The Future of San Jose Inside
Last week’s elections may be over but here at San Jose Inside we will continue to provide an open forum for our readers to discuss the issues of the day in a local context. As we look towards the future, we would like to hear from you today about what subjects you would like to discuss and what new features you might like to see on our site.
Obviously we all miss Leonard McKay and his column on Mondays. We are inviting a few guest columnists with a wide range of opinions to lead the discussion on some Mondays and Tom and John McEnery, Jack Van Zandt (yours truly) and Single Gal will continue on their regular days to cover issues that we believe are of interest to the community.
Please feel free to tell us what you think below. Criticisms and suggestions are all welcome—especially suggestions!
Below are the facts on illegals, you can provide the editorial.
———————
INS/FBI Statistical Report on Undocumented Immigrants
2006 (First Quarter) INS/FBI Statistical Report on Undocumented Immigrants
CRIME STATISTICS 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
83% of warrants for murder in Phoenix are for illegal aliens.
86% of warrants for murder in Albuquerque are for illegal aliens.
75% of those on the most wanted list in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Albuquerque are illegal aliens.
24.9% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally
40.1% of all inmates in Arizona detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally
48.2% of all inmates in New Mexico detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally
29% (630,000) convicted illegal alien felons fill our state and federal prisons at a cost of $1.6 billion annually
53% plus of all investigated burglaries reported in California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Texas are perpetrated by illegal aliens.
50% plus of all gang members in Los Angeles are illegal aliens from south of the border.
71% plus of all apprehended cars stolen in 2005 in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California were stolen by Illegal aliens or “transport coyotes”.
47% of cited/stopped drivers in California have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 47%, 92% are illegal aliens.
63% of cited/stopped drivers in Arizona have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 63%, 97% are illegal aliens
66% of cited/stopped drivers in New Mexico have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 66% 98% are illegal aliens.
BIRTH STATISTICS 380,000 plus “anchor babies” were born in the U.S. in 2005 to illegal alien parents, making 380,000 babies automatically U.S.citizens.
97.2% of all costs incurred from those births were paid by the American taxpayers.
66% plus of all births in California are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal whose births were paid for by taxpayers
Now that all the ranting and raving are over for awhile, I think it would be good if we could broaden our field of interest in this blog. Jack it would great if you could somehow use your music background to our enlightenment. Single Gal could continue to review the nightlife scene and Tom could give us some insigt into the mayoral transition process. We can’t fill the void left by Leonard’s passing but maybe us oldtimers could talk about duck hunting in the marshy area where Tropicana Village sits today near King and Story. It’s too bad that Wlater Borchers isn’t around to tell his story of knocking over an oak tree when he hit a baseball on the grounds of the Hayes Estate at Edevale. Who remembers Peter Voss the itinerate nomad who lived in a covered wagon in various fields and open spaces in the Valley drawn by a horse or a mule? There are still many interesting stories to tell of life in the Valley before it became Silicone. Is there anyone still alive who took an interurban car to Congress Springs for a Sunday outing in Saratoga? Us nostalgia buffs could wax on and on ad nauseum.
This afternoon at 2:00 pm is the monthly meeting of the California Pioneers at History San Jose Park. Leonard was an important member of this group and the last meeting is when most of us saw him for the last time. If you are a longtimer here and would like to help further a worthy organization come to the meeting and get a membership application, join up and take part.
#2 your post is a bunch of BS. Not one of those are a measurable fact. anyone can go the urban legends website and see this is BS.
Keep ranting. Keep up the good work at 7 11; and I’d like another slurpy.
If #2 is BS as #5 says what are the real facts on illegal immigration. I think we all would love to find a solution to this problem. One would be babies born here from illegal aliens aren’t automaticly citizens. Why doesn’t the congress get off their butts and do something about this problem. Let’s go demos you’re in power now.
This is a subject that should be discussed on the blog.
I hope no one thinks the signer of #2 malarky is me even though he’s trying to use the same name.
