I learned something on May Day that I must share with the rest of the USA. As usual, Los Angeles is leading the way. According to its mayor, Los Angeles is a “bilingual city.” The dual languages are English and Mandarin. Oops, I got confused there. Since the mayor proudly proclaims his Hispanic heritage, one must assume that he means the Spanish language. Isn’t he the one who went to Mexico to state that his policies would be guided by Mexico? I am too taken aback with this new proclamation, to look up the exact quote. It is not as if I need that info to pass the bar exam.

Oops, I messed up again. Passing the bar exam, or more accurately not passing the bar exam is a sore point with our mayor. Local radio host Kevin James fondly describes him as “a four time bar exam flunky,” and “former gang member.” Double ouch! Maybe if they lowered the bar, so to speak, our mayor could ace the exam! As for the gangbanger thing, my only objection would be if he is using his office to benefit his former fraternity. He wouldn’t, would he? Nah – I believe that our mayor is too honorable to do something like that, right?

I am going to give our mayor kudos though. He is a fine example of “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, and try again!” Most of us would have given up at two attempts. Also, his alleged former gang member status is a great example to young men and women. The Message? Yesterday, you were a gang member. Tomorrow you can be mayor!

The report of the mayor’s “proclamation,” came via this Los Angeles Times article. I was so excited at breaking news to my friends, who like me, thought that Los Angeles is officially an English speaking American city, that I sent off the following e-mail:

In a message dated 5/2/2010 2:24:56 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, Eichristmas@aol.com writes:

Click here: L.A.'s May Day immigration rally is nation's largest - latimes.com

Well, there you have it. Two sentences stood out for me:

"In Mexico, there's no way to get ahead," said Franco, a legal U.S. resident from the Mexican state of Hidalgo who moved to the United States in 1993. "Back home, I had a very poor life. If it wasn't for this country, I don't know where I'd be."

So how does Mr. Franco repay this country? He marches in its streets. And, why is it the problem of the citizens of the US, that "there's no way to get ahead," in Mexico? I don't ask this question lightly or flippantly.

I have a big heart. I had the last $5 in my purse today, after spending $20 for gas. A young lady approached me and asked for help in buying some gas. I asked her about her story, why she is begging. It turns out that she is living in her car. She is about to begin a new job and she is going to sleep in her car until she can accumulate her first and last month's rent for an apartment. Normally, one would think that one does not give away the rest of the money in one's purse, and leave the purse empty. I did.

I told her that my circumstances are not too far off from hers, at this point in time, but I was going to give her the entire $5. I told her that all I asked of her is to return the favor and give when somebody asked her in the future. I don't see myself giving her money for the next 20 years.

I shared this story to say that we may have to stop giving away the country. We the taxpayers pay and pay, and pay. Mr. Franco may want to consider returning to his country which obviously still has his heart, and help to change his country of birth. 

The other sentence that caught my eye was:

“At the march's City Hall endpoint, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took the stage to raucous cheers. Speaking in English and Spanish, he called Los Angeles a "bilingual city" and expressed strong support for immigrants' rights.”

Mr. Mayor should march to try to bring back those businesses that are escaping from L.A. and California in general, under his watch and that of the Terminator.

Or he should read what Rick, an American citizen, living in a non-bilingual city, wrote after he and his wife visited California recently:

Well, we made it. 13 days, over 4,000 miles and too many hours of driving to count. 

I have to comment on the Republik of California, however. I was shocked to see just how many businesses have closed and are behind wire fences and boarded windows. Riverside, a beautiful town, had many, many in this condition. Franchises, as well as Mom and Pop...Service Corporations as well as Manufacturing...It was, to say the least, depressing. To those who struggle every day to make it, my Stetson is off to you and Good Luck.

The State should be ashamed...of all the thousands of miles driven in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California...California roads had to be the worst. One would not expect IH-10 to be in a state of disrepair...but damn...it sucked in California. Not to mention the many State Highways we were on...all in a terrible state of repair...Not all, but many...way too many.

