• workers – who commit to completing specific one time or ongoing tasks,
• folks to join the Leadership Team that meets quarterly,
• donations of garden materials (manure, tools, plants/seeds etc)
• speakers and tour guides - especially for the school kids.

• Coordinate food growers,
• grow/can/freeze menu items,
• prep food the week of (late September)
• join Decorating Team,
• join Communications Team,
• sell tickets for your own table
• be a worker who commits to completing specific one time or ongoing tasks

We are planning a garden at the ROP house, 33421 SW Maple in Scappoose,  across from the Middle School. We hope that a community-tended garden  of ornamentals, fruit bearing plants, and raised vegetable beds will be a great way to inspire adults, children, and creatures, and demonstrate the values of cooperation.

Please consider donating materials to this project. At this point, we need donations of plants – ornamentals, fruit trees, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, vegetable starts.
We  can also use compost, barkdust, planting mix, boulders and gravel.
We need 2×6 untreated cedar or fir lumber to build raised beds and compost bins.
Drop off donations at 33421 SW Maple. There will be signs posted for drop-off donations.

And join us for our first work party!
Saturday, May 9 – from 9am to 12 pm . Rain or shine.
For more information contact:
Heather Bee      hbee@aii.edu
Mike Edera        mikeedera@centurytel.net

Marcy Westerling – marcy@rop.org
Rural Organizing Project & United Vision for Idaho
www.rop.org, www.uvidaho.org

Benji served 4 years on active duty in the Marine Corps, including two combat tours in Iraq.  He was given an honorable discharge, moved to Corvallis, got a part-time job, and enrolled at LBCC.  Last October he got a letter notifying him that he was being involuntarily recalled to active duty, and would be sent back to Iraq again.  Instead of just ignoring the notification, Benji reported to the screening muster as directed to document that he was fit for recall.  He now has orders to report to Camp Pendleton on May 18th.  He wants to make a political point by going through the process to show that he could serve, but that he is going to refuse to serve.  On May 18th, instead of reporting for duty, he will be holding a press conference at the Corvallis Library at noon to publicly announce his resistance.

Until that time, Benji would like to speak to as many groups as possible across Oregon to educate them about the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) system that allows for involuntary reactivation, GI rights, and resistance in general, and to gather support and attention for his resistance.  10,000 members of the Marine Corps alone, are being recalled to active duty every year. Benji wants to let people know about this.

Benji Lewis is a Marine Corps veteran who served two tours in Iraq including the first siege in Fallujah.  Hear the personal testimony of his service and why he is publicly refusing involuntary activation after being honorably discharged in 2007.

We will gather at the St Helen’s house of Eloise Bates (59536 Catarin Street) at 6:30 p.m. and share good food and company by mingling for the first hour.  Eloise has great outside space so if it ends up being a gorgeous evening, you can mingle outside.  Around 7:30 p.m. we will look at the community building projects being considered for 2009-2010 (have a great idea – bring it!)   We will also introduce the current CCCHD board and see who might be willing/able to step up for the next year (no nasty ballot battles anticipated!)  We are looking at a year of positive projects like community gardens, Spanish/English language exchanges, a fantastic 2010 Winter Gala, joint work with new group LUFM (Latinos United for a Better Future) and ways to insure that local business and local solutions are held up for local support.  Come join us in building progressive community.

When: Saturday, April 25th

What: Potluck Salon, from 6:30 – 9:30 pm

(Bring a dish or finger food and come for lively conversation with progressive neighbors.)

Agenda: CCCHD will review plans for the year and celebrate the recent victory in the courts.
Benji Lewis will speak from 8-9 pm

Where: At the home of Eloise Bates – 59536 Catarin Street, St Helens, OR

Directions to 59536 Catarin Street, St Helens, OR
Hwy 30 from Scappoose to St. Helens, adjust if arriving from the North.

Go through the traffic light at McDonalds and the on at BurgerVille. Continue to Kentucky Fried Chicken. You will turn left here onto Vernonia Road. Go 2/10 of a mile to a 4 way stop. Go 1/10 of a mile to Sherlock’s 7-11 store. Go another 1/10 of a mile to where the road curves to the left. You will still be on Vernonia Road. Continue for another 2/10 of a mile where Vernonia Road road will curve to the right. Continue on Vernonia Road another 2/10 of a mile to Oakwood Drive. Turn left onto Oakwood Drive. Go 1/10 of a mile to Catarin Street. Turn right onto Catarin Street. I am the third house on the right. Total mileage is right around one mile from Hwy 30 to my address.

