Habla American, amigo!

by reenee, Santa Maria

¡ Noticias importantes !

Here's an item that will cheer up the people that are getting the drizzles over whether or not English will be lost forever in the communities where those pesky Spanish speaking people congregate. This was one of the front page stories in the Santa Maria Times on Thursday, September 14th, but when I looked for it on their extremely limited and not at all attractive "Online Gateway to the Santa Maria Valley" it was not to be found. I wonder why. Perhaps I'm not as computer savvy as I think? Anyways, no matter, I found the story at the Monterey County Herald.
Are you ready for this? A few generations after families move to the United States from Latin American countries, fluency in Spanish dies out and English becomes the dominant language, according to a new paper published by sociology professors from New Jersey and California.

This study effectively deflates the argument that so many alarmists raise about a bilingualism. For example the one that stresses that the size of Latino immigration to the United States could create a bilingual society and a fundamental change in American culture.

The paper -- authored by Douglas Massey at Princeton University and Ruben Rumbaut and Frank Bean at the University of California-Irvine -- found Spanish giving way to English among Southern California's heavily Latino population. The study suggests that Mexican immigrants arriving in Southern California today can expect only five out of every 100 of their great-grandchildren to speak fluent Spanish. Among Mexican-Americans with two U.S.-born parents but three or more foreign-born grandparents, only 17 percent spoke fluent Spanish. Among those with only one or two foreign-born grandparents, Spanish fluency dropped to 7 percent. Only 5 percent of Mexican-Americans with U.S.-born parents and U.S.-born grandparents spoke Spanish fluently. Among the third generation of Mexican-Americans, 96 percent prefer to speak English in their homes.

I really do not think that reports like this are going to make an impact on the "English only folks." I never did understand the resistance to learn another language. Wouldn't knowing how to speak Spanish in an area like this make you a more viable candidate for employment? Many other countries require their schools to teach other languages, why don't we?

Immigrants

by reenee, Santa Maria

Get ready boys and girls, the next 66 days until the November 7th election will bring out the best and worst in people as always. One of this year's hot button topics is of course, immigration. Even Janet Napolitano, governor of Arizona, has announced that she's heading to Mexico during her re-election bid. It's the issue.

Both sides have valid arguments. To be fair, it also has to be said that both sides have idiotic arguments.

Let's start with this one: "We need to deport the 11 million illegal immigrants that are already here."

Yeah, good luck with that one.

How about this one? "Let's grant amnesty to all of them and allow them to become citizens."

That one isn't going to fly either.

It's obvious that something has to be done. It's also obvious that the nitwits in power aren't going to do anything. Perhaps the borders can be made more secure, but how would that help this country if Mexico is not doing anything to help their citizens? There are people living there without things that we take for granted. You know, simple things like running water inside of the house or a toilet, or perhaps electricity.

Most of us don't think about these conveniences since we have a decent roof over our heads, instead of cardboard or tar paper. The people that you see among us have already been through the most brutal of journeys just to labor in our agricultural fields. They are not here to make people angry, they are here to fill a need that no one else will. There are extended families living in less than desirable conditions in order to survive. Cultural differences aside, they all are not the sloppy and dirty and lacking in manners that so many say they are. Whether we like to admit it or not, the sloppy and dirty and lacking in manners type are in every ethinicity and socio-economic group on this planet.

The immigration issues that people are arguing over are not new. While working for the Jackson County Education District in Medford, Oregon, in the 80s, I met many, many immigrant families. They were hard working decent people who were there to harvest the fruit that you see beautifully packaged by Harry & David. I found family after family living in small shacks with smudge pots as heaters. Forget running water. If they were lucky, there was a sprinkler nearby.

I'd like to believe that the conditions for these workers have improved.

Now, the immigration proponents feel that marching in the streets again is going to make a difference to the lawmakers. Perhaps a few in Congress will try to appeal to this side, what with it being an election year, but in the end, nothing will be done, again. It's a complex issue and there are too many dodo birds in Congress, that we put there by the way, protecting their own special interests to tackle something this huge. Look at what happened when Alan Simpson, the former Senator from Wyoming tried to do something in the 80s. The only thing that really took off with any success back then was the hugely profitable industry that sprang up to make forged passports and forged green cards.

Meanwhile, immigrants from Mexico and further south will continue their attempt to enter this country at greater and greater peril to themselves. Let's face it, immigration has been an ongoing problem in this country since Leif Erickson and Christopher Columbus came ashore.