#5, you beat me to telling #2 what a bunch of BS that was. Here’s the link though on Snopes.com
http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/taxes.asp
Also, I love the slurpy reference, although I think you may be doing a disservice to 7/11 workers everywhere. Perhaps, “I’d like fries with that Big Mac.”? But then, I’m insulting McDonalds workers everywhere. Hmmmm. I know, “Stay the Course San Jose Native, you’re doing a heckuva job!”
#2 I agree with number 5. Your numbers are total BS unless you provide an actual citable report. Tell me which “INS/FBI Statistical Report” Give me a web page or web site from an independent agency, even a governmental agency. Give me something to prove any of your statements have any basis in reality. Any one of them.
Other statistics not cited by #2
86% of all posters who publish immigrant bashing statistics that have no basis in fact are just upset because they keep getting turned down for jobs at McDonlads and 7/11
77% of all posters who publish immigrant bashing statistics that have no basis in fact are members of clubs that require they dress up in white sheets
75% of all posters who publish immigrant bashing statistics that have no basis in fact still live at home with their mommies
98% of all posters who publish immigrant bashing statistics that have no basis in fact are just plain bigots
This blog’s strengths are its coverage of current local events, esp the corruption in city government. I don’t need to read about ancient history or leftist propaganda about national events. For the latter, we have the Merc, Chronicle, NY and LA times and the major TV networks. Keep it local, current and interesting.
#5- I don’t understand. It seems that the % of warrants out, the % of stopped drivers, the % of births, and the %‘s of those locked up are easily measurable statistics and well kept.
Back to the column of the day. Keep up the good work and stick with local topics. I enjoy the daily banter of SJ Inside. Thank you for your efforts.
Leonard McKay will be greatly missed, and his stories and wisdom will never be replaced.
There are so many interesting sources of stories for the years gone by that can be tapped to reintroduce themselves to a whole new audience. Ralph Rambo, Harry Farrell, Dick Barrett, Pat Loomis, and of course Clyde Arbuckle, to name just a few. They each preserved so much of the color and flavor of the region. Many fascinating nuggets can still be gleaned from the published county histories, those produced by: JP Monroe Fraser (1881), Eugene Sawyer (1922), or The History of San Jose (1871) by Frederic Hall. Add to this the plethora of promotional materials printed from the 1880’s thru the 1920’s to lure prospective residents to Santa Clara Valley, and there are more stories than time to share them all.
The past is still vibrant and full of wonder in the pages of these works. Hopes and dreams, accomplishments and failures, each take to the stage to tell their tale on the human condition. Now, much like the gold seekers of yore, it is our turn to return to these beds of riches to collect our share. (Of course without the use of mercury, no need to upset the environmentalists!)
Thanks to SJI, I don’t agree with everybody, but this forum has provided some lively debate and discussion and has had an impact.
That said, just because someone says something doesn’t make it true or worthwhile.
Number 2 above is pure unadulterated horse manure—it is a major problems with all blogs that the credible and the incredible become one and the same.
Hopefully people will learn to read critically and not accept every written line as fact.
My winners and losers column will be coming out this week and SJI has been a big winner.
#2 SJN, Where did you get your information?
Also, if your information is accurate, it would be interesting to see how much of the crime you cite is related to America’s drug habits.
Let me interject some fun to this website…how about some KINGS/NBA basketball at the Shark Tank! Sacramento doesn’t appear willing to fork over cash to the Maloofs and their proposed downtown arena, and Arco is getting older by the minute. With the help of Mr. Reed and Mr. Jamison, I’m sure the Maloof’s could be pursuaded to find their way to San Jose/HP Pavilion. And who cares if the Warriors cry foul! NBA doesn’t have an anti-trust exemption ala Major League Baseball. In other words, NO TERRITORIAL RIGHTS for the Warriors over San Jose/SCC! “YOUR SAN JOSE KINGS!”…sounds good, doesn’t it.
I also enjoy the local focus of SJI and thank you for providing this forum.
While local is good there are also times when national and international events have significant local implications. For example the occasional discussion about the effects of H1B visas on Silicon Valley or the local impact of other federal issues would not be out of place.
