Officials meet with Somalis to boost ties

Portland Press-Herald ^ | October 11, 2002 | MEREDITH GOAD

[sarcasm]

A request for a federal review of Lewiston's programs and services for Somalis and other immigrants will be filed sometime next week, according to the advocate who will be writing the formal complaint to the Justice Department.

Kathy Poulos-Minott, who heads a Portland-based group that advocates for the rights of people who speak limited English, said the complaint would focus on issues such as lack of training for city employees and inconsistencies in policies and procedures across departments.

"You can't have one policy at one department and then no policy at another department," said Poulos-Minott, founder and director of the National Limited English Proficient Advocacy Task Force. "There has to be consistency and training. These places always assure compliance on paper. That's simple. The reality is when you get out there and you test it. Is it really happening?"

Lewiston city officials met with Somali elders Thursday at the public library to try to mend fences after a letter from Mayor Laurier Raymond angered and offended the local Somali community last week. The letter, referring to an increased flow of Somali immigrants into Lewiston, asked the local Somali community to "exercise some discipline and reduce the stress on our limited finances and generosity."

The Lewiston police chief and other police officials attended the meeting, as well as two city councilors, Roger Philippon and Renee Bernier. Several Somali elders were present, including some who typically work with city officials through the Somali advisory committee.

"The meeting was very encouraging, but there's more work to be done," said Phil Nadeau, assistant city administrator.

The Somali elders who attended the meeting had no comment as they left the library.

Winston McGill, vice president of the Portland chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said he met with a Somali elder Thursday and pledged the organization's support. He also has written an open letter of support to the Somali community that will be delivered next week.

The New England conference of the NAACP, which represents all of the region's NAACP branches, also has pledged its support.

McGill said he spoke with officials at the Justice Department in Boston on Thursday to voice his concerns directly to the federal agency. He asked for a community liaison who could act as a mediator between the city of Lewiston and the Somali community.

"It's not really so much an investigation," he said. "What that community liaison will do is they'll bring everybody to the table and work out these issues, whether it's housing or jobs - what the mayor should have done and what he didn't do."

McGill said it's "too premature" to say his organization will support the effort by Poulos-Minott to have a federal review of Lewiston's programs and services.

Poulos-Minott's group represents 300 "stakeholders" nationwide. They are primarily legal organizations dedicated to supporting the anti-discrimination laws that ensure immigrants and refugees have access to interpreters and other services that put them on equal footing in schools, hospitals and the halls of city government.

"Many schools bring unqualified interpreters, if they bring any at all, into disciplinary hearings or school-based health care," she said. "They take medical histories, they dispense medication without interpreters."

Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin through statutes such as Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Poulos-Minott said her organization tries to work with recipients of federal funding before filing a federal complaint or pursuing litigation. In the past, she has fought Maine Medical Center over the quality of its interpreter services, and she has cases pending against the Maine Department of Human Services, the Portland Housing Authority and Catholic Charities Maine.

She said Lewiston did not adequately plan for the arrival of so many Somalis into the community.

Nadeau said putting programs and services in place for the new arrivals has involved "almost heroic levels of work."

"We want to do more than just meet the marginal need," he said. "If there are places that we need to make improvements, we try to identify those areas as quickly as possible and try to be responsive to those areas and make those adjustments that we need to make."

[SheLion]

Next step - import their enemies - we can then have tribal warfare in Maine.

What gripes me is: our own Tribes are having a hellava time getting a casino into the state of Maine which would bring jobs and contribute to the state budget.

But the immigrants come in and get everything handed to them. I bet if the Somali's wanted to build a big casino in Maine, you can bet the Lawmakers would HAND it to them, and we the taxpayers would be paying for it!

[SheLion]

we are going to be rat voters, big governement good, so what if we have no jobs a dying economy and your going to pay for us or we're going to sue.)

Oh sure! And you see where Baldy is sucking up to them as well. Another DemocRAT! And to think the Catholic Church is behind this is incredible.........Allen, another DemocRAT is also working with Baldy for these people.

BALDACCI AND ALLEN SEEK FEDERAL ASSISTANCE TO ADDRESS INFLUX OF SOMALI IMMIGRANTS

In a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services & Education, Representatives Baldacci and Allen called for $100,000 in funding to enable Catholic Charities of Maine to provide needed services to Somali immigrants in Lewiston and other communities. Catholic Charities provides outreach and assistance to refugees and immigrants."

So this gives Baldy and Allen and the rest of the DemocRATS running for office another 1,000 votes or more now? Just terrific.

