There was a lot on the agenda, only one issue that was discussed.
GETTING STARTED
The Mayor is obviously ready to start the meeting and looking a little weary from waiting for the meeting to start. The meeting finally starts at 6:37.
Roll Call – Absent: Sanborn, Solomon, Clausius, Schumacher, Pham-Remmele
Clear reminds the council they are within one of quorum, he tells them to look around the room if they need to leave the room.
Clear moves to suspend the rules to allow items to be taken out of order and introduced at the end of the meeting.
EARLY REGISTRATION
Here’s the main points made by 7 speakers.
– Immigrants are valuable to the economy, they work hard to succeed are positive, productive, responsible and reliable.
– Immigrants have committed to the City of Madison, they are the people you see at the malls and stores, buying goods and they are consumers, people that start small businesses, open checking accounts, make deposits, go to atm machines, that are waiting to buy a house, people that do, in a significant way, activate the economy in our state.
– Madison has been known as an inclusive and multicultural city, lets keep it that way.
– Two East High School students speak, say they don’t want families separated.
– They feel less safe with the police when they are watching us all the time, it makes us uncomfortable and afraid.
– One girl says that they learn police are good guys that catch the bad guys, if this doesn’t’ pass, how will we know who is the good guy and who is the bad guy, people will get hurt and taken away from their families, police will stop anyone with different color skin.
– Speaker is concerned about violence against refugee women and children. She is against unjust and dangerous policies of the sheriff and doesn’t think local law enforcement should enforce federal immigration laws.
– This policy prevents women who are victims of domestic violence from calling police, women and children live in fear with no options to escape violence.
– There is already a mistrust of police and law enforcement, people know they can destroy a family and that just continues the violence.
– People are afraid to be outcast from their clan if they call the police and cause a family member to be deported.
– It is common knowledge that a woman loses control after people are taken into the system, this is why they continue abuse, they must be able to trust local law enforcement, need to bring safety to all people.
– Speaker asks if they have their papers with them, do they have their birth certificate with them? Do you have your proof of citizenship?
– As a person of color, they feel they have to carry them with us, afraid we might not be able to prove we are supposed to be here. Not just latino community, refugee, and persons of color are affected disproportionately.
– Talks about her brother who took some people to get a drivers license, her brother is a citizen, but was asked to prove his citizenship.
– Forcing one group in the community to live in fear they have to prove who they are is not right.
– This is a new form of racial profiling.
– Do you have your citizenship papers with you right now, are you willing and able to carry it? If I’m going to be asked my citizenship, so should you, if youre not willing to carry yours, I’m not either.
– This person won’t talk about immigration or Arizona, but tonight is about the city and this community, where we live.
– Moved here 25 years ago, got masters in social work at UW, she is a US citizen, she is a proud US citizen and Madisonian.
– This person sees first hand the harmful and negative affects when contact the sheriff contacts ICE, current policy jeopardizes relationship with community, people are afraid to call 911 when see dangerous activities or when harmed, scared to call cuz think police will come and maybe arrest them and ICE will be contacted and be put on immigration hold.
– When families have had loved ones deported, she spends hours finding resources to help the family and instead of working with 3 or 4 families a day, she may spends weeks with one family.
– Kids are scared and can’t concentrate on school.
– We all go to same schools, churches and use the same streets, when one in the community is hurting it affects everyone.
– If you call the job center and find out how many people on W2 or other programs are getting help, you will find they can’t cuz they have to be citizens.
– This speaker works with workers who are scared to report labor abuses, they work overtime without getting paid and are afraid to go to get help, that allows there to be a workforce in the shadows that is underpaid and mistreated.
– When business owners hire immigrants and mistreat them, the whole bottom floor of how people get treated is lowered.
– Rabbi says that people are not being treated in a moral way, she says they are taught no to oppress the stranger in our land and that they should treat them in a humane way.
– As a parent, she is trying to raise daughter in a society where we treat people justly, how can I explain why some parents can’t get a library card and go to the library.
– She is concerned about how we treat immigrants. She wants to live in a community where we treat everyone justly and fairly.
CONSENT AGENDA
Agenda is here is you’d like to view the items
– Items 16 (Mayoral appointments) & 53 (Merry Street/Yahara River land acquisition) are noted as extra majority votes
– Number 44 (construction noise) is referred to Board of Public Works
– Number 57 and 58 (Quarterly Tax Payment dispute with county) are referred to the next meeting
– Item 78 has a substitute. Need to remove the word exclosure and add word reflector regarding Bernie’s and BB Clarke beach resolution.