There have been some lively discussions here about the role of the local media. Perhaps guest blogs from people at the Merc, SVCN, Metro, etc., might be of interest.
Finally, with the tipping of the balance of power on the San Jose City Council there will be much to observe and discuss here in the months to come. As we have seen, SJI has become a sounding board for local issues and some local leaders take note of what is written here. This blog provides a useful counterpoint to other media coverage and should provide interesting reading for the new, and old, council members.
Tom, Jack, SG, & J Mc
Last week I invited everyone to visit the north-east corner of Delmas and West Virginia St. just south of downtown to see the facade of a mom and pop store. The RDA is saying it cost $28,000.00 to paint the facade and hang an awning across the front. I did a little research and got a couple of estimates. The highest estimate to do the work I described was $7,000.00!
In the interest of of getting the biggest bang for our public dollars; and in honor of our newly elected mayor in support of open government, SJI should research RDA expendatures to find out where the rest of the $28,000.00 disappeared. Not just this project, but all projects.
One of the most frustrating things I have found in asking for budget information is that all we are allowed to see are generic round figures. As someone else on this blog site has pointed out in the Nor-Cal contract, the numbers presented to the public don’t add up; why?
I honestly believe that as soon as we find where and how all RDA funds are spent, we we will be able to balance our city budget and start restoring city services that have gradually been eroding under the secretive, outgoing administration.
Dear San Jose:
I think that the San Jose Inside site should “keep doing what it’s been doing.” With the news that the Mercury News will continue to cut emplyees, I think that it’s vital that this blog remain a bulletin board for information. One of the things that I learned while working as a volunteer on the Reed campaign is that the press misses A LOT of very important information.
Also, there’s a lot of “heavy lifting” in our city’s near future. We’re all going to need an alternative site to share ideas and information.
Finally, I would like to suggest that the San Jose Inside blog dedicate itself to finally telling (in great detail) some of the important stories that have remained buried over the past few years. For example: Exactly how much did the rotunda cost to build? It is a very basic structure, and I have seen reports that have it at $25-30 million! 2) Why are San Jose city parks inferior to Santa Clara and Cupertino Parks? 3) Why does Gonzales say that there have been no city layoffs while almost every city department laments that they have fewer people? 4) Why did the city council name the airport for Mineta when the citizen-based commission and public testimony asked for public outreach and input? 5) How many city employees have offices at the old library building? etc.
The people of San Jose have been duped over the past eight years. We must never let it happen again.
Pete Campbell
Re #2 and his/her deposit of …
Richard commented that the impressionable should not vote; a view often held by many and for good reason. Yet for a society to be both free and democratic, it has to accept the collective values and judgment of the whole, and trust that over time they will trend in a direction based on knowledge, civility and the common good.
Under the heading of ‘impressionable’: posted on the wall of Karl Rove, Ted Haggard, Mark Foley, and others is probably something that reads like this:
“Tell the true believers what they want to hear.
And by their faith, they shall believe.”
What we need to discuss is how downtown has come of age. It’s the focal point of our community. The downtown district is thriving, hence it must not be abandoned. It must be nurtured and cared for. The new mayor must keep up the good work of the past mayors.
We will still need San Jose Inside to examine the important issues of city government. Now we see Santa Clara getting into the football stadium business after two decades of playing with baseball teams.
We have a blog on Santa Clara issues
http://www.missioncitylantern.blogspot.com
keep up the good work, San Jose Inside, we need you.
Tom, John, Jack, and Single Gal keep doing what you have been doing. I also would like to see you continue the stories of old San Jose each week, though Leonard can never be replaced. Perhaps we could use a variety of writers to tell stories about our past. I would also like to see a variety of guest columnists, ranging from council members to directors of local non-profits, writing about their pet projects. Finally I would like to see something about fun events that are coming to San Jose.
