Small New York Town Makes English the Law

[jamesrage]

Hopefully other towns follow suit.

Our Towns - Small New York Town Makes English the Law - NYTimes.com
It’s about 2,500 miles from this green, rural town in the rolling hills near Vermont to the Mexican border at Nogales, but that hasn’t stopped Jackson from making a bid to be New York’s small version of Arizona in the immigration wars.

Or that’s how it is beginning to feel two months after Jackson — which has 1,700 people, no village, no grocery store or place to buy gasoline, no church, no school, two restaurants and maybe a few Spanish-speaking farm workers — decided it needed a law requiring that all town business be conducted in English.

One nearby town, Argyle, has since passed a similar resolution. A third, Easton, is likely to consider one at its Town Board meeting in June. The law has already put Jackson at odds with the New York Civil Liberties Union, which says it violates state and federal law. But in the great American echo chamber, every mouse gets to roar, so Roger Meyer, who proposed the law, feels he is making progress toward protecting the English language from threats near and far.

“For too long, the federal government has shirked its duty by not passing English as the official language of the United States,” said Mr. Meyer, 76, a Town Council member and retiree who runs Chains Unlimited, a sawmill and chain saw and logging supply company. “So seeing as this law couldn’t be passed from the top down, I felt I’d start a grass-roots movement to try to get it passed from the bottom up.”

 

[hazlnut]

Exactly what 'town business' was not being conducted in English.

Of course, now that they can't use U.S. Treasury Bills... you know, because of all those filthy latin phrases on them... how do they plan to trade for goods with the outside world?

Morons.:roll::roll:

 

[RightinNYC]

Exactly what 'town business' was not being conducted in English.

Of course, now that they can't use U.S. Treasury Bills... you know, because of all those filthy latin phrases on them... how do they plan to trade for goods with the outside world?

Morons.:roll::roll:

Do you have a link, or are you just making this up?

 

[Morality Games]

The federal government shouldn't make English the national language. That's a state level affair.

 

[Crunch]

Do you have a link, or are you just making this up?

You get 3 guesses..... and the first two don't count.

I'm thinking the town is trying to head off having to print everything having to do with the governance of the town in 472 different languages..... but that is just a guess.

 

[Deuce]

Um, literally the entire country works in English I don't know what the hell these people think they've just done.

 

[Crunch]

Um, literally the entire country works in English I don't know what the hell these people think they've just done.

Guaranteeing it's going to stay that way?

Only have to print anything once, and in only one language?

Are you aware that in some States everything is printed in, sometimes, dozens of languages?

 

[Deuce]

Guaranteeing it's going to stay that way?

Only have to print anything once, and in only one language?

Are you aware that in some States everything is printed in, sometimes, dozens of languages?

If you think any government agency at any level would STOP using English, you should seek medical assistance. States are not forced to print things in more than one language. Who cares if things are printed in more than one language? Do you really find it THAT offensive?

 

[Areopagitican]

Hmm, I hope it works for them.

 

[danarhea]

The federal government shouldn't make English the national language. That's a state level affair.

I agree, but those who don't speak English need to learn it, no matter where in the US they are, if they want to be anything in life beyond a leaf blower operator. But, in the end, it is up to them. Assimilate or be left behind.

 

[Boo Radley]

Hopefully other towns follow suit.

Our Towns - Small New York Town Makes English the Law - NYTimes.com
It’s about 2,500 miles from this green, rural town in the rolling hills near Vermont to the Mexican border at Nogales, but that hasn’t stopped Jackson from making a bid to be New York’s small version of Arizona in the immigration wars.

Or that’s how it is beginning to feel two months after Jackson — which has 1,700 people, no village, no grocery store or place to buy gasoline, no church, no school, two restaurants and maybe a few Spanish-speaking farm workers — decided it needed a law requiring that all town business be conducted in English.

One nearby town, Argyle, has since passed a similar resolution. A third, Easton, is likely to consider one at its Town Board meeting in June. The law has already put Jackson at odds with the New York Civil Liberties Union, which says it violates state and federal law. But in the great American echo chamber, every mouse gets to roar, so Roger Meyer, who proposed the law, feels he is making progress toward protecting the English language from threats near and far.

“For too long, the federal government has shirked its duty by not passing English as the official language of the United States,” said Mr. Meyer, 76, a Town Council member and retiree who runs Chains Unlimited, a sawmill and chain saw and logging supply company. “So seeing as this law couldn’t be passed from the top down, I felt I’d start a grass-roots movement to try to get it passed from the bottom up.”

For what purpose? Iowa made it law and it was meaningless. You can't stop any corporation from putting things in another language. You can't stop private citizens from speaking another language. Nothing you want changed will change at all. You're just spending money to make yourself feel better, and that's stupid.

 

[jamesrage]

For what purpose? Iowa made it law and it was meaningless.