– Separate item 60 (street sweeping weekly downtown) and item 95 (immigration)
Some items that passed without discussion:
– #46 Allowing Building inspectors to assess charges for building inspection when not paid.
– #52 Selling the properties seized by the CDA to Burr Oaks Senior Housing
– #54 Dumping another $200,000 into consultants for E. Washington Ave, cuz, you know, they’ve been so effective so far. Wow, what a waste of money.
– #91 3 hour parking restriction for Olin Turville
– #92 Low income bus pass report
– #93 Low income bus pass resolution (making the report happen)
PUBLIC HEARINGS
#1 (Bernie & Tony’s Piano Bar) Placed on file without prejudice, passes on a voice vote
#2 (1208-1214 Spring Street) Bill White speaks in support, he explains they will take down three existing buildings, build an 8 story building. He says Otto Gephardt, James Stopple, the architect and builder are here to answer questions. He says it is unanimously supported by UDC, Plan, staff and UW, and thanks alder Eagon for his work. They can give more details if you want. They Move adoption. There are no questions or discussion, it passes on a voice vote.
#3 – 15 (ALRC and Board of Public Works report) There are no registrants, they close hearings except 3 & 6 which are recessed. They separate item 13 and note the appropriate motion on 4 is denial and 14 is non-renewal. It passes on a voice vote, but almost no one actually voted out loud.
#13 (liquor licenses) – move adoption except for 66, 136, 137, 158, 159,160, 161, 162, 287,288, 289, 290, 305 and 452. Verveer points out that they need to refer them back to ALRC and recess the public hearing. That motion passes on a voice vote after confusion.
Mayor goes back to item 15 and has them re-vote, it passes, again.
DOWNTOWN STREET SWEEPING
I spoke, tho I don’t know why, I’m pretty sure no one was listening, and they didn’t acknowledge my comments. What I said was thank you for fixing teh street sweeping problem downtown, I’ve lived in the area that is not swept for 19 years, and the goop that accumulates along the curb is disgusting. Basically, our streets get swept once a year in May once all the students leave. I had tried to get them to do it in the fall for years, but it was too expensive and they didn’t have staff to do it and it was too disruptive for parking. This is a huge shift to go from once a year to weekly. One issue tho,is parking. I sometimes walk three blocks to get to my house after I park my car. I’m not complaining, I like where I live, but if we want people to live in the downtown area, not everyone will be able or willing to do that. It’s not just students that live downtown. The problem gets worse when the garbage cans are out. So,, if you can, please don’t do the street sweeping until later in the day so people can leave for work and move their cars. Or, at least I think I said something like that . . . no discussion, motion passes.
IMMIGRATION
It’s 7:15 and Shiva Bidar-Sielaff moves adoption, she adds some language to paragraph 5.
Mayor announces that he is going to amend the rules slightly, normally speakers have 3 minutes, but they will let them have 4 minutes if there is a translator.
[I have no idea why no one said anything and just went along with this. They essentially shortened the amount of time that is allowed. The law currently says:
2.29 CITIZENS RIGHT TO ADDRESS COMMON COUNCIL.
(3) A speaker who requires an interpreter, either because of his/her limited English proficiency or
because of a disability, may speak for six (6) minutes.
I don’t know if the alders didn’t know that, or didn’t care and were being disrespectful. I emailed the council and the only one to respond was Clear and he said that if someone needed an interpreter, they would be given 6 minutes.]
Her’s the highlights of the speakers
– 29 speakers, about 10 who registered to speak went home are all in favor. 80 people register in support, 1 registers against
– Person from Guatamala speaks
– Documented immigrants have rights and responsibilities, they pay taxes, go to stores, we work, taxes are taken out of our checks, we are helping contribute to community – social, economic and everything else.
– We don’t want our taxes to go to war
– We need government to understand our situation
– We also pay for police officers, and is proud of police here, they understand our situation much better.
– We are immigrants, important people like everyone else, don’t want to be discriminated against. We have human rights
– Proud to live in Madison, but he read comments on madison.com and newspapers about criminalizing latinos and was not so proud.
– I’m a professional, I pay taxes
– We need to work together, need to create trust, don’t need Arizona policies that create fear and separate families, that is happening here, with the sheriff policies, please stop those policies.
– Undocumented people are not criminals, they are here for their future, their families and Madison
– Woman has a child that is an immigrant and if she had to produce proof of citizenship, she would have no birth certificate because she was born in Bolivia, she would have to carry a passport or naturalization papers, but you can’t legally make a copy of those papers and the passport is a temptation for theft. Think of the practical issues. When she thinks about it, her heart breaks.