Just Wondering II
If you want cost breakdown do Public Records Request to RDA on how RDA spent $28,000 Ask for city contract/s, project expenses by city / RDA departments and accountability of $28,000
Your request and 1-2 private quotes for same work would give SJI info about how Public Records Request works and where money is spent after voters approved Mayor Reed and more fiscal accountability and open city government
I, for one, miss the calmness and the chance to learn that Leonard’s columns brought to this forum. It was one day where the ranting stopped and I learned a little more about the city’s past. The stories were fascinating glimpses of life in the valley of hearts delight. My suggestion is that we get somebody in who can provide that type of historical background to offset some of the hysterical foreground. A well rounded look at San Jose from the inside should include this “service”.
Another suggestion is “rant day” since it seems that no matter what the subject, people feel like they should be allowed to rant on their favorite subject, whether it’s relevant to the daily post or not.
#2 – I found some interesting info the other day that states 38% of all people living in SJ are foreign born. Since you are on some kind of ethnic rant, you might want to chew on that awhile.
#16 – wow, that would be moving the final pro team in NoCal south! Good rumor to start.
#18 – I’ve never had any problem getting budget info or how the money was spent info out of RDA. Were the quotes you got based on a living wage contract? Makes a huge difference in what city agencies spend and the general public. Apples to apples.
#19 -Not sure if we care at this point how much the rotunda cost to build. It’s here, it’s not going away, move on unless you have a plan to lower the debt ratio for City Hall. Also, the city has worked hard not to lay off people, moving them from deleted positions to other positions. Yes, many departments are working with fewer people, but that’s attrition in a zero hire mode. Having spoken to a number of people in the last few years who had jobs that were deleted, most of them were transferred elsewhere, but we did see the loss of many part timers. It could have been far worse without some of the creative management I saw. And, if you’re taking a head count of employees, you might as well look at people who are stationed in satellite offices, libraries, community centers, maintenance yards, etc. City Hall was meant to hold the adminstrative groups and never intended to hold everyone.
Again, I will miss the Monday morning enlightenment time. Please work to find a suitable replacement.
Fiscal responsibility means spending our limited city and redevelopment budget wisely
Can anyone other than downtown groups that benefit from tax subsidies – downtown property owners, businesses, arts /community groups and residents say we wisely spent the over $3 billion on downtown projects? Light Rail and BART are billions more for mostly downtown
Stop wasting tesn / hundreds mllions taxes each year on downtown projects and events which give us little or no returns on our taxes spent whle our city streets, parks, community centers etc are neglected and underfunded
Downtown has more new parks, buildings, government facilities, renovated theaters, stores etc paid with our public taxes than other parts of San Jose Are we going to have to listen to more downtown whining about where to waste more taxes in 2007? Let private development pay for future improvements like rest of city
When did this occur or is this another downtowner’s dream? jobs in north, homes in south retail in west and traffic everywhere downtown is what – oh where club low lifes and gang bangers go nights & weekends
HJ # 6 & abc # 8 criticize #2 as posting an urban legend. abc # 8 provides a link that attempts to debunk the urban legend, with some shaky logic.
I have little doubt that the particular percentages listed by #2 would be difficult to verify. I also have little doubt that the participation of “illegals” in crime in California is and should be a matter of concern. But, the participation of legal US born citizens in crime is of equal concern.
The issue is not whether a criminal is “legal” or not. The issue is how to combat and reduce crime.
I would, however, prefer that Senor Calderon agree to take back into his country and imprison all illegals convicted of crimes here. Why should I or any US citizen pay to incarcerate a convicted criminal in the USA if that person is in the USA illegally?
JW II #18: The rest of the $$ for the paint and awnings went to studies, community input meetings,analysis of how to get a minority or woman owned business to do the job for more money than the low bidder who was not minority or woman owned, RDA oversight salaries, consultants, lobbyists, and all the other bullsh*t that accompanies any public project. I’m sure I left out some sources of money-sucking by the RDA. RR probably knows what they might be; Tom McE certainly knows. But will either of them enlighten us? NOT [Borat joke].
Good to have the comic stylings of #21 to add a little levity to this board. Don’t know what planet he’s on but it must be an interesting place.