News, noteworthy and otherwise

by reenee, Santa Maria

What is the media's fascination with the JonBenet Ramsey murder case? How about our fascination? Was it that she was a six-year old beauty queen? Was it the public's perception of her parents without having any substantial facts about them? Was it that she was from a wealthy white family? As horrendous as this murder was, there have been other murders just as horrific if not worse.

Other parts of the country do not have a monopoly on crimes against children. Here in the Santa Maria area we have our own brand of psychotics running around loose. One homegrown pathetic loser killed his pregnant girlfriend and her small child. Yet another loser beat, tortured and almost killed her newborn baby trying to get her boyfriend's attention. More recently, we have the Grover Beach grandmother convicted of murdering her former son-in-law. These heinous crimes happen all over the world and in increasing numbers. But, I digress.

The Ramsey murder occurred almost ten years ago. When it happened, the Boulder, Colorado Keystone Cops, who obviously could not find their collective butts with both hands felt that their best suspects were the Ramseys themselves. This child's mother had to live with a cloud of suspicion over her head until the day she died this past June. Naturally, the media, forever looking for news to discredit the rich and famous, jumped on the bandwagon and ran with it. It was a disgusting feeding frenzy that continues today.

Every single day since he was arrested, John Mark Karr has been in the news. It's usually the same information, rehashed with perhaps one new "bombshell" added. Today's new addition was "the suspect sought treatment at a sex change clinic." In addition to the usual titillation over this little piece of information that in reality is none of our business, people will now demonize those that have sought this treatment.

Just to add to the circus that continues to surround this case, this guy was escorted out of Thailand by an investigator from the Boulder, Colorado District Attorney's office, a security officer wearing a Homeland Security t-shirt and a few others. So we wouldn't have to wonder needlessly about the minute details, we were told that Karr arrived in a white van, was not handcuffed, and enjoyed a glass of champagne before the airplane took off. The investigator however, had orange juice. Aren't you glad you know that? I know I am, I was breathlessly waiting for this information, although I am somewhat disappointed that we still don't know whether he wears boxers or briefs. I'm hoping that once they land, the media will fill in all of the missing gaps with as much useless information as they can, because, well, inquiring minds want to know.

This is not going to end any time soon, evidenced by the fact that when you type John Mark Karr into the Google search engine, you get no less than 3,880,000 results. So, settle down, get some popcorn and let all of this flow over you. At that point it's up to you whether you pay attention to it or not.

Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices

by reenee, Santa Maria

I'm still so aghast at how people behave towards those in wheelchairs that I posted this here and on my own blog. I can usually tolerate ill-mannered boorish behavior by chalking it up to the fact that they are more than likely peasants, unrefined and unaware of niceties like simple common courtesy.

As I mentioned yesterday on my blog, I went to the Old Spanish Days Fiesta to specifically attend the Mariachi Festival. I went with two friends and Mom. Although she won't admit it, Mom is a little bit slower at walking than the rest of us, so knowing that the huddled masses would be teeming, we decided that putting her in a wheelchair was our best option, and hers, due to her bad knees. Not only that, our parking space would be greatly improved, thus aiding the rest of us with our own physical deficits. Okay, mine. Hey, one has to use all of their advantages when among the unwashed. Anyways, getting into the Santa Barbara Bowl was not a problem, we arrived early enough to make it easy. Getting out was another thing. People were stampeding to the exits, as if their lives depended upon it. One woman almost beaned Mom with her cane as I tried to navigate through these peasants. One of the security guards had to scream at them to allow us though the gate. Once we'd made it down the elevator it was another trauma for Mom. As I was hollering for people to get out of the way, a young man saw my predicament and offered to help me. When I agreed, he took hold of the arm of the wheelchair and began to push his way though the crowd propelling us through as he hollered, "Make way! Wheelchair coming through!" Let me tell you, the crowd parted for him. I think it was not only due to him pushing through, but also because of his friend who was at least 6'4" and built like a refrigerator and hollering, "La Señora!" These two young men saved us, otherwise we might still be there.
Perhaps if these rude people were to put in some time in a wheelchair, they'd understand. However, I'm not going to hold my breath.