Marcy Westerling – marcy@rop.org

Rural Organizing Project & United Vision for Idaho
www.rop.org, www.uvidaho.org

January 30, 2008

Contacts:

Marcy Westerling, Director, Rural Organizing Project, (503) 543-8417 or (503) 543-3647  

D. Michael Dale, Executive Director, Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, (503) 357-8290

David Fidanque, Executive Director, ACLU of Oregon, (541) 954-7731

Judge Prohibits Measure 5-190 from Taking Effect

Anti-Immigrant Law on Hold Pending Ruling on its Legality

ST. HELENS, Ore. – Columbia County Circuit Court Judge Ted E. Grove today issued a preliminary injunction that will prevent an anti-immigrant ballot measure from taking effect on February 2.

Measure 5-190 was approved by voters in November, but was challenged in court by a coalition of Columbia County business owners and voters who are represented by attorneys for the ACLU of Oregon and the Northwest Workers’ Justice Project.

Columbia County Commissioners approved amendments to the initiative in December which are also at issue in the court challenge.  Judge Grove heard arguments in the case from attorneys for more than 90 minutes on Friday morning and indicated that he was approving the injunction while he reviews the issues in more detail.  He did not indicate how soon he would issue an opinion on the many legal issues that have been raised by the measure’s opponents.

The ACLU/NWJP challenge contends that Measure 1-590, which would fine employers for hiring or employing undocumented immigrants:

• Exceeds the powers of Columbia County as granted by the state of Oregon;
• Violates the Single Subject requirement of the Oregon Constitution; and
• Is preempted by existing state laws, as well as land-use statutes and regulations.

The coalition includes Rural Organizing Project, Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity, Columbia County business owner and resident Gary Liao, CAUSA Immigrant Rights Coalition and others.

“We are delighted with the court’s ruling today,” said Columbia County business owner Gary Liao, “and we are optimistic the court will make the order permanent sometime soon.”

Measure 5-190 relies on E-Verify, a federal database designed to check employees’ names against Social Security records. That database has proven to be very flawed and ineffective. One transposed digit or misspelled name could flag longtime citizens as “illegal.”

“We hope this court action will be resolved soon so that attention on the immigration issue can be re-directed where it belongs:  on the federal government’s responsibility to carry out meaningful immigration reform,” said Marcy Westerling, Director of the Rural Organizing Project in Scappoose. “Having a patchwork of local laws seeking to usurp federal authority on this issue will only create more frustration with federal immigration policy.”

Similar measures in Hazelton, Pa.; Farmers Branch, Texas; Escondido, Calif; and other jurisdictions already have been struck down.

Proponent Wayne Mayo, a local building contractor, has said he modeled the measure on Arizona’s Legal Worker Act. While that law has passed some court scrutiny, it still faces continued challenges regarding its constitutionality. Already, the state there has spent more than $75,000 in legal fees defending the law and has budgeted $2.6 million this fiscal year for enforcement and notification.

Attorneys handling the case are: D. Michael Dale, Steven Goldberg and Meg Heaton for Northwest Workers’ Justice Project; ACLU Cooperating Attorneys Bruce L. Campbell and Elisa J. Dozono, both of Miller Nash LLP; Stephen W. Manning of the Immigrant Law Group; and Chin See Ming, Legal Director for the ACLU of Oregon. The complaint asks the court to declare Measure 5-190 invalid and award reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.

The County believes there are serious problems with the way the measure is written. Those problems may delay its implementation. Even if the County enforces the measure, there may be legal challenges to stop enforcement.

 

2. Q: Would the measure make it illegal to employ foreign workers?
A: No. The measure does not require employers to fire foreign employees. Employers must not fire foreign-born workers who are authorized to work in the U.S. and who are able to complete an I-9 form. In fact, it is against the law to fire someone based solely on their national origin or citizenship status. This would be considered discrimination. Discrimination is against the law.

