Edi Birsan's LATEST Pulse-of-Concord Survey....

Edi Birsan, a long time Concord resident, is running for the Concord City Council in November and is taking a Pulse-of-Concord Survey.

The Pulse of Concord

CLICK HERE to take the survey. This is round-three of the survey and will be running for the next couple of weeks.

LET'S CUT TO THE CHASE....

Let's cut to the chase: Day Laborer Loitering is a police matter.

The business owner declares a No-Loitering Policy on their business property. If anybody loiters, they are asked to move along. If they refuse to move along the Concord Police Department enforces it.

End of story.  Your thoughts?

MONUMENT CORRIDOR BOYCOTT list for Tuesday....

Please BOYCOTT these Monument Corridor Businesses that allow Day Laborers to solicit day jobs upon or near their property:

1. Vista Del Monte Mobile Home Park on Monument.
2. U-Haul Equipment Rentals on Monument.
3. El Faro Mexican Food on Monument.
4. Dolan Lumber on Monument.
5. World Gas on Monument.
6. Union-76 Gas Station on Monument.
7. Foodmaxx Shopping Center on Monument.
8. McDonalds at Virginia Lane.
9. Mercado Del Valle on Monument.
10. 7-11 at Lacey Lane.
11. Nguyen Lee Industrial Catering (truck that follows & feeds Day Laborers).
12. Super Food & Liquor at Reganti & Monument.
13. Los Rancheros Carniceria on Monument.
14. Hankook Market on Monument.
15. El Rancho Mexican Restaurant (worst offender of the day).
16. Home Depot by Anderson's TV.

This is a snapshot taken on this day. The other businesses in The Corridor are cooperating today by enforcing the spirit and intent of the City-of-Concord's No-Solicitation Municipal-Code 106-561 Please click on the 'taking action' links to sound-off to the businesses that tolerate this blight on our neighborhood and on our town.

DAY LABORERS: STRATEGY (series part-III)....

The business community has also expressed a concern regarding the loitering Day Laborers. Many of the owners or managers of the surrounding business properties are afraid to personally contact the loiterers. The business owners have complained that the presence of Day Laborers is a detriment to the business community, as many potential customers go elsewhere, rather than be intimidated by the loitering Day Laborers.

The problems associated with Day Laborers also present a significant drain on police resources. On many occasions officers have contacted loitering Day Laborers that are in violation of various alcohol and/or drug offenses. Day laborers also contribute to excessive amounts of trash and litter being scattered about the area.

( ... to be continued ...)

DAY LABORERS: STRATEGY (series part-II)....

The purpose of the Day Laborers Strategy is to document a specific plan of action as well as to identify the resources necessary to reduce or eliminate the number of Day Laborers congregating streetside or near businesses in and around The Monument Corridor. The key objective is to eliminate community complaints regarding neighborhood blight, harassment, and intimidation associated with the Day Laborers. Citizen surveys and other key performance indicators will measure this.

( ... to be continued ...)

DAY LABORERS: BACKGROUND & HISTORY (series part-I)....

For more than twenty-years the Monument Boulevard Corridor has been a gathering spot for Day Laborers in search of work (or just to hang out with their friends). Initially, the primary gathering spot was the intersection of Monument Boulevard at Lacey Lane. A 7-Eleven store is located at this intersection and it was the original central gathering place. On some days, there were as many as 25-50 subjects in and around the 7-Eleven store parking lot. Over time, the Day Laborers have increased their numbers and now stretch out along the corridor between The Trees Lane and Caven Way. The Day Laborers have also branched out to Meridian Park Boulevard (Home Depot). It is not uncommon to have Day Laborers loitering in front of businesses on both sides of Monument Boulevard between Caven Way to the east, and The Trees Drive to the west. By 1999 the number had increased to 75-125 on an average day. The vast majority of Day Laborers are Hispanic males. According to Lieutenant Andrew L. Gartner, of the Concord Police Department, a significant number being undocumented aliens.