Refugio Moreno’s opening salvo (#18 – Just Wondering II) on the RDA is a great way to head to keep San Jose Inside jumping with discussion. The RDA Board agenda’s have been getting conspicuously shorter and shorter. Although large sums of money appear in the RDA budget, little of where it all goes is seen by the public. From the days before McEnery’s administration, the RDA has been the black hole from which much of the mayoral power is managed, yet much of the RDA project budget gets implemented outside the City’s public bidding system, staff gets hired outside the Civil Service system, and there is no publicly available trail of where the money gets spent.
Some items to watch in the near future, include a proposed Living Tomorrow project that will hand over an 8 million dollar property asset to Europeans Peter Bongers and Frank Belien for them to convert to cash to help finance a technology showroom under a residential tower. This Sharper Image want-to-be group, with principal funding by Altria (Phillip Morris), will help us see the great future in technology that will help people live better with secondhand smoke. And then of course there will be the ongoing comparison of Victor Ajlouny’s client list with “great projects for San Jose” that need a little bit of boost (i.e. money) from RDA to work. And last but not least, who will keep the running tab on jobs at the RDA that open up and seem a perfect fit for exiting staffers of the Gonzales and Chavez’s offices…
Jack, yes Leonard will be sorely missed. I wonder if someone else will pick up the baton and provide us with historical insight into the Valley of Heart’s Delight?
Looks that we will see many more accusations against Chuck Reed, Victor Ajlouny and Rick Callender from our ” ususal suspect ” using different blogger names –
or are they different people? – Channel 26 Watcher, Downtown Brown, Dale Warner, frustrated finfan, etc
You protest too much !!!!!!!!!!!
#2’s statistics may be incorrect and even hyperbole. However his comments wouldn’t be necessary or motivated if our “immigrants” weren’t illegal in the first place. What ever happened to “Ellis Island”?
#32. Why stop there? Let’s just give California and the Southwest back to Mexico. Problem solved, no need to build a fence.
There’s something to what #21 says, in a completely sarcastic way.
Downtown must be considered—just as any other neighborhood must be considered. Unfortunately, as Downtown is perceived as a “failure”, there’s such a backlash against anything Downtown that my neighborhood now won’t get a fair shake.
But on to the question at hand…what of SJI? This forum can continue to be the “watchdog”, doing the work that the San Jose Murky News still refuses to do (in spite of what its management told us just last month).
And to fill the History Monday spot, why not tie it to History Park? I think it’s an absolute travesty that History park is so under-utilized, under-promoted, and under-visited. History Park truly lives our San Jose heritage. It should be preserved and promoted, in spite of those who say “that was then, this is now, move along”.
#41 RIP,
I agree with you that the History Park is a great place and is under- utilized. We should not miss the point that the History Park was created in an attempt to save some of the valuable historic structures that we were destroying throughout San Jose. In the future, we should do all that we can to preserve these resources in their historic locations. They give our City charm and character. I have always said that the History Park is a true reproduction of our downtown. It is under… utilized, promted, respected, and visited just like the Downtown.
There are many good hard working immigrants so why keep the criminals send them back to Merico etc rather than pay $35,000 or more per year
Mexico could use money, we could get rid of criminals and save money since they are going to be deported after their jail term is up Why keep them here?
They would be keep in Mexican jail for their full term or no prisoner payments
The Preservation Action Council of San Jose is hosting its Annual Founders Day Gala this Friday Nov.17th from 6-10PM at the new City Hall Rotunda. This was a cause that was near and dear to Leonard McKay. They would auction off one of a kind tours of historic San Jose with Leonard. It was an auction item enjoyed by all. If you are interested call 998-8105.
For those of you who enjoy tales of Old San Jose, this Friday, PAC SJ will be auctioning off a tour of the Historic County Courthouse. The tour will be led by Superior Court Judge and history detective Paul Bernal. His tour will include reliving the last days of bandito Tibercio Vasquez, visiting the old holding cell in the basement not open to the public, and solving a 83 year mystery by revealing the name of the Vasquez relative who blew out the windows of the Courthouse in 1933, 58 years after Vasquez was found guilty of muder in the Courthouse.
