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Old 10-29-2009, 08:15 PM
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Ayatollahgondola Ayatollahgondola is offline
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Default Business Association Favors Hispanics In Sacramento District

South Sacramento:

The North Franklin Business District spent thousands on spanish language banners that hang over this areas traffic signals advertising a slogan:
"Building on Tradition". The problem is, this neighborhood is traditionally English speaking. Well, it was anyway, until hundreds of day laborers made it into an under the table hiring center. Since then, apartment houses have filled up with Hispanic tenants, some of questionable immigration status. The Hispanic influx found a willing freind in the North Franklin Business District, who wooed them with pandering banners in their native language and reached out to other agencies to provide community services. I spoke with their representative today for 30 minutes or so, to ask questions about this foreign language banner that appeared a few weeks ago. The association is both a 501c3, and a 501c6 corporation. They solicit for money from the feds to build infrastructure, improvements and other grant money. From our conversation, I learned that they have obtained some millions for improvements to intersections and business fronts. Their operation budget is less than 150,000 per year, and operates out of a small office in the district. We spoke about how the neighborhood has been English speaking, but also has a large population of Hmong, Laotion, and other Asian presence. when asked as to why the banners were not in other languages her answer was a matter of factly numerical preference. I'd personally disagree with her assertion, having lived in the area for years, but she is the one with the grant money, so I guess that tilts the numbers a little. We verbally sparred on the day laborer issue for some time, as she tossed the usual suspects in as obstacles in an effort to divert my attention from their part in facilitating the problem. (Of course it's the Federal government's fault, and the Sac Sheriff agrees with the in their effort to build a day labor center, and what else are you going to do?) In the end, I think she understood that I'm not an easily swayed area resident, and maybe she thought we'd be seeing more of each other.
I learned a little from my visit too; Mainly that we need to concentrate some of our efforts in the same manner as do they. Secure grants and spend the money on our constituency. Also, it is far better to give sh!t than to recieve it
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