The problems associated with the loitering Day Laborers center on complaints from both the residential and business communities. Concord Police Department personnel and Concord City staff receive frequent complaints from residents who are intimidated by the vast numbers of loitering men (and women). Many residents have expressed a fear of shopping in the area when the Day Laborers are present. On occasion, there have been confrontations between residents and the loitering Day Laborers. At times, individuals (especially those driving pick-up trucks) attempting to do business in The Monument Boulevard Corridor, are surrounded by Day Laborers seeking work. These shoppers feel quite intimidated by the aggressiveness of the Day Laborers and these shoppers are often compelled to take their business elsewhere, even to other towns (mainly Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Pacheco, Martinez, and Clayton). Significant sales-tax dollars are lost to Concord, shoppers time and fuel are lost when shoppers feel more comfortable shopping in adjacent towns that don't allow the Day Laborer loitering problem to exist.

( ... to be continued ...)

MONUMENT CORRIDOR BOYCOTT list for Wednesday....

Please BOYCOTT these Monument Corridor Businesses that allow Day Laborers to solicit day jobs upon or near their property:

1. Vista Del Monte Mobile Home Park on Monument.
2. U-Haul Equipment Rentals on Monument.
3. El Faro Mexican Food on Monument.
4. Dolan Lumber on Monument.
5. World Gas on Monument.
6. Union-76 Gas Station on Monument.
7. Foodmaxx Shopping Center on Monument.
8. McDonalds at Virginia Lane.
9. Mercado Del Valle on Monument.
10. 7-11 at Lacey Lane.
11. Nguyen Lee Industrial Catering (truck) parks near Day Laborers.
12. Nice Cuts on Monument.
13. Super Food & Liquor at Reganti & Monument.
14. Los Rancheros Carniceria on Monument.
15. Hankook Market on Monument.
16. El Rancho Mexican Restaurant (worst offender of the day).
17. Home Depot by the old Circuit City.

This is a snapshot taken on this day. The other businesses in The Corridor are cooperating today by enforcing the spirit and intent of the City-of-Concord's No-Solicitation Municipal-Code 106-561

Please click on the 'taking action' links to sound-off to the businesses that tolerate this blight on our neighborhood and on our town.

Farmingville: POV on DVD....

Farmingville: POV
This is an engaging DVD. You can rent it, put it in your Netflix queue, or purchase it.
Rating: NR
Genre: Documentary
CLICK HERE for link to NetFlix.
CLICK HERE for PBS web pages about this Documentary.
CLICK HERE to buy the video from PBS (for personal use only).
CLICK HERE to buy the video form PBS (for educational use only).

In the late 1990s, the hate-based attempted murders of two Mexican workers catapulted a Long Island town into national headlines, unmasking a new front line in the border wars: suburbia. For nearly a year, filmmakers Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini lived and worked in Farmingville, N.Y., documenting the stories of residents, day laborers and activists battling one another over the American Dream. Won a Sundance Special Jury Prize in 2004.

PLEASE PAY YOUR DAY LABORERS....

Did you know that under state and federal laws you can be civilly sued if you fail to pay a Day Laborer for their services? Even if undocumented, the Day Laborer has a right to be paid for their services rendered. Be sure to get a written payment agreement in advance, and then be sure to pay them for their labors when they are done. If you hire Day Laborers (Jorneleros) regularly, or if you are a business, you must do all the regular stuff regarding labor and tax laws.

Finally, it's illegal for employers to pay their workers in cash. All payments for employees must be made by check or by direct-deposit. As an aside, the Federal Government will go to bat for an undocumented Day Laborer if you fail to pay the Day Laborer. CLICK HERE to read an April 1, 2010 article about the Feds visiting The Day Labor Center on Monument Boulevard in Concord, CA

Paul Ramirez, an investigator from the U.S. Department of Labor, talks about labor rules and their rights as workers with laborers during a meeting at the Michael Chavez Center for Economic Opportunity in Concord, Calif., on Thursday, April 1, 2010.

Workers listen to an investigator from the U.S. Department of Labor talk about labor rules and their rights as workers during a meeting at the Michael Chavez Center for Economic Opportunity in Concord, Calif., on Thursday, April 1, 2010.

