WUI (Writing under the influence)

[Orignal post. This post will be updated with new information as it becomes available. The post will be kept at the top of the blog for the next few days. This way, the new editor of the Forest Grove News Times will have no problem finding it.]

[Update 4. It's been a week since I first posted this and then asked the editor of the Forest Grove News-Times to write something about this story in particular and illegal immigration in general. He promised me would research the subject and maybe even get back to me to talk about it. The next issue of the News-Times will be out in two days. We'll see...]

[Final update. I'm moving on. Today's Forest Grove News-Times had no mention of what happened almost two weeks ago in Cornelius. By moving on I mean taking the matter in my own hands.]

There finally is a story for the Forest Grove News Times. After weeks of printing lame stories on Wal*Mart, especially the one on people watching fake documentaries about how bad Wal*Mart is, there is a chance for News Times to deliver on new editor's promises of fair and balanced journalism.

On last Saturday morning, in Cornelius a big fraud was perpetuated on the citizen of that great town and on all citizens of the State of Oregon. According to eyewitness accounts (see below) the so called Centro Cultural hosted what's called Mexican Consulate Carousel whose purpose is to help illegal immigrants obtain Matricula Consular cards. Those cards are then accepted by DMV as valid documents so illegal aliens can get driver licenses.

But that's not the end of it. What's worse is that the State of Oregon sends its employees to those events to advertise and sell services. What made the last event even more interesting was that, unlike that coward Riley in whose district this highly improper activity took place, Senator Bruce Starr showed up and after a short inspection declared that somebody would have to answer for what went on inside.

When I stopped by around 2:30pm, I was "greeted" by one of the organizers who forcibly escorted me to the door. Apparently this is a private property. Fine. I have respect for private property and for law in general so I left. Almost at the door, I asked whether it was true that Centro Cultural didn't in fact accept any tax money. I was assured that no one cent of my money went to fund its activities. But the truth may be slightly more complicated.

As Rino Watch reports, at least "$15,000 in Washington County [...] Strategic Investment Program [...] has been donated by [...] commissioners to the Cornelius Centro Cultural." I understand that grant money doesn't automatically turn a private property into a public one. Forest Grove, for example, uses grants to encourage property owners to make repairs to their properties in the Old Town district. I'm against such programs but I wouldn't just walk into somebody's house uninvited just because it was repaired with such a grant. I would however look upon such a grant much less favorably if the property owner was a public nuisance. And I would have to classify the activity taking place in El Centro Cultural of Cornelius as such.

In any case, there is plenty of material for News Times to publish a good story on the first page of its paper for the next few weeks. And with all those "journalists" it employs maybe it could dig deep and find out how much money illegal immigrants really cost us. If they just applied half of their journalistic zeal so finally exhibited while they were chasing every Wal*Mart angle...

Just in case they wouldn't know where to start, I decided to compile all I could find about the subject below and I will keep it up to date. Now that both Lars Larson and Victoria Taft are taking about it on the radio, this thing will not go away. Please, read the comments as well as the posts as you will find a lot of useful information there as well.

What happened in Cornelius and related stuff:
Rino Watch
Where's Rep Chuck Riley
Community Center
Workers Comp for Illegal Aliens
Upcoming Schedule for the Criminal Carnivals
Daniel's Political Musings
My favorite thing about "El Centro Cultural"
Cornelius consulate visit
Cornelius Protest: Part dos
Cornelius Protest: Part tres
Cornelius Protest: Part quatro
My morning laugh
Another blogger posts on El Centro Criminal
How a few Americans struck fear into a foreign government
Oregon Billboard
A Day at El Centro Cultural
Let's get it straight!
MAX Redline
Beautiful downtown Cornelius
Victoria Taft
Carousel of Crime: A Smash Hit with Illegal Aliens

The post originally created on Jan 22 at 12:23AM.
Update 1 on Jan 22 at 12:44PM.
Update 2 on Jan 22 at 9:11PM.
Update 3 on Jan 23 at 6:50PM.
Update 4 on Jan 30 at 10:44PM.
Last update on Feb 1 at 10:05PM.