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Local Taxpayers Close Down Thousand Oaks Day Laborer Center!
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Residents and Judicial Watch want to stop this illegal employment center.
STORY TOOLS 
More from Conejo ValleyHistory was made in Thousand Oaks California on the corner of Hampshire Boulevard and Royal Oaks Street, Saturday July 12. Hundreds of illegal alien day laborers have been crowded in this peaceful city owned park area along Hampshire Road in Old Thousand Oaks. For many years, hundreds of possible illegal alien day laborers have littered this area. Sadly, this rundown area is the first thing outside tourists see when tourists exit the 101 Freeway on their way to visit the state-of-the-art Thousand Oaks City Theater complex. This Thousand Oaks city sponsored day laborer center was essentially CLOSED for that one day.
Ventura county residents, taxpayers and voters will recall that the Thousand Oaks City Council has spent $89,000, appropriated through the city's Community Development Block Grant Fund to build the center and with an annual maintenance site cost is about $20,000. That is taxpayer's $100,00 spent a year costs to have this DLC (Day Laborer Center) open. Also to help the day laborers further, a social service agency based in Oxnard, provides English classes to the day workers. The program is being funded with a $25,000. All the while other proud city fun traditions like the annual 40 plus years-old Conejo Valley Days parade and festival cannot be held for lack of city funding. Also there are many press articles demonstrating that local police and fire city services continue to suffer from lack of city budgetary support.
Local voting taxpayers must be reminded about the beleaguered LONG history of this controversial day laborer center. For years, day laborers had gathered at the former site of a hardware store on Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Fairview Road. After the store closed, the hundreds of workers continued coming to Fairview and Crescent Way, a residential neighborhood. Local homeowners there complained, however, and the Thousand Oaks City council considered 18 other locations before relocating the city-sponsored laborer center two blocks away to the city-owned park greenbelt on Royal Oaks Drive in June 2002. "There's no perfect site," said Assistant City Manager Scott Mitnick. "We took it out of a residential area and put it in a safer location. It's a complicated issue." LINK:
[url]http://www.toacorn.com/News/2004/0624/Front_page/002.html[/url]
Also back in 2004, Shanté Durisseau, a local taxpayer/voter and member of the Old Town Neighborhood Improvement Association apparently disapproved of the growing disruptive delinquent city day laborer site saying, "I resent the city of Thousand Oaks' continued support of the laborers camp in Old Town Thousand Oaks. It is inappropriate for groups of men to gather daily in a residential neighborhood with families and children (**NOTE: A Montesorri school is a block away). This site not only attracts workers but derelicts and unsavory individuals. This would not be tolerated or allowed to fester in more upscale communities like Dos Vientos. The city has bent over backwards to accommodate these workers, spending thousands of dollars to install temporary toilets, curbs, tables and benches. But we can't even get our streets cleaned regularly (or get derelict cars towed). We have complained about the loitering, public drunkenness, men urinating in the street and drug use. It seems as if these workers have more rights and privileges than the taxpaying citizens in this community. .... We have found ourselves in the "ghetto of Thousand Oaks." LINK:
[url] http://www.toacorn.com/News/2004/0729/Letters/008.html[/url]
The nationally known public advocate group, Judicial Watch examined this controversial city sponsored day laborer center. Last July of '07, Judicial Watch sent an official letter of complaint to Thousand Oaks Mayor, Andrew P. Fox. Judicial Watch Inc is an organization that seeks to promote accountability in government and fidelity to the rule of law. Judicial Watch has won many landmark court cases against governmental defendants. The Judicial Watch letter said, "We are writing to advise you of serious legal concerns relating to your city's funding and operation of a day laborer center. In records obtained by the use of the California Public Records Act, we have determined that the City of Thousand Oaks has expended in excess of $133,000 of citizen taxpayer funds from 2001 to 2007 to subsidize criminal activity at Day Laborer site in violation of federal immigration law. It cannot be reasonably disputed that users of the Thousand Oaks day laborer site include undocumented workers. Studies conducted around the nation have confirmed that day laborers are predominantly persons not legally present or authorized to work in the United Sates...As you know, it is unlawful for employers to hire undocumented workers.... Moreover, by establishing and operating the proposed day laborer site, the city is likely violating Federal law....For the city to use taxpayer resources in this manner is akin to the city operating its own red light' district or illegal drug market to enable persons to participate in such activities to have a safe, orderly, well-regulated environment in which to engage in their illicit transactions....While the intentions behind the site may be well-meaning, the establishment and operation of this site is not proper use of taxpayer resources..." The original PDF file is on the Judicial Watch Internet website. LINK:
[url]http:www.judicialwatch.org/6370.shtml[/url]
But, on Saturday July 12, the residents took back the park and streets! About 30 illegals were in their area with their bright orange construction vest wearing host-leader. Their DLC host is in charge of directing the labor negotiations between illegal workers and outlaw local employers. Most of the Ventura County Sheriff law enforcement attention that day was mis-directed towards the quiet respectful eight activists caring American flags and sign placards on the sidewalk waving to the passers-by. The deputies would not allow protestors to hang their banners from city owned park poles and warned of issuing street jaywalking tickets to this morning's activists. The sheriff deputies ordered these neighborhood voter activists to stay well away from the larger crowd of illegal day laborers, all the while small groups of illegal day laborers were given the freedom to jaywalk, and walk through the activist's sidewalk ranks. Many laborers made routine trips to the neighborhood corner liquor store all day. Strangely, the illegals got no verbal warning or even a harsh look from the four Ventura deputies policing this event.
The interested activist attendees were SzinWestLA' and Ode Glory' while the majority of Ventura County residents voters included Sokolkiev', Tim55', Standing Alone', Small and Mighty', Fight Racism' and Seenitall'. (**NOTE: A majority are ex-Save Our State members.) All through the day, hundreds of residents giving the positive thumbs-up' and happy car honking from local drivers was intoxicating to experience by the anti-illegal alien protestors on Royal Oaks Street area. But, some shameful employers tried to circumvent federal immigration and state labor laws with only four very feeble attempts at hiring, so this center was essentially CLOSED for that day. When an outlaw employer tried to initiate an illegal hire, several protestors walked up into the site with their video cameras filming the process. Video has been loaded on the Internet. LINK:
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpw4EvhWeYE[/url]
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8OYGs&feature=email[/url]
That seemed to quickly cancel the operation between illegal laborer and outlaw employer. All outlaw employers left the area empty handed under the angry bitter eyes of the law breaking illegal laborers. Some of these turned away employers left disapprovingly yelling out their car windows at the protesting sidewalk residents using the same old mindless epithets. These ridiculous employers comments were always screamed while the frustrated speaker was speeding away. Another outlaw employer attempted and failed to throw something at the protesting residents near very end of the event. No police action was taken.
It was a beautiful day and the tree-covered area was ideal. It was a complete success because the anti-illegal alien immigration issue was opened and shared with hundreds of local car drivers and passers-by. The city operated day laborer center was shut down completely. Another event should be planned in weeks to keep these illegal matters in the minds of the local residents/taxpayers/voters and to stop the Day Laborer Center illegal operations. Come out and join your neighbors in this honorable mission by getting involved. Now is the time!
Posted by rwhitnall , Moderator, on July 15, 2008 at 4:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
YourNews editor's note - The citation links in Genovese's story don't seem to be working. Try these (corresponding to the order in which they appear in his article):
http://www.toacorn.com/News/2004/0624...
http://www.toacorn.com/News/2004/0729...
www.judicialwatch.org/6370.shtml
And the YouTube links are as follow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpw4Ev...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8OYGs...
Posted by archer on July 15, 2008 at 6:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
on link didn't work. try this one to Judicial Watch.
http://www.judicialwatch.org/6370.shtml
Posted by sokol_kiev on July 15, 2008 at 9:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Great article to read! Thanks for writing it and sharing this great news, Genovese.
My only respectful disagreement with one statement in your article would be the reference to the T.O. Police officers who were stationed at the site during the rally as having their attention "mis-directed" to the rally participants. I don't think that to be a fair statement as the officers were simply doing their job in ensuring the protest remained peaceful and safe for all involved. I for one greatly appreciated the officers presence throughout and their successful efforts in ensuring a peaceful rally.
