Herndon Votes Yes

One thing that is very different here, from Minnesota is day labors. There are workers, most of them immigrants, standing around in parking lots waiting to be picked up to work. When I first saw this I was amazed by all the people. People just waiting.

It turns out my town, Herndon has just as big, if not bigger issue. (I should explain, I live in Herndon, VA but they call my area Oak Hill, VA because I'm not in old town Herndon.) Apparently more then 150 people are gathering in old town Herndon area looking for work. Herndon has officially voted 5-2 to build a tax dollar funded gathering spot for day labors. It's quite a large controversy. Should we use taxpayers dollars to build a place for mostly immigrants so our streets and parking lots are nuisance free?Here's what the council members said in response to their decision from a Washington Post article:

"But council members said they were helpless in the face of what they called a federal failure to police U.S. borders. They said it was their responsibility to bring order to a neighborhood nuisance that had become the town's most divisive issue in recent history."

One more thought while I'm at it. I've ran over to old town Herndon area when I first moved here, and it is crazy. People everywhere loitering around. Right before I got to town, about a mile away from my place, I had to cross under a bridge of a freeway. As I approached I noticed there were signs saying no foot traffic. No one was allowed to walk under the bridge. Why I wondered?? It made absolutely no sense. So here's the question, is the rule there just to keep the loiters out from my side of town? Or is there really a traffic hazard to have walkers? I'm planning on calling and protesting the decision regardless of the reason. I want to be able to run with the dogs to the dog park.

Just some food for thought that's close to home,
Laura