Propuesta para Reforma Migratoria Llega a Congreso

La reforma migratoria integral presentada el martes por líderes demócratas de la Cámara de Representantes de EEUU prevé la legalización de millones de indocumentados y el reforzamiento de la vigilancia fronteriza, pero no tiene aún apoyo republicano.

A continuación se desglosan algunos de los principales elementos del plan reformista que impulsa el legislador demócrata Luís Gutiérrez, según un resumen distribuido por su oficina:

UNA VÍA PARA LA LEGALIZACIÓN:

—Crea un programa de visas temporales por un período de seis años, en el que buena parte de los indocumentados podrían trabajar legalmente y viajar fuera del país.

—Podrán inscribirse en el programa de visas temporales los que paguen una multa de 500 dólares y otras tarifas para los trámites, aprendan inglés y no tengan antecedentes penales.

—Los inmigrantes y sus familiares con estas visas temporales podrán solicitar posteriormente la residencia permanente o “tarjeta verde”, y después la ciudadanía estadounidense. Para conseguir el ajuste migratorio deben también pagar sus impuestos y someterse a una revisión médica.

—Cada inmigrante tendrá que demostrar sus contribuciones al país (a través de empleo, educación, servicio militar y servicio voluntario). Se establecen exenciones a estos requisitos para menores de edad, ancianos y discapacitados.

—El plan incorpora beneficios para trabajadores agrícolas dentro de “AgJobs”, y también incluye el “Dream Act” para estudiantes indocumentados que reúnan ciertos requisitos.

SEGURIDAD FRONTERIZA:

—Crea un Grupo de Trabajo para la Frontera Sur, compuesto por policías locales, estatales y federales, y exige la elaboración de un plan de seguridad en todos los puntos de entrada terrestre a EEUU.

—Apoya: el aumento de personal, equipos y tecnología para reforzar la vigilancia fronteriza; un aumento en la capacitación y asistencia técnica para las autoridades que luchan contra el tráfico de drogas, armas y dinero en efectivo en la frontera sur; el aumento de agentes para combatir el tráfico de inmigrantes indocumentados, exige la recopilación de datos sobre muertes de migrantes en la frontera y establece un “estudio de estrategias” para responder a este fenómeno. Y amplía los recursos para combatir el trasiego de armas de fuego en la frontera entre EEUU y México.

DETENCIONES:

—Exige que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) mejore los servicios de cuidado médico en las cárceles y centros de detenciones de inmigrantes.

—Pide que los detenidos tengan “acceso razonable” al uso de teléfonos, y no se permita su traslado sin tomar en cuenta su condición de salud o su acceso a un abogado. Y pide el establecimiento de una comisión independiente para hacer cumplir los requisitos sobre las condiciones en los centros de detención de inmigrantes.

VERIFICACIÓN DE EMPLEO:

—Establece multas “significativas” para empleadores que no verifican el estatus migratorio de sus nuevos empleados, y fuertes sanciones para quienes contraten a sabiendas a inmigrantes indocumentados.

—Elimina los contratos federales a empleadores que reinciden en contratar a indocumentados. Y prohíbe explícitamente la creación de una cédula de identidad nacional, y prohíbe la discriminación laboral en base a la nacionalidad.

Montebello’s Police Chief Put on Leave

Montebello City Council moved quickly to initiate several personnel changes in the past week, starting with the firing of Interim City Administrator Nick Pacheco last Wednesday, Dec. 9 in the second regular meeting of the new term.

The decision was followed later that week on Friday by the hiring of Randy Narramore, a former Huntington Park police chief, as the new Interim City Administrator during a special council meeting.

On Monday, Narramore’s first order of business was to put Police Chief Daniel Weast on administrative leave. Captains Greg Wilsey and Ralph Newcomb are filling in for Weast until the city appoints an interim, says Montebello spokesperson Gil Espino.