3. Q: Okay, so what would the measure do?
A: If the measure goes into effect, it would apparently have three main effects:

• First, it would require employers in the County to use a federal database, E-Verify, to verify the documents that every new job applicant submits with their I-9. Under federal law, you can only use E-Verify for new employees. To “re-verify” documents of current employees could very well be considered illegal discrimination.
• Second, it could result in suspension of licenses or permits issued by the County or by cities in the County if an employer is found to have intentionally or knowingly hired a worker who is unauthorized to work in the US.
• Third, it would impose a $10,000 fine on any “contractor” found to have intentionally employed a worker who is not authorized to work in the U.S. It is not clear what the term “contractor” means in the measure.

4. Q: When will the measure start to be enforced?
A: It is very difficult to say when the County would start enforcement. The measure is so confusing, the County is working on how it can enforce the measure.

5. Q: Would the measure require employers to use the federal database, E-Verify, to check if all of their employees are authorized to work in the U.S.?
A: No. Employers would be using E-Verify only for new employees. Under federal law you cannot use E-Verify to check the documents of current employees.

6. Q: Do employers have to start using E-Verify right away?
A: No. The soonest that the E-Verify requirement could go into effect is January 1, 2009. But it’s not clear that employers will have to start using E-Verify then. The measure is so confusingly written, it is hard to say when it will go into effect.

7. Q: If the Columbia County measure goes into effect, will employers who cannot verify a worker’s documents be required to report the worker to Immigration or another authority?
A: No, the law would not require employers (or anyone else, except for the county attorney) to report anyone.

8. Q: I am an immigrant who works in Columbia County. If the Columbia County measure goes into effect, will my employer be required to fire me?
A: No. Employers must not fire foreign-born workers who are authorized to work in the U.S. and who are able to complete an I-9 form. It is against the law to fire someone based solely on their national origin or citizenship status. This would be discrimination. Discrimination is against the law should not be tolerated.

9. Q: If the Columbia County measure goes into effect, will employers have to fire all Spanish speaking and minority workers?
A: No. It is against the law to discriminate against an employee based on race, ethnicity, national origin—including appearance, accent, name, or where an employee was born.

10. Q: Isn’t already against the law to hire someone who you know is not authorized to work in the U.S.?
A: Yes. The measure wouldn’t change the law about who you can legally hire. It just adds the E-Verify requirement and the additional penalties, on top of existing federal penalties, for employing someone who you know is not authorized to work.

Adapted with permission from What Do the New(Arizona) Immigration Laws & Regulations Mean to Me? Common Questions and Answers (October 5, 2007, by Julie A. Pace (Ballard Spahr)), by Meg Heaton on November 10, 2008. Original available at http://azeir.org/pdf/QA-English.pdf

THIS Q&A IS MEANT TO ASSIST IN A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAW. IT IS NOT TO BE REGARDED AS LEGAL ADVICE.

Rural Organizing Project – advancing democracy in rural communities.
POB 1350 * Scappoose, Oregon * 97056 * www.ROP.org
(503) 543-8417

“There is no need for businesses to take any immediate action. The best course
of action for businesses is to sit tight and take no immediate action as a result of
the passage of 5-190,” said Jackie Matthews, President of the South Columbia
County Chamber of Commerce. “Rash actions could unwittingly result in a
breach of non-discrimination laws.”

The Chambers sought to remind their members that it is illegal for employers to
go back through I-9’s and ask for more proof selectively from employees. It is
also illegal for employers to re-verify the employment eligibility of existing
employees under most circumstances, and also illegal to assume that particular
workers are not work authorized, or to make discharge decisions because of their
national origin. “We caution our members to not take actions that could be
perceived as discriminatory,” said Mathews.

If the measure is found to be enforceable, the Chambers will work with all of the
partners in this issue to provide information and education to our community
businesses regarding their specific responsibilities, and perhaps more
importantly, what they are not obligated to do.