– When she traveled for training with parishioners, she got on plane and a woman pulled out her passport and she told her she didn’t need it and the woman said “look at me”, I could be stopped any where. She never thought about it that way, she is living with a different reality, there are people a little more on the edge.
– After law passed in Arizona, she was speaking with her congregation, and she saw fear on the faces of people who’s children were born here.
– Puerto Ricans don’t need a passport.
– Federal government has failed to address broken immigration system, the results felt everywhere
– Worked at East high for 20 years, privilege to work with children of many of the immigrant families, sees how hard they work, take jobs few of us would ever want to do.
– Immigration policy has destroyed families, their parents simply disappear. Their future is stolen because they have no means of support.
– Remember who we are an how we acquired the land, if people who were here originally had these policies, we would all be illegal aliens, we were not invited here, remember how we acquired the land.
– We have little right to exclude people from the land that was stolen from them, this has always been theirs.
– If there was a border patrol when our ancestors came here, we’d all be unwelcome and sent back to where we came from.
– We are all guilty of the crime we are now trying to criminalize.
– Asks them to think back to the time when there were two classes of people, slaves and free people, when slaves ran away had to carry a piece of paper, not just sent back to owners.
– Arizona policies are creating two classes of people, people who are white and those who are black or brown, those who are perceived to be citizens or not citizens.
– We can make sure laws like Arizona do not happen in Madison, the way sheriff collaborates it ICE is similar to where Arizona law started.
– If I were a citizen of mexico, I would cross the border and try to find a living
– History has been weighted to rich and powerful, a few hundred families control most of the wealth in Mexico, they have their body guards and small armies and enforce power that way, police are corrupt, you don’t go to court if there is a legal matter, just bribe your way out of it.
– NAFTA part of problem too, allowed multinational corporations to get cheap labor, very few of the safeguards we were promised came to pass, workers wages low, ruined environment, corporations have gone now to where labor is even cheaper. Agriculture workers got blindsided by subsidized grain coming into their country, they couldn’t live on small farms and had to cross border for a job.
– People are trying to survive, they sending money back to support people in Mexico and that is the second leading source to Mexican economy leading to some stabilization
– Mayor reminds them only one person can leave the room at a time or they blow quorum.
– Woman has mother visiting, she told her they were going to the meeting and she asked if she needed to bring her papers, her daughter said, “no, not yet”.
– She couldn’t find words to tell you a story to move you to tears with one more example, one more story.
– She cannot take one more call from friends and familiy to say afraid, they can’t call the police, if you don’t feel safe.
– The community feels very alone and unsafe
– Works at MATC with GED program and these are the folks that milk the cows, work on the farms and drive our agriculture economy.
– These folks are contributing to community, work hard at all they do.
– They should vote for this to protect my students and the rural character of Wisconsin and Dane County.
– Local law enforcement is not payed to enforce immigration laws, they can use their time in other ways.
– He is worried about the safety of the community. He read story about family assaulted in the park, they were told they are a disgrace to the community and to speak English. Many people saw it. Wonders if anyone felt fear of deportation. Iis this really the type of community we want, a community of fear, Arizona is one thing, Madison is different, lets be proactive.
– Immigration lawyer sees clients on a daily basis who express fear to access law enforcement, that is the result of several things, language and economic barriers, misinformation, mistrust and discriminatory law enforcement polices – these prevent from accessing protection, these discrimatory policies compound this, and have a chilling affect.
– People are afraid to go to school, go to courts, to fight for custody of their children, deprives people of protection I take for granted.
– These discriminatory policy does not align with the community I know and love, I’m not willing to pay that price for our community, hope you don’t as well.
– Woman gets up and speaks in spanish, several people in the room spring into action to get her a translator. She stops and says, she doesn’t need a translator, she was making the point that when you see my face you don’t think I speak English. She is a professor at the university, she is from Peru.
– Immigrants are not just Latinos, they are from everywhere.
– She talked about only feeling safe when she was on campus, how she got followed when she went to the stores, that happens to many.
– With policies in Arizona, they are looking at everybody with suspicion, she doesn’t want that in our city, this city well known for being a safe place to live in, its a wonderful community of diverse people.
– She says we are a salad, not a melting pot, because in a melting pot ingredients disappear, in a salad, you see each of the produce and ingredients keep their flavor, this is the flavor of Madison.
– We contribute a lot in economy, education, we are doctors and nurses, support the resolution with heart and action.
– We’ve been working on this for three years, we have to keep being vigilant, even in Madison unfair things happen.
– If you think Arizona policies don’t impact Madison, remember a large percentage of people in the Dane County jail come from Madison. Even if Madison has good policies, the sheriff can still call ICE and that distorts our good policy.