Narramore has declined to comment on the decision of placing Weast on leave, saying it was a confidential personnel matter, according to Espino.

Weast’s appointment as police chief in 2008 was criticized by Mayor Bill Molinari, then a councilman. Molinari said at the time that Weast, who obtained a GED, does not have the qualifications to be chief. Supporters of Weast said his 26-years on the Montebello police force made up for it.

Earlier this year, Weast was also the subject of a liability claim filed by 13 Montebello police officers alleging discrimination and retaliation. In November, the officers filed a lawsuit that includes some additional claims, according to the officers’ attorney Daniel Hitzke.

While Pacheco’s contracts to serve as interim city administrator and interim assistant city administrator agreements were voided based on a 3-2 vote at the Dec. 9 meeting – with Councilman Robert Urteaga and Councilwoman Kathy Salazar voting against breaking the contract – all five council members agreed to appoint Narramore as a replacement two days later at the Dec. 11 special meeting.

Mayor Bill Molinari said after coming out of closed session on Friday that because the current city administrator Richard Torres would not be able to collect his retirement if he were to continue on a voluntary basis immediately after his last day on Dec. 31, the city would need to find someone to manage the city in the meantime. “We will be working through the transition period with Mr. Narramore,” Molinari said.

Narramore, who will be paid $15,000 a month, was thought by the council members to be a good pick because of his experience serving in the same position in the city in 2007 and 2008. He has served in similar interim leadership capacities in other cities and agencies.

In the days that followed, however, both Salazar and Urteaga, have stated to EGP that they intend to rescind their votes, especially after learning that Narramore “fired” Weast on Monday.

“I thought [Narramore would] be a decent caretaker of the city… that’s not being a caretaker. That’s someone acting like a city administrator in an interim position. I was led to believe he’d be managing the city for four months. I was misled by the council majority and what his role will be,” Urteaga told EGP.

“[Narramore] was not brought in to be the caretaker, he was brought in to be a hatchet man,” he said.

Urteaga also went on to accuse the new council majority of violating the Brown Act, not listening to the public and creating instability in the city. “They are victims of their own hypocrisy. They are doing exactly what they accused the previous council majority of doing.

Mayor Bill Molinari, and the newly-elected Mayor Pro Tem Art Barajas and Councilman Frank Gomez are thought to be part of the new council majority following the new council term that started with their installation three weeks ago.

Councilman Gomez says the city expects to find an interim police chief by January. “We do mean interim. These positions are but temporary,” he says.

“We are going to hire professional search firms to seek out the best qualified people in the country,” he said.

The council is making changes “incrementally,” he said. “We believe the public understands it’s going to take time. We have the public’s interests in mind when we make these changes.”

Gold Line Safety Gates On Fast Track

The Metro Board voted last Thursday to speed up the process for installing four crossing gates along the newly-opened Gold Line Eastside Extension, an above-ground light rail line going through East Los Angeles.

Safety was on the minds of several speakers at the meeting who spoke against an environmental impact study on the installation of crossing gates, which they said would delay the project by six months to a year.

Many pointed to a Thanksgiving day accident in which a car and a Gold Line train collided at 3rd and Rowan Avenue, eleven days after the extension opened.

Diana Tarango, who served on the Eastside Extension’s Residential Advisory Committee, RAC, said she was woken up at 8:15 am that morning to news of the accident that resulted in the driver of the car being injured.

“What do you need? A dead body?” Tarango asked the board. She says she sees many people jaywalking and getting ticketed along the line.

“So I’m asking you Ms. [Gloria] Molina, no impact study. We need those gates, we need those fences… and Antonio [Villaraigosa] you need to help these people get those safety gates.  I’m depending on you, I’m depending on Jose Huizar,” she said.

Evelyn Yoshimura, an organizer for the Little Tokyo Senior Resident association, presented a petition listing concerns from ten seniors, many of whom found it difficult to “cross comfortably” and found getting to the station platform “counter-intuitive,” she said.