Posted by Birdsong on July 15, 2008 at 10:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I was also a member of Save Our State, but found the political atmosphere too confining in that you had to vote their way or be banned from the forum. I was devastated to see that the Jerry Springer-esk mindset had so consumed the site and the forum and so much damage done to the movement as a whole as a result, I pulled away from any further involvement. That didn't sit well since shrugging my shoulders and sitting on the sidelines has never been my forte'.
Let's not dwell on the inane, however. It's good to see the fight carries on with people having some cool heads and steady attitudes. The article was well-written and I'm very proud to see action of a peaceful and mature nature. Finally someone with some common sense joins the fight!
Today saw Pelosi stating that the economy (and therefore Bush of course)was to blame for the rising prices and financial woes and not the fuel costs. I wrote to her and said that perhaps if we weren't spending millions to billions on protecting ourselves against, educating, feeding, housing, prosecuting, and medicating illegal aliens BETTER than we do our own countrymen, perhaps the problem would be moot. We won't even mention the Democrats continuous voting against any sort of drilling from the 90's on which would, obviously, stemmed the oil/fuel cost issue.
How anyone with a microscopic CLUE can stand there in front of the American public and state that the billions of dollars spent on illegal immigrants does not contribute to our situation, and the tripling of fuel costs is not the significant answer, well, we just gotta question whether ANY of these congressmen need to be re-elected.
I say if they ain't FOR drilling and AGAINST the financial invasion from the south, they ain't getting my vote this year.
Posted by sokol_kiev on July 16, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good comments, Birdsong. I completely agree. Your sentiments echo my concerns as to why, even though I greatly respect and support those who are members of Save Our State and No More Invasion, I personally have choosen to not join either organization as a member and instead continue along the path I've been taking these past few years in getting the T.O. City Council to stop their illegal practice of funding this day labor site with our federal funds & local tax dollars.
On a side note which I forgot to mention in my first post, I do wish that Genovese would have contacted me first to give me a heads up and obtain my approval before including my screen name in his/her article.
Posted by archer on July 16, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sokol wrote "My only respectful disagreement with one statement in your article would be the reference to the T.O. Police officers who were stationed at the site during the rally as having their attention "mis-directed" to the rally participants. I don't think that to be a fair statement.." AND "I do wish I would have contacted me first to give me a heads up and obtain my approval before including my screen name in his/her article."
I greatly enjoyed reading this article. My two cents- Maybe you should have stopped nit-picking others and write you own article?
Posted by whiteboy on July 16, 2008 at 3:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey, I'm a citizen and I can't find work. I've been thinking of going to this spot myself and standing there and seeing if I can get work. It seems to work for the illegals! I wonder what they would think if a bunch of us young men who can't find work in the area showed up and competed with them for those jobs. I wonder if we would get hired before the illegals or if we would be shunned. It's degrading and demoralizing what this does to the community. Thousand Oaks has become a safe have for illegal immigrants from restaurant workers to day laborers. They bring crime and drugs into the community and they live in unkempt areas where property values plummet. Maybe it's time to file some lawsuits.
Posted by archer on July 16, 2008 at 6:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
NANCY PELOSI FACTS
Current Elected Office Contact Information
Contact Rep. Nancy Pelosi at sf.nancy@mail.house.gov
Website: www.house.gov/pelosi
Washington, D.C. Office:
235 Cannon House Office Building,
District of Columbia 20515-0508
Phone: (202) 225-4965
Fax: (202) 225-8259
San Francisco Office: (more district offices)
Burton Federal Building 450 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, California 94102
Phone: (415) 556-4862
Fax: (415) 861-1670
San Francisco Office:
Burton Federal Building 450 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, California 94102
Phone: (415) 556-4862
Fax: (415) 861-1670
**OLD info:
Current Office: U.S. House
Current District: 8
Office Seeking: U.S. House
District Seeking: 8
First Elected: 06/02/1987
Last Elected: 11/07/2006
Next Election: 2008
Party: Democratic
Background Information
Gender: Female
Family: Husband: Paul
5 Children: Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul, Alexandra.
Birth Date: 03/26/1940
Birthplace: Baltimore, MD
Home City: San Francisco, CA
Religion: Catholic
Education:
BA, Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University
Washington, D.C.), 1962.