Measure 5-190 intends to impose a $10,000 fine on any employer found to be hiring undocumented immigrants, and require county employers to register with the federal E-Verify program. On Election Day, the vote was split with 57% in favor and 43% against. (http://www.co.columbia.or.us/elections/results/EL45.HTM)

A local community organization waged a strong grassroots campaign against the measure knowing that the odds of defeat were not in their favor. Throughout the last few months, Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity (CCCHD) mobilized over 300 volunteers to have personal conversations with 13,387 of the 28,053 voters in the county. This army of volunteers logged 1,652 volunteer hours, hand-addressed 11,000 postcards, had 26 letters to the editor published in local papers, and prevented a landslide victory of the measure.

But, as CCCHD volunteer and campaign co-chair Craig Frasier said, “We know that our work is just beginning. We are not defeated, but much the opposite: our organization is stronger because of this campaign, and we now have hundreds of our neighbors who are ready to do the work that is ahead of us.”

A week after the election, CCCHD leader and Director of the Rural Organizing Project, Marcy Westerling of Scappoose reflected on why the measure passed, “We are a rural, working-class community. Similar to communities across the country, we are affected by the economic crisis that we are facing, and confused about what the solution may be. Our government’s lack of leadership with regards to immigration, workers’ rights, and the economy has created fertile grounds for divisive politics and the scapegoating of immigrants.”

Ernie Klostermann, a CCCHD volunteer, added that, “We spoke to voters about the economic impacts that this ballot measure would have on our community, which does not have the resources to deal with a poorly written and divisive ballot measure. The economic crisis that we are dealing with should be taken very seriously, but punitive measures that target certain groups in our own community are not the answer.”

Next steps for CCCHD involve educating workers and employers about the possible impacts of the measure, mounting legal challenges against it, and supporting the Latino community to develop its own organization in Columbia County capable of offering support to families who have been or may be affected by the passage of this measure. A standing room only community meal for over 200 people started the long term planning process this past Saturday night in Columbia County. This next Saturday, November 15th, the first of a series of training’s for employers will kick off. Columbia County plans to stay pro-worker, pro-business and pro-community as it navigates the impact of a new policy mandate. County Chambers of Commerce and state Representative Brad Witt have already issued statements of calm and patience.

(Scappoose, OR) Local businesses and community members across Columbia County were disappointed to learn of the passage of Measure 5-190 today. The rejection of its partner measure, 5-191, was good news.

“This poorly-written measure preyed on voter anxiety during really tough economic times,” stated Marcy Westerling, a No on 5-190 and 5-191 campaign spokesperson. “While Oregon has a long history of citizen action via our ballot measure system, our communities are not well served when deceptively simple solutions are peddled to voters.” Craig Frasier noted that “Passage of Measure 190 is another reminder that we have a long way to go in winning people’s hearts and minds for immigrant justice. We must find a way to address the growing economic insecurity of the entire community, or the impulse to blame and scapegoat groups will continue to grow.”

Community members and local businesses had pointed out that these measure(s) were confusing and full of unintended consequences. Unfortunately, we may not have communicated the damage measure 190 will cause for local-businesses and the economy of Columbia County we are confident that both these measure(s) would have been rejected.

What happens now that they have passed is unclear. Measure 190 is so flawed that it cannot function as statute. And other communities that have implemented similar measures have paid a heavy price, having to cut funding for local schools and law enforcement.

• It is already current law that all workers be documented, be paid at least minimum wage and employers fined that violate these laws.
• Critical county law enforcement funds will be diverted from public safety to chase after possible illegal workers.
• The measure will open the county to lawsuits.
• The measure will apply to every business in the county, creating more uncertainty in these uncertain times.

These are important reasons to oppose the ballot measures, but they are not the MAIN reason. That reason was given 2000 years ago by a man named Jesus, who said that we would be judged by how we treated ‘the least’ amongst us. This was practical advice then and now. It means that when people are in a lifeboat on a stormy sea, no one gets tossed overboard, not even the stowaways, because we will need all hands working together to survive.
We are facing increasingly stormy times. Some people feel that it is important to ‘send a message’. Other people feel, just as strongly, that this is the wrong message to send. No one needs to be tossed over the side – not the people facing foreclosure, mounting bills and unemployment, nor the folks fleeing even worse times in other lands. We can do better.
For more information on how you can work with your neighbors to create real solutions to our problems, contact Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity at ccchd@colcenter.org, www.ccchd.info/ or 503 543-8417.