PPH Fails To Set Up $13 Million Citracado Extension Trust Fund

PPH promised to fund the extension of Citracado Parkway from the ERTC to Valley Parkway. PPH was supposed to set up and fund a trust account for the amount of $13 million by March 24, 2006. The City of Escondido is the beneficiary of the account for work performed to complete the Citracado Parkway extension.

The community was made aware of PPH's failure to fund the trust account by Dr. Michels:
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/04/20/
opinion/letters/4_19_0617_45_47.txt
and comment to City Council (item #6 - Oral Communications):
http://escondido.12milesout.com/Escondido/
EventList.aspx?id=114

I made a public records request and received a few emails between the City and PPH about who would be on the account. When I went to the City Council meeting two weeks later, the $13 million payment from PPH was not in the trust account. (item #1 - Oral Communications):
http://escondido.12milesout.com/Escondido/
EventList.aspx?id=117

Information received through informal channels said that the money would be place in the trust account on June 1.

Measure To Fine Landlords For Renting To Illegal Immigrants

An article about a Ballot Measure in the City of San Bernardino was on page A-3 of the NCTimes, but I cannot find a link to it. NC Times quote: "Turner said the initiative specifically aimed to circumvent a Supreme Court ruling prohibiting public schools from asking student for proof of legal residency. 'If an undocumented family can't live in the city, they can't send their children to public schools,' he said."

A more complete article is on the San Bernardino Sun's website:
http://www.sbsun.com/ci_3786656

The measure would:
Ban the use of tax dollars to set up day-labor centers for illegal immigrants.
Impose fines of at least $1,000 against anyone operating a day-labor center without the right permit.
Impose $1,000 fines on landlords who rent to illegal immigrants.
Require city business to be conducted in English, except when federal, state or county law mandates otherwise.
Allow police to seize the vehicles of people who use them to hire day laborers.We know that employer sanctions do not work.

The Tip Of The Iceberg?: Violence Mars Immigrant Protest In Escondido

In 'peaceful' Escondido, there was a stabbing, there was rock throwing at police, and there were attempts to block streets and the freeway. No arrests! Print headline: 'Latinos Pleased With Boycott"! Maybe the NCTimes and reporter Sifuentes did not expect anyone to read the whole article. What happened Monday was not a 'largely peaceful' protest. Protest leaders should be held accountable for the violence they are instigating!

Online headline: Local Latinos pleased with protest participation
"The Escondido demonstration was generally peaceful, said Lt. David Mankin, spokesman for the Escondido Police Department. But as it was ending Monday night at the park, someone was stabbed and people threw rocks at officers.
. . .
He said 250 to 300 young people, teens or people in their early 20s, marched from Washington Avenue to Lincoln Street and from Broadway to Ash. Sometimes they walked in traffic, forcing drivers to swerve, the lieutenant said."They tried to walk onto the freeway, Highway 78," Mankin said. "Officers were able to divert them back onto Broadway."At one point, the marchers blocked the intersection at Broadway and Washington, but officers were able to clear them away. "
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/05/03/
news/top_stories/15_37_155_2_06.txt

A Day Without An Immigrant Boycott In Escondido

All week I have been making a note of things to buy today, May 1, 2006.

This morning I woke up and had breakfast. I caught a segment of the morning news. Officer Contreras said that traffic conditions were great--better than normal!

I worked through the morning and had my sandwich for lunch. Time to go downtown by the bank on Grand Avenue wearing my American Flag t-shirt. No indication of any boycott. I did my business and headed up Escondido Avenue to get gas. An SUV had two American flags and one mexican flag waving out the window. It seemed to be circling the civic center block.

After waiting in line, I was able to gas up at the lowest priced gas station in Escondido.

Now to get oil for my pickup. The local auto parts store had a sale on my favorite brand. Bingo! As normal, the shoppers were a mix of Spanish and English speaking customers.

The El Tigre Market was closed as previously announced. That is probably costing El Tigre Market a bundle.

As I headed up Washington to Broadway, I saw two mexican young men carrying rolled up American flags. They did not look too energetic about a cause.

On Broadway, I passed by Grape Day Park at 2 pm. A rather small crowd had assembled by a large mexican flag and a host of smaller American flags toward the northeast corner of the park. I took a picture of the small crowd.

The final leg of my excursion headed east to a drug store at the corner of Valley Parkway and Rose for a list of assorted items. I was third in line at the checkout. As normal!

My conclusion is that this was a day without an effective immigrant boycott in Escondido