Regulating Day Laborers

* “A Case of Overkill” (Commentary, Jan. 25), regarding the county’s pending employment solicitation ordinance, totally misrepresented both the issue and the Ladera Heights community.

Ladera Heights is a successfully integrated, upper-middle-class neighborhood situated south of Baldwin Hills, north of Inglewood, and east of Culver City. It is a community composed of professional people of all races and ethnic backgrounds who live together in harmony, and the extraordinarily low crime rate is due largely to neighbor looking after neighbor. The Ladera Heights Civic Assn. is the voice and advocate of the 3,500 families living here.

The day laborers do not reside in Ladera Heights--they are trucked in, dropped off, and spend the day loitering about when they are not hired. The contractors who hire the day laborers do not reside in Ladera Heights, nor is their work in Ladera Heights. The contractors come here for one reason . . . this is the only Home Base store for miles around, and someone is providing an ample supply of day laborers.

As each day passes, large numbers of day laborers congregate around people’s homes or small businesses waiting to be picked up. They drink, gamble, defecate in the bushes, fight among themselves, and make lewd remarks to passers-by. They threaten Ladera residents and once attacked the Home Base manager who no longer allows them on Home Base property. A Ladera church complained to the association that the day laborers obstruct its sidewalks and cause disturbances during funerals and other church functions.

The association tried the mediation services offered by the county but so far they have been a waste of time. It conducted an investigation of the measures adopted by several other cities, from the establishment of employment centers to the implementation of ordinances such as the one now proposed. The single most effective remedy to the problems caused by the day laborers in residential areas was the passing of these ordinances.

The county ordinance would be in effect only within 500 feet of a residential area, school, park, or church. It is a reasonable measure, yet the advocates oppose it, proposing instead that they establish, staff and run employment centers. Cannot the ordinance go into effect and the advocates establish employment centers in non-residential areas?

The advocates have a nasty habit of crying “Racism!” whenever they cannot prevail, but this time their charge is ludicrous, especially their claim of rising racial tensions in Ladera Heights. There is no racial tension, and this is not a racial issue. This is an issue of a community having its safety, property and peace violated, and it has a right, even an obligation, to seek protection for its residents.

RONNI COOPER, President

Ladera Heights Civic Assn.

Los Angeles

* I was angered to read that with unemployment rates in Southern California being one of the highest nationally, Supervisor Yvonne Burke seeks to pass legislation to outlaw casual labor solicitation. The proposed “seek a job, go to jail” ordinance is but another example of the criminalization of poverty by elected officials for political gain. Casual labor has historically been an entry point into the labor force for the unskilled and a last resort for workers displaced from other industries. Deprived of their right to seek an honest day’s pay, these day laborers may turn to drug sales, robbery or other crimes to support their families.

An entire community of workers, businesses and taxpayers would benefit by allowing these day laborers to have a hiring hall rather than an arrest record.

CINDY V. HENDERSON

Los Angeles