MAILBAG - March 17, 2006

Overdue thanks to Trevino

Laguna has much to be grateful for. FEMA has come through; the state has sent money; we can now pay for the Bluebird Canyon repairs without depleting our city coffers. We will be able to keep our sales tax dollars to build a reserve emergency fund. And for this Mayor Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider and Sen. Dianne Feinstein deserve much credit and thanks.

But somehow overlooked and one who also deserves credit and thanks is the man who started the whole process.

I was watching the City Council meeting one night during the dark days after FEMA turned down, without explanation, Laguna’s request for help. Al Trevino, a long-time Lagunan and a slide victim, stood up. He suggested to the council that continued appeals to FEMA was not the way to proceed. Drawing from the experience of his years of working with the federal government in Washington, Trevino said that Feinstein was the mover and shaker who could get things done. He advised the mayor to call Feinstein, invite her to Laguna to see the wreckage, and ask for her help in getting the emergency money. The mayor did, the senator came, the money is now committed to us.

So along with the mayor and the senator, let’s add a heartfelt thanks to Al Trevino.

BONNIE HANO

Laguna Beach

Aliso Creek, traffic issues are priorities

Cleaning up Aliso Creek needs to be a priority. My family is down there all the time, and it is appalling to know that our city, county, state and country would allow this kind of deadly pollution to continue.

I also think it is important for as many citizens as possible to attend the March 28 City Council meeting. They will be discussing Alternative Transportation and Traffic Safety in our city. I have been speaking with our City Council members, the Parking, Traffic and Circulation and Recreation Committees and a wide variety of organizations in our city such as the Chamber of Commerce, Senior Center and our school board, who all feel that it is time to focus on pedestrian and bicycle safety and increasing the frequency of our shuttle service year round.

People are tired of the car being our focus and not encouraging alternative transportation to reduce parking, congestion, pollution problems and increase our focus on walking, bike riding, skateboarding and shuttle service.

There is a lot of funding available at this point in time to help us fulfill our vision, but we need the City Council to ask the experts, such as leaders who have successfully executed the Safe Routes to School Program and other transportation experts that have successfully implemented “Complete Streets” and public transportation. Just because we can’t figure out our transportation and traffic safety problems, doesn’t mean that we should give up. Let’s ask outside experts to help us, as every other city in America has done. Just as we have learned with the landslide, it is all about asking the right people.

TRACE KLUG

Laguna Beach

Minuteman Project has right to enforce nation’s laws

I read with interest, the article written by Ana Maria Patino (March 3, Coastline Pilot), an attorney practicing law in Orange County, who claimed the Minutemen ignore the Constitution of the United States of America and the Bill of Rights.

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights applies to the elected government, not to the citizens. Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. Read it sometime. The Constitution is the “framework of our government” and the Bill of Rights is not a list of our rights, but a list of restrictions placed on government, to protect our rights ? facts an attorney should understand.

From this I infer the responsibility of “we the people” to step forward, when we feel the government (our employee) needs assistance or supervision in carrying out their duties.

I will tell you that from my experience, and investigation, the Minutemen operate within the Constitution and under the Bill of Rights as citizens but also as patriots, stepping up to defend our nation against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.When President George Bush called the Minutemen vigilantes, he was correct in doing so. The dictionary defines “vigilante” as “to be watchful and observant.” Along our southern border with Mexico, the Minutemen do lawfully carry firearms, in accordance with state penal code 12000, as protected by the Second Amendment.Ms. Patino claims the Minutemen “practice racial profiling, interfere with people’s right to travel and right to be free of illegal seizure guaranteed to everyone by our United States Constitution and State Constitution.”

Ms. Patino sounds more like an “open borders reconquista” to me. Once a person crosses the line from law abider to law breaker, then he or she accepts, and should expect, reasonable actions will be taken against himself or herself, to enforce the laws of this land ? Ms. Patino, this means America.So, here is my dilemma: How do I differentiate a person legally eligible for employment from one who is an illegal alien, on the border, in my town, or at a day-labor center?

Racial profiling does not exclude observing a person’s behavior, location, possessions and direction of travel, then forming an assumption of guilt or innocence. The Minutemen are private citizens, not a government agency, and therefore do not have to follow racial profiling guidelines.

Most eligible employees will apply with a legitimate employer and not associate with the day-labor sites. However, mostly illegal aliens, who cannot comply with the requirements of the Department of Homeland Security, associate at the day-labor centers.

So, it is by evidence of association and behavior that I deduce the higher percentage of persons at the day-labor centers are in fact illegal aliens, and therefore subject to detention and questioning to determine which have proper documents and which do not. Further, those associated with the operation of the day-labor centers, or the aiding and abetting of illegal immigration, are accountable to society, and will face prosecution, under federal laws, requiring six-figure fines and a few years in prison for each conviction.

People have a right to travel and be free of seizure, so long as they are acting in accordance with our laws. As I stated above, the Bill of Rights is not a list of our rights, we are all born with rights. But with rights come responsibility, and it is not unreasonable to expect people to be responsible to our society. The Minutemen do not stop people on the border, they observe and report them to their chain of command, who report to the Border Patrol, who then make the encounter.

The Minutemen avoid contact, but will defend themselves and apprehend people or kill, if needed. I would expect a lawyer, such as Ms. Patino, to understand facts. The fact that the Minutemen seem to target primarily Latinos is a fact that is beyond the control of the Minutemen.

Ms. Patino claims the Minutemen are “committing the crimes of false imprisonment and kidnapping.” It is legal to kidnap a person to effect citizens arrest. The Minutemen have not started to arrest illegal aliens, yet. But, the “grace period” is nearing an end, so I urge you to encourage self-deportations, to ease suffering.

We the people have always retained the power to stop people and ask them for their immigration status, and to show proper documentation to prove their right to be in this country. We the people don’t answer to Mexico, or any other foreign nation. Should we the people discover any illegal aliens, or any aiders or abettors, we the people will forthwith arrest them, and hand them to our elected government and their employees, whom we delegate to do the processing for deportation.

GERRY NANCE

Fullerton

Stand and be silent for the flag

This year the combined American Legion/VFW Color Guard had the honor of leading off the Patriots Day Parade. Normally the Mounted Marine Color Guard has the honor of being the parade’s leading Color Guard and we are a little further back in the parade. However, due to a sick horse the Marines had to cancel their appearance.

As Commander of the American Legion/VFW Color Guard I had the opportunity to observe those watching the parade as we approached and passed by. As usual, I noticed that our United States Flag received a reasonable amount of applause but sadly, very few of the seated people stood as our flag went by.

This is not right, but is sort of understandable when we are further back in the parade since hopefully they had paid their full respects earlier when the Marine Color Guard passed. But now I wonder if most people actually stood in the past when the Marine Color Guard passed. (It should be noted that every United States flag carried by a formal Color Guard should receive the same full respect given to the first flag to pass by.)

Citizens should be aware, and make their children aware, that they are to stand when our country’s flag passes in parade, remain silent, and place their right-hand across their heart. Men wearing hats should uncover and place their hand and hat across their heart. After the flag passes, applause is appropriate and welcomed.

DAVE CONNELL

Laguna Beach