MAILBAG - Feb. 11, 2007

Guest worker program can help local problemsThe concern that the illegal immigrants in our community may avoid contact with law enforcement when they are a witness to a crime is an issue that needs close focus (“The government we deserve?” On the Town, Feb. 3). This issue concerns all communities that have a crime problem.

The Costa Mesa Police Department needs all the help it can get to prevent and solve crime.

The officers depend on good people (citizens and non-citizens) to report suspicious and active criminal activity. I seriously doubt that any law enforcement agency would refuse to investigate any report of criminal activity from someone who didn’t want to divulge his or her identity.

If or when the proposal made by President Bush (during his State of the Union address) to hire foreign workers on a temporary basis (using a system that controls entry and exit) ever materializes, the following benefit can occur: The worker who came in illegally and uninvited through our backdoor could, if qualified, become a legally invited person by coming in through the front door of our country and obtaining a work permit from the Department of Foreign Employment.

The temporary foreign labor system that I envision is a system that is totally independent of present immigration law and the social services and the tax laws that affect U.S. citizens. The system would contain a method for requesting foreign labor by U.S. citizens who could guarantee that those they hired would satisfy our labor laws, health requirements and welfare needs.

For the other immigrants who are longtime residents but have not yet applied for citizenship, we need them to register with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and sign a contract to become citizens within a specified time frame.

The government we deserve is a government that must step up to the plate and put into law President Bush’s proposal for temporary foreign workers. That law would help us all live in a more lawful, prosperous and safer country. Open relations between all people who are legitimately in our country will contribute to a more friendly America and to a much less stressful life for the foreigners living here.

JACK GORDON

Costa Mesa

Exploiting immigrants is a crime tooThe Costa Mesa Police got the wrong guy when they arrested and detained Marcelino Tzir Tzul for riding a bike on the wrong side of the street. They need to “sweep” Tzul’s place of employment, a flooring company, and arrest the owner of the business.

Mayor Allan Mansoor needs to protect his constituents from these profiteers. Arrest the owners who hire illegal immigrants.

People who make their living off the backs of undocumented workers are criminals.

They too need to be detained. They too need to be charged and found guilty of criminal activity. They too need to go to jail.

Mansoor assured Costa Mesa residents over and over that his program would go only after felons. Horse pucky!

Costa Mesa police are arresting and detaining jaywalkers and folks riding unregistered bikes on the wrong side of the street. What a waste of my taxes!

How come the police didn’t arrest my white son when he was found riding on the wrong side of the street?

My bottom line: Costa Mesa police are engaging in racial profiling, and Mansoor is not a man of his word.

FLO MARTIN SAINT-CLAIR

Costa Mesa

Rehab home neighbors were a push to moveI lived for four years on 39th Street with three rehab homes. True, they are pretty quiet because they can’t afford to have police visit. But our street smelled like an ashtray. Cigarette butts filled frontyards and the street. They would be outside in groups late at night, just loud talk.

Maybe there shouldn’t be more than one on a street, or all of them on one street. I am happy they are trying to get help, but I think they need help acquiring jobs also.

It isn’t easy.

All of this is what pushed us into selling and moving — and I miss the beach.

PAT PALMER

Newport Beach

The simplest answer to rehab-homes questionI say put them all in Costa Mesa (“Rocky path to control over rehab homes,” Feb. 2).

LEONARD DAVIS

Newport Beach