If it was meaningless then it should not bother you. Is Iowa's ballots bilingual? IS that no? Is Iowa's government business done in english or is it done in more than one language? Is the answer to that English? So it seems that it was not meaningless of Iowa to do that.

You can't stop any corporation from putting things in another language.

This isn't about stopping private companies, If you read the article then you would know that this is about government business being conducted in english not Mom and pop shops speaking in spanish or walmart making all their product labels multilingual. I admit it would nice to call my American bank, cable company or any other customer service line and not have to push any button number on the phone for english, It would be nice to not have to push a button on a screen for english on a self check out line in a store or a ATM machine. And it would be nice to see a detail product description on the other side of the package instead of just spanish on the other side of the package.

You can't stop private citizens from speaking another language.

If you read the article then you would know that the key words here is "government/official business", not what some private citizen does.

Nothing you want changed will change at all.

Isn't that the idea? After all that law means that government business will only be conducted in english. So even is 20 thousand lazy ****s who refuse to learn English decided to move to that town, government business will still be conducted in english and ballots and government forms will still be in English. Nothing wrong with preemptive laws.

You're just spending money to make yourself feel better, and that's stupid.

Seems to me that if tax payers are not wasting money on multilingual ballots,forms, and ect then that is saving the tax payers money them that means that they are not spending extra money.

 

[Boo Radley]

If it was meaningless then it should not bother you. Is Iowa's ballots bilingual? IS that no? Is Iowa's government business done in english or is it done in more than one language? Is the answer to that English? So it seems that it was not meaningless of Iowa to do that.

Spending money foolishly should bother everyone. Again, it changes nothing and costs money to pass.

This isn't about stopping private companies, If you read the article then you would know that this is about government business being conducted in english not Mom and pop shops speaking in spanish or walmart making all their product labels multilingual. I admit it would nice to call my American bank, cable company or any other customer service line and not have to push any button number on the phone for english, It would be nice to not have to push a button for english on a self check out line or ATM screen. And it would be nice to see a detail product description on the other side of the package instead of just spanish side of the package.

It's really not conducted in other language. There are reasons to occasionally provide some other language, which btw, you'll be disappointed to see doesn't change. Iowa's law has a clause unless you have reason to use another language, yet it had a 80% approval rating. Again, it is meaningless.

Isn't that the idea? After all that law means that government business will only be conducted in english. So even is 20 thousand lazy ****s who refuse to learn English decided to move to that town, government business will still be conducted in english and ballots and government forms will still be in English. Nothing wrong with preemptive laws.

It won't effect them at all. That's just your bias talking. It will do nothing.

Seems to me that if tax payers are not wasting money on multilingual ballots,forms, and ect then that is saving the tax payers money them that means that they are not spending extra money.

They still will. Again, you will find nothing will change.

 

[hazlnut]

Do you have a link, or are you just making this up?

Did you need me to prove there is latin on U.S. Currency? (sorry shouldn't have called them Treasury bills)

ANNUIT COEPTIS

E PLURIBUS UNUM

And my question regarding what town business is not conducted in English... No I don't have a link for that. That's why I asked the question.

 

[jamesrage]

Spending money foolishly should bother everyone.

How does it spend money foolishly? Doesn't it cost extra money to print up multilingual ballots, hire translators, print up multilingual forms and so on. Are you saying that someone was providing these things for free out of the kindness of their heart before Iowa's new law or before any city enacted a English only policy?

Again, it changes nothing and costs money to pass.

I was not aware that politicians worked for commissions, since when did it cost extra for a politician especially a local city/town level politician to pass something?

It's really not conducted in other language

.

SO then it did have an effect and no future town business will be conducted in other languagess

There are reasons to occasionally provide some other language, which btw, you'll be disappointed to see doesn't change. Iowa's law has a clause unless you have reason to use another language, yet it had a 80% approval rating. Again, it is meaningless.

Then do not make a clause.

It won't effect them at all. That's just your bias talking. It will do nothing.

Of course it won't affect them, that's the idea of it so that they do not have to ever worry about conducting government business in any other language so that they do not have to ever worry about printing up multilingual forms and so on.

They still will. Again, you will find nothing will change.

How does it cost more money to not print something extra?

 

[Boo Radley]

How does it spend money foolishly? Doesn't it cost extra money to print up multilingual ballots, hire translators, print up multilingual forms and so on. Are you saying that someone was providing these things for free out of the kindness of their heart before Iowa's new law or before any city enacted a English only policy?

You're comparing pennies to dollars. We don't really spend much on those things. We'll spend more if we don't have those things, but neither cost equals the cost of pushing the legislation.

I was not aware that politicians worked for commissions, since when did it cost extra for a politician especially a local city/town level politician to pass something?

I'm told that in Iowa the bill cost 2 million to write and pass. Legislation has a cost.

