April 20, 2006

ValleyViewpoints

Guest Worker program would allow “Illegal” immigrants
to work legally— without benefits of U.S. citizenship

Editor,
A few years ago I hired a crew of four men to trim some trees. The leader spoke English, the others only Spanish. I was very pleased with their work. There was mutual respect.

However, they did not expect to eat at my table, have me pick up their educational and medical expenses or have me collect their Social Security or income taxes.

I want to use the above experience as a model. After a background check, a Work Registration Card would be issued for these people. These registration cards could be obtained by people located outside the United States as well as people already here as “illegal.” They can stay in this country as long as they wish as Guest Workers, as long as they abide by our laws. They are free to return to their home country and return here for work.

They would pay no U.S. income tax or Social Security taxes and would not be entitled to receive any benefits from this country. They could buy medical or educational services, but none would be provided by this country. They would be able to get driver's licenses. But they would remain citizens of their home countries. They are here to work.

For those citizens of Mexico working here, the Mexican government should still be responsible for their well being; perhaps setting up compounds with extended educational and medical facilities similar to the American compounds set up for American Citizens working in Saudi Arabia.

This Guest Worker Program would not have any connection with becoming an American Citizen. That would be handled through the normal process of application with no advantage for being here already.

I want these people to come out of the shadows and be legitimate workers for the benefit of all of us.

Bob Boydston
Leyland Park Drive

Kudos to Ace Hardware as fluorescent bulb drop-off site

Editor,
In February, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) banned items from going into landfills that were designated as universal waste that contain mercury. Common items like household batteries, mercury thermometers, fluorescent bulbs and many others that were routinely disposed of through our residential garbage collection now need to be taken to a drop-off facility where the materials can be managed as universal waste and recycled.

The countywide Household Hazardous Waste Program (CoHHWP) has partnered with a few local businesses throughout the county to accept fluorescent bulbs from the public at no charge. CoHHWP staff then does periodic on-call collections of the fluorescent bulbs and ensures that the tubes are safely recycled.

I am writing this because I am the Solid Waste Superintendent for the city of Santa Clara and manage the city’s interests in its agreement with the CoHHWP. Unfortunately, none of the local businesses in the city of Santa Clara that were approached to partner with the CoHHWP agreed to accept fluorescent bulbs from the public. Residents in the city of Santa Clara are directed to attend a scheduled CoHHWP event to properly recycle their fluorescent bulbs.

Last Saturday, I was changing out six fluorescent tubes at my home in Almaden. I went to the CoHHWP’s Web site (www.hhw.org) hoping to find a drop-off location close to my house so that I would not have to store the tubes until I could attend a drop-off event. Thankfully, the Ace Hardware at 6469 Almaden Expressway is one of the free drop-off locations.

It was simple. I was directed by a store employee to place my fluorescent bulbs in a box adjacent to the cash register. I then purchased replacement fluorescent bulbs and was home in about 15 minutes– much easier than utilizing a household hazardous waste drop-off event and I had new fluorescent bulbs in hand.

From a municipal government perspective, the Ace Hardware store at Almaden and Camden and all of the other businesses partnering with the CoHHWP are providing a valuable service. It costs participating cities about $60 per vehicle to use a CoHHWP drop-off event, after minimum annual service level requirements are met. That amount is not a bad deal if a resident is disposing of stockpiles of paint, oil, pesticides and other hazardous waste along with their fluorescent bulbs.

But, $60 to dispose of only six fluorescent bulbs that were four feet long each would not have been such a good value. Consider that the CoHHWP pays $0.05 per foot to recycle fluorescent bulbs. The cost to recycle my fluorescent bulbs was $1.20, plus a small portion of the person’s time, materials and overhead necessary to pick up the fluorescent tubes at the Ace Hardware store.

In the end, all I really want to say is thanks to Ace Hardware and the other participating businesses that have partnered with the CoHHWP to provide an easy, cost-effective method of recycling fluorescent bulbs.

Dave Staub
Shelby Creek Lane

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