[GPSCC-chat] Agenda for Jan. meeting

[Spencer Graves]

Hello, All:


Could start the next meeting, Jan. 26, with Betsy Wolf-Graves talking 
about the work of PACT (People Acting in Community Together) that 
convinced the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to opt out of the 
"Secure Communities" program to get tough on "illegal aliens"? Below 
please find a summary of their work.


See you then.


Best Wishes,
Spencer


Santa Clara County, a Progressive Voice Against Secure Communities


October 18th may go down in the history of immigration reform as a 
landmark day. On that day the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors 
voted NOT to follow demands of the federal government on "Secure 
Communities" because (a) it's against the philosophy of our County and 
(b) it is an unfunded federal mandate.


The issue was detainers: notices to the sheriff’s staff to hold an 
individual and do a background check on that person. PACT (People Acting 
in Community Together) started at least two years ago trying to 
understand a new program called Secure Communities. The intent of this 
program seemed to be to deport undocumented immigrants. It was already 
generating concern in our local immigrant community. Grass roots groups 
came together. Strategy sessions developed plans to contact decision 
makers, utilize the expertise of group members, consult with the 
County’s legal team and with the chair of the committee responsible for 
understanding and dealing with Secure Communities, the Public Safety and 
Justice Committee, chaired by Supervisor George Shirakawa. PACT also 
worked with Zoe Lofgren, who represents part of San José in the US House 
of Representatives. She is a senior member of the Judiciary Subcommittee 
on Immigration and Border Security. The program had been represented to 
her as voluntary but was being sold to Santa Clara County as mandatory. 
She was so troubled by that discrepancy that she ordered an 
investigation, which should make it easier for Santa Clara County to 
sustain their decision last Oct. 18 to opt out of "Secure Communities". 
However, the issue is not dead. PACT is continuing to meet to ensure 
that the recent Board of Supervisors' decision is actually translated 
into reality.


On 1/21/2012 2:25 PM, Tian Harter wrote:
> I will be making the agenda for theFebruary Green Party of Santa Clara 
> County meeting unless someone else tells me they will do it very soon.
>
> Please submit agenda items as replies to this post.
>
> So far all I have is "I would like 10 minutes to talk about tabling,
> schwag making (otherwise known as fund raising), and the registration
> drive." from Caroline.


-- 
Spencer Graves, PE, PhD
President and Chief Technology Officer
Structure Inspection and Monitoring, Inc.
751 Emerson Ct.
San José, CA 95126
ph:  408-655-4567
web:  www.structuremonitoring.com