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good info on this clergy and church.

****Here is an UPDATE on this matter and it's not good. Keep up the protesting. CC

Ventura County (**Red) Star

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/sep/25/city-wont-bill-church-for-future-protests/

City won't bill church for future protests Simi officials put $40,000 in charges 'on hold' at meeting By Anna Bakalis (Contact ) Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Simi Valley will not charge a sanctuary church for police services for any protests in the immediate future, but city officials did not rescind the $40,000 bill it sent the church last week.
City officials met Monday afternoon with representatives of the United Church of Christ, which is sheltering an illegal immigrant. After the two-hour session, the city agreed to place "on hold" the $39,307 bill, pending further discussion. Both sides agreed to maintain open dialogue and said the situation results from the lack of a firm, consistent federal immigration policy and the need for reform at a national level. If protesters show up again this Sunday, police will be ready to respond, without worry of a price tag, said City Manager Mike Sedell. "The city's biggest concern is public safety. Cost comes later." The church has been housing Liliana, an illegal immigrant from Oxnard, and her U.S.-born infant son for about a month. Wanted for deportation, she is living there as part of a national New Sanctuary Movement aimed at keeping families of illegal immigrants together.
The 80-member church is standing firm in offering shelter, a week after the Sept. 16 protest that drew 125 anti-illegal immigration activists and counterprotesters. Save Our State, the organizers of the protest, came with the hopes of making a citizen's arrest of Liliana. More than 500 hours of Simi Valley police staff time was used in preparing for the protest, and officers were there to monitor both sides. Simi officials sent the invoice Wednesday, saying that by publicly announcing the decision to shelter Liliana, the church provoked protesters to create a disturbance. At the meeting were Mayor Paul Miller, the Rev. June Goudey, Councilwoman Michelle Foster, Police Chief Mike Lewis, representatives of the Ventura County Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice and members of the church. At the end, Miller and Goudey issued a signed statement. "Since Liliana has come into Sanctuary at UCC, the city has become a focal point for protests and counterprotests at considerable local costs," the statement reads. "The city will continue to pursue resolution of this issue, and the mayor will recommend to the City Council that further action against UCC to enforce the letter sent to UCC asking for reimbursement of costs be placed on hold pending further discussion," it reads.
[b]On Sunday, a smaller protest took place outside the church, with two protesters walking into the church to deliver a petition. At 12:30 p.m., a church representative called police after telling the men to leave. A crime report lists the two men as Jeff Schwilk of the San Diego chapter of the Minutemen and Dennis Slater of No More Invasion, another anti-illegal immigration group. Church representatives asked police to arrest the men, who moved back to the sidewalk. Because police did not witness trespassing, no arrests were made, but the incident will be forwarded to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office for a decision, Lewis said. During a news conference Friday at the church, the American Civil Liberties Union and Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund called the police bill unconstitutional, violating protections of free expression and due process. The city's action amounts to taxing political speech, they said.

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BACKGROUND INFO

Ventura County (*Red) Star

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/sep/22/simi-urged-to-withdraw-40000-bill/

Simi urged to withdraw $40,000 bill ACLU says church protected By Anna Bakalis (Contact ) Saturday, September 22, 2007

A lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union demanded the city of Simi Valley immediately withdraw the $40,000 bill it issued to the United Church of Christ, calling the act unconstitutional. "No matter what the sentiment of the Simi Valley City Council, no matter how loud the protesters are outside the church's door, this church is constitutionally protected," said attorney Peter Bibring at a news conference Friday afternoon at the church on Royal Avenue. The news conference was the latest in a conflict between the City Council and the church, at odds since Mayor Paul Miller resolved to send the church a $39,307 bill for police services that were used for an immigration protest just off the church's property Sunday.
Although the church was not a part of the protest, Simi officials said that by publicly announcing the decision to shelter an illegal immigrant, the church provoked the protesters to come and create a possible disturbance — one that required a police presence. The 80-member church has been housing Liliana, an illegal immigrant from Oxnard, and her U.S.-born infant son for about one month. Wanted for deportation, the woman is living in the church's former parsonage as part of a national New Sanctuary Movement aimed at keeping families of illegal immigrants together.
At the news conference Friday, church officials vowed to stand firm in offering shelter to Liliana. "We will not abandon our principles nor will we turn our backs on Liliana and others like her who have a right to have their individual case reviewed without threat of immediate deportation," the Rev. June Goudey said. Liliana, 29, took her turn to speak inside the church. She stood behind the podium with her husband, Geraldo, 26, their son Geraldo Jr. and Pablito, 6 months old. She spoke in Spanish and then English. "I want to thank all the people who are supporting us," she said. "We will stand firm and strong so Congress hears and respects our rights." Goudey said she asked for a private meeting with Miller to discuss the aftermath of Sunday's demonstrations. That meeting will take place Monday, she said. How the bill breaks down
After the news conference, Miller said he did not wish to comment on the ACLU's call to the city to rescind the police bill. He said any citations will be discussed in Monday's meeting. Although the church said it had not received the bill, Miller said the invoice and a letter were sent to the church two days ago. In the invoice to Goudey, obtained by The Star on Friday, the bill breaks down like this: More than 500 police staff hours at $35,744; 47 hours of Public Works staff, at $1,262; 22 hours of transportation salaries, at $647; and about $1,654 for items like food and water for staff, for a total of $39,307.
The Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the ACLU, along with members of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, were present at the news conference. Gladys Limon, an attorney with MALDEF, sent a letter to the city, addressed to Miller, saying the city is being unlawful in its decision to send the police bill. "The City Council's threats to punish the expression of its pro-sanctuary views unlawfully suppress speech and violate the freedoms granted by the first and 14th amendments," Limon said. No arrests made at the protest
The Sunday protest was organized by an anti-illegal immigration group called Save Our State, which came with the hopes of making a citizen's arrest of Liliana. No arrests — citizen or otherwise — were made at the protest. About 40 members of the group plan to attend the Oct. 8 City Council meeting, to show support for Miller's decision to charge the church. The group is not planning to protest at the church, said Chelene Nightingale, spokeswoman with the organization. She said the city's police bill for $39,307 was a strong and applaudable message. "I think now people are seeing the effect of what illegal immigration has on all of us. Now you have a mayor that says, I don't want to pay for these crimes, why should the taxpayers pay for illegal immigration?'"
The church didn't call for the heightened police presence during the demonstrations. Goudey and her congregation had hoped the protest would be peaceful, without counterprotesters. But Goudey extended a thank you to Police Chief Mike Lewis and his staff during the news conference. "I understood their presence to be a routine act of public service in the face of identified threats of civil unrest," Goudey said. "I continue to see their presence in that light." The Ventura County Sheriff's Department said unlike the city, they are not asking to recoup costs from the protest. After the city requested mutual aid, the Sheriff's Department sent 43 department members, which cost them $16,000. The Sheriff's Department has never billed anyone after the fact for police services, Undersheriff Craig Husband said.