– Government has not gotten us a solution to the immigration issue, some people are trying to take up the cause to prevent us from being here, and have local agenda to take up the cause, stop this, stop abuse of local policies, we have to to tell Arizona that their policies are wrong.
– Tell sheriff to support spirit of the law, tell federal government to find a solution, resolution makes sense and encourage you to vote in support.
– Madison is an inclusive place, thrives on diversity, Wisconsin used to be called New France
– I don’t have any relatives who are immigrants and I don’t have an accent, but I get followed around in the stores too.
– Has on a t-shirt that says “Do I look illegal?”
– Family has suffered discrimination as Jews and Italians.
– Works at Noodles and immigrants get paid less than him
– This is the first in the racist tide, don’t not just refuse to participate in it, but actively fight against it, civil rights and slavery were a struggle and battle, here is a grass roots event in the context of a battle over immigration policy in this country.
– He has been disappointed in council, he has been on the populist side of bus fare increase and Edgewater hotel, others are angry too, this is a chance for you to show him hope that you are listening and care, he is gradually losing hope and faith in my government, you have disappinted me over and over again.
– They momentarily lose quorum until Clear drags Bruer back in the room and they are again reminded to not leave the room more than one at a time.
– Person recently visited LA and the National Japanese Museum, there were many exhibits, one with quotes from elected officials, state, local and national who taked about “we have to round them up and get rid of each and every one of them” meaning Japanese Americans. 120,000 were interned as a result. There was also another exhibit, mostly Caucasians that took stand, to stand up for what was right. Where will you stand?
– Person was going to ask police chief to test him if the people here are illegal how can you tell? One speaks Spanish, one doesn’t, one has on a t-shift, how can you tell? [Police chief is getting his ear talked off by Bruer]
– Lots of people travel to Mexico, we have a tremendous amount of exchange.
– We need Mexican families for many jobs, if not we will need to recruit people.
– He knows someone in Sun Prairie that never leaves the house, they are afraid to be detained.
– He knows a 9 year old child goes to the door at 4:00 every day, worried father will not come back.
– Person was in a hurry to get the meeting an drove 62 miles an hour on the Beltline, he is an illegal driver, just the same way undocumented people violate a minor civil law. He has seen the word “illegal” repeatedly in media, comments and blogs, we don’t write I am an illegal for speeding, and even if I am, I still have rights and protection as a driver, they are guaranteed to me, it keeps my community safe, when those rights are enforced we are safer as a community, who is guaranteeing those rights, they can’t vote, it is you who have been voted in, as long as you do so, we are safer if you uphold the law.
– There are teachers and day care workers who do not report crimes to the police, cuz of some issues and sheriff’s ICE policy, no guarantee of safety in the community, what takes precendence, keep child safe or report crime, our guarantees are breaking down, return a degree of safety to the community.
– Your children are constantly learning and they are learning by watching you, some day they will guarantee your rights and protections and they are learning form you.
– Person form Columbia came to Madison 6 or 7 years ago.
– Son thinks Madison is best city in the USA because of diversity , language, culture, and music all in one city.
– Madison can send a clear message as biggest city in county, as capital city of our great state that we do not support discrimination and racism.
– It is important for us as citizens of our great country, to help one another to do better, we cannot put kids and families in perpetual stress cuz don’t know if loved one will come back because maybe they were driving a few miles over the speed limit, but for them, that means staying in jail being deported and not seeing your kid.
– I voted for the sheriff, he came and talked to me about how he values my community, is that how he does it, I hope you will value me and my community, if we do not value those who cannot protect their own rights, there will be a time no one will protect yours, an injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.
– It is difficult to be hearing hatred and aggression coming out from corners and sources and conversations that surprise me.
– Proud to be from a city that has this resolution before them.
– Task force on racial disparities in criminal justice system had similar recommendations and the Dane County Board unanimously created a committee to work on those recommendations.
– Every now and then you have an opportunity to do something huge, to make a significant difference.
– We’re in this together, all connected and she gets concerned when people take posture and want to exclude people.
– This person is no a person who is an immigrant or not born in this county, but is brown skinned and knows what it is like to be disconnected, disenfranchised and not treated the same way, feels solidarity and connectedness.
– It is horrible when families separated, in 1987 her family was split apart, parents immigrated in 1982, dad got a PhD in 1985, did his post doc at UWM, in 1986 sister was born, then dad’s visa was renewed, mom’s was not, mom returned to China with my sister, my dad said it was the hardest time in his life, sister did not meet dad until she was 4, ultimately it worked out, now they are naturalized citizens, only happened after Tienanmen Square when the federal policy changes.
– It takes a lot to change fed policy in meaningful way, need to make sure local immigration policy is just.
