Local elected officials vocalize their support and concerns, contribute to conversation about Leaders’ Assembly issues
Over 450 people gathered Tuesday night at the First United Methodist Church in Eugene for the Second Annual Lane County Leaders’ Assembly. Organized primarily by Causa, Oregon’s statewide immigrant rights coalition, the Leaders’ Assembly brings together local faith, labor and education communities to advocate for various immigration-related issues.
The evening began with music by Piel Canela and musicians Paul Simon and Kiran Oomen of Eugene’s First Congregational United Church of Christ. The music set a civil rights/activist tone; audience members participated in a sing-a-long of “when I say ‘yes’ to the beat in me, I will set my spirit free.”
Elected city and county officials sat on stage with speakers and representatives from Causa and from Centro Latinoamericano, a Eugene-based human services organization for immigrant families and in particular mixed-status families (e.g., immigrant parents with American-born children).
After introductions from Pastor John Pitney of First United Methodist Church and David Jaspers of St. Alice Catholic Church in Springfield, delegations from eight different area churches, the University of Oregon, Centro Latinoamericano, Mecha, Eugene School District 4J, Lane Community College, Community Alliance of Lane County, and visitors from Woodburn, Salem and Albany were welcomed. Mayor of Eugene Kitty Piercy, Eugene City Councilwoman Andrea Ortiz, Springfield City Councilwoman Sherry Moore, Lane County Commissioner Rob Handy, Lane County Commissioner Pete Sorenson, Lane County Commissioner Pat Farr and Eugene City Councilman George Brown were present. A late arrival was Oregon State Representative Val Hoyle.
The two primary issues addressed were the need for driver’s licenses for all state residents, and the need to restore county funding to Centro Latinoamericano. According to Marcela Mendoza, a Eugene resident who spoke on behalf of Centro, Centro served 2000 clients last year, but can only serve 600 this year due to severe budget cuts. In the past, Lane County has contributed about a quarter of Centro’s $400,000 budget; this year’s county contribution is $50,000.
Maritza Herrera, a Eugene resident and a 2005 graduate of the University of Oregon, spoke about her work on a task force advising the governor on providing equal access to drivers licenses. Despite Causa’s strong presence in Salem, Senate Bill 845 never came to a vote last year. However, Causa intends to continue advocating that the state allow all Oregon residents to obtain drivers’ licenses regardless of immigration status. Herrera emphasized that licenses are not just a privilege, but are often a necessity for preventing health insurance fraud, proving identity, and improving road safety.
After the presentations by Herrera and Mendoza, several people gave moving testimonials about the help they’ve received from Centro Latinoamericano and the difficulties they’ve had due to being unable to obtain a driver’s license.
A single parent with two sons, Teresa Figueroa, became emotional when explaining how much a license would restore not only a sense of independence and productivity, but also her identity. A young college student, Alfonso Macias, bravely told of his experience receiving a DUI and of being required to go into addiction treatment; he chose to go to Centro and claimed that “without Centro, I’d probably still have addiction problems.”
The most emotional testimonial was from Carmen Roberts, an immigrant from Mexico who has lived 13 years in the United States, but who experienced having her three children taken away from her when she was homeless and living with them in her car.
The audience listened to her story and of how Centro helped her get her children back, helped her with court dates, and helped her obtain housing, food and therapy. Turning to the politicians seated onstage, she said (through a translator), “Give more support to Centro Latinoamericano” so that people like her can obtain help to navigate the systems of this country.
Pastor Pitney asked each politician to stand up and answer whether they would support a bill to give licenses to all residents of the state. Piercy said “yes” and emphasized that she wanted everyone to feel “welcome and supported in our community.” Andrea Ortiz also pledged “yes” and said there is a need to get insurance companies involved in this advocacy, as they have a logical interest in helping deter identification theft and health insurance fraud.
George Brown pledged support for equal access to driver’s licenses and brought up another issue that has, in the past, been a key focus of Causa’s advocacy: ensuring in-state tuition to students, regardless of immigration status, who have gone to Oregon high schools. This was met with applause.
Pastor Pitney also asked each politician whether or not they would be in favor of pressuring the county to restore its funding to Centro (from the current $50,000 to the prior $140,000 per year).
Piercy sympathized with the need, but emphasized her responsibility to “all needs” of the city; similarly, Andrea Ortiz emphasized that she would try, but that the challenge was to talk to all the other commissioners who were not present.
George Brown said he’d be willing to help generate private funding for Centro; Pat Farr said that with the city currently $7 million “in the hole,” there is a consistent problem of “shrinking funds and increasing needs and nobody wants higher taxes.”
Commissioner Rob Handy got a loud round of applause for his plea that everyone “turn to each other, not on each other.” Handy pledged both to work on the equal access to driver’s licenses issue and to campaign for more funding for Centro.
Oregon State Representative Val Hoyle pledged support for the driver’s licenses issue and said she’d be a “voice of support” for Centro funding, but emphasized that she has no control over county funds.
Pete Sorenson also pledged support for driver’s licenses for all residents, and emphasized that he was one of the two county commissioners who did not vote to cut off funding to Centro last year. He urged people to work within their districts to pressure their commissioners to restore funding to Centro.
The evening ended with First Congregational United Church of Christ pastor Melanie Oomen declaring that those assembled had felt “the power of unity and the responsibility of democracy;” she urged people to notice whether or not their representative was present and, if not, to contact him or her about these issues.
In closing, Oomen said “We belong to one powerful and enduring family of hope.”
Elaine Replogle is an adjunct instructor of sociology at the University of Oregon who lives in Eugene. She and her husband, Dan Tichenor, are co-editing a book on immigration controversies, due out later this year (Sage Publications). You can connect with Elaine via email or Twitter.
Photo Credit: Rodrigo Hidalgo, Exito Magazine
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Not one dime of tax payers money to facilitate breaking of U.S. and Oregon law. If you are not in the United States legally you get nothing from the tax payers except the cost of a jail cell and a ride out of the U.S.. If Oregon is stupid enough to issue illegals drivers licenses then we better get used to carrying a passport when we travel. Home Land Security has already said that they will stop accepting Oregon drivers licenses as identification for the purpose of boarding aircraft or trains. The United States is either a country of laws with a control of our boarders or we are not. If these “Public Officials” think they do not have to up hold our laws as they took an oath to, then it is time to replace them as soon as possible.
How right you are.. Our elected Officals are totally out of touch and out of control with the common working poeple. And they only think of themself and getting elected again. They do not care about the laws.