History Park is OK for what it is—where San Jose’s old buildings go to die (at least those that don’t get demolished.) As we continue the path of destruction, soon the only place to see our history will be in a museum. The lack of vision is stunning. We can only hope that under new city leadership the importance of the past will be understood. If not, then History Park will be the only place to see the remnants of what San Jose used to be. Too bad.
It would be wonderful if this blog could now break its obsession with politics and dig down deeper into the city stories that are not covered by the Merc. As a parent, I find the issues that most concern me: public vs. private schools, oversubscribed children, over-safe parents, pedestrian and bike safety issues, interracial and interethnic social opportunties and issues, etc. don’t get the sort of intelligent play this community could provide. How about a SJ Parent columnist?
California has too many crimincal in jail, Sooo
Why not send illegal immigrants criminals to Mexico and other counties where they came from since they have family in those countries and it would be less expensive
Jack, it looks like a great number of SJI readers enjoyed Leonard’s column. John Stolp (#13 above) had an excellent idea; there’s a bundle of recorded history when one considers Clyde Arbuckle, Ralph Rambo and others.
I fear, however, that first-hand recollections of events that took place in the 20’s and 30’s will be hard to come by. Perhaps looking back to the 40’s and 50’s would make interesting reading. After all, our Valley was still quite rural and our population very small when compared to today.
#28 So by that reasoning, if an American citizen went to, say, Vietnam and committed a crime, American taxpayers SHOULD be required to pay for his incarceration in an American jail?
I too would like to see History Monday continued.
JMO, good answer to Just Wondering’s question about refurbishment of the store front. Guess I’d like to identify one more expense… the $10,000 in wasted time spent by RDA reps wringing their hands about spending money outside of the Downtown core area.
Citable Statistics:
At the end of calendar year 2004, 49,000 criminal aliens were incarcerated at the Federal level. This is 27% of all Federal prisoners and the percentage has stayed constant over the prior 3 years. The majority were identified as citizens of Mexico.
The Federal government re-imburses States approximately 25% of the cost of incarcerating criminal aliens. In 2003, 47 States were reimbursed for housing 74,000 criminal aliens. The other 3 States did not report during this perid but in the prior period they accounted for 3400 aliens for an approximate total of 77,400 criminal aliens in State prisons.
Note that the term criminal alien applies to all incarcerated persons who are not citizens of the US. The includes legal and illegal aliens. Those who enter the country legally and commit a crime are included in the statistics. They do not break it down.
GAO report GAO-05-337R issued 4/7/2005.
#39 ….“give California and the Southwest back to Mexico” ???
Ah…. don’t you mean back to the original California and Southwest Indigenous? Ya’ know, that Native population that was hanging around before the Spanish/Mexican land grants?
#38 said – Why stop there? Let’s just give California and the Southwest back to Mexico. Problem solved, no need to build a fence.
Do you agree that California ?
– has a significant prison overcrowding problem – lacks money to do many required state and lcoal government responsibilities – highways, earthquake retrofits, bridges, parks routine maintenance etc
– taxpayers are unwilling to raise taxes
– illegal and legal criminals cost California taxpayers a billion or more in tax funds
So where is YOUR workable solution or ideas rather than your “Bad Idea”
Here’s what Ike tried in ‘54—it apparently didn’t work, since we’ve jumped from 1 million illegals to 12 million illegals in California alone. Can you imagine that name for a operation today?
This article or section does not cite its references or sources.
You can help Wikipedia by introducing appropriate citations.
Operation Wetback was a 1954 project of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to remove about 80,000 undocumented people from the southwestern United States, with a focus on Mexican nationals. Mexican citizens residing in the U.S. were called wetbacks; this term is now used as a derogatory term for any Mexican or Central American immigrant.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Operation
3 Result
4 See also
5 External links
[edit] History
Burgeoning numbers of illegal immigrants prompted President Dwight D. Eisenhower to appoint his longtime friend General Joseph Swing as INS Commissioner. According to Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr., Eisenhower had a sense of urgency about illegal immigration immediately when he took office. In a letter to Sen. William Fulbright, Eisenhower quoted a report in The New York Times that said: “The rise in illegal border-crossing by Mexican ‘wetbacks’ to a current rate of more than 1,000,000 cases a year has been accompanied by a curious relaxation in ethical standards extending all the way from the farmer-exploiters of this contraband labor to the highest levels of the Federal Government.”