– Please ensure families in Madison to not surfer pain of being split up.
– There are people in the middle of this battle, as a small business owner, she has employed people who are here illegally, and has seen people pay thousands to attorneys to be able to stay here.
– In 2000, immigration came to a statnd still, she knows someone waiting 12 years to get visa renewed.
– We believe in the rule of law, hard to explain why it will take a long time to follow the law, many people are waiting a long time, since the Clinton administration.
– When you are thinking about the immigration issues, remember there are more sides than portrayed in the media.
– Immigration affects all of us.
– Job of police dept is to provide safety, not enforce federal laws, can only count a few police officers that I could call and have one of my clients connected to her directly to ensure that nothing will happen if they report a crime, important the community regain trust of police department and stop Mahoney’s policies, we won’t solve crimes, and we create more problems and crimes for immigrants to be targets, harassed and have crimes committed against them.
– Freedom is a right for all, not for people that have papers, they should not be the only ones that can drive, get an education, those things shoudnt’ be counted when it comes to these issues.
– We all have rights, help our community be more safe
– Woman says she hates talking in front of you, but hates the most that we are talking about this, this shouldnt’ be an issue in our community, we should protect children and families.
– Tells story of woman breastfeeding her young child and having dreams, and 2 months the police take you away from the country and your child, your child does not know when they see you again, this is a story from right here in this state, in Madison.
– Mom is a social worker, sister is a doctor, she works in agency that is supposed to protect children, they immigrated here 25 years ago and they are committed to teaching and educating about law, health issues, child protective services.
– It’s sad that we have to hear 50 people talk about this, we aren’t even considering that we have worked together, the main issue is how to protect children in the community.
– That mom, 3 years ago was taken into custody, they called ICE, child stayed with babysitter, it took 6 months for child to get to mom in Mexico
– Works with Voces de la Frontera and hears first hand stories from families being torn apart by the sheriff’s collaboration with ICE,
– Thanks Chief Nobel Wray for his leadership but public support of good polices like the driver’s card proposal.
– Just got back from Arizona, 100,000 in Phonix marching against the policy, these policies are the result of local law enforcement policies, 11 states are considering copy cat legislation.
– There was a radio program that was promoting “catch an immigrant and turn them in for bounty” in Ohio.
– There have been hate crimes in various other state.
– We can send an alternative message, honoring positive contributions.
– Person from Equador.
– He works in radio and has been trying to be a bridge for trust int he community but Mahoney has made that effort in vain, people are afraid to report crime, afraid to be deported, he cannot accept this, if we want city to develop in 21st century we need to support resolutions like this one.
– City has grown in wonderful ways because of immigrants.
– Lets not have police arrest based on how someone looks
– Woman speaks through an interpreter and says that she is here to represent mothers with children in the schools, and all the mothers who have disabled children, I am one of them, because I am very proudly a parent of a child with autism, and I have struggled to get my son to move forward, therapies after therapies, I also have 3 daughters, so I think what if law in Arizona comes to Madison, what would happen to my children, all we have fought for so my son can continue to improve, all that he has progressed at the autism center, and my daughter in their studies, so I think what if one day I have the unfortunate look, that I’m asked for documents and I’m not able to prove it, it would be so painful and so sad, one day my daughter who is 9 years old asked why is Mexico and the United States separated, bible says we are all children of god, all equal, and I was left without words for my daughter and got a knot in my throat, you are likely also parents and have families, and I imagine that you have to protect your own, and that is the reason I am here in front of you, to protect my family, and my family taught me that the last thing to lose is your hope and I have not given up hope.
– History has proven, just cuz something is a law, doesn’t mean it is right, think of Jim Crow in the south, just cuz something a law doesn’t make it right, at this point we need to send a message to rest of country telling Arizona and everywhere what we believe, if we stay silent, there will be all the people who are louder and angrier that will be heard, this will send a message to everyone to stop living in shadows and not live in fear, challenge those that want to infringe on human rights.
– She has not been active before, she has slowly realized you have to become active citizen to change the law. The system doesn’t encourage people to participate, people who make the rules are people who benefit the most, certain rules are made not to help people.
– She keeps hearing immigrants take jobs of citizens that were born here and wonder why laws don’t go to the owners to make them show proper papers, somehow that is not discussed.
– Latinos and all kinds of nationalities are scapegoats, we are in a difficult situation.
– She doesn’t want to feel in Madison cuz of color of skin or cuz she looks different, that they will stop her. It’s not about her, its not the right thing to do.
– Hopes you have intelligence, see things more in holistic away
Ok, part II coming soon, questions of Chief Wray and a few people speak.
