Riverside 
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Wed Sep 26, 2007 at 01:13:29 AM EDT
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 Remember Riverside's anti-immigrant law that sought to punish those who hired or rented to illegal immigrants in the town?Within months, hundreds, if not thousands, of recent immigrants from Brazil and other Latin American countries had fled. The noise, crowding and traffic that had accompanied their arrival over the past decade abated. Mission accomplished!The law had worked. Perhaps, some said, too well.
With the departure of so many people, the local economy suffered. Hair salons, restaurants and corner shops that catered to the immigrants saw business plummet; several closed. Once-boarded-up storefronts downtown were boarded up again. Although the law was never actually enforced, it worked, despite some unintended consequences. Last week Riverside reversed course and repealed the ordinance, but not because it was racist. They just didn't expect it to be so darn expensive!"I don't think people knew there would be such an economic burden," said Mayor George Conard, who voted for the original ordinance. "A lot of people did not look three years out." Awww, cry me a river. Even though it is, you know, his job to think about the consequences of the laws they pass, I can't say I'm surprised that anyone with their head planted so firmly up their ass wouldn't be able to see very far, let alone three years out. Their righteous stand for the rule of law was simply a thin smokescreen to obscure their true motivation.
But even bigots give up on hate and scapegoating when it hits their bottom line. Unfortunately for Riverside, that doesn't change the fact that they're still horribly racist.
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Thu Aug 23, 2007 at 08:53:52 AM EDT
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The aftermath of Riverside's anti-immigrant law penalizing those who hire or provide housing for the town's illegal immigrant population was predictably devastating, but maybe not this predictable:Robins, who owns Scott Street Music, said that since the law was enacted last summer - and amended several times thereafter - the community has lost thousands of residents.
He said that some 1,500 immigrants left the onetime mill town within the first two weeks of the law hitting the books. The impact has been devastating, he said, considering that Riverside's total population is only 8,000.
"It was very vibrant," Robins said of the commercial corridor that dissects this 1.6-square-mile town.
"Now," he said, "it's dead." I don't know what exactly they were hoping to achieve besides eliminating their town of these people. They got exactly what they wanted. Now they're going to repeal the law, but will those immigrants return to a town that doesn't want them?
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Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 08:34:40 PM EDT
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Regardless of your position on the presence of illegal immigrants in NJ, you might agree that it seems weird to force local landlords to interrogate tenants and demand to see their papers. If the landlords do not comply, Riverside might hit them with hefty fines.
Historian Jean Pfaelzer, author of Driven Out: The Forgotten War Against Chinese Americans writes about an America that does not look like America: the eighty towns (so far) that have passed versions of the "Illegal Immigration Relief Act" criminalizing the rental of property to undocumented immigrants. Thus have wide swathes of Middle America willingly turned themselves into municipal police states. ...
In Hazelton, PA, landlords face arrest or fines of $250 per day. In Riverside NJ the fines grow to $1,000 per day. ...
I realize that Riverside is way down there near Philadelphia, but does that south Jersey location put the town in a nutty Dixie frame of mind ? Why are landlords, of all people, being placed in the position of confirming their tenants' immigration status ?
http://commonsense.o...
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Wed Nov 22, 2006 at 09:41:24 PM EST
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Despite the fact that the Republican mayor and his running mate Committeeman James Ott, were easily defeated on election day by Democrats Lorraine Hatcher and Thomas Polino, the lame duck committee used the time before Democrats take control in January to ram through their illegal immigration ordinance which cost them the election in the first place. The Republican Mayor who lost, opposed the measure which passed 4-1 with the Mayor as the lone dissenting vote... Hilton called for the committee to essentially kill the ordinance, which is the target of two lawsuits, so that the immigration issue could be considered by newly-elected committee members in 2007.
Hilton said it would be "morally and ethically wrong to ignore the views of the voters." The orignal ordinance was already facing many legal hurdles...A group of local businesspeople last month challenged the measure in state court, saying it's discriminatory, vague and unfair to local merchants.
The group's attorney, Jim Katz of Cherry Hill, contends the amended measure "suffers from the identical problems as the old ordinance. Specifically, municipalities in New Jersey lack the power to regulate immigration." That does raise an interesting question though. Does the municipality have the power to regulate immgration?