The County Split

By reenee, Santa Maria

For a long time now I've been railing against splitting the county of Santa Barbara. However, I've been at a loss for words over this entire subject in polite company. None of it has ever made sense to me. The first issue is the least important. The name: Mission County? Whose bright idea was that one? The second issue: Who benefits? Not me, I'm not a big oil company, nor am I a developer who stands to reap millions more if this boneheaded idea goes forth. Anyway, I'd begin to unravel every time I thought about it, then I found this fine editorial by Marianne Partridge, dated May 11, 2006 in the Santa Barbara Independent. So naturally I ripped it off, after condensing it a wee bit here and there, and adding my own thoughts hoping that she doesn't mind, since I included her link. So, here it is:

"If Measure H passes, it would be a disaster of epic proportions for everyone. In particular, those of us stuck in the economic chaos of the new Mission County and then those stranded in what would be left of Santa Barbara County. If you care about the environment, good government, the plight of the poor, regional planning, or common sense, then splitting Santa Barbara County would be an assault on any rational thought. Surely we all understand by now that a new county would be very good for private developers like Jim Diani, who has underwritten loans to the county split effort totaling $240,000."

Hmmm, I wonder, who would get those contracts for new county buildings?

"The proposed plan is to split Santa Barbara County at the Gaviota Pass. The new county would include Hollister Ranch, Point Conception, the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria, the majority of agricultural land, rolling hills, and open space. And it would include Lake Cachuma, the single most important humanmade source of water for the entire South Coast. Why would the south county vote to be separated from Lake Cachuma? To believe proponents of Measure H, with their bland assurances that the new county will honor Santa Barbara’s old water contracts, flies in the face of reason. It also defies California’s entire history of water, politics, and power.

If the proposed Mission County were to be approved, it would begin with a $30 million budget shortfall. Nice huh? The Governor's special commission concluded that the whole idea was economically unviable. Even if its sales taxes were raised by one cent it wouldn't be enough. The only way to balance the budget would be to cut services at least 35 percent. That means less law enforcement, less fire protection, less help for the poor, and fewer road repairs."

Not a problem for those that don't have these issues.

"Another thing, the new county would be forced to pay its fair share of the old Santa Barbara County’s capital debt, its workers’ pensions, and other retirement costs. Hotel bed taxes won't help raise money because it has few of the tourist attractions found in the South County, most notably accessible beach frontage. So how will Mission County ever be able to pay for anything?"

Oil companies, of course.

"The most immediate and lucrative way to increase property tax revenue would be to allow offshore oil development and the building of its requisite onshore processing facilities. Why would this be a problem? Aside from the obvious concerns of air and water quality, the biggest problem is the profile of oil companies operating in Santa Barbara County today. Instead of the old energy companies like Exxon and Chevron, we’re seeing smaller, more opportunistic companies fighting for the last drops of oil. Even if the new county had the will to implement strict environmental standards, most of these companies wouldn’t have the money to comply with them.

Those are just a few reasons why anyone living north of Gaviota should vote against the split. But why should South County voters care? In fact, it’s no secret that some environmentalists are quietly hoping the split occurs. The reasoning is that all the pro-growth lobbyists will suddenly leave the slow-growth residents of southern Santa Barbara alone: “If we never have to hear that obnoxious Andy Caldwell whine again, so be it! Let them build and pollute to their hearts’ content.” It might sound appealing, but it plays out badly.

Air, water, and ecosystems do not recognize county lines. Traffic, pollution, and toxins travel. Those environmentalists hoping to preserve valley oaks, steelhead trout, or other endangered species should remember that most of these still exist only because of the wild, open ranchlands in the north. The irreparable damage that a desperate new county government could do — goaded by developers spouting property-rights jingoisms while actually promoting get-rich schemes to build cluster-housing on agricultural land — will truly be awesome. For the wildlife — flora, fauna, and cowboy alike — it will be a death sentence: one passed, in part, by any South County environmentalist voting for the county split.

And what will happen to the funding necessary for commuter rail or other new transportation options? All those commuters from the north will not be quitting their jobs down south. To do anything about traffic, we must use the whole tax base of the present Santa Barbara County.

But perhaps the most moral, principled reason for anyone to vote against a county split is the recognition that the majority of our poor will be isolated in a virtually bankrupt new county. Surely this would be an act of cruelty."

See? Wasn't that better than me simply saying "Aaacckk!! Vote NO!!"

So now I'm asking, are the proponents of the split really all that focused on those that will be hurt the most, or are they focused on dollar signs?