Latest Breaking News

usaprogress

(36 posts)

114. More...

Fri Jan 27, 2012, 02:59 PM

Jan 2012

The linguist, William G. Eggington, a professor at Brigham Young University in Utah, testified before the court on Wednesday. He said that based on interviews and tests he conducted with Mrs. Cabrera, she had “basic survival level” English that fell well below that needed to participate in city business.

Glenn Gimbut, the city attorney, acknowledged wearing the headphones when the conversation shifts to Spanish. He had been leading the legal challenge of Mrs. Cabrera’s candidacy. But Mrs. Cabrera’s lawyers forced him from the case for conflict of interest because he was both representing the city and suing it.

“This is the law,” Mr. Gimbut said, arguing that the 1910 act granting Arizona statehood required officeholders to perform their duties in English without the aid of a translator. “It’s been on the books since statehood.”

Three words.... "It's The Law"

Ed

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

118 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Judge Orders Arizona Candidate Struck From Ballot (for lacking English proficiency) [View all] alp227 Jan 2012 OP

And the hits just keep on comin' thelordofhell Jan 2012 #1

if thats the case.... flobee1 Jan 2012 #2

Amen.. It insidious. They are trying to take away the rights of Latinos in Ecumenist Jan 2012 #31

Fuck Arizona OneAngryDemocrat Jan 2012 #65

I Fcuking HATE Arizona!! I have nebver seen a state so screwed up IN.MY.LIFE!! I have to go Ecumenist Jan 2012 #69

If the law required people to be informed and to pass a competence test in order to vote. Larry Ogg Jan 2012 #108

+1 freshwest Jan 2012 #83

Now thats not fair quakerboy Jan 2012 #118

Walk me back to 1965. Warren Stupidity Jan 2012 #3

Plus, our Supreme Embarrassments are ignoring the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo EFerrari Jan 2012 #12

good work, i looked this up and you are right. nt arely staircase Jan 2012 #52

I was taught that in public school in Tejas in the Sixties. GOPhers slept through class. freshwest Jan 2012 #84

It's now down the Memory Hole. EFerrari Jan 2012 #85

I think this is a very different situation. pennylane100 Jan 2012 #17

Not in San Luis, AZ: EFerrari Jan 2012 #19

most "matters being discussed" in that corner of the usa are in spanish. nt arely staircase Jan 2012 #53

While I'm not for this ruling, how is an English test not already a requirement for office? Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #4

i'm pretty sure spanish would be just fine in san louis arizona. nt arely staircase Jan 2012 #5

Yes, but I imagine the documents and all the legalese will all be in English. Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #7

one good bilingual staffer - problem solved nt arely staircase Jan 2012 #11

What about the forklift driver? Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #14

what forklift driver? the story is about a city council candidate. nt arely staircase Jan 2012 #15

I'm just trying to figure out if this applies to all jobs. Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #20

my comments are limited to the city coucil race in san louis az - the subject of the op. nt arely staircase Jan 2012 #22

So that should be a special case? Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #25

special case for what? your imaginary forkilift driver legal standard? arely staircase Jan 2012 #35

Exactly and if a forklift driver applied who could not speak Spanish you'd.....nt Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #40

probably wouldn't hire her. not in a boarder town where everyone else speaks spanish. nt arely staircase Jan 2012 #44

Exactly. Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #46

we are arguing in two subthreads so lets pick one arely staircase Jan 2012 #49

just pointing out that quite a few jobs require English Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #59

so in (and i am making this up like you did the forklift operator) a town arely staircase Jan 2012 #61

I imagine it wouldn't be based on majority Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #63

i would let the local voters decide. this activist judge disagrees. nt arely staircase Jan 2012 #64

Poster has a history of these "what if" arguments Hugabear Jan 2012 #117

Are you arguing that Spanish is rare in Arizona? EFerrari Jan 2012 #16

Government documents are in English right? Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #18

In my county, they are in a number of languages. EFerrari Jan 2012 #21

What language are your MCAT's printed in? Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #27

All jobs do not occur in a town that is 89% Hispanic. EFerrari Jan 2012 #28

And if the forklift company required that English be spoken, the courts would hold that up. Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #30

And if I were a bird, I could fly. EFerrari Jan 2012 #31

Not if you were a cassuary. nt Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #41

in San Louis az? lo to the o to the mf'n l! you ever spent much time in the boarderlands amigo? nt arely staircase Jan 2012 #39

So if you're taking the MCAT in San Louis, AZ you can request it in Spanish? Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #45

ok let's go with the job requirements standard, i'm gonna go way out on a limb and arely staircase Jan 2012 #47

Now that is for the court to decide. Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #48

yes, a federal court. nt arely staircase Jan 2012 #50

absolutely. nt Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #60

It is in Arizona and in all the territories ceded under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. EFerrari Jan 2012 #51

and yet certain jobs still require English. nt Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #58

But that isn't the issue. And, btw, it's "MCATs" not "MCAT's" which is a possesive EFerrari Jan 2012 #72

I thought when you pluralized an acronym you added an apostrophe? Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #79

The problem with using the MCATs as a hook to hang the argument on EFerrari Jan 2012 #80

You could argue that the city government is the smallest sample. Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #81

