Megan Norenberg
Sept. 23, 2010
Migrants v. Sheriff.
Who should get the counties money? Should it be the migrant workers or the sheriff’s department? A 5-2 vote on Thursday says it belongs to the migrant workers.
Thursday’s vote has left commissioners and Sheriff Gus DiCesari at odds. Sheriff DiCesari stated, “This is the first time in my 27-years as sheriff that the county hasn’t allocated money to the sheriff’s department to buy equipment.” The sheriff’s department was asking for eight new police-cruisers and five new deputies. With only $97 million left after the new prison was built, the county would be short $580,000 if they were to pay for the cruisers and deputies along with all other expenses.
Commissioners Anita Shenuski and Raymond Laybourne are the two who disagree with the rest of the commissioners. During Thursday’s meeting, the commissioners voiced their opinions by saying, “The county should spend more money on the sheriff’s department and law enforcement than programs that help the migrant workers who come to this county to work,” and,” They [the migrant workers] are a problem for our law enforcement, our schools, and our healthcare system. They take away jobs from decent people and work for next to nothing. We need to protect local residents from them.”
The commission President, Anne Chenn, has denied all statements against migrant workers. She also said,” Those people who come here to work are decent, hardworking people being employed at jobs that local residents don’t want to do.”
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