Non-voting immigrants weigh in on city elections

The following story really pisses me off. I am a native Austinite, but I have lived just outside the city for the past 31 years. I still live in Travis County. I cannot vote in city elections. Now the Austin City Council is saying that they should listen to Non-Voting immigrants (many which are probably illegal) and they have never listened to the residents just outside the city. And most of us are in the 5 mile extraterritorial jurisdiction of Austin. They tell us what to do anyway. It just isn't right.



Non-voting immigrants weigh in on city elections
4/19/2009 10:29 PM
By: Heidi Zhou


Many immigrants say, even if they cannot vote, their opinions of the city and expectations of council members should matter.
Normally, they hide from politicians and TV cameras. But, on this day, they're making their voices heard.

Antonio Melo admits he can't vote. But, he's lived in Austin for 16 years and said that makes the city as much his as anyone else's.

"I believe the mayor should take us into account because we're living here," Melo said. "We're part of the city of Austin."

According to the 2006-2007 Travis County Immigrant Assessment, only 26 percent of the county's foreign-born population is naturalized citizens.

Marcelo Tafoya of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) said the remaining non-voting immigrant community still cares about local politics.

"A lot of the things that occur in the city and even the county directly affects them -- wages, opportunities to work, the fear of INS, although it's supposed to be a protected city, how we deal with the police," Tafoya said. "Although they may have no input on the decisions being made, but they do have input on asking why, and that opens the doors for others to come back and say, 'Wait a minute, they're right.'"



Howard Hawhee is one voter who said he does care about documented and undocumented immigrants.

"They are part of the community, whether or not they can vote, and some day they will vote or their children will be voting," he said.

The candidates at Sunday's forum seemed to realize that, too.

"We need a strong, steady hand in the mayor's office to make sure we stay focused on the fundamentals which include creating and saving good jobs with benefits for everyone in Austin," mayoral candidate Lee Leffingwell said.

Mayoral candidate Brewster McCracken spoke about inclusion.

"I believe it is the City of Austin's job to provide protection and opportunity and inclusion for everybody in Austin," he said.

Mayoral candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn was not in attendance.