Immigration measure revived City Council condemns Arizona law

The resolution that passed Tuesday night had key differences, Council President Wilma Brown said.

"We are not telling Arizona what laws they can enact," Ms. Brown said. "We are just telling Ohio not to enact the same law."

Council voted 10-2 Tuesday night, with councilmen Tom Waniewski and Rob Ludeman dissenting, to approve a resolution calling upon the Ohio General Assembly and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland to reject measures like Arizona's law.

On July 20, council voted 6-6 and failed to pass a resolution that called on the federal government to "pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would solve the problem of undocumented immigration at its roots instead of through piecemeal enforcement-only measures."

Mayor Mike Bell then broke the tie and voted no.

Voting against that resolution two weeks ago were D. Michael Collins, George Sarantou, Tom Waniewski, Mike Ashford, Rob Ludeman, and Ms. Brown.

Voting in favor were Joe McNamara, Adam Martinez, Steven Steel, Lindsay Webb, Phillip Copeland, and Mike Craig.

Mr. Collins, Ms. Brown, Mr. Ashford, and Mr. Sarantou switched to yes votes for the new resolution.

Mr. Collins, who was strongly opposed to the first resolution offered by Mr. Martinez, said he rewrote the legislation with the help of Baldemar Velasquez, president of the Toledo-based Farm Labor Organizing Committee. They removed "anti-Arizona language" and any mention of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, Mr. Collins said.

"I don't think anyone is going to say they are not opposed to human trafficking nor would they be opposed to unscrupulous labor practices," he said.

Council Tuesday night also voted 12-0 to accept more than $1.03 million from Penn National Gaming Inc., the Pennsylvania company planning to build Ohio's first casino on Toledo's east side.

The company offered the city the money as reimbursement for improvements the city made to property on the east side, where the firm wants to build the casino.

Penn National, based in Wyomissing, Pa., plans to tear up a road, a storm-sewer line, and a public bicycle path paid for by the city of Toledo to build its casino and parking structure on former industrial riverfront land on Miami Street near

I-75 near the Rossford border.

In other business, council Tuesday night:

•Confirmed several of Mayor Bell's directors and commissioners. Council voted 9-3 to confirm Perlean Griffin, the city's director of affirmative action. Voting against were Mr. Waniewski, Mr. Collins, and Mr. McNamara. Council voted 7-5 to confirm Peg Wallace, the city's director of human resources. Voting no were Mr. Steel, Mr. Waniewski, Mr. Ashford, Mr. Collins, and Mr. McNamara.

•Authorized the Bell administration to spend up to $50,000 to hire the Spengler Nathanson PLL law firm to defend the city against a lawsuit filed in federal court July 15 by Advocates for Basic Legal Equality Inc. contending Toledo has not met requirements for recruiting minorities as firefighters. The case originated in the mid-1970s and pertains to recruitment and selection of Toledo firefighters. ABLE is asking the U.S. District Court to enforce the court order and stop the city from hiring a new class of firefighters this year.

Contact Ignazio Messina at:

imessina@theblade.com

or 419-724-6171.