Thanks, Keith. Other people can conduct themselves or express themselves in any way they see fit personally, but I tend to write from the heart and use phrases like "I think ..." or "I believe ..." Maybe it's fruitless because I'm too altruistic sometimes, but it's how I've always been. It also helps me to avoid many arguments regarding semantics, nuances of laws, and minutia of which I'm not an expert. In other words, it keeps me from talking out of my butt - something I see a LOT of people doing around here far too often.
You (or Lew, or Victoria, or anyone) can disagree with my viewpoint, and that's fine. What I take offense to is a lot of the unwarranted name calling that results from the disagreements. Last time I checked, I was a registered Independent, not a Communist or Socialist. Imagine that. But the names sure do fly around, don't they?
Anyway, believe me, I absolutely understand the argument about "illegals" becoming, for lack of a better term, "legals". I also understand that law is law, and no citizen or elected officials is above it (cough, cough, Messrs. Cheney and Bush).
I also fully understand that many illegals are probably scared to start the legalization process, because they don't know how to do it, because they're not sure they're "smart" enough (to learn English, to take the naturalization exam, to figure out taxes, or to even fill out an application correctly, etc.), or because admitting they're here "illegally" prior to beginning the process could get them thrown in jail or deported.
Now, if ICE or any other group can prove that the center is illegal, yes - it's a major problem that will have to be dealt with. For reasons such as this very one (legality vs. humanitarian issues), I'm glad I'm not a politician myself.
But until this becomes a proven fact - any my opinion on the whole thing could very well change if we find that out, and to what extent - it's supposition, and I don't think it's fair to make assumptions about the center, the intent of the city to run it, or the people who utilize it.
The way I see it, for now at least, is that the city is trying to help the people who live here. It's trying to help real, live human beings who may need assistance.
I'm not a religious guy myself, but I do remember hearing a little something about "love thy neighbor." Seems to me, this is one way of doing just that.
One other quick point. You wrote, "... they can stand wherever the heck they want to get a penny-per-day job ...". I realize that you are using a generalization to make a point, and that's fair enough, but I think a center such as this one does, in fact, achieve a humanitarian goal, at least in theory: it prevents abuse of day labor by employers, as there is at least some degree of governmental oversight.
I think that a city-run program prevents day-labor employers from quasi-slavery or extortion. Who is to say that a guy who picks up a day laborer on the street corner won't stiff him on pay for work done, or that the employer won't say "we're not paying you for your work, but you're going to keep working for us anyway because if you complain, we'll report you."
Never having been a day laborer, I don't know if stuff like that actually happens. But conceivably it could, right? Having an organized central "brain" can eliminate (or at least minimize) the possibility of something like that happening. At least, I hope it would.
Is it a perfect system? No, absolutely not. Given the circumstances, though, I honestly think it does more good than harm. I really do.
And people can disagree with me and my opinions, and that's fine, but if we can't help (not give handouts to, but HELP) those among us who need the help most ... man, I just don't want to be a part of that kind of world. That's not the kind of place this country ought to be.
You (or Lew, or Victoria, or anyone) can disagree with my viewpoint, and that's fine. What I take offense to is a lot of the unwarranted name calling that results from the disagreements. Last time I checked, I was a registered Independent, not a Communist or Socialist. Imagine that. But the names sure do fly around, don't they?
Anyway, believe me, I absolutely understand the argument about "illegals" becoming, for lack of a better term, "legals". I also understand that law is law, and no citizen or elected officials is above it (cough, cough, Messrs. Cheney and Bush).
I also fully understand that many illegals are probably scared to start the legalization process, because they don't know how to do it, because they're not sure they're "smart" enough (to learn English, to take the naturalization exam, to figure out taxes, or to even fill out an application correctly, etc.), or because admitting they're here "illegally" prior to beginning the process could get them thrown in jail or deported.
Now, if ICE or any other group can prove that the center is illegal, yes - it's a major problem that will have to be dealt with. For reasons such as this very one (legality vs. humanitarian issues), I'm glad I'm not a politician myself.
But until this becomes a proven fact - any my opinion on the whole thing could very well change if we find that out, and to what extent - it's supposition, and I don't think it's fair to make assumptions about the center, the intent of the city to run it, or the people who utilize it.
The way I see it, for now at least, is that the city is trying to help the people who live here. It's trying to help real, live human beings who may need assistance.
I'm not a religious guy myself, but I do remember hearing a little something about "love thy neighbor." Seems to me, this is one way of doing just that.
One other quick point. You wrote, "... they can stand wherever the heck they want to get a penny-per-day job ...". I realize that you are using a generalization to make a point, and that's fair enough, but I think a center such as this one does, in fact, achieve a humanitarian goal, at least in theory: it prevents abuse of day labor by employers, as there is at least some degree of governmental oversight.
I think that a city-run program prevents day-labor employers from quasi-slavery or extortion. Who is to say that a guy who picks up a day laborer on the street corner won't stiff him on pay for work done, or that the employer won't say "we're not paying you for your work, but you're going to keep working for us anyway because if you complain, we'll report you."
Never having been a day laborer, I don't know if stuff like that actually happens. But conceivably it could, right? Having an organized central "brain" can eliminate (or at least minimize) the possibility of something like that happening. At least, I hope it would.
Is it a perfect system? No, absolutely not. Given the circumstances, though, I honestly think it does more good than harm. I really do.
And people can disagree with me and my opinions, and that's fine, but if we can't help (not give handouts to, but HELP) those among us who need the help most ... man, I just don't want to be a part of that kind of world. That's not the kind of place this country ought to be.
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