On Tuesday the Sacramento City Council will discuss their official position and possible action surrounding the newly enacted Arizona immigration bill, SB1070. The bill was signed into law by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on April 23rd and takes effect 90 day later. The agenda item comes at the request of Councilman Rob Fong. Fong has publicly requested the City of Sacramento to boycott Arizona for any official business because of Arizona's desire to enforce federal law within their state.
According to the Sacramento City website, "You are welcomed and encouraged to participate in this meeting. Public comment is taken (2 minutes maximum) on items listed on the agenda when they are called. Public Comment on items not listed on the agenda will be heard as noted on the agenda. Comments on controversial items may be limited and large groups are encouraged to select 3-5 speakers to represent the opinion of the group."
is dedicating 1 hour to the discussion of the Arizona law. Other timed agenda times include 2 minutes for “Marina Fee Revision”, 5 minutes for “Transit Overlay Zone Amendment”, and 20 minutes
When
Sacramento Mayor
Kevin Johnson called for economic sanctions against
Arizona but then retreated from that position on the same day, Ramirez was fed up.
"I guess discrimination is more tolerable when it impacts Mexican Americans as opposed to African Americans," Ramirez said on Tuesday.
"What Johnson did insulted me."
These words mean something because Johnson is the first African American mayor of
Sacramento and Ramirez is also somebody significant in this town. In 1980, at 36, Ramirez became the first U.S. District Court judge in
California of Mexican descent.
He retired from the federal bench in
Sacramento in 1990 and has remained in the area as a standout private mediator. In his day, Ramirez sent mobsters to prison. He was among a handful of judges who objected to federal
sentencing guidelines in crack cocaine cases, which some called racist because they had a heavy impact on African American suspects.
Julie Jacobson / AP PhotoThousands of New York City’s strongest teachers are in danger of losing their jobs—with no consideration given to their talent, only how long they’ve been teaching. And the real losers will be children, says Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.
