Gloria Roman introduced the speakers: Beatriz Garcia, a long-time organizer in Southern California and presently a staff person of CAUSE, discussed the comprehensive Immigration Reform bill under discussion by the Obama administration and the reasons why its passage is urgent: The main principles of the Obama Administration’s proposal are: security – development of a strategic border policy; a comprehensive bill which will help keep families together as opposed to present deportation policies by which U.S. born children may be assigned into the foster care system when their parents are deported; and the creation of a pathway to legalization & citizenship.

Ventura County will benefit from three aspects of the proposed bill: economically – the agricultural and service sectors will be more secure; socially – will provide a pathway to citizenship and help get the immigrant community out of the shadows; and politically – will help develop the immigrant vote.
The campaign in support of the proposed legislation is structured on several levels: 1. Lobbying groups that work nationally and regionally to impact policy development and legislation. 2. Field organizing reaching out to community based groups. 3. Push for civic engagement, such as voter registration programs. 4. Communication efforts such as text messaging. 5. Political action campaigns like e-mails to legislators. Beatriz provided three important web sites for current information and the opportunity to participate in the campaign of immigration reform: www.reformimmigrationforamerica.org/  www.immigrationforum.org/ www.justiceforimmigrants.org/

The second speaker of the evening was Steve Crandall, a Vietnam veteran and member of the California Central Coast chapter of Veterans Against the War, who explained how the VA is allowing a wealthy home owners’ association to grab 16 acres of Veteran’s land (valued at as much as $4 billion) at the corner of San Vicente and Wilshire Blvd in Westwood without paying for it. This land is part of a grant of 388 acres made to the Veterans Administration in 1888, specifically designated for the enjoyment of veterans.
Ruth Capelle