Do we know that it uses English? EFerrari Jan 2012 #82

If it doesn't then they have no case. Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #86

I suspect it doesn't but what are the chances this candidate has the resources EFerrari Jan 2012 #87

No clue. Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #88

The article quotes her attorney but if the real fight is poitical EFerrari Jan 2012 #89

I hope we hear more too. nt Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #102

The "company" is the city, and it has the right not to hire her by not voting for her Orangepeel Jan 2012 #62

yep, many jobs have language requirements. seems that requirement can't be the legal issue Bacchus4.0 Jan 2012 #90

i know, right? especially a border town arely staircase Jan 2012 #23

Yep. And I wonder how much that judge cost. n/t EFerrari Jan 2012 #24

So when a gringo moves to Cuernavaca but speaks no Spanish, he should have the right to run Bill O-Rights Jan 2012 #74

I'm talking about US law. I have no idea what you are talking about. n/t EFerrari Jan 2012 #78

Who pays for that extra staffer? Ter Jan 2012 #95

Deaf people can't necessarily "speak" the language. noamnety Jan 2012 #33

That's a protected class though. Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #34

I'm not asking about their protections under ADA. noamnety Jan 2012 #71

Once again, they are a protested class. Better question, could a mute person do it. nt Snake Alchemist Jan 2012 #77

Over half the state legislature isn't all that proficient ThoughtCriminal Jan 2012 #6

I'm probably non grata for agreeing with that judge, but I believe we have to have one Bill O-Rights Jan 2012 #8

Why deny them anything? This country has never been monolingual EFerrari Jan 2012 #13

I have been to over 60 nations and worked in about a dozen. I always acknowledged the local Bill O-Rights Jan 2012 #36

San Luis, AZ is 89% Hispanic, as I posted up thread EFerrari Jan 2012 #38

The poster you are arguing with is a troll, and has been dealt with Hugabear Jan 2012 #107

Yes, I know. The posts you are reading EFerrari Jan 2012 #110

Did they apply this to Jan "we have did" Brewer? Scuba Jan 2012 #9

Did I step into some sort of freaky Twlight Zone? Justice wanted Jan 2012 #10

If English is as critical as they say wouldn't a campaign that questions the proficiency LiberalFighter Jan 2012 #26

The argument is that in 2006, AZ passed an Engish as official language law. EFerrari Jan 2012 #29

Perhaps they don't fight it because they can't read it. Bill O-Rights Jan 2012 #37

Enjoy your stay at DU. EFerrari Jan 2012 #43

Post removed Post removed Jan 2012 #68

Post removed Post removed Jan 2012 #66

Yo creo que usted es un hombre bastante tonto. Bill O-Rights Jan 2012 #67

Post removed Post removed Jan 2012 #70

Mexican is a race now? I sure wish someone had told me about that. Bill O-Rights Jan 2012 #73

ok, intolerante arely staircase Jan 2012 #75

Post removed Post removed Jan 2012 #76

as i posted there was a similar law passed back in '88 and the state sup. ct. overturned it in '98. alp227 Jan 2012 #97

yeah, how about letting the voters of san louis az decide if the need an english speaker arely staircase Jan 2012 #55

I'd like to know more about the test. savalez Jan 2012 #42

It would be interesting to figure out how this law is being used, EFerrari Jan 2012 #94

She's a fucking citizen, and yet she's denied candidacy? David__77 Jan 2012 #54

Wait a Min..... usaprogress Jan 2012 #113

More... usaprogress Jan 2012 #114

we have the answer. It is an Arizona requirement under the law Bacchus4.0 Jan 2012 #115

How is it legal for a judge to subvert democracy?? Blue_Tires Jan 2012 #56

Well said. If I want to vote for a council candidate who only speaks Portugese or Italian or pampango Jan 2012 #101

Yeah, if she can't get this appealed she may need a new legal team Blue_Tires Jan 2012 #104

A lot of republickers, like Dimson, should have been struck muntrv Jan 2012 #57

Time to file a federal civil rights action against the judge and the State of Arizona. kiranon Jan 2012 #91

...the Domestic Terrorist Party continues to make America hell. SoapBox Jan 2012 #92

So would Dubya not be allowed to hold office in Arizona? (n/t) a2liberal Jan 2012 #93

LOL - I had the same evil thought! nt BlueMTexpat Jan 2012 #100

If you look at this situation from a very serious and realistic perspective, she should be truthisfreedom Jan 2012 #96

Sounds to me that most of the people who are from her region either speak Spanish fluently... Humanist_Activist Jan 2012 #98

Unless AZ requires ALL candidates for office to pass the same linguistic tests as BlueMTexpat Jan 2012 #99

not necessarily, the issue is whether its a job requirement n/t Bacchus4.0 Jan 2012 #111

Hypothetically speaking... mwooldri Jan 2012 #103

The judge needs to be disbarred for not knowing about... MarkCharles Jan 2012 #105

Who is giving the test and who is grading the test? Democat Jan 2012 #106

and just how much is "enough" english? Javaman Jan 2012 #109

I can see both points of view... Smilo Jan 2012 #112

looks like its the law, see post 114 n/t Bacchus4.0 Jan 2012 #116