Tulsa Hispanic Chamber Newsleter May 2010

The mayor's office has decided to tem-

porarily suspend enforcement of zoning

codes for mobile food vendors, it was

announced Tuesday, and a special April 29

meeting to work on the codes was announced

Wednesday. Many of those targeted with

notices of violation are Hispanic.

A city official announced that a meeting,

including selected food vendors and repre-

sentatives of agencies involved in permitting

and enforcement, would be held April 29 in

City Hall “to develop a permitting and inspec-

tion program for mobile food vendors.” City

councilors were also invited to attend.

Wednesday's announcement was made

by Jack L. Page, director of development

services, who said the meeting on the 29th

would be” the first of several meetings.”

“The first meeting will provide an overview

of the scope of the situation and discuss the

process that we will follow to develop the per-

mitting and enforcement provisions,” said

Page. “Please come prepared to discuss your

particular perspective on the situation and

what you judge needs to be done for either

the protection of the public, the needs of the

business, or the stabilization of the neighbor-

hood.”

Tuesday's announcement of the decision

by mayor's office was made by City Council

Chairman Rick Westcott during a meeting of

the Urban and Economic Development

Committee. He explained that he learned of

the decision in an e-mail message he

received from Susan Neal, director of commu-

nity development, shortly before the meeting

began.

Copies of Neal's e-mail message were

passed out at the meeting.

It said: “Development Services and the

WIN (Working in Neighborhoods) Department

will temporally cease the enforcement of zon-

ing code cases for mobile food vendors.” she

said. “We have come to realize that the zon-

ing code is not the proper mechanism to

address these types of businesses.”

Neal could not be reached for comment.

Francisco Treviño, executive director of

the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of

Commerce, has been representing the

Hispanic business owners and operators.

“The temporary suspension of some of the

ordinances is a clear response to find a bal-

ance point between the officials and the busi-

nesspeople,” he said. “The chamber will keep

defending the interests of its members.”

At the meeting, Democrat Maria Barnes,

councilor for District 4, said; “We are moving

in the right direction.”

“If Maria is happy with the decision, then I

am happy,” added Democrat Jack Henderson,

councilor for District 1.

Before Westcott's announcement, District

6 councilor Jim Mautino, a Republican,

repeated a phrase, which he had used a few

weeks back to describe the presence of the

vendors as “Third World stuff,” this time as he

showed some photographs of some of the

mobile restaurants. “I cannot imagine seeing

something like this in Tulsa,” he said.

Mautino had said previously that some

constituents sent him complaints and photo-

graphs regarding the food vendors, so he

contacted the Indian Nations Council of

Government, which started the investigation.

INCOG oversees zoning code matters.

The Greater Tulsa HispanicChamber of Commerce

M o n t h l y N e w s l e t t e rM o n t h l y N e w s l e t t e rMay 2010

PG 1

The Monthly Newsletter is publishedmonthly by The Greater Tulsa Hispanic

Chamber of Commerce.If you would like to place a display ad,

gives us a call 664-5326Francisco J. TreviñoExecutive Director

Juan MiretExecutive Assistant

City suspended enforcement against mobile food vendors

Francisco González, owner of Tacos Fiesta Mexicana.

Health care reform championed by

President Barack Obama was signed

into law on March 23 – but on Nov. 2

Oklahomans will vote on the reform’s

future in the state.

The state Legislature approved

House Joint Resolution 1054, titled the

Freedom of Healthcare Choice Act,

authored by Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken

Arrow, and Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-

Owasso. Their proposal will be voted on

as a Constitutional amendment.

“We have the best health care sys-

tem in the world.” Ritze said on April 14

during Tulsa Regional Day at the Capitol

in Oklahoma City. So, he asked, “why

are we going to change it” for the health

reform law that he called ‘ObamaCare’?”

If voters approve the Ritze-Brogdon

question, then no person, employer or

health facility would have to take part in

or be placed under the regulations

imposed by the federal system.

The proposed amendment would

make the purchase of a health care plan

voluntary, and states that “no law or rule

can require a person to purchase health

care insurance. No penalties or fines can

be imposed on a person who chooses

not to purchase health care insurance.”

Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, also

present at the event, said of H.J.R. 105:

“It’s not a solution for the health problem

in Oklahoma.”

Private health insurance companies

are still studying the changes proposed

by the new health care system.