IMHO, this is a BIG reason Baldy is bringing them in. To insure his seat as Governor in the Big House. Parish the thought..........

[SheLion]

Unbelievable. Time to kick their butts out entirely.

It's time we take care of our OWN!

[Black Agnes]

Wow, they've only got FIFTY PERCENT UNEMPLOYMENT! AND they're BRAGGING about it!!! I wish fifty percent of Americans would stop working, just for a year. Starve the looters out!

[SheLion]

Some friggin' advocate wrote that letter for the Somali welfare bums. It has every PC catch phrase in it. Somalis are too dumb to write such a letter.

SOMEONE set a fire under them behind closed doors, THAT'S for sure!

[SheLion]

Just wait 'till winter and the houses start burning down due to stupid use of electric space heaters.

They'd LOVE northern Maine. LOL!

[Black Agnes]

ping.

[sarcasm]

I'm sure that the unemployment rate is actually much higher. Note how they use the term "able bodied" in their statement. I wonder what percentage of their "community" is considered disabled.

[SheLion]

Their people killed American soldiers in 1993, the government redistributes them in the united states (The US signed onto the UN refugees act not doubt, the boneheads!) and then they are given taxpayer social services. What a country!

Wasn't it over in Samoli where they dragged our dead soldier through the town? Remember that? Wasn't that over in Samoli???? Correct me if I am wrong....

[Black Agnes]

True. What about the ones that only want to work between 10am and 2pm because of religious duties? (I need to start a religion that says I can only work 4 hours a day...)

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

No. The bringing in of Third World vermin boosts the voter base for those office holders desiring control, taxpayer funds, prestige, interns, little boys etc. The American is left with the consequences of "diversity."

[Black Agnes]

You're correct. I have openly wondered if any of these Somalis are ones that shot at our guys over there...are any of these Somalis ones that drug the bodies through the streets and celebrated? Why are we importing Ranger killers? Why, after 9/11 are we still importing MUSLIMS???

[Black Agnes]

Importing 3rd worlders that have no loyalty to America and don't want to have loyalty to America meets with the globalists approval. Slowly, we are importing the 5th column that will destroy us from the inside. (Ok, not so slowly anymore). Previously, immigrants had to work to earn their keep and most of them vigorously *wanted* to become Americans. Now, they all hold dual citizenship, want freebies and handouts, and want us to conform to THEIR ways.

I wonder what the nice women of Lewiston are gonna do when these lovely new immigrants reach demographic numbers great enough to vote in Sharia...

[blam]

"There are thousands more in Kenyan refugee camps just waiting their turn."

Hey grasshopper, you must learn to embrace, support and welcome any stone age population that hates you and decides to invade your city. When you hesitate, you are fair game for a 'racist' label.
(I can still remember the good old days when this only happened in Alabama.)

[cake_crumb]

Yes, we HAVE to expedite the process of welcoming this and other foreign-national ethnic groups into the People's Independent State of Portland. They'll ALL have free HEALTH CARE SOON.

[SheLion]

You're correct. I have openly wondered if any of these Somalis are ones that shot at our guys over there...are any of these Somalis ones that drug the bodies through the streets and celebrated? Why are we importing Ranger killers? Why, after 9/11 are we still importing MUSLIMS???

Oh my God! That was a site I shall never forget. Wasn't it the Black Hawk Down?

If these are the very same people that are coming to Maine, what is going on here? And these "lawmakers" of ours are NOT listening to the voice of the Maine people! Must be something IN it for them to be supporting all of this influx. This is becoming sicker and sicker.

And if Baldy is elected our Governor, count on it people, this will just get worse!

[cake_crumb]

Oh...MAIN...sorry...not enough coffee yet this morning...

[SheLion]

You're correct. I have openly wondered if any of these Somalis are ones that shot at our guys over there...are any of these Somalis ones that drug the bodies through the streets and celebrated? Why are we importing Ranger killers? Why, after 9/11 are we still importing MUSLIMS???

This might be a stretch, but one of the 9-11 hijackers spent the night in Portland. Is there a connection? This guy wanted to see SOMEONE in southern Maine! I don't know....maybe I am too suspicious. 9-11 will do that to us, I guess. But something isn't passing the smell test here.

[Black Agnes]

Yes, BlackHawk Down was in Somalia. Mogadishu to be specific. And, why are we importing Ranger killers...inquiring minds really want to know. Maybe someone should mail copies of BlackHawk Down to the Lewiston politicos that think a bunch of unassimilated Somalis is a good thing...

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Of course there is always the possibility that the 'Maine officials' may end up being invited to dinner.