“We strongly support the issues and concerns being brought forward today by our neighbor in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles,” Yoshimura said.

Supervisor Gloria Molina said RAC members requested gates over a year ago and that the board voted six months ago to put in the gates, “and nothing was done during that period of time.”

“The residents who live there are extremely concerned… and anything we can do to expedite it is what we would like to see and I would hope that somebody will monitor it closely because I think there’s been a lot of stalling internally at the MTA on this issue.”

“We’re with ya, we’re trying to do it… we agree,” Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said to the speakers. After consulting with staff about methods “short of a full-blown EIR,” he made the motion to amend the item to move ahead with a mitigated negative declaration, which would include an analysis of impacts that could be mitigated. The motion was approved by the board unanimously.

Local Assemblyman is Democrat Party’s Top Pick for Speaker Post

Los Angeles freshman Democrat John A. Perez is the unanimous choice of his party colleagues to be the California Assembly’s next speaker, which would make him the first openly gay lawmaker to hold the powerful post.

The 40-year-old former labor union official, a cousin of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, was picked by fellow Assembly Democrats on Dec. 11.

He is scheduled to be confirmed as the next speaker in a floor vote in early January.
The choice ended several contentious weeks of infighting among the Assembly’s Democrats—who hold a 50 to 29 edge over the GOP—and came only after his chief rival, Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, agreed to a truce, the Los Angeles Times reported from Sacramento.

Perez emerged from a closed-door meeting of the Democratic Caucus linking arms with De Leon and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles.

“The Assembly Democratic caucus has made me proud many times in the past 18 months and today is one of those times,” Bass said. “First the high caliber of the speaker candidates we had … and second, by the strength our caucus has shown in coming together and uniting behind one of those candidates, the next speaker of the Assembly, John Perez.”

“Under his leadership and the continued leadership of Assemblymember de Leon and his supporters, I look forward to another year of being made proud by my colleagues as we work to improve the quality of life for the people of California,” Bass added.

Villaraigosa, a former speaker himself, agreed the Assembly made the right choice in choosing Perez. “Known for his integrity, intelligence and consensus building skills, John Perez is simply the right person to lead California out of this recession and help start putting families back to work,” the mayor said.

“John’s election marks an important milestone in the history of California and our nation as the first openly gay man to serve in one of the most powerful positions in state government,” Villaraigosa added. “This is a proud day for all Californians.”

Under terms of an agreement hatched with Bass, whose tenure is set to end next year and who helped recruit Perez as successor, the transition would take place over several months, and Perez might not assume full control until sometime in the spring, The Times reported.

“It says more about California than it does about me,” Perez told the newspaper. “It means that California is a place where everybody has a seat at the table.”

Think Fire Safety This Holiday Season

For most of us, the holidays represent a treasured time of year, and we work hard to make it special for the people we care about most. We decorate our homes with great thought and detail, and entertain friends and family by hosting parties and cooking elaborate meals and treats. But as we do these things, fire safety is rarely a thought. It may seem that the holidays and home fires are two completely different topics, but they’re not; national statistics show that the holiday season turns sorrowful, and sometimes even fatal for so many households each year as the result of home fires.

Cooking, Christmas trees, candles and holiday lights – all key parts of the holiday season – are significant causes of fires that occur this time of year.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. With one or two minor changes that take very little time, the holidays can stay festive and safe for everybody. Following these simple steps can greatly reduce the risk of a home fire:

Cooking: NFPA statistics show that unattended cooking is the leading cause of U.S. home fires and home fire injuries. Stay in the kitchen while you’re frying, grilling or broiling food. Keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop, and turn off the stove when you leave the kitchen, even if it’s for a short period of time. If you’re simmering, boiling, baking or roasting food, check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking. Create a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and areas where hot food and drinks are prepared or carried.

