I went to what has become one of my favorite restaurants, to pick up a to-go dinner, and ended up chatting with the lady behind the counter. She had quite a tale to tell.
She was pulled over recently and the police discovered she had no driver’s license. She is not a legal immigrant. If Santa Ana had in place a program similar to Costa Mesa’s, she would have been deported. (That would be the program that allows police officers to look up the immigration status of those they arrest).
At any rate, the lady ended up being cited for driving without a license. She was fined $700 and has to appear in court. Miraculously, they let her keep her car, after a relative came by and picked it up.
She explained that she works until 9:30 p.m. – and doesn’t feel safe walking home (I can’t blame her for that). So she drives.
Her car is almost paid off. She would have lost a lot had it been seized.
She makes $300 a week, so the $700 fine was more than two week’s of pay. Her kids suffered the consequences of that.
She was stopped by the way for not making a complete stop at a stop sign. I can understand that one. I guess Santa Ana police are sweeping our city for people that don’t make complete stops. Read into that what you will. They ignore gang violence and taggers but harass people for minor traffic violations. Could this be a revenue raising scheme by Assistant City Manager Catherine Standiford?
The Times reported yesterday that 175 illegal immigrants were arrested in O.C. in a five day sweep. Apparently some of them were criminals.
But the lady who took my order yesterday was not a criminal. She was a hard working mom who is trying to raise a family in dire circumstances.
I used to oppose driver’s licenses for undocumented citizens – but now I am not so sure about that. There is a human side to the equation that has not been assessed or told.
Our friends on the right are fond of saying this is a Christian nation. Maybe we ought to act like it once in awhile.
Art you do realize the fine for employing illegal immigrants is $10K per employee….why would you subject your favorite restaurant to that kind of fine??? That is just stupid of you. You know the people that read your blog will report this in half a heart beat. I am going to pretend thatyou did not post the restaurant’s name and hope that you get smart and take the restaurant’s name off…or I suspect next time you go there there will be a special surpise in you next meal.
I agree with Flowerzzzzz.
Exactly Flowerzz. She broke into the country illegaly. She’s broken a few laws already.
But the lady who took my order yesterday was not a criminal
Umm, yeah she is Art.
She’s also obviously using fraudulent documents for employment if she’s here illegaly. How can you say she’s not a criminal Art?
Flowerszzz,
No – you are wrong. See Allan’s comment. As long as she gave “papers” to the employer, he is not in trouble.
And now hopefully he will get more business.
They have BTW a special for $32 that includes an entire chicken, a pound of carnitas and a pound of carne asada, plus tortillas, rice and beans. It is a lot of food for very little!
They are WAY better than Pollo Loco.
You need the license to insure your car.
Does not Mexico issue driver license’s?
Actually Art you are dead wrong about that. If she gave her employer false papers, the employer could still be in hot water. AND besides, if she has alse papers – how can you say she is not a criminal. Whose identity is she stealing? Identity theft is a pretty serious crime.
Look I get why she is here and I get what you are trying to say – but if you are her friend then you certainly would not advertise the fact that she is violating the law.
She must have had insurance? It seems like they would have removed her car if she had not.
Art, are you SURE that the business won’t get into trouble or that your new friend won’t get “swept up” or whatever?
Hey Art, I think Jubal is jacking with you! When I try to link to your site from Red County it goes straight to the Janet Nguyen political web site!
Poster 8,
That’s pretty funny. I ought to hyperlink his listing to Van Tran’s site.
Jubal/Cunningham likes to accuse me of being a Janet sycophant, which is not true. I just refuse to play along with the blog lynching of Supervisor Nguyen that Jubal/Cunningham and his amigo Martin Wisckol, over at Total Buzz, have engaged in for far too long.
Jokes aside, I think that listing other blogs on your own blog is a public service and we should not mess with the listings. So I will not be screwing around with our listing of Red County/OC Blog.
Hopefully Jubal/Cunningham will get over himself and stop altering our listing at some point in the near future. But don’t count on it.
I used to oppose driver’s licenses for undocumented citizens – but now I am not so sure about that.
Gee, I’m so shocked! left so fast I’m surprised you haven’t changed your name to Nativo, renounced your American citizenship and called to return the American Southwest to Mexico!