(Photo credits: Mark DuFrene/Staff, Contra Costa Times)

MONUMENT CORRIDOR BOYCOTT list for Tuesday....

Please BOYCOTT these Monument Corridor Businesses that allow Day Laborers to solicit day jobs upon or near their property:

1. Vista Del Monte Mobile Home Park on Monument.
2. U-Haul Equipment Rentals on Monument.
3. Dolan Lumber on Monument.
4. World Gas on Monument.
5. Union-76 Gas Station on Monument.
6. Los Paisanos Liquor & Food on Monument.
7. McDonalds at Virginia Lane.
8. Mercado Del Valle on Monument.
9. 7-11 at Lacey Lane.
10. Monument Plaza Shopping Center (west end).
11. Super Food & Liquor at Reganti & Monument.
12. Los Rancheros Carnicería on Monument.
13. Hankook Market on Monument.
14. El Rancho Mexican Restaurant (worst offender of the day).
15. Home Depot around the corner from Mechanics Bank.

This is a snapshot taken on this day. The other businesses in The Corridor are cooperating today by enforcing the spirit and intent of the City-of-Concord's No-Solicitation Municipal-Code 106-561

Please click on the 'taking action' links to sound-off to the businesses that tolerate this blight on our neighborhood and on our town.

Edi Birsan's Pulse-of-Concord Survey....

Edi Birsan, a long time Concord resident, is running for the Concord City Council and is taking a Pulse-of-Concord Survey.

CLICK HERE to take the survey. This is round-one of the survey and will be running for the next couple of weeks.

MONUMENT CORRIDOR BOYCOTT list for Sunday....

Please BOYCOTT these Monument Corridor Businesses that allow Day Laborers to solicit day jobs upon or near their property:

1. U-Haul Equipment Rentals on Monument.
2. Dolan Lumber on Monument.
3. Mercado Del Valle on Monument.
4. Super Liquor & Food at Reganti & Monument.
5. El Rancho Mexican Restaurant (worst offender of the day).
6. Home Depot just a short Safari from The Elephant Bar.

This is a snapshot taken on this day. The other businesses in The Corridor are cooperating today by enforcing the spirit and intent of the City-of-Concord's No-Solicitation Municipal-Code 106-561 Please click on the 'taking action' links to sound-off to the businesses that tolerate this blight on our neighborhood and on our town.

MONUMENT CORRIDOR BOYCOTT list for Tuesday....

Please BOYCOTT these businesses within 'The Monument Corridor' that allow Day Laborers to solicit day jobs upon or near their property:

1. U-Haul Equipment Rentals on Monument.
2. Dolan Lumber on Monument.
3. World Gas on Monument.
4. Union-76 Gas Station on Monument.
5. Little Ceasars Pizza on Monument.
6. Foodmaxx Shopping Center on Monument.
7. Jack-in-the-Box on Monument.
8. McDonalds at Virginia Lane.
9. Mercado Del Valle on Monument.
10. 7-11 at Lacey Lane.
11. Nguyen Lee Industrial Catering (truck).
12. Nice Cuts on Monument.
13. Super Food & Liquor at Reganti & Monument.
14. El Rancho Mexican Restaurant (worst offender of the day).
15. Home Depot around the corner from Marie Callenders.

This is a snapshot taken on this day. The other businesses within The Corridor are cooperating today by enforcing the spirit and intent of the City-of-Concord's No-Solicitation Municipal-Code 106-561

Please click on the 'taking action' links to sound-off to the businesses that tolerate this blight on our neighborhood and on our town.

MONUMENT CORRIDOR BOYCOTT list for Monday....