They are paying the price of over taxation and living proof that when you tax the rich to death...you get death...businesses are leaving, closing their doors and going bankrupt. Millionaires are running from the state because over taxing the wealthy causes them to vote with their feet...they are moving to Arizona and Nevada. Those left behind are unhappy and complaining more than ever. But, the State is NOT listening...the Unions are running around doing business in secret and NOT letting the rank and file membership know what is happening until it is a done deal. People are very unhappy there. The Progressive thinking government is fast running out of funding sources and many people are fighting back. And, to make matters worse, there are no solutions that the ya-ya crowd are willing to accept. "Don't gore my Ox" is the attitude...something has to give. The Smelt does not trump the Agriculture Industry...except in California. Time to decide...Smelt or feed the people? Or is that just too drastic a thought? Until they decide that people, businesses and fiscal responsibility are the orders of the day...they will continue to suffer and go under. Glad I live in Texas.

Well, a lot to catch up on, I just wanted to pass on my observations and we'll talk more later....Count on it!

Ricko

And Rick and Pat were only here for a few days. Suppose they had to live here?

Our mayor probably needs to travel to Morgan Hill and tell the Asst Principal that even if Morgan Hill is a “bilingual city,” the US Flag is welcome every damn day of the year! That Flag is not “incendiary, “nor should it be “turned inside out.” I think that I will piggyback on the thoughts of William Sullivan . Yep, what he said!

I guess there should be some sort of comfort that Live Oak High School, where Flag-themed clothing is verboten on May 5, does not yet have an across the border campus , as is happening in a school district in Arizona. Kids are walking across the border from Mexico to go to school in Arizona – at American taxpayers’ expense. Talk about gall!

This article poses a question to which I really would like an answer. Army Vet T.J. Woodard writes:

“The most frightening part of this is that Fort Huachuca is the U.S. Army Intelligence Center, where the Army trains its intelligence soldiers -- analysts, interrogators, radio intercept specialists, and counterintelligence agents -- for operations overseas. If we can't secure the fort we use to train our intelligence soldiers, how can we secure anything else?”

When is the federal government going to get serious about securing the borders of this country? When drug runners are running amuck in the gardens of the People’s House? There is something that does not add up in this impotence in confronting this issue. Country “on the other side of the world” needs protection? Here comes the full weight of the US federal government! Your borders have been secured. You are safe! US citizens in Arizona need protecting from invaders? Rancher Robert Krentz died while waiting for an answer. Where do US citizens/taxpayers turn to for answers? Most of us may be dead before the truth comes out.

These Americans gave all and they are not even soldiers in a war, although they were “conscripted.” This link was forwarded by LA Warrior, blogger at www.keyboardcombat.com . It is partly for victims such as these that Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen wrote her explanation why Arizona SB 1070 is needed.  Those who are attacking all of Arizona should become acquainted with the summation given by Senator Allen:

“Being an American is a responsibility and it comes by respecting and upholding the Constitution the law of our land which says what you must do to be a citizen of this country. Freedom is not free.”

Would those who do not respect the sovereignty of the US, like to live under the conditions described in Senator Allen’s article?

“The people who live within 60 to 80 miles of the Arizona/Mexico Border have for years been terrorized and have pleaded for help to stop the daily invasion of humans who cross their property. One Rancher testified that 300 to 1200 people a DAY come across his ranch vandalizing his property, stealing his vehicles and property, cutting down his fences, and leaving trash. In the last two years he has found 17 dead bodies and two Koran bibles.” 

This country can no longer afford to take in half of the population of certain countries, while simultaneously sending billions in foreign aid – annually, export decent paying jobs daily, and expect the American taxpayer to support all of this. I am an immigrant, suffering here financially because the mayor’s “bilingual city” is chasing away businesses. More and more the ads for jobs require bilingual workers. I can speak enough Spanish to tell someone to move it or shut up, but I do not expect to be discriminated against because of the refusal to hablar Espanol, (speak Spanish), to get a job, in a supposedly English language speaking country!

The mayor of the “bilingual city” may want to work harder at reducing the $212 million city deficit. He should investigate why a teacher working at one of the high schools in his town, in 2007 was spouting off like this! The Mexican revolution begins at UCLA, where apparently this rally was held? This teacher may want to learn real American history, since he is in the habitat of the famous “sleeping giant.” Senor “Mexican revolution in the US,” may want to let sleeping dogs giants lie.

I think that Rick should share impressions with Marcus Bridgewater. Mr. Bridgewater ended his article with this poignant sentence:

“The America I have returned to is not the one I left. Although I've been living abroad, it was not until now that I felt homeless.”

I cannot disagree, on both a physical and a psychical level. Unfortunately, if the trend of dismantling America continues, we will all be dispossessed. For now, I live in a “bilingual city,” where I am learning “Spanglish.” Yeah me...