Professional Experience:
Consultant, Public Relations
Chairwoman, Senatorial Campaign Finance Committee
Intern, Senator Daniel Brewster, United States Senate.
Political Experience:
Speaker, United States House of Representatives, 2007-present
Minority Leader, United States House of Representatives, 2002-2006
Minority Whip, United States House of Representatives, 2001-2002
Representative, United States House of Representatives, 1987-present
Elected, Special Election, United States House of Representatives, 1987
State Chair, California Democratic Party, 1981-1983
Chair, Northern California Democratic Party, 1977-1981.
Organizations:
Founder, Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS
Member, Board of Trustees, LSB Leakey Foundation
Honorary Board Member, National Organization of Italian-American Women.
Caucuses/Non-Legislative Committees:
Co-Chair, Democratic National Platform Committee, 1992
Chair, Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, 1985
Co-Chair, AIDS Task Force, House Democratic Caucus
Co-Chair, Biomedical Research Caucus
Chair, Congressional Working Group on China
Vice Chair, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Member, Democratic Homeland Security Task Force
Member, Democratic National Committee
Chair, Democratic Steering Committee
Vice Chair, Executive Committee, Democratic Study Group.
Posted by sokol_kiev on July 16, 2008 at 6:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In all sincerity, I appreciate your post, Archer. However, I don't consider providing my perspective by expressing appreciation for the the services provided by the three police officers' who were stationed at our rally for the duration as being nit picky. Those fine officers kept our rally peaceful and us safe -- which ultimately contributed to the success of our rally.
Additionally, while I greatly appreciate the article's author thoughtful intent on providing credit to those who attend this specific rally, I don't think it's too much to ask that the author seek my permission first before publishing my screen name as part of his/her article. It would have been the respectful thing to do. And if the article author couldn't reach me to inquire if I was okay with it first, then the prudent thing he/she should have done was simply not include my screen name. Again, something I don't find as being nit picky.
As to why I didn't write my own article... believe me, I do my fair share of efforts in trying to get the T.O. City Council to close down this illegally taxpayer funded day labor site for illegal aliens. The only difference with me is that I don't need to publicize all of my efforts. I personally perfer to work behind the scenes in most cases to champion this cause.
But your comments are once again, appreciated.
Posted by kelly13 on July 17, 2008 at 11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Finally......maybe we can get this placed closed. Any day labor site to benefit illegal activity is wrong. I hope Judicial Watch stays on this.
Posted by JohnGC on July 17, 2008 at 2:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Great Article! Thank you!
Posted by Birdsong on July 17, 2008 at 9:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sokol_Kiev~
In private conversation with the author, it appears that you haven't made your email or phone number or any contact information available. That's probably why he didn't ask your permission.
Posted by Birdsong on July 18, 2008 at 10:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The protest was mentioned on Free Republic here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-n...
Well done!
Posted by archer on July 19, 2008 at 11:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just got emailed some photos of this 1000 Oaks city Day labor center resident's protest event:
[url]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21...[/url]
[url]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21...[/url]
[url]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21...[/url]
[url]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21...[/url]
[url]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21...[/url]
[url]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21...[/url]
These photos are interesting, if you take a close look at what's in them.
In the article the resident protestors were threatened with jay walking traffic tickets by county deputies on duty, and a photo shows a laborer clearly jaywalking right next to a 1000 Oaks police car. No ticket? Also, it is interesting the local county deputies are standing around and walking right past laborers who are violating public littering and public loitering laws. No ticket? And that outlaw truck driving employers are sadly allowed to park to pick-up laborers in a clear area marked by city traffic signs as "No Stopping' zones without being issued any traffic tickets by posted police officials. No ticket? What a Keystone Cop clown comedy!
Also notice in photos, how many 'poor' laborers have the cash to have personal cell phone use.
The city FIX is in! YOur tax dollars mis-used. Taxpayer/voters unite against this.
Posted by archer on September 19, 2008 at 3:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
MORE RALLY PHOTOS:
Just got emailed some more photos of this 1000 Oaks city Day labor center resident's protest event:
[url]http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v21...[/url]
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