Candles: Candles are widely used during the holidays, and December is the peak month for home candle fires. More than half of all candle fires start because the candle was too close to things that could catch fire. Consider using flameless candles, which look and smell like real candles. Keep traditional candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn, and remember to blow them out when you leave the room or go to bed. Use sturdy candle holders that won’t tip over. Avoid using candles in the bedroom where two of five U.S. candle fires begin or other areas where people may fall asleep. Lastly, never leave a child alone in a room with a burning candle.

Christmas trees: U.S. fire departments annually respond to 250 structure fires caused by Christmas trees. Nearly half of them are caused by electrical problems, and one in four resulted from a heat source that’s too close to the tree. Here are some guidelines for picking, placing and lighting a tree:

If you have an artificial tree, be sure it’s labeled, certified or identified by the manufacturer as fire-retardant.

If you choose a fresh tree, make sure the green needles don’t fall off when touched; before placing it in the stand, cut 1-2 inches from the base of the trunk. Add water to the tree stand, and be sure to water it daily.

Make sure your tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, space heaters, radiators, candles and heat vents or lights.

Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.

Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory, and make sure you know whether they are designed for indoor or outdoor use.

Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords, or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini-string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.

Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.

Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving the home or going to bed.

After Christmas, get rid of the tree. Dried-out trees are a fire hazard and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside the home.

Think green.  Check to see if your community has a Christmas tree recycling program.
Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer.

The holidays are a truly special time of year. Following these fire safety precautions and measures will ensure it remains one. For more tips, advice and information about holiday fire safety, please visit http://www.nfpa.org/holiday.

Judy Comoletti is the Division Manager of Public Education for the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association. Fro more information, visit NFPA’s Web site at http://www.nfpa.org.

Bell Gardens Cancels Meeting for Lack of Quorum

Monday night’s Bell Gardens City Council meeting was cancelled due to lack of a quorum. The late cancellation left many important agenda items pending approval—including the approval of the County Certified Election Results for the Nov. 3 General Municipal Election.

According to Interim City Clerk Vida Barone, the cancellation likely means there will be a special meeting called before the year is over to approve the election results and take care of other business.

The Dec. 14 agenda report includes a Recount Summary and Manual Recount Tally. The four precincts and six vote by mail precincts showed that Daniel Crespo gained two votes. Sergion Infanzon and Luis A. Arias each gained one vote.

Five votes were withdrawn because the voters selected four candidates instead of the limit of three, according to Marcia Ventura, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters. She denied reports that some ballots had been incorrectly numbered, causing them to be disqualified, thus changing the outcome of the election.

The original election results stand, according to Ventura and Barone.

Governor Issues Statement on Death of Los Angeles Soldier

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday ordered flags at the State Capital to be flown at half-staff in honor of a Pvt. Jhanner A. Tello, 29,  of Los Angeles who was killed on December 10 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.

Tello was assigned to the 3rd Aviation Support Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, U.S. Army, Fort Hood, Texas.

Congresistas de Los Ángeles Exhortan Participación Competa en el Censo 2010

En una muestra de fuerza política, cuatro congresistas locales se unieron en la Biblioteca del Este de Los Ángeles el pasado 12 de diciembre con un mensaje sencillo: todos deben participar en el Censo Estadounidense 2010.

Preocupados que sus distritos electorales de nuevo fueran menos contados, la Congresista Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-34), Grace Napolitano (D-38), Xavier Becerra (D-31) y Judy Chu (D-32) dijeron que es indispensable que todos participen, sin importar su estatus legal, en el conteo de cada década del gobierno federal.

“Es muy importante, muy importante,” dijo Roybal-Allard en la rueda de prensa del 12 de diciembre. “Llenar un formulario del censo es una de las cosas más poderosas que uno puede hacer para su comunidad.”

La información del Censo es usada para repartir los asientes de congreso en el estado, formar distritos locales, y talvez de más importancia a los funcionarios durante la recesión actual, la asignación de fondos federales.

