While you are ultimately correct that they will fail, the problem lies within the fact that it will take many more years for this area to no longer be a “pick up spot” for these day laborers and that they will hang out here.

I have seen what the day laborer presence has done to Hope Depot & Western Avenue. Both of those areas have become eyesores. None of us want this to happen to our area and we would like to clean up those areas.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but why are we spending tax dollars on what the city considers an illegal operation?

1.) CASA Latina deceptively obtained money from our city and we are going to make certain that it does not happen again.

2.) CASA Latina wants to bring day laborers which CASA Latina admits are 75% illegal to a residential neighborhood.

3.) Our (yours, too) tax dollars are funding an organization which promotes under the table employment of illegal, undocumented individuals. We will not stand for this.

No need to be scared, I have no idea who you are. I know you live near my residence and/or business and that is all. I don’t even know if you are male or female. (assuming male) We have likely crossed paths, yet neither will ever know it.

I am delighted that you bloged on this topic. We need more conversation on this from both sides.

In the meantime, let me just say that if you do read this blog beyond this one entry I wrote, you can tell that I am quite the radical (and a really sweet and shy one, at that), and so that clearly is a strong foundation for where I’m coming from on this or any issue. It also made me scared at first when I found that someone had just stumbled upon by blog and was reacting to it…this really isn’t intended for wide distribution…but google is a powerful tool, I guess.

Also (and I’ll write more about this in my response), my partner is Guatemalan, who knows people who have struggled very hard to make their way here in the US and so I am particularly sensitive to this issue…particularly as it relates to a larger context of a growing anti-immigrant backlash in this country.

See you soon.

Give me a day or two and I will respond to your points as I can.

Clearly you are actively involved in the opposition so that’s good to just know and have out there…so that I can have a sense of who found my blog and is responding to it.

1.) We, the group of concerned citizens are made up of: Vietnamese/American, Chinese/American, African/American, Japanese, Caucasian (Italian, Irish, Swiss, German). We are being called racist by the Latino individuals within CASA Latina. How is it that we are racist? We are made up of many races.

2.) We are concerned about the location of this. Hilary claims to serve 12,000 individuals per year (This is inflated, however it is likely that many are served) and this is to take place in a residential neighborhood near schools, churches, elderly living centers, etc. This is NOT a good place for this.

3.) The ONLY reason this is being done is because Paul Allen wants them out of Belltown for his new building projects & Donald Trump is considering several parcels there and our city officials want them out of there.

4.) We, the citizens of this area have canvased the neighborhood and collected over 1,200 signatures of residents and 125 businesses that were not notified of the impending move until it was too late.

5.) Hilary Stern/Yvonne Sanchez and their group intentionally kept their move quiet and reported to the council that not only were there no objections in the community, but that we whole heartedly embraced their presence. The fact isthat we never knew they were coming.

6.) I find it odd that our city officials will give a group that promotes the hiring of undocumented individuals for cash under the table. I can not pay my employees cash under the table, if I did, I would be in big trouble with the gov’t. Hilary admitted that over 75% of their clientele are not legal.

7.) We have spent a great deal of time cleaning up this neighborhood and now we are going to bring in an agency that works with day laborers. Have you been to Home Depot? Have you been to Western Avenue? This is what we will have here, now.

I guess what i am trying to say is that NONE of us are looking at it from a race standpoint. We are looking at it from a behavior standpoint. The behavior of these individuals is poor due to the facgt that they are male & are day laborers that can not hold down a regular job. I have the same opinions of Operation Nightwatch, and they serve mostly mid 40′s white males. I do not want them here either. If I had to choose, I would take CASA Latina over Nightwatch, however, I am not happy with the placement of either. So i am paying through taxes to facilitate illegal activity and thereby condoning it and now i have to spend even more money to fight something my gov’t has dumped on me.

If you get a chance, read the article in the PI about CASA Latina and read the comments posted. it is quite interesting. Just Google: CASA Latina Seattle and click on the “News” baloon.

There is my two cents.

Of course I would agree with you that it is ALSO a neighborhood issue, but that does not take away how racialized it is. You were there, you heard some of the comments that people were making, and how racialized so much of it was.

If you want to make a case that I am more xenophobic than ANYONE else at that meeting, go for it, I am listening because I certainly want to make some changes if that is how I seem.

Please, share some more of your analysis here.