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Simi Valley Acorn, FRONT PAGE !

http://www.simivalleyacorn.com/news/2007/0921/Front_Page/002.html

Mayor to pastor: This one's on your tab Miller wants church to pay $39,306 for police costs By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com

Mayor Paul Miller wants the city to hold Simi's United Church of Christ financially liable for law enforcement costs related to maintaining the peace during Sunday's three-hour protest outside the church- a bill in upwards of $39,000. "Because the church willfully decided to harbor an illegal alien and made a public announcement of that fact, it was responsible for provoking the demonstration that occurred at their location this past Sunday," Miller said during Monday's City Council meeting. "As a result I believe that Rev. (June C.) Goudey and the members of her congregation are responsible for bearing the entire cost of the law enforcement response necessary to deal with the situation." Police Chief Mike Lewis told the Simi Valley Acorn that Simi police expended an estimated 500 staff hours to provide security for the rally, causing the city to spend about $35,000 of unbudgeted money. At any given time, between four and 15 officers were on hand to secure the church,with an additional four tactical teams positioned in nearby areas in case the event escalated, he said. Miller suggested the council consider enacting an ordinance enabling the city to recover costs from any group who attempts to "protect those in violation of the law." Nearly 100 protesters from antiillegal immigration organizations gathered in front of UCC on Sunday to speak out against the church's recent action to provide sanctuary to a 29yearold undocumented former Oxnard resident known only as Liliana. The protest, organized by Save Our State, also attracted counterprotests from other groups, such as the International Socialist Organization. Lewis said the police department had about five days to prepare for the rally after a spokesperson from Save Our State notified the city and the watch commander that they would be coming to Simi to protest. An intelligence officer determined that the protest was originally scheduled to occur in front of Liliana's former sanctuary- an Episcopal Church in Long Beach, where at least two other protests had occured- but was shifted when she moved to the Simi Valley. To get a feel for what to expect at the rally, Simi police contacted Long Beach police as a starting point for their planning, Lewis said. "We assume that if Liliana stays there, using what we've heard from (LBPD), in four to six weeks we can expect Save Our State to come out again," he said. "We have already begun the preliminary planning for a second rally."
Simi PD requested aid from public works, the transit department and the county sheriff's department to secure the area on Sunday, Lewis said. The grand total spent by the city, excluding the planning and post-rally debriefing, was $39,306. Miller said that he and Councilmember Michelle Foster met with the church's pastor on Aug. 23 to advise her not to bring Liliana into the city. But on Aug. 28, the church publicly announced Liliana's arrival. "I firmly believe that June Goudey and her congregation at the (UCC) have acted irresponsibly by harboring an illegal alien and making a public announcement calling attention to themselves by those groups who oppose their point of view," Miller said.
The church's decision to be public about the matter is a requirement it must follow as a member congregation of the New Sanctuary Movement. UCC in Simi is currently the only church in Ventura County to volunteer sanctuary. The mayor sent a letter to U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Thousand Oaks) on Sept. 4 requesting his intervention. Though Gallegly did intervene, Immigration and Customs Enforcement "made it clear that they were not going to take this person as long as she was on church property," Miller said. "It's a known fact that (ICE) puts low priority on aliens whose only crime is being here illegally." After further discussion, all council members said they were in support of the mayor's stance. Foster, who witnessed the rally, said the city was fortunate that the protest didn't escalate to a higher level. Still, she said, providing security is a "huge tax on our resources." As of Wednesday evening, Goudey told the Acorn, she had not received an invoice from the city. "We have a cordial relationship with the mayor and hope that continues," she said. "I understood the help we received from the police on Sunday was part of their routine public service efforts to keep the peace. Nothing in my contact with them led me to believe otherwise."
At the end of council comments, the City Council asked City Attorney David Hirsch and his staff to explore the option of drafting the cost-recovery ordinance and come back with information as soon as possible. The city attorney also said he would look into the church's taxexempt status. "This city is not going to become known as a sanctuary city," Miller said. "Period." =