Hay evidencia que sostiene que no hubo un conteo completo de la población del Condado de Los Ángeles  en el Censo de 2000 que resulto en la perdida de billones de dólares en fondos federales para cuidado medico, reparar calles, y construir escuelas, entre otras necesidades.

Comunidades de bajos recursos, con gran números de inmigrantes y hispano parlantes, fueron más difíciles de contar y resultaron en las cifras más bajas del conteo, según los oficiales electos. 

Como presidente de la Fundación de Oportunidad México-Americana (MAOF), Martín Castro esta determinado a ver que no se repita el bajo conteo del Censo 2000. MAOF provee servicios a las comunidades latinas cercanas, servicios como: cuidado infantil, educación y programas para padres. Para asegurar que hay suficientes fondos públicos para continuar los programas, Castro se unió al Comité del Este de Los Ángeles de Conteo Completo del Censo.

En el comité, Martín y otros líderes locales, trabajarán para asegurar que un conteo completo sea logrado en 2010. Uno de los retos más difíciles del comité es disolver el miedo equivocado entre inmigrantes que la información que proveen puede ser usada contra ellos.

“Es muy importante que animemos a la comunidad Latina, especialmente a los inmigrantes a no tener miedo,” dijo Castro, agregando que los números del censo son usados para proveer servicios públicos necesitados como servicios sociales, guarderías, escuelas, policías y hospitales.

James Christy, director regional para la Agencia del Censo Estadounidense, también dijo que no hay razón para tener miedo porque los trabajadores del censo están bajo un juramento de toda la vida de no proveer información obtenida en el proceso del censo para cualquier propósito fuera del censo.  Violación del juramento puede resultar en una condena de cinco años y una multa de hasta $250.000 para cada violación. Christy también notó que este censo será el primero censo desde la incepción del Patriot Act, que no permite que se comparta información con otras agencias del gobierno.

Los cuestionarios del censo que serán enviados por correo no piden un seguro social o estatus migratorio.

“Ni el presidente de EEUU puede conseguir la información por medio de un Orden Ejecutivo,” dijo Christy.

Chu notó que hay esfuerzos para entorpecer que algunas poblaciones sean completamente contadas en el censo. Ella se refirió a la enmienda del Senador David Vitter(R-Louisiana) que obligaría que personas revelen su estatus migratorio para participar. Ella y tres otros congresistas en la conferencia de prensa dijeron estar unidos para derrotar la enmienda.

Las tácticas del Censo para asegurar un conteo completo esta vez incluyen un incremento de trabajadores de enlace de 50 en 2000, a 300 en 2010, para que trabajen con alcaldes y líderes religiosos para crear conocimiento sobre el censo.  Christy dijo que en la región de Los Ángeles, más de 60 trabajadores son bilingües y que por primera vez el cuestionario del censo es bilingüe.

Debido a la economía, no hay miles de dólares disponible para hacer anuncios como en 2000. Christy dijo que la agencia está dependiendo de alianzas privadas y de organizaciones sin fines de lucro para desimanar información. MAOF es el educador principal para las comunidades locales durante el conteo.

En la rueda de prensa del sábado, MALDEF lanzó su esfuerzo nacional para educar la comunidad latina sobre la importancia de participación completa. El esfuerzo incluye talleres para educar residentes quienes podrían temer participar debido a su estatus migratorio u otras preocupaciones como problemas legales.

El Presidente de MALDEF Thomas A. Saenz identifico cuatro desafíos que enfrenta el censo. El primer es que la población no documentada ha aumentado desde el último censo. Segundo, la recesión económica ha restrijido fondos públicos para esfuerzos de enlaces. Tercero, algunas organizaciones han llamado por un boicot del censo por la parte de los indocumentados. Y cuatro, derechistas que no quieren que Latinos sean contados se han unido a la enmienda de Vitter.