SO then it did have an effect and no future town business will be conducted in other languagess

No, the same business that was still is. Again, there are reasons for that business that doesn't go away. You find it meaningless just as Iowa did.

Then do not make a clause.

Have to. People's prejudice may be something they want to appease, but business is business.

Of course it won't affect them, that's the idea of it so that they do not have to ever worry about conducting government business in any other language so that they do not have to ever worry about printing up multilingual forms and so on.

They still print those forms. Just as they do in Iowa. It is merely them trying to appease the vocal prejudice among them. You will find again that nothing will have changed. And it costs next to nothing to print those forms btw. No matter what language they are in, the forms will still be printed. And then they will have to try and do business with those who don't understand. People won't all of the sudden start speaking English. It will be more expensive and difficult without the forms.

How does it cost more money to not print something extra?

It's not extra. It covers a certain number of people and will still have to cover that number, so the same number of forms will be printed. Only if they don't print any in a foreign language (which they really will continue to do btw), they must also now deal with the problems that brings. That too will be costly.

 

[jamesrage]

You're comparing pennies to dollars. We don't really spend much on those things. We'll spend more if we don't have those things, but neither cost equals the cost of pushing the legislation.

Again How will it cost more money to not print something in multiple languages?

I'm told that in Iowa the bill cost 2 million to write and pass. Legislation has a cost.

How did it cost 2 million to write and pass this verses any other legislation? Last I checked politicians do not make extra money to write and pass bills.

No, the same business that was still is. Again, there are reasons for that business that doesn't go away. You find it meaningless just as Iowa did.

Have to. People's prejudice may be something they want to appease, but business is business.

Again this is not about private businesses but how government business is done.And it has nothing to with prejudice, it has to do with not have to make add another language to multilingual forms,ballots or any thing else every time a new group of immigrants come to town.

They still print those forms. Just as they do in Iowa. It is merely them trying to appease the vocal prejudice among them. You will find again that nothing will have changed.

Apparently Iowa did not actually pass a law mandating the government be done in English.

And it costs next to nothing to print those forms btw.

A penny saved is a penny earned.

 

[Boo Radley]

Again How will it cost more money to not print something in multiple languages?

In terms of cost, that is no problem, no real cost at all. They print the forms anyway, no matter what language they print them in. And I'm willing to bet you that they continue to print those forms. Iowa passed the same law and still print them.

How did it cost 2 million to write and pass this verses any other legislation? Last I checked politicians do not make extra money to write and pass bills.

It's not a case of versus any other legislation. It's the cost of doing business, each legislation costing money. And you can justify spending money on something that actually does something. To merely appease a bias, without actually doing anything is wasting that money.

Again this is not about private businesses but how government business is done.And it has nothing to with prejudice, it has to do with not have to make add another language to multilingual forms,ballots or any thing else every time a new group of immigrants come to town.

I understand, business has more than one meaning. Government offices do business. Read what I wrote with the proper definition of business and get back to me.

Apparently Iowa did not actually pass a law mandating the government be done in English.

They did. Mad everyone feel better, but nothing changed. Nor will it anywhere else. It's show legislation.

A penny saved is a penny earned.

And a million or more pissed down a rat hole for nothing is a waste.

 

[RightinNYC]

Did you need me to prove there is latin on U.S. Currency? (sorry shouldn't have called them Treasury bills)

ANNUIT COEPTIS

E PLURIBUS UNUM

And my question regarding what town business is not conducted in English... No I don't have a link for that. That's why I asked the question.

No, I need you to link me to something saying that because the town passed a law saying that official town business must be conducted in English, nobody in town can use US bills that have any latin writing on them. See how that's different from what you said?

 

[Hoplite]

Roger Meyer, who proposed the law, feels he is making progress toward protecting the English language from threats near and far.

Roger Meyer needs to get a ****ing hobby.

 

[Erod]

Um, literally the entire country works in English I don't know what the hell these people think they've just done.

"Si quieres hablar con alguien en español, oprima el dos"

Every.....stinking......phone call......to a business.

 

[Deuce]

"Si quieres hablar con alguien en español, oprima el dos"

Every.....stinking......phone call......to a business.

So now you want to ban private industry from trying to reach a larger customer base because that two-second sentence at the start of the call is just too much to bear? You're about to spend ten minutes trying to convince the computer to let you speak to a person anyway, soap) suck it up.

P.S. Those businesses still work in English. You're not losing anything.

 

[Boo Radley]

"Si quieres hablar con alguien en español, oprima el dos"

Every.....stinking......phone call......to a business.

The law won't change that. As long as there is a need, there will be things in another language.

 

[digsbe]

I see no problem with this town making English the law. They have the right to do so.

 

[Boo Radley]

I see no problem with this town making English the law. They have the right to do so.

Wouldn't argue they don't have the right, but would and do laugh at their silliness in doing so.