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Mon Sep 04, 2006 at 10:02:07 PM EDT
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(That's two for South Jersey in one night. Come on North Jersey - you gonna let South Jersey kick your butt like this? - promoted by jmelli)
Until we have a Burlington County Blue Journalist, I figured I would do a little summary of what's going on. Here is a map of the municipalities in Burlington County which goes from south of Trenton, to the Delaware River, to Exit 4 on the Turnpike and then down to the border of Ocean & Atlantic Counties.
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There's More...
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Fri Aug 25, 2006 at 10:12:48 PM EDT
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 He's focused his campaign almost exclusively on state issues, so why won't he state his position on the latest controversy in Riverside?Republican candidate Thomas H. Kean Jr. says strict immigration reform would be a top priority if he's elected. Yet Kean won't say whether or not he supports an ordinance adopted by Riverside Township, Burlington County, which prohibits residents from hiring or renting to illegal immigrants.
Kean's opponent, Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, said Thursday he opposes the Riverside ordinance, which is being challenged in federal court. (emphasis mine) This might explain the silence:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanics make up nearly 15 percent of the state's population. An estimated 350,000 illegal immigrants live in New Jersey.
A Rutgers-Eagleton poll released in June showed that 65 percent of New Jerseyans said that illegal immigrants who have lived and worked in this country for at least two years should be permitted to eventually seek legal status. Junior says he wants strict immigration laws - in fact, he supports deporting 12 million illegal immigrants, but he won't say whether he supports this law. What's he so afraid of?
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Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 09:47:10 AM EDT
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My local rag nailed this one. 
From today's Courier Post Editorial Page: It's time (Riverside) township officials rescinded the ordinance aimed at immigrants that's giving the township a bad image.
What happened Sunday in Riverside is further evidence that the township's recently passed anti-immigrant ordinance is only serving to bring out the worst in some people.
And that's a shame for a quiet and quaint Delaware River community of mostly regular people just trying to live, work and raise families. Many of them are likely embarrassed that a small group of outright racists are sullying Riverside's image by waving Confederate flags or cheering that flag's appearance, as happened at a rally of mostly white people Sunday that competed with a prayer vigil held by mostly Latino people outside borough hall.
All of this ugliness comes from the township's Illegal Immigration Relief Act ordinance, adopted last month, which sets punishments for those who knowingly employ or rent housing to illegal immigrants. Violators could face $1,000 fines and other penalties. Employers could lose their license to do business in Riverside.
Photo credit: DOUGLAS M. BOVITT
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Mon Aug 21, 2006 at 10:12:27 AM EDT
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This is a sobering reminder that even in progressive New Jersey, racism is alive and well. The latest example, Riverside (ht to TPM):Opponents of a local law cracking down on illegal immigrants clashed on Sunday with residents chanting "go home" as both sides proclaimed their loyalty to the United States.
An estimated 300 to 400 people gathered outside the town hall to protest a recently passed ordinance that bans hiring or renting to illegal immigrants, who are accused of overburdening local services such as schools and hospitals without paying taxes.
The protesters, representing the largely Brazilian immigrant community of Riverside, were heckled by about 500 counter-demonstrators kept at bay by police on the other side of the town's main intersection.
As immigration supporters accused the town's council of racism, opponents chanted "USA, USA" and waved placards saying "Scram" and "Stop Illegal Immigration." A passing pickup truck drew loud cheers by flying a Confederate flag with the motto "The South Will Rise Again." They're motivated by hate - nothing more. Racist dolts. TPM also reminds us that Wildwood has become one giant racist merchandise store.
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Thu Jul 27, 2006 at 07:21:35 AM EDT
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I caught the tail end of this on the news last night and it looked pretty contentious as the illegal immigration battle came to Riverside, NJ. You can see local TV coverage here, here and here.
700 people took turns cheering and heckling those who spoke for and against the controversial measure proposed that would punish people who provide housing or jobs to illegal immigrants within the Township.
The measure passed 5-0. Violators would be subject to fines of up to $1,000 and other penalties and Employers could lose their local business licenses.
One resident supporting the new measure had a sign that read, "Drive your van back across the Rio Grande." Another resident said "If you're not in this country legally, you are not in this town legally,"
A resident opposing the measure said, "The problem is discrimination. If you read the history of Riverside, it was built on immigration. Why is it a problem now?"
My questions: How are they going to enforce this and is this even legal? This debate needs a serious discussion because it's not going away and i dont think there are any easy answers.
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