The Orange County Register has a story today about how policing day laborers in Orange is a full time job. The story make sme want to ask a few questions…
First, why is the city prioritizing pulling day laborers from the streets? Aren’t there any more important crimes to address? The police could focus on the vendors standing on freeway off ramps and intersections; or they could focus on things like graffiti, gang activity, or other crime prevention activities.
But what really gets me is why target the sellers of the services (the day laborers)? Why not target the people hiring the laborers (“Johns”)? If there was nobody hiring day laborers then there would be no day laborer problem. I know this process has worked before in curbing street prostitution. Maybe they should try that?
So?… What do you think? ÂÂ
In response to Curbing Day Laborers in Orange. What do you think?
Posted on January 4th, 2008 by Chris Prevatt
January 4, 2008
Mr. Prevatt,
Why do you think the Orange Police Department is focusing on the ‘day-laborers’? Obviously, you don’t do much of anything in the City of Orange or this wouldn’t be a question you’d believe needs an answer. Anyone who lives here is MORE than grateful and deeply appreciative of the fact that the Orange Police Department is FINALLY being allowed to perform this DECADES overdue service in our community.
My family and I have lived in the City of Orange and the adjacent unincorporated Crawford Canyon area for THREE generations. We have watched, helplessly – thanks to media-loving ivory-tower dwelling idiots like you – as our community has gone from the truly perfect place to live to a veritable barrio. How dare you try to turn a dire issue that has such a tremendous impact on ALL of us into yet another liberal platform!
I won’t go into all the logic that blows your position out of the water, but there’s one I believe people like yourself either haven’t thought through or just don’t mention because it would make your take on the subject look more pathetic and incorrect than it already is. That is the use of the term ‘day-laborer’. The phrase hardly makes sense when used to describe people who are loitering in parking lots, on sidewalks and every other accessible flat surface, all hours of every day. Those of us who actually experience this ‘day laborer’ phenomenon know that when HONESTLY looking for work in this manner, a person needs to be waiting to be picked up in the wee hours of the morning, when construction usually starts and the need for manual labor is necessary to get the job started. Anyone who claims they are ‘waiting to be picked up for work’ at 2pm is taking the listener for a fool and insulting the average person’s intelligence.
Mr. Prevatt, speak of what you actually know, like your position with the completely ineffective OC Employer’s A or getting Orange County taxpayers to buy the fact that you actually do something worth your salary in your job working for the Tobacco Use Prevention Program (TUPP) under Orange County’s HCA.
Samantha
our community has gone from the truly perfect place to live to a veritable barrio
Uh, oh. Sounds like some brown people moved into someone’s city!
Call me dense, but I simply don’t understand what is so objectionable about people standing around trying to get work. There are day laborer gathering places near where I live, and I’ve never once been bothered by the men there. I wouldn’t leave my car unlocked around them and probably wouldn’t tarry in those areas late at night, but I wouldn’t do that if a bunch of young native-born males were around either.
I don’t consider a wealthy all-white wonderland to be a “truly perfect place.” I’ve known a lot more horrible people who were citizens with full time jobs than I’ve known rotten folks who are day laborers.
Samantha,
You made a couple errors in your commentary that I would like to point out.
First, the comments I make on this blog are mine and should not be construed to represent those of the Orange County Employee’s Association.
Second, as far as I know you have no clue what my job duties are. Personal attacks on me do not support your position.
I asked a couple simple questions in this post which are perfectly reasonable to ask.
Why is the issue of day-laborers a priority for Orange as opposed to other issues that address more serious crimes.
Why don’t we cite the people who hire the day-laborers as well. Why are the people looking for work the only ones who the city (and narrow-minded people like you) view as “criminals?”
Do you have an answer to any of these questions, or do you want to change the subject back to what my job is?
samantha, day laborers who are out there at 2 pm arent looking for work? that right there shows what you know. many in construction and other jobs work at different hours and it’s not uncommon for day laborers to get picked up at night. one of my best friends is a day laborer and he works a lot of allnighters. he gets picked up after 2 pm quite a lot. just admit it, you dont like beaners.
I don’t see a problem with it; they should Arrest and Fine the Johns as well. Enforce the laws we have and the police should also keep doing what they’re doing! Police professionals know what they are doing and they know the best ways to get rid of crime.
I have no problem with anyone looking for work and I am not a racist; the problem is with illegal immigration and the problems that it is tied with. It is a problem that cannot be addressed without talking about illegal immigrants.
“Day laborers” are illegal immigrants, thats the problem. Simple. Let’s be honest here!
Probably most day laborers are undocumented, but not all illegal immigrants are day laborers. That’s why the people on this thread have been saying “day laborer” instead of something else.
the problem is with illegal immigration and the problems that it is tied with.
Ok, so what are those problems?
You may indeed not be a racist, but every pathetic word written by “Samantha” above drips with racial and class hatred.
There is a hiring area in Orange located on Mcpherson Street–set up by the City -it has people there at all hours of the day although more in the morning. Who knows which ones are here legally or illegally but I know of no reported problems.
They give the AM/PM on the corner of Chapman a lot of business.
Prospective employers who pick up their materials at Home Depot just need to be informed, or move the hiring hall closer to Home Depot in a non-residential area and in an area that will not interfere with other commercial activities. The hiring hall serves a legitimate public and private purpose.
Samantha, there are people in orange and other communities who have legitimate concerns about loitering, traffic , people relieving themselves, etc. Some of these concerns occur when there are day laborers congregating around places like Home Depot. Your slashing and irrelevant and quasi-racist comments above give the people with legitimate concerns a bad name.
These guys are not just standing around looking for work, they harass people, they piss on private and public property, and at times are drunk. Also it’s not just the day laborers who are getting fined, the “Johns” who are picking them up are getting fined as well. This is not a racial thing, anyone who thinks it is obviously has their own issue with their race! The obvious problem is the immigration laws
Also, I commend the city for what they’re doing, especially the police officer who is just doing HIS JOB.
Right on Liz.
Pitiful.
A person comes on the blog, calls him/herself “Liz,” and makes a couple of reactionary comments. THE SAME PERSON then calls him/herself “Miguel” and makes a comment in support of “Liz.”
Liz/Miguel, you’d be better off taking this stuff over to Red County where you might get some actual human beings (or reasonable facsimiles) who would agree with you.
Better yet, try Martin Millard’s blog.
Yes, pitiful you are Gila. You must be from Red County, get a LIFE!
Glad to see you back here again, “Liz.”
Can you please explain how someone named Miguel logged on from your IP address a few hours later to support you?
I think we’d all like to know.