News
Anonymous Flier Targets Illegal Aliens - Writer blames borough officials, business owners for inaction on immigration issues
By John Burton
RED BANK - A flier apparently received this week by The Two River Times™ and apparently making its way around the borough is offering harsh criticism of borough officials, police, and a local convenience store, and even harsher words for what it labels as "illegal aliens" among the borough's Hispanic community. The language in the flier is harsh enough for the mayor to call it "racist."
The anonymous four-page flier is entitled "Red Bank Illegal Alien Watch" and claims to be, "Published by a growing number of Red Bank Homeowners/ Business Owners who have had enough."
The flier announces, "It's time to confront the No. 1 threat to the future prosperity and quality of life in Red Bank, N.J."
That alleged threat stems from the number of "illegal aliens" - or IA's as the flier calls them - in Red Bank. The flier includes a photo of Hispanic-appearing men dressed in work clothes standing in front of a west side convenience store.
"Did you simply ignore the problem or were you too busy trying to get that little worm out of the tequila bottle?" the flier asks, directing that query to the mayor, borough council, borough administrator, police chief and housing inspector and calling all of them "Senor."
"Wake up and smell the tacos, U.S. citizens! Red Bank can no longer afford to wait for the U.S. Federal Government to pass immigration laws. We Must Act Now!!!, the flier reads.
The flier offers some blistering, but unsubstantiated, assessments of what the impact of the Hispanic population is on the community - couching its allegations in stereotypical images derogatory to Hispanics. "This infestation of IA's has recently started to spread east of Broad Street. If you think that the East Side of R.B. is 'too expensive' for IA's to afford you're wrong... Do you think people will want to continue shopping or renting retail space there? Can you say 50 percent vacancy rate?"
The flier also characterizes the area outside the Wa Wa Food Market at Bridge Avenue and Front Street as "Illegal Alien Alley."
Day laborers frequently congregate in that area seeking work.
The flier also points the finger at local contractors and business owners, especially area restaurants who are hiring illegal aliens, alleging that they are transforming the borough into "Little Mexico," overrunning the housing market and the public school system.
It recommends that residents embarrass those businesses by flooding borough council meetings, and contacting the Internal Revenue Service and the state Department of Taxation to report the hiring of illegal aliens.
The flier alleges that Hispanic community members don't pay income tax, receive free health care and their children get free education in the local public schools and take jobs from citizens. "If we become legal citizens...we would lose these great FREE benefits!" the flyer notes under the photos.
Mayor Pasquale Menna condemned the contents of the flier, saying that "It evidences a deep sense of racism and prejudgment," he said. "It the same sort of racism and prejudgments that other groups have been subjected to over a period of time."
Menna had been approached by about two dozen residents who were offended by the flier, he said. And given it was sent anonymously - "All they need is a hood and a white cape," Menna said, comparing its authors to members of the notorious Ku Klux Klan.
Menna also said that much of the information contained in the flier is incorrect.
According to the mayor, borough police and officials are limited in what they can do about immigration issues, as it comes under federal jurisdiction.
"So, our hands are tied," he said. "Would I like to see immigration reform? Absolutely. Do I think we're doing the best we can under limited circumstances? We're doing whatever we can, legally."
Red Bank Police Spokesman Capt. Stephen McCarthy said on Wednesday that he had not seen the flier, but when told of its allegations regarding the role of the police, countered that the department acts within its jurisdiction. "Immigration status offenses are not a | local issue," he stressed, adding, "We adhere to the [U.S.] Attorney General's guidelines, and we follow them completely."
The manager for the WaWa, Art Ferreno, declined to comment, and a call to the store chain's corporate offices was not immediately returned on Wednesday.
"I'm not surprised. There's a lot of anger in our country right now, mostly over economic issues," said Ben Forest, a Locust Avenue resident who, although he is a member of the borough board of education, stressed that he was not speaking for that organization.
"I think (the flier reflects) mainly frustration and whoever wrote this probably needs to talk to somebody."