For Freddy Valverde, who runs a

financial consulting firm, the reform

“doesn’t offer any benefit to small busi-

nesses. It still will be a heavy burden to

pay for health insurance. The middle

class has been left out.”

“The reform is a complex issue.” said

Laurie Paul, executive director of

Community Health Connection on

Tulsa’s east side. “The community needs

informational forums to understand the

reform.”

Health care reform

• The federal reform was approved by

the Senate Dec. 24 by a vote of 60 to 39.

Then on March 21 the House passed it

by a vote of 219 to 212. None of the

Republicans voted for the proposal.

• The law requires that most

Americans have health insurance.

• It would add 16 million people to the

Medicaid program.

• It subsidizes the coverage for low-

income people (below the poverty line).

• It prohibits practices such as deny-

ing coverage for pre-existing conditions.

• According to the Congressional

Budget Office, the government will

spend $938 billion over 10 years to pay

for the reform. It also estimated that the

measure will help cut the deficit by $138

billion over the next 10 years.

Chamber News

The Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

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Get to know the health care reform: What’s it all about?

The OSU clinic in the Eastgate Metroplex at 14002 E. 21st St. has two bilin-gual speakers on staff.


PG 3

US News

According to comments from key

leaders of the U.S. Senate and House,

immigration reform is not on the legisla-

tive agenda.

The first to make this known was

House leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., dur-

ing a public announcement in front of

the Capitol on April 14.

“I am not sure the Senate can move

an immigration bill,” he said. This was in

contrast to his statements made on

March 23 during a dinner held by the

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,

where he said: “We, Democrats, want to

pass an immigration reform and we can

do it. Also, I must say that Democrats in

the Senate want and can pass an immi-

gration bill.”

On April 14 Hoyer said that Harry

Reid, Senate majority leader, “indicates

he wants to try to move an immigration

bill.”

Hoyer’s comments are counter to

Reid’s plans, who said, one day before

Hoyer’s statements: “We won't get to

immigration reform this work period.”

During a press conference at the

national Capitol, Reid said the reason

for delaying the debate on immigration

reform in Congress is because of the

financial reform and proposed legisla-

tion about food security.

Local reaction

“While the government keeps ignor-

ing the problem of immigration, we are

going to end up with worse things like

the anti-immigration bill that was just

passed in Arizona,” said Eduardo Mora,

president of the Coalition of Hispanic

Organizations in Tulsa. “We have to

unite, mobilize and demand a reform.”

“Now is the moment to move immi-

gration reform,” said Drew Diamond, for-

mer Tulsa police chief and security

director at Union schools. “We are wit-

nessing anti-immigration laws.

Congress should face this crisis now,

not later.”

Chris Gentges, a lawyer and manag-

er of the YWCA’s immigration program

in Tulsa, hopes that Congress will act

soon, so it can put a halt to “anti-immi-

gration laws against civil rights.”

Immigration reform stalls

Javier Palomares, President and CEO of The Unites States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.


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InmigrationUnited States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Dismayed at Arizona Anti-Immigrant Law

PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ --The United States Hispanic Chamber ofCommerce (USHCC), representing the inter-ests of nearly 3 million Hispanic-owned busi-nesses and over 200 local Hispanic cham-bers of commerce nationwide, expressed itsgrave disappointment at the Arizona statelegislature for passing a law that will jeopard-ize the safety of Arizona communities andresult in the racial profiling of Latinos.

If signed into law by Governor JanBrewer, S.B. 1070 -- the so-called "SafeNeighborhoods" bill -- would require stateand local police to pursue every person sus-

pected of being an undocumented immi-grant, rather than keeping our communitiessafe from violent crimes. The legislation wasopposed by police chiefs from throughout thestate because it would certainly discourageimmigrants and their families from reportingcrimes or serving as witnesses.

Attacking the entire Hispanic communityin the zeal for enforcing civil immigration lawsdoes not work and has significant politicalconsequences

Supporters of the legislation have citedclothing, music or an accent as details that

should prompt a criminal investigation.These suggestions alarm not only individualsand organizations representing the Hispaniccommunity, but Americans of every back-ground. From police chiefs and sheriffsthroughout the state, to the National Councilof La Raza and the American Civil LibertiesUnion, there is widespread agreement thatthis law would make for very bad policy andineffective policing.