En respuesta a estos desafíos, Saenz dijo que hay varias herramientas disponibles que no existieron durante el último censo, como tecnología—especialmente la Internet—que ayudará mandar comunicados para educar a los residentes. También dio como ejemplo mensajes de texto y mensajes instantáneos.

Un reporte por investigadores de UCLA en 2001 encontró que más de 170.000 individuos en el Condado de Los Ángeles no fueron incluidos en los datos del censo. El bajo conteo represento un 1.76 por ciento de la población total, lo cual es el menos conteo más bajo en todo el estado y la nación. Según la investigación “2000 Los Angeles Undercount,” por el Centro Ralph and Goldy Lewis de UCLA, concluyó que el bajo conteo fue más alto en vecindades con poblaciónes más pobres, con la mayoría de minorias, y con un número alto de hijos. La investigación destaco que la ciudad de Los Ángeles tubo un conteo bajo por 2.01 por ciento, y ciudades cercanas tenían cifras más altas: Montebello tubo 2.05 por ciento, Bell Gardens tubo 2.82 por ciento, Commerce tuvo 2.20 por ciento y Cudahy tuvo 2.96 por ciento.

El Comité del Este de Los Ángeles de Conteo Completo del Censo, organizada por la Oficina de la Supervisora Gloria Molina, incluye miembros de negocios, organizaciones sin fines de lucro y organizaciones de servicio social, ellos son: Jonathan Sánchez de Eastern Group Publications (este periódico); Gloria Chávez, City Terrace Coordinating Council; Frank Villalobos de Barrio Planners; Gustavo Camacho de Whittier Boulevard Merchants; Martín Castro de MAOF; Ben Cárdenas de la Oficina de la Congresista Napolitano; Richard Mendoza de la Oficina de la Congresista Lucille Roybal-Allard; Jaime Rodríguez de la Oficina del Senador Ron Calderón; Jesse Torres de Pan American Bank; Samuel Robles de NALEO; Lauren Pérez-Rangel de MALDEF; Guadalupe Morales de AltaMed; David Vela de la Oficina de la Supervisora Gloria Molina, y Benita Duran. Para más información sobre el estudio visite www.lewis.ucla.edu/publications/workingpapers/LACensusUndercount.pdf

Lincoln Heights Fire Leaves Elderly Man Fighting For His Life

A 71-year-old man suffered third degree burns to at least half his body in a house fire in Lincoln Heights on Dec 12, a city fire official said.

The fire at 2106 N. Lincoln Park Ave., near Mission Road, was reported about 1:50 p.m. and put out by 10 firefighters in less than five minutes, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.

No other injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire was under investigation and damages were not immediately estimated, he said.

Junta Cancelada en Bell Gardens Deja Asuntos Importantes Para Otro Día

La junta de ayuntamiento de Bell Gardens el lunes fue cancelado debido a falta de asistencia. La cancelación de último momento dejo varios asuntos importantes pendientes—incluso la aprobación de los Resultados Certificados de la Elección Municipal del 3 de nov.

Según la Secretaria Municipal Interina Vida Barone, podría haber una junta especial programada antes de que concluya el año para aprobar los resultados así como otros asuntos de negocio pendientes de la ciudad.

El reporte de la agenda del 14 de diciembre incluyó un Resumen del Recuento y Resumen de Cuenta a Mano. El recuento de cuatro circunscripciones y seis zonas de voto-por-correo resulto que Daniel Crespo consiguió dos votos, Sergio Infanzón consiguió un voto, y Luis A. Arias consiguió un voto.

Cinco votos fueron retirados porque votadores habían marcado votos por cuatro candidatos en vez de el limite de tres, según la Portavoz Marcia Ventura del Registro de Votantes del Condado de Los Ángeles. Ella negó un reporte que hubieron papeletas descalificadas debido a un error de numeración.

Los resultados originales de la elección fueron certificados, según Ventura y Barone.

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