles; a bulletin board in the shelter to provide information to day laborers with details about recreational and educational opportunities in the community as well as rules of behavior; and a booth for SEEC staff for supplies and communication equipment. The new site is scheduled to open in early October.
Background:
Since the late 1980s, Arlington County, like many urban communities, has had a sizeable day laborer population. The primary gathering spot for the day laborers has been along South Four Mile Run Drive at the Washington and Old Dominion Trailhead, parkland owned and maintained by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
In response to the growing number of community concerns, a multi-disciplinary team has been working with members of the community, SEEC, and others to identify a site where day laborers and potential employers could gather in an orderly manner. Having the new pick-up site on County owned property enables County regulations to be enforced, which is not possible at the current informal location.
In addition, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority has notified Arlington that it intends to renovate and restore the trailhead, effectively removing the current informal gathering area.
Arlington, Virginia is a world-class residential, business, and tourist location that was originally part of the ten-mile square parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. Arlington is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and was granted an award for its practices of "Smart Growth" by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world including the Pentagon Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places for living, visiting and doing business.
The Official Date and Time of this Release is: 8/1/2003 7:37:48 AM
E-mail: publicaffairs@co.arlington.va.us
It doesn't matter to me, and my experience is that they're actually pretty good people.
But they are breaking the law, and they're not playing by the rules.
My wife is an immigrant, now a U.S. citizen, and we went through 5 years of INS hell to get there. A relative sponsored two unintentional illegals back into lawful compliance, and they also are on the way to citizenship (an INS paperwork screwup).
So don't talk to us about "racism." That's clearly not the point, it's your own delusionary strawman argument for illegal behavior, which is also unfair to legal, sincere immigrants.
By "PBS" we're talking WETA. That's the home studio of the entire PBS Washington crew, including Jim Leher and every other PBS leftie.
But when I look at my maps I think this intersection is actually a couple blocks away, not exactly at the front door to WETA.
Interesting, because that's illegal under Virginia law.
F. No citation for a violation of this section shall be issued unless the officer issuing such citation has cause to stop or arrest the driver of such motor vehicle for the violation of some other provision of this Code or local ordinance relating to the operation, ownership, or maintenance of a motor vehicle or any criminal statute.
So, you are willing to ruin it for them who are NOT illegal based on your presumption that there MAY ba some illegals there?
Let's make things even MORE difficult for people out of work and subject them to embarrasement.
No matter what the local neighborhood now looks like, there will be changes once this location is established. The "flavor" of local stores will cahnge as they cater to the day laberers. And, while most of the Mexicans are well behaved, quiet and hard working, should the economy change (up or down), the day laborer business will change. Further, other groups will move in especially if some charity provides mid-day meals or, in the AM, brown bag lunches. And, change will bring drugs.
These folks do provide cheap labor and that's good. But, they keep others from being employed (mostly blacks) and are law breakers. Illegal immigration is just another one of those endless efforts to destroy capitalism and America.
Why are you assuming all those people are immigrants?
What illegals?
You yourself said that you have no proof that there are even any there.
I would have more respect for your position if you weren't assuming that there are illegals there.
We constantly make the argument that Americans would do the jobs that illegal immigrants are here doing, well, maybe that's who is there.
Why don't you take the time to find out who stands on that corner?
If they are illegal immigrants, then do what you have to do.
Which is why the county has chosen a place for them to be, that way it will not be loitering anymore.
Badges Papers? We ain't got no badges papers! We don't need no badges papers. I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges papers!
Careful Dobbs, they might be banditos!
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