Senate Bill 529
Hispanics planning boycott on Friday
By ASHLEY COX and JEFF GILL
The Times
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The way Miguel Rodriguez sees it, the Gainesville-Hall County area may not fully appreciate the economic impact of its local Hispanic community.
Rodriguez, a serviceman for Que Buena FM in Gainesville, said Wednesday the radio station has been broadcasting details of a boycott that encourages Spanish-speaking residents to not spend money Friday in Hall County.
"This is to show how much money the Hispanic community spends every weekend," he said. "We want the community to see how much they would miss if we leave."
The radio station is calling for a boycott in protest of Senate Bill 529, to which a state House committee made a last-minute change on Wednesday, adding a 5 percent surcharge on wire transfers from illegal immigrants.
Sponsored by state Sen. Chip Rogers, the bill: denies state services to adults living in the state illegally; sanctions companies that knowingly employ undocumented workers; and imposes stiff penalties on human trafficking.
It's the latest skirmish in a battle over a Republican push to crack down on illegal immigration.
The debate over denying state services to illegal immigrants has been one of the hot-button issues at the Capitol and droves of activists from both sides have rallied at the Capitol.
"Anything that goes against people is wrong," Rodriguez said. "You say everyone is equal, but with this bill you are saying we are not equal."
Local attorney David Kennedy will be at the radio station about noon Friday to address the issue.
Dave Anderson, owner of Mexico Lindo newspaper, said protests and boycotts stemming from the issue of immigration have been going on, to a degree, nationwide.
"A lot of families are in the process of becoming legal, but they want to spend money on the borders, not on processing," he said.
Rodriguez also said he had heard that teachers were telling Hispanic children not to go to school Friday and he wanted to know why.
Dennis Fordham, superintendent of the Hall County School System, alerted principals Wednesday to rumors swirling of a possible boycott of schools Friday, said Gordon Higgins, spokesman for the system.
He told principals that the rumors involve students staying home from school because U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services agents plan to swoop down on area schools.
The system has no information from the INS, Gov. Sonny Perdue's office or the Georgia Department of Education concerning any immigration enforcement at the schools, and school will go on as usual, Fordham said in the message.
Gainesville City Schools' superintendent, Steven Ballowe, said he sent a letter home to parents Wednesday saying that a flier is circulating that requests Hispanics to boycott work and businesses out of protest to state immigration legislation.
The flier doesn't mention schools and "every bit of proposed immigration reform has kept schools exempt," Ballowe said.
He said he further told parents they should know that, concerning any potential INS raids, "schools are a safe haven for their children and children need more days in school, not fewer."
Also, absences are "unexcused unless we have a doctor's note," Ballowe said.
"If parents have an issue with legislation, they should handle it in ways that don't involve their child's education," he said. "Education is the key to the child's future success."
Hall County schools' policy on absences says that students are excused for illness, a family member's illness or death, a court order mandating it, religious holiday and "conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety."
A flier encouraging Hispanics to, among other things, stay home from work Friday, has been circulating around area poultry plants.
The Times obtained an English translation of the flier, which says the proposed bill would "affect us tremendously."
Titled "Did You Know?" it reads: "With this law, the politicians have the right to deport for being illegal and treat us like criminals. Your children don't have the right to any medical services, nor schools.
"Don't be hired by a business illegally due to the fine which your boss will have to pay for hiring you."
The flier encourages workers to "get together," stay home from work and school and not buy anything.
It also offers details of a protest, set for 10 a.m. Friday.
Participants are encouraged to wear a white shirt, bring inoffensive posters and signs and meet in front of the fountain at Underground Atlanta, from where they will walk to the Capitol.
The effects of such a boycott, if it comes to pass, may not be known until Friday.
Staff writer Harris Blackwood and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact: [email protected], (770) 718-3401
Originally published Thursday, March 23, 2006
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Originally Posted by COGCaviZ24
(lol)
I didn't take Spanish in high school just out of spite of them telling me "You should take Spanish because of all the hispanics coming to America." Pfft, f*ck that. They're coming here so let them learn English. I'll take sign language, thanks.