Eisenhower became increasingly concerned that profits from illegal labor led to corruption. An on-and-off guest-worker program for Mexicans was operating at the time, farmers and ranchers in the Southwest were becoming dependent on an additional low-cost labor. The operation was modeled after the deportation program which invited American citizens of Mexican ancestry to go back to Mexico during the Great Depression because of the bad economy north of the border.[citation needed]
[edit] Operation
The operation began in California and Arizona and coordinated 1,075 Border Patrol agents along with state and local police agencies to mount an aggressive crackdown, going as far as police sweeps of Mexican-American neighborhoods and random stops and ID checks of “Mexican-looking” people in a region with many Native Americans and native Hispanics[citation needed]. Some 750 agents targeted agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day. By the end of July, over 50,000 aliens were caught in the two states. 488,000 people fled the country for fear of being apprehended. By September, 80,000 had been taken into custody in Texas, INS estimates that 500,000 to 700,000 illegals had left Texas voluntarily. To discourage reentry, buses and trains took many illegals deep within Mexico before being set free. Tens of thousands more were put aboard two hired ships, the Emancipation and the Mercurio. The ships ferried the aliens from Port Isabel, Texas, to Veracruz, Mexico, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) south.
[edit] Result
Operation Wetback deported approximately 80,000 Mexican nationals in the space of almost a year, although local INS officials claimed that an additional 500,000 to 700,000 had fled to Mexico before the campaign began. The INS estimates rested on the claim that most aliens, fearing apprehension by the government, had voluntarily repatriated themselves before and during the operation.
This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article.
Please improve it or discuss changes on the talk page. See Wikipedia’s guide to writing better articles for suggestions.
Perceived heavy-handed methods led to accusation of police-state tactics. Some argue that this public reaction helped force the operation to end. The alternate hypothesis is that as the economy to the north expanded the demand to deport decreased.
maidhc#34: Your logic is good, but it ignores some facts. In other countries killers don’t get 25 years worth of publicly financed appeals while they get housed and fed; they don’t get a pain-free execution, as is being argued locally here; they don’t get access to a law library unaffordable to all but the largest law firms; they don’t get conjugal visits by transgendered partners; they don’t get heart transplants by Stanford cardiologists as did an 70+ year old San Quentin lifer a year or so ago, who also had several other critical maldies, and died a few months later of one or another of them.
I’d say most illegals incarcerated in Califa live better than they ever did in their country of origin.
RGD #41: Help me out here, please: what is an “oversubscribed” child?
#44: maybe we can convince the vatos locos, gangbangers, and gun-toting hip hoppers to go to history park, and thus save downtown on weekends for those among us who like risk-free fun.
#47: Pave Paradise and put up a parking lot. Where’s our tree museum?
Eee whole-aye JmO #52, I lov eat who-en you talk like dat. jew sound just like who-on off da homies.
#54 said, inter alia:“I lov eat who-en you talk like dat.” He should have said: “I luv eat who-en jew talk like dat”.
Jew busted, vato. I know who jew are by jyor mis-spelling of jyor own handle, esse.
Calma te, vato.
PT re: #47, it’s more like the buildings at History Park were put out to pasture than sent there to die, but regardless of that, these buildings should have been allowed to stay in their original locations wherever possible. A contrived park such as this one might as well be Disneyland with fake facades, etc. Putting a bunch of old buildings under a cheese bell doesn’t qualify as truly historic preservation IMHO. Seems to me that all those old timers who miss Frontier Village so much could make a go of it with some rides to go along with the fake environment there and maybe have History Park start earning its keep. We’ve already got a trolley line there so why not build on that? I’m sure HP has been a financial drain from day one.
Hey SJI, maybe you could plot out a future that provides a reason to navigate here on Fridays.