Please BOYCOTT these Monument Corridor Businesses that allow Day Laborers to solicit day jobs upon or near their property:

1. U-Haul Equipment Rentals on Monument.
2. World Gas on Monument.
3. Foodmaxx Shopping Center on Monument.
4. Jack-in-the-Box on Monument.
5. Taco Bell on Monument.
6. McDonalds at Virginia Lane.
7. Mercado Del Valle on Monument.
8. 7-11 at Lacey Lane.
9. Nguyen Lee Industrial Catering (catering truck on Lacey Lane).
10. Super Food & Liquor at Reganti & Monument.
11. El Rancho Mexican Restaurant (worst case of the day).
12. Home Depot behind Hometown Buffet.

This list applies for today only. The other businesses in The Corridor were cooperating by enforcing the spirit and intent of the City-of-Concord's No-Solicitation Municipal-Code 106-561

PHOTOS (7-11 at Lacey Lane) for Sunday....

One of our volunteer spotters, "A", snapped these two photos. Here's what "A" had to say:

"Here are some pics I took this morning, 05/02 @ 8:30 am from 7-11 on Lacey Lane. This is what it looks like on a Sunday. Weekdays at about 7:30 are TERRIBLE. There are people everywhere. As I was sitting in the parking lot of Wendy's taking these pics, a man in a truck pulled into the parking lot of Wendy's and picked up a couple of these guys."

Thanks to "A" for these helpful pictures.

MONUMENT CORRIDOR BOYCOTT list for Saturday....

Please BOYCOTT these Monument Corridor Businesses that allow Day Laborers to solicit day jobs upon or near their property:

1. U-Haul Equipment Rentals on Monument.
2. Los Paisanos Liquor & Food.
3. Home Depot behind Seafood City.

This list is a daily-snapshot taken once during the day on the day listed. All the other businesses in The Corridor were cooperating at that moment in time by enforcing the spirit and intent of the City-of-Concord's No-Solicitation Municipal-Code 106-561

MONUMENT CORRIDOR BOYCOTT list for Thursday....

Please BOYCOTT these Monument Corridor Businesses that allow Day Laborers to solicit day jobs upon or near their property:

1. U-Haul Equipment Rental on Monument.
2. Super Food & Liquor at Reganti & Monument.
3. Home Depot (yes, Ian, it's in The Corridor).

All the other businesses in The Corridor are cooperating by enforcing the spirit and intent of the City-of-Concord's No-Solicitation Municipal-Code 106-561

MONUMENT CORRIDOR BOYCOTT list for Saturday....

Please BOYCOTT these Monument Corridor Businesses that allow Day Laborers to solicit day jobs upon or near their property:

1. U-Haul Equipment Rentals on Monument.
2. Foodmaxx Shopping Center.
3. McDonalds at Virginia Lane.
4. Mercado Del Valle
   1651 Monument Blvd
   (925) 687-7032
5. Kragen Shopping Center.
6. Super Food & Liquor at Reganti & Monument.
7. Los Rancheros Market at Reganti & Monument.
8. El Rancho Mexican Food.
9. Home Depot behind Trader Joe's.

All the other businesses in The Corridor are cooperating by enforcing the spirit and intent of the City-of-Concord's No-Solicitation Municipal-Code 106-561

MONUMENT CORRIDOR BOYCOTT update for Friday....

Re: Day Laborer congregation on Monument Boulevard:
Here is a local Customer Service Contact for McDonalds (Corporate):

Marianne Tate
McDonald's
2268 Camino Ramon
San Ramon, Ca 94583
(925) 277-0563 ext 111
email: mtate@custmcd.com

MONUMENT CORRIDOR BOYCOTT list for Thursday....

Please BOYCOTT these Monument Corridor Businesses that allow Day Laborers to solicit day jobs upon or near their property:

1. U-Haul Equipment Rentals on Monument.
2. Dolan's Lumber.
3. World Gas.
4. McDonalds at Virginia Lane.
5. Del Valle Super Mercado.
6. The whole Kragen/Bowling-Alley shopping center.
7. Los Paisanos Liquor & Food.
8. Super Food & Liquor at Reganti & Monument.
9. El Rancho (entire shopping center).
10. Home Depot behind the DMV.

All the other businesses in The Corridor are cooperating by enforcing the spirit and intent of the City-of-Concord's No-Solicitation Municipal-Code 106-561