Dallas Blog

for us to spend our time pitting neighbor against neighbor was a sacrilege

So using that pseudo-logic, if the FB cops prevent people without drivers licenses from operating a motor vehicle, is that "pitting driver against driver?"

Accusations of "racism" in 3.. 2.. 1..

Well, if it is such a great ideal why isn't other cities creating these laws in droves? Why are these cities not contacting businesses who employ these illegals and prosecuting them? Is it because it would mess with the "free market"?

Before long FB will be in debt and unable to get out of it, the current mayor will be gone and there will be illegals living there in apartments.

Even if it were about the FB ordinance, I don't see the connection in Bacon's analogy.

It's always been the case that one needs a license to operate a motor vehicle. It's not long been the case that one be a citizen or legal resident to rent an apartment.

Apartment renting and citizenship/residency aren't really connected at all. Driving a car and having a license to drive a car are connected.

A closer analogy would be if a city decided to pass an ordinance that prevent grocery stores from selling groceries to anyone who's driven without a license. (and, you know, driving without a license is a potentially serious offense. I would think more cities would want to crack down on such scofflaws by passing ordinances like that. The law is the law, after all).

Sorry, my analogy was pretty sloppy. It's more like requiring Qwik Lube to check for proof of insurance before they'll issue an inspection sticker. Whether you have insurance or not has absolutely nothing to do with whether your car is in operational condition. They simply use it as an opportunity to check your legal driving status. Likewise, apartment complexes are being asked to turn away potential renters if they do not meet certain legal standards, i.e. citizenship or a visa. You wouldn't expect to be able to drive without a license or insurance, and you shouldn't expect to be able to rent an apartment if you're not in the US legally.

Apartment renting and citizenship / residency aren't really connected at all.

Of course they are. You're saying that someone should be allowed to set up a residence in a city in the US without being a legal resident of the US? Someone can't legally be in the country, but it's ok for them to live here?

The hypocrites at the Dallas Morning News keep screaming about pot smokers having the blood of the cartels on their hands while having no problem themselves pocketing money from their advertisers for throwing Al Dia's to cartel-smuggled illegal immigrants and for sabotaging enforcement every chance they get. It's almost as if they're screaming fire about one cartel commodity in order to distract everyone from their own ugly complicity directly and indirectly in the cartel commodity that benefits them and their business friends. At least Mayor Tim is not a filthy hypocrite and is trying to uphold the law.

In my mind, sure, especially since I don't believe private property owners should be forced to become an arm of the government in an effort to regulate immigration.

So you would also have a problem with apartment management being required to check on any other items relating to a tenant's legal status, e.g. criminal background checks? Have you considered the possibility that legal residents of an apartment complex might want such checks to be performed on applicants?

"So you would also have a problem with apartment management being required to check on any other items relating to a tenant's legal status, e.g. criminal background checks? Have you considered the possibility that legal residents of an apartment complex might want such checks to be performed on applicants?"

If the apartment complex wants to do those sorts of checks, that's their business. IIRC, the apartment complexes in Farmers Branch are not on board with this particular ordinance.

I'm sure there exist apartment complexes that choose to require information that a person living in the U.S. illegally would not be able to provide.

And if a legal resident/citizen of the U.S. feels those sorts of checks are important for their apartment complex to do, they are welcome to live in an apartment complex that voluntarily does those sorts of checks (every apartment I've lived in has done credit checks, required a driver's license or state ID and has done at least some criminal background checks).

The FB english only policy is not really being enforced 100 percent. If someone came to the code enforcement office today and could not speak english, there is someone in the office that will speak spanish and help these folks. The every day employee goes about their business of enforcing property maintenance ordinances. Apartment inspections in FB have been going on since 1981 (one of the first in the metroplex). Some of the apartment complexes involved in the FB lawsuits prohibit people that have tattoos, drive junky vehicles, and have the appearance of being from the wrong side of the river. All apartment complexes, including the ones in FB, do background criminal checks on prospective residents. I predict that FB will lose their battle and the war. Ironically, the bad economy has probably done more to help FB than anything else.

OPPS! ITS COFFEE, MY SPANISH CAME OUT.