Posted on 05/17/2010 11:01:27 AM PDT by Nachum
PHOENIX - A Glendale optometrist's yearlong legal fight over what services he had to provide for a Spanish-speaking customer has translated into new protections for other businesses.
Gov. Jan Brewer has signed legislation affirming that nothing in state law requires businesses to provide "trained and competent" interpreters when a customer comes in speaking a language other than English.
Assistant Attorney General Michael Walker said that has probably always been the law. But that didn't save John Schrolucke from having to spend time and money defending himself and his practice before Walker's office finally dismissed the case.
(Excerpt) Read more at azstarnet.com ...
What dentist? The article is about an optometrist.
Ping!
This is America, we speak English here.
Get used to it...
Agree with your assessment. The old adage, “in the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king” is applicable here. In the gold old days, immigrants who didn’t speak English had to rely on others who did speak the language, in other words, had integrated into American society. This helped those basically too old to learn the new language but, even more, made the bilingual person a “hero” to the ethnic neighborhood, someone the kids would respect and try to emulate. Further, it pressured immigrants to get their children speaking English as soon as possible.
Now that so much can be done here without speaking English, the integrated immigrant is actually looked down upon as a traitor to his/her culture and kids are left language-retarded in this nation. It is a lose-lose proposition for the businesses and the immigrants. The only ones who win are politicians, bilingual education bureaucrats and ethnic manipulators who want to speak for (control) their fellow immigrants.
Exasperated, one of the local officials finally shed his typical Japanese politeness and explained in broken, but understandable English "This iz Japan. If you can't understand Japanese, you should bring your own translator." Me, and half the other foreigners (and some of the Japanese) standing in line applauded. She just glowered and slinked away.
When it was my turn, the guy was extraordinarily helpful, perhaps because he saw me as the ring-leader in getting him out of that situation.
Has he outlawed the smell coming from Newark?
More Arizona AWESOMENESS! Rick Perry, are you paying attention yet?
Why the heck should an optometrist HAVE to provide a translator??
Years ago I knew a girl who worked as a sign language interpreter for the deaf. Deaf people hired her to accompany them to doctor’s appointments and other types of appointments. The doctors and other businesses were under no requirement to provide a sign language interpreter. The deaf person hired and paid for the interpreter. That’s how it should be. I’m not without compassion for anyone who needs an interpeter for some reason, but if businesses are going to be forced to provide them, we’re all going to pay for it and that’s not right.
Jan Brewer- doing the Chief Executive work that Obama refuses to do.
Sorry, brain flatulence!
Yep, when I was in Okinawa, I had my written test in English, but ALL verbal business was conducted in Japanese. My wife was scared, but I translated in my broken Japanese and he helped in his broken English.
My willingness to attempt to respect him and his country lead to a very quick and easy process where both my wife and I were able to get our licenses and easily purchase a car.
So the person who allegedly doesn't speak English brings his cousin in to translate for $25 and hour? I tried to find something on this on the internet. I got nothing
Using that logic, a Dairy Queen would have to hire someone who could speak farsi in case an Iranian came in, and someone who can speak every language of all the Native American tribes (maybe Nick Cage could come in to help out), they'd need a Slovak speaker in case some one from Slovakia comes in for a blizzard.
A blizzard would have to cost about $11 just to maintain a large staff or translators.
On the other hand, a business that WANTS clients/customers from other nationalities would have a translator as a good business policy. It’s a choice.
Certainly. A business that sees value in having specific linguistic skills to attract customers is free to do that. It should not be something forced upon a business that doesn't want to do it. In the case under discussion, there were Spanish speaking doctors available in the office. The "customer" wasn't looking for service. She was looking for a lawsuit target. Epic fail...and well deserved.
I would be calling the moving company and looking for a more suitable place to do business. That is just absurd.
Have you not heard of a dental/optometrist?
They specialize in eye teeth.
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