The Pasadena Star News has a recap of a debate on the upcoming elections for city council -
Councilman Victor Gordo and challenger Herminia Ortiz squared off Saturday in a debate focusing on immigrant concerns such as affordable housing, protections for day laborers, and rumors of federal immigration raids.
I'm not a fan of current councilman, Victor Gordo, but Ortiz doesn't even speak English! -
The Institute of Popular Education of Southern California hosted the forum at Villa Parke Community Center. It was conducted primarily in Spanish, with English translation.
Ortiz, who does not speak English, is running for Gordo's Fifth District council seat in the March 8 election. It is the only contested City Council race, and Gordo is heavily favored to win re- election.
How can she represent the entire district, when she obviously would only do so for half the residents; that should be troubling to many. She wants to portray the many immigrants as victims of city officials and law enforcement -
She criticized an affordable housing project funded in part by the City Council and being built by Heritage Housing Partners at Fair Oaks Avenue and Peoria Street. She said the project had forced out Latino families, and others are either too poor to be considered for low-income housing or undocumented and therefore unqualified.
Ortiz also complained of police patrols of sites where day laborers congregate, earning loud applause from the Spanish-speaking crowd when she suggested that money for those officers could be better spent on health care for the community.
Ortiz needs to realize that if immigrants want to be a part of the community, then they need to become citizens, vote, and learn to speak English. It's pretty darn simple. If they can't, or won't, do so, then it's time to leave the country. You can read more about Ortiz and the election here and here.
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