"I understand the frustration over a bro-ken immigration system, but this is not thesolution. We desperately need comprehen-sive immigration reform instead to secure theborder, ensure a stable labor supply whereand when necessary, and normalize the sta-tus of millions of hard-working immigrantfamilies that contribute to the prosperity ofour nation," said Javier Palomarez, Presidentof the United States Hispanic Chamber ofCommerce. "Clearly, the Governor must vetothis misguided legislation that will underminethe safety of all our communities."

"As a Californian, I remember whenGovernor Wilson pushed Proposition 187. Isincerely hope that Governor Brewer willlearn from history's mistakes: Attacking theentire Hispanic community in the zeal forenforcing civil immigration laws does notwork and has significant political conse-quences," said David C. Lizarraga, Chairmanof the United States Hispanic Chamber ofCommerce.

Javier Palomares. President & CEO of the USHCC.


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May 20th:Excelencia Awards

Hosted by

Reception Sponsors

The Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 11th Annual Excelencia Awards Dinner will be held on Thursday, May 20, 2010 from 6:30-9:00 p.m. at the

Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center, 6808 South 107th East Avenue.

AVANCE AWARDHispanic Business of the Year:

BRONCO AUTO SALES

BENDAÑA AMIGO AWARDCommunity Leader of the Year:

TULSA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

ADELANTE AWARDThe Corporate Partner of the Year

COX COMMUNICATIONS

Keynote Speaker

Javier A. Palomarez,President and CEO

United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

PG 6

Once a month the Hispanic community may learn the latest

news about the Chamber’s programs, services and events.

Our next show will be aired on

Saturday, May 29th from 9 to 10 a.m.

You may listen live at www.quebuenatulsa.com or

on you radio at 1530 AM.

‘Negocio para Todos’ is produced

by Francisco Treviño, President & CEO of the

Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Tulsa

Hispanic Chamber’S

Radio Show

‘Negocio para Todos’

or

‘Business for

Everyone’

This is an informative radio

show recently launched by the

Greater Tulsa Hispanic

Chamber in partnership with

KXTD La Que Buena

1530AM.


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Won't You Join Us!

Do you have a new business, new loca-tion an expansion or an anniversary?

The Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber ofCommerce is pleased to assist you withyour grand opening or ribbon cutting.Here are the answers to a few common-ly asked questions:

WHAT THE CHAMBER DOES:

All free of charge, to our Chambermember

Sends out a broadcast email our mem-bers on our email list to notify them ofyour opening

Provides the “giant scissors” and bowsand ribbon to cut (we usually deliverthem the day before or several hoursbefore the event – please let us knowwhat color bows and ribbon, and howlong)

Podium and microphone

Keeps track of RSVPs, unless you pre-fer to handle that yourself

Attends the event and takes pictures forour e-newsletter and web page

Typically our Chamber ExecutiveDirector, President of the Board, someBoard Members will attend.

Publicizes the event in our e-newsletterand web page with a photo after the factin the next edition

Invite the media

We will help you prepare an agenda

WHAT THE COMPANY DOES

Sets the date and time of the event –typically first thing in the morning (8AMor 9AM), Noontime, end of the day(4PM or later) or evening (7PM) –

please coordinate this with the Chamberif at all possible well in advance to avoiddate and time conflicts

You provide any refreshments for thosein attendance – this is entirely up to you

Invite Your Board of Directors, if applica-ble and friends and family

Those who helped with your new loca-tion like contractors, bankers, etc.

You provide any refreshments for thosein attendance - this is entirely up to you

Provide background information on yourcompany ahead of time to those whoare speaking so they can prepareremarks (we can help with that)

HOW IT RUNS :

Your agenda could be something likethis:

Welcome Guests – done by a companyrep

Intro on the company – done by a com-pany rep – Explain what you do if a newbusiness, about your new location – if asecond location or a move, your hours,introduce your staff

Congratulatory Remarks – fromChamber, other dignitaries – these are1-3 minutes each – very brief

Cut the ribbon – usually done by digni-taries and head company rep, somechoose to have all employees do thecutting

Thank you for attending – by a companyrep

Then you offer everyone to come take alook at your facility, and if large enough,you might want to offer tours

KEEP IN MIND:

Weekend grand openings (includingFriday after 5:00) are harder for theChamber to draw attendance to thanweekday events.

Hanging your ribbon – should be placedin front of the doorway – you and the“cutters” would stand behind the ribbonfacing the crowd

Keep in touch with the Tulsa HispanicChamber as your plans progress

As mentioned above, the Tulsa HispanicChamber will handle RSVPs, unless youