Illegal Aliens Are Ruining My Neighborhood

[HeightsGuy]

Hm, then if your folks and your grandmother was harboring lawbreakers and did nothing about, are both them and your grandmother breaking the law too?

[2112]

I know that American hispanics don't necessarily go along with the foreign-born lifestyles. As I said earlier, my hispanic-american friends here feel like you do. On the one hand we all dislike the same things but on the other, they have some mixed feelings because of their heritage. I said something to a American hispana neighbor about a bad remodel job and the tendency to tear out the old, wooden windows and then replace them with cheapo Home Depot versions and then, to leave the labels on the windows, as if to show off to their neighbors the fact that they have new windows. I see it on many new windows near here. Was I wrong to assume that and then tell her? Maybe. I think she took offense and, being a friend, I regretted saying it afterwards.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the reason behind the window stickers is quite benign. Have you ever tried to remove them? They don

[citykid09]

^Well, she did not know about it, She is old, her childrean take care of that stuff for her. Most of her childrean live far, far away from her, in other states and other cities. By the time they found out what was happening, the problem was soon taken care of by the legal mexicans.

[2112]

Yes, crappy people come in all different colors.  But how about this for a slight change of topic:  What can he do to save his neighborhood from his neighbor?

Any ideas?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1.Create city codes that dictate minimum levels of quality, and levels of maintenance, in residential and commercial districts.

2.Enforce them.

3.Create, re-enact, and enforce deed restrictions to supplement the city codes.

4.Enforce them.

5.Use common sense in the creation of the above so that

[LTAWACS]

Can you not call the INS?

[Guest danax]

1.Create city codes that dictate minimum levels of quality, and levels of maintenance, in residential and commercial districts.

2.Enforce them..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We have lots of codes dealing with these things. Mayor White has started serious enforcement of them with the Stop Trashing Houston campaign and it has had a noticeable effect on the area in which I live. I'd like to see the city go a little further and create more codes that would be more along the lines of city-wide deed restrictions.

3.Create' date=' re-enact, and enforce deed restrictions to supplement the city codes.

4.Enforce them...[right']<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If your deed restrictions have lapsed, as many have, you must begin all over again as if they never existed. If the area's demographics are not interested in any restrictions of any kind (stereotyping again here possibly, but to many Latin American foreigners deed restrictions are a foreign concept and not likely to be seen as something desirable) the risk is that the area is stuck as a free-for-all zone until possibly the next demographic shift occurs. City wide basic deed restrictions involving things like businesses in residential areas, cars on lawns, possibly respect for architectural tendencies or at least requiring any fencing and major exterior changes to be approved by the Civic Club would help, although this would be almost back-door zoning in part, which we need. We have lots of examples around town of areas with no restrictions and how some residents, if left to themselves, will creates areas resembling something out of National Geographic's special World Poverty issue. Until the City steps in or the area gets gentrified, nothing will change.

5.Use common sense in the creation of the above so that “quality” does not create monotony' date=' respects different cultures, and allows for individuality.[right']<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

6.Accept that our economy and cost of living thrives via cheap labor' date=' and remove the criminality by appropriately INCREASING legal immigration to levels that maintain the economic gains.[right']<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's looks like we'll be moving more in that direction in the near future.

7.Enforce all other illegal immigration..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Right now it's a joke. How can they tell us that homeland security is a high priority when we have no control of our borders? Makes me think they're lying to us regarding their real motives. "Seal" the borders and allow who and how many we want to come here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, that's almost an argument for letting the neighborhoods decide for themselves what standards they adopt. Would building the hacienda fence in a neighborhood originally without them be considered a cultural act? Or what if a baby boomer came in a decided Galvalume siding for a 1920s bungalow was appropriate? Is that cultural? Or how about a redreck rancher who wants to put barbed wire around his inner-loop home to "keep out the creeps". Maybe where he comes from, that's what you did. All these could be argued all "cultural" but then we get into the wishy-washy definitions. I say we need to preserve the basic characterics of each neighborhood based on their original design. That way there's uniformity and one can feel assured that if they buy a home within a certain neighborhood radical changes won't occur. This is very un-Houston though. Where will the McMansions be built?

[LTAWACS]

If you won't call INS I will. I just don't know where you are.

[N Judah]

Read post #7

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I meant the illegals in general, not the specific neighbors.

[jmancuso]

yeah, illegal immigration is a serious issue...one that needs to have a hardlined stance to but bad neighbors come in all shapes and forms. the white trash next door to my grandmother and thedrug dealing thugs from new york city who bought house next to my aunt.

[LTAWACS]

I meant the illegals in general, not the specific neighbors.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why not specific neighbors? I know if I knew my neighbors where illegals I would notify the authorities.

[citykid09]

Good News!

24 Illegal Immigrants Arrested At Houston Refineries

Fri May 20, 6:53 PM ET

Two dozen illegal immigrants were arrested while working at Houston-area refineries, Local 2 reported Friday.

Officials said it was part of a nationwide sweep that could have had serious consequences.

The workers were contract workers at several different sites.

Officials said they were a major threat to homeland security because of their access to the refineries.

In Houston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 20 people at the Lyondell-Citgo Refinery in Houston, one person at the Valero Refinery in Houston and three at the Valero Refinery in Texas City.

The rest of the article is here: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/i...lo_kprc/2732050

[jmancuso]

better news would be to stop them at the border. as much as i support the INS and deporting illegals when caught, i don't think i could ever call the INS on anyone nor do i feel happy when a bunch of them are rounded and sent back to mexico. it's a sad situation.

they come here for the lure of the american dream of which 99.99% of them will never acheive. we need to somehow get that message across to those in mexico. we also need to beef up the border patrol and support groups like the minutemen...as long as they operate with in the confines of the law and don't take it into their own hands.

[N Judah]

Why not specific neighbors? I know if I knew my neighbors where illegals I would notify the authorities.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's not what I meant.

He was talking about how illegal immigrants are ruining his entire neighborhood. However, the only evidence he has of illegal immigrants living in his neighborhood are his next door neighbors, and he only knows that about them because they told him. He then goes on to turn it into a Houston-wide thing, basing it on that one example.

[Guest danax]

That's not what I meant.

He was talking about how illegal immigrants are ruining his entire neighborhood.  However, the only evidence he has of illegal immigrants living in his neighborhood are his next door neighbors, and he only knows that about them because they told him.  He then goes on to turn it into a Houston-wide thing, basing it on that one example.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True. I have no hard evidence of any others in my neighborhood, or in Houston. I'm making assumptions based on my observations. Maybe my assumptions, which I hopefully expained how I came up with them, are incorrect but I thought I'd voice them anyway.

Oh, actually I do have some evidence. The HPD officer that comes to our neighborhood meeting last month did mention an incident where they received a cellphone call from someone at an apartment, not exactly in my neighborhood, but not too far from here. The guy said he was being held hostage. HPD showed up and something about some guy came out with a gun, I'm not sure if this was the "coyote" or not. Anyway, it turns out that, once the neighbors started talking to the officer saying, "there's more in that apartment, more in that one too", the guy was found to have had 80 people held captive in multiple apartments, being held until the money showed up, which he said was usually from $4-$7K. Quite a business. This guy that called said he had a wife waiting for him in Minnesota. HPD called INS and they said that they had been looking for this particular smuggler. I'm not sure what happened to the captives.

Oh yeah, and my own house used to be a "safe house". Before I bought it, it was a rental. The guy I bought it from told me he rented it to a guy who told him he was a "contractor". The concrete driveway in front of my garage slab in cracked and crumbled in one place, the former owner told me, because the guy would drive this huge truck back there full of people. I have carvings throughout my house, on the old pine floorboards, walls, baseboards, such as " Jolisa, Ecuador", "Viva El Salvador", "Solo Morro", and others. It was obvious that people were sitting along the walls on the floor, waiting for their liberation. My neighbors called my house " the party house".

We also make an assumption when we say that they're only wanting the American Dream. I also assume that most of them want that. However, the ones that come here are not all humble angels. Some of them exploit our systems and take advantage of their un-trackability and counterfeit documents in various ways.

For example, I still get mail from 1) Bail bondsmen, 2) Collection agencies. I opened a few because, at one point, I was getting flooded with this stuff, I mean like sometimes 10-15 pieces IN ONE DAY, especially the bail bond mail. These various people, and I mean many different names, had skipped town and left someone else holding the bag. And, I think a lot of these people don't necessarily come to stay, but rather to work and send as much money home as possible to buy something nice where they live. I've been told that. Again, just heresay. Although it must be partially true since President Vicente Fox has stated that he doesn't want the dollars to stop being sent home.

I don't hate these people. My original post was a vent of 1) one particular incident and 2) my assumptions regarding some frustratingly similar things that I see around my neighborhood. I chose to be bold and honest and, as I said, I was painting with a broad brush.

[citykid09]

does anyone know the amount of immagrants that come in to the USA legally? And illegally?

[Parrothead]

citykid, the US Government estimates our illegal population to be between 8 and 12 million people. Many anti-illegal groups cite Time Magazine's 2004 estimate of 15 million.

White trash can be horrifically bad neighbors, God knows. I think every race has their bad side!! Some are worse than others but for the most part no one decent wants to live next to any of them.

The only way more strict rules and deed restrictions can be passed with an HOA is if the board approves them, but it's all about enforcement. An HOA can foreclose on a property if the person doesn't comply within a certain time frame and a foreclosure clause is stipulated in the deed restrictions. It's actually getting the HOA to do that, that seems to be the hard part.

[Subdude]

Oh yeah, and my own house used to be a "safe house". Before I bought it, it was a rental. The guy I bought it from told me he rented it to a guy who told him he was a "contractor". The concrete driveway in front of my garage slab in cracked and crumbled in one place, the former owner told me, because the guy would drive this huge truck back there full of people.

Ah yes, brings back memories of when I lived across the street from a safe house in the Heights. Mobs of people hanging out in the side yard. To be fair, though, it was pretty quiet and they really weren't bad neighbors at all. The bad neighbors were the ones who broke into the house a couple of times, and they weren't from the safe house.

[GREASER]

Danax, it sounds as if you live in my neighborhood? How far are you from the intersection of Lawndale/Telephone rd.

[citykid09]

I just got back from New York, (I stayed in Islip Long Island, NY).

Any ways, There where dozens of illegals standing on street corners, and standing on the opposit sides of the street where people protesting the illegal aliens. They had big signs that said stuff like "Stop illegal immagration." I had saw stuff like this on TV and thought it was cool that I could see it in real life. Well I wonder why they don't do that down here? Has it gotten to bad here to where its to late?

[Guest danax]

Danax, it sounds as if you live in my neighborhood? How far are you from the intersection of Lawndale/Telephone rd.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not too far, Greaser. I'm down the road a couple of miles in Pecan Park. I like it here despite my complaints. The trick is to do what is possible to improve things without letting one's mind get in a habit of constantly saying " I like this, I don't like that". The neighbor has been much better with the music since we talked (although the summer party season is here). Sometimes the biggest problem in neighborhoods is that no one speaks to each other. If you get to know each other, then it's more likely that everyone will be considerate. Good theory, anyway.

Do you have young guys burning rubber all the time? Seems like a trend that's picked up steam lately and it sure leaves the streets looking ghetto.

[RedScare]

That trend picked up steam about 60 years ago, right after the (mostly white) GIs got back from the War. For a good documentary about this phenomenon, you might rent 'American Grafitti' from Blockbuster.

[Guest danax]

That trend picked up steam about 60 years ago, right after the (mostly white) GIs got back from the War.  For a good documentary about this phenomenon, you might rent 'American Grafitti' from Blockbuster.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm talking trends in a small time frame, like in the past year compared to a year ago. And I know American Graffiti and I've burned rubber once or twice and I'm not saying anything about illegals, Hispanics or otherwise on this one.

[713 To 214]

better news would be to stop them at the border. as much as i support the INS and deporting illegals when caught, i don't think i could ever call the INS on anyone nor do i feel happy when a bunch of them are rounded and sent back to mexico. it's a sad situation.

they come here for the lure of the american dream of which 99.99% of them will never acheive. we need to somehow get that message across to those in mexico. we also need to beef up the border patrol and support groups like the minutemen...as long as they operate with in the confines of the law and don't take it into their own hands.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish the Mexican Government and Mexican Presidente Vicente Fox would improve the Mexican economy so that the desire to leave Mexico would not be so strong. If Fox focused more on that rather than focus much of his attention on how illegals can cross the border "safely," I submit that the amount of illegals coming across the Mexican border would be managable.

[The Great Hizzy!]

^^ LOL! That's a funny but apt way of putting it.

"I wish we could find a way to make it safer for certain folks to break international laws..."

You would think the president of ANY country would be more concerned with improving conditions for his/her citizens in their home country so that they don't feel the desire to "escape" to some new country. Instead, the focus is on making those escapees as comfortable as possible. Now, I know, I know... Fox probably IS more focused on that but I think you get my real point.

[GREASER]

After reading all the posts here, there is one thing that I keep thinking about that has yet to be brought up. Why do people (any orig. if it matters) come to U.S., congregate in a certain part of town, and then try to recreate the crap (living conditions etc.) that they were trying to get away from in the first place. I live on the East end, and yes I knew it was a Hispanic neighborhood going in, but how many Taqerias operating out of trucks, and ice cream vendors on bikes do we need. I guess its a matter of perspective, and what is deemed as ok. Oh yea, I don`t know who regulates, if anyone, the bicycle ice cream vendors, but these guys are also selling beer out of these carts.

[RedScare]

Every developed country in the world deals with immigration from the less developed countries. When my brother worked in Germany, he said they complained of it. Asian countries deal with it as well. Any developed country that does not have a steady supply of cheap labor for the unskilled jobs it creates will wither and die.

The question is not whether to stop immigration from these countries, it is to control it for the benefit of both sides. Houston has been a huge beneficiary of Mexican immigrants. We have the lowest cost of living of any large city, and the single largest contributor is the pool of cheap labor to build our houses, roads, and highways, as well as mow our lawns, bus our tables and clean our offices.

These immigrants have also helped Houston shed its image as a white, southern redneck town. It is now often called the most diverse city in the US.

Interestingly, while Republican voters may rail against this immigration, Republican business owners do not. While I may disagree with the president on most other issues, he is not trying to stop immigration, but merely get a handle on it. This is because the people he listens to see the value of immigration, and don't want it stopped.

There are numerous studies that show the gains from immigrants far outweighs the costs. I won't go into a lot of details, but the myths are mostly just that.

Maybe I am biased. I remember my mom's parents telling me about how they came to this country in the early 1900s from Lebanon (yes, the Shiites were killing the Catholics then, too), and being amazed at how tough these two 17 year olds must have been, crossing the world to start a new life. I see the same toughness in these immigrants today and I don't mind them as neighbors.

Just an anecdote before I get off the soapbox - when I opened a restaurant last year, the first contractor I hired was a white guy with a Christian t-shirt. He was overpriced and did such shoddy work that I fired him. The Mexican replacements all did professional work for a fair price. The next white guy I hired for sign work, stole $900 and did not produce the sign. Talk about your stereotypes...for months, I swore I would never hire another white guy, saying they were lazy and cost too much...and I AM a white guy!

Sorry so long.

[713 To 214]

There are numerous studies that show the gains from immigrants far outweighs the costs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've heard that from at least fifty different people. Not one can point me to such a study. If you can, please do. On the other hand, Lou Dobbs (5:00 CST) on CNN has consistently, for the past few weeks, presented evidence to the contrary. I really would like to form an educated opinion on the costs of illegal immigration. Can anyone here provide this forum with some credible numbers?

[RedScare]

Here's one on short notice. When I've got a little time, I'll look a little more thoroughly.

http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?NavMenuI...licationID=7321

[LTAWACS]

Where does the threadstarter live?

[Perimeter285]

I live in Sharpstown, and needless to say we deal with these issues constantly. Illegal immigration and the toll it takes on our neighborhood is incredibly frustrating. Mexicans here often do things that make me cringe: large numbers of cars parked every which way, clusters of people drinking in the front yard, houses painted extremely loud colors, loud mariachi music, commercial vehicles parked in plain view, shopping carts parked on sidewalks, businesses run from homes and constant garage sales, on top of the most ungodly amount of careless littering imaginable (I often wonder, do they not have trash cans in Mexico?).

All that being said, Mexicans are also some of my best neighbors. These Mexicans are the ones that aspire to be Americans, to give their children a better life than they had. They have some of the most beautiful yards on my block (and no loud paint colors or hacienda fences, mind you). And as for all the other white people that live on my block, I don't think I've ever said much to them. The people I know the best and like and respect the most are all Hispanic.

Mexicans are definitely not the kiss of death for a neighborhood, as long as they have some semblance of education, and as long as you have an active homeowners' association that will enforce deed restrictions and educate those who might be ignorant to them. Most people that trash neighborhoods aren't doing it on purpose.

Since I've gotten active in this pursuit, my little corner of Sharpstown is actually very attractive. So come on people, move here! heheh