Jubal/Cunningham likes to accuse me of being a Janet sycophant, which is not true.
You’re right Art. You aren’t a sycophant.
I think “obsequious toady” is a more accurate description of how you blog about Janet.
When I try to link to your site from Red County it goes straight to the Janet Nguyen political web site!
Thank God for accuracy in blogging! Art’s blogging about Janet is so servile and slavish that we might as well be reading Janet Nguyen’s campaign website.
I think Art Pedroza should change his name to Grima Wormtongue. He reminds me of that character from The Two Towers.
Hey Art, is Cunningham still wearing that little piece of hair on his chin. He’s weak and always will be.
Well at any rate I am sure the business owner would not appreciate you advertising on a controversial blog that he has illegal’s working in his establishment. I personally think it is in very bad taste and a poor decision on your part Art.
Pedrozabot,
Have you ever wondered why Red County is so merciless in their attacks on Supervisor Nguyen? Oh, that’s right. They are carrying water for Van Tran.
When Supervisor Nguyen makes a mistake worth noting, then we will be happy to cover it. Until then, we will refrain from participating in the ongoing Red County blog lynching of Supervisor Nguyen.
Flowerszzz,
I don’t lose much sleep worrying about what anon posters think of my decision making. When you are ready to criticize me with your real name, I will take note. Until then, thanks for reading, but no, I won’t be paying you much heed.
As for bad taste, did you think that Tan Nguyen’s letter telling immigrants not to vote was in bad taste? Did you think that Trung Nguyen’s mailer that showed him on the Mexican border, stopping the Mexicans, was in bad taste?
That’s what I thought. You need to take a hard look at your Trannie amigos. They are a bad sort!
As a matter of fact I did think the Tan letter was in bad taste and a bad idea as well. As far as Trung being pictured at the border….it was more funny because the BOS has nothing to do with that issue.
I can see Art that you only respect the laws when they are convenient to you or you are in agreement with them. I sometimes do not get your morals at all.
I ask why would you risk this ladies job, her livelihood, her children and her being deported so you could advertise chicken?
Oh and just so ya know I e-mailed the owner of the restaurant with the link and the story to let them know you posted this story about having illegal’s working in the restaurant. The least I could do is give them a heads up that ICE may be visiting them soon.
Flowerszzz:
Grima Pedrozatongue is on true form! Changing the subject, tossing out baseless accusations and…a tactic he resorts to when cornered…refusing to answer your on-target criticism because you use a pen name! The only thing missing was blaming Pulido.
Not in a million years will Grima Pedrozatongue admit making a mistake. He isn’t mentally or emotionally mature enough for that.
There’s nothing to make you feel good about your mental health than to read Art’s writing.
When Supervisor Nguyen makes a mistake worth noting, then we will be happy to cover it.
You’re not fooling anyone, Art. Your completely in the tank for Janet Nguyen and everyone knows it. You’ll criticize her when she gives you your cojones back.
When you are ready to criticize me with your real name, I will take note.
That’s bull. We’ve all seen you “take note” when Bladerunner criticizes you. Don’t hide behind a BS excuse like that.
It’s tough keeping the lies straight, huh?
Pedrozabot,
That’s because I know who Bladerunner is. And no, I won’t be revealing his identity any time soon.
As for Supervisor Nguyen, the truth is that I have covered her quite fairly. You are capable of going back and reading my posts over the last year to determine that. I just won’t participate in the blog lynching administered by Red County.
It is quite obvious that the OC GOP machine is sore because neither of their darlings, Trung or Carlos, was able to beat Supervisor Nguyen. Jubal/Cunningham wrote nothing but niceties about his boy Carlos during the campaign. And the Trannies on his blog did the same for Trung.
When was the last time Jubal/Cunningham or his Reep cronies had anything nice to say about Supervisor Nguyen?
All you ever do is attack her – and me by extension. I allow your horrible attacks to go up here so people can see how nasty the other side is. 90% of your comments are baseless insults. I hope you are proud of yourself.
It amazes me how much hatred is spent in my direction. You used to love to say that no one read my blog, but then we made the top of the rankings and you could not use that anymore. Now you have resorted to calling me names. Have fun with that! It won’t work and you know it.
If anything, your attacks prove that I am succeeding in moving the ball – and you can’t handle it. Take some meds and get over yourself – and while you’re at it, stop posting these cowardly attacks anonymously. Be a man and sign your name to them. Skulking is nothing to be proud of.
Flowerszz,
Oh but it has everything to do with the issue. You are a supporter of Van Tran and his legion of anti-Mexicans. You look the other way when they cross the line and then attack me when I am trying to make a valid point.
You and pedrozabot and all the other anon haters can keep flinging away. It won’t stop me and it won’t stop this blog from being effective.
I am sure that the owner of the restaurant in question will agree with the points I raised in my article. If he takes the time to go back and read all the tripe that you contribute anonymously to this blog he will realize that you are not his friend. You, like so many other Reeps, are just an immigrant basher…
Er OK Art – where in my post did I bash any immigrants? We are ALL immigrants here. There is a difference in immigrants and illegal immigrants…and you know it. Oh wait – that was your bait and switch!
I take it VERY seriously when someone outs a business owner for having potential illegal immigrants, as I suspect any business owner would. But you would not know about that cuz you have never owned a business. I speak from experience being a business owner myself.
AS to your comments about Trung, yeah I supported Trung, he lost and I have moved on….HAVE YOU? As far as I can see YOU are the only one that STILL brings him up.
And art – I never once said I was trying to stop you or um, keep the man down. I enjoy reading your blog – I was merely highly offended that you posted the restaurants name. Not that you posted the story, it ia an important story…and needs to be told. I just do not see the point in risking her’s nor the restaurants livelihood.
#23
Your posts are getting tedious.
Nonetheless not all of us are immigrants. Some of our families have been firmly planted in California for generations that date back to the time when this land was part of Mexico.
You, Ms. Flowerzzzz, are the illegal immigrant. Geography has bound our two countries forever –
good, bad or indifferent. You want to simplfy the issue by reducing it to a matter of finger pointing. Your simple-mindness lacks history and perspective.
And the ignorance you spew has taken the form of immigrant bashing.
There is a human side to this issue, on that, Pedroza has is right.
#25 – If you think my posts are tedious THEN DONT READ THEM – I was not talking to you anyway. As for your accusation that I am the illegal Immigrant and that I am immigrant bashing – what a joke…take a reading class and try again.
For the most part, I agree with Pedroza on this issue …just disagree with him outing the employer and the employee. He guises it as a human interest story, but then risks their livelihood…how humane is that?
She’s driving around without a license, rolled a stop sign, and is actually financing a car all while illegally residing here in America?
Her kids aren’t suffering the consequences of the $700 fine, Art. They’re suffering the consequences of poor parenting choices. Ultimately, she wasn’t dragged across the border to come here and work. She chose to be here. She chose to roll the stop sign. She chose to take on a monthly car payment. So, she chose to deal with the consequences.
And now she deserves to receive a drivers license? No dice, Art. No dice.
Flowerzzzzzzzz’s now thinks she’s Robert DeNiro.
LOL
You Talking to me? HEY, YOU TALKING TO ME?
Thank you Art for taking the name of the restaurant down. Hopefully you did it before anyone called immigration and reported it and she can continue to keep her job and support her family.
Next time “think” before you make a point. A point is not worth being made if it hurts the person you are trying to help.
Amazing! Art Pedroza actually admitted to making a mistake!
OK, so he didn’t actually say, “Flowerszzz, you’re right, and I’m removing the name of the restaurant.” That’s what a grown-up would do, and Art is in arrested adolescence.
But it’s progress!
Art, you told Flowerszzz you wouldn’t answer her criticisms because she uses a pen name:
When you are ready to criticize me with your real name, I will take note.
Of course, that’s just another of your hypocrisies, because you salivate over yourself to agree with Bladerunner when he criticzes you. You tried a classic Pedroza twist in repsonse:
That’s because I know who Bladerunner is. And no, I won’t be revealing his identity any time soon.
But that’s not the same thing your asking of Flowerszzz. You using her pen name as an excuse not to respond — not that you don’t know who she is. Bladerunner won’t criticize you or anyone else with his real name, yet that’s perfectively fine with you.
But then again, expecting anything else would require Art to be honest and consistent. What am I thinking?
Pedrozabot sure seems upset about Art’s blog. Like all the time.
Why don’t you make up your own blog? Maybe channel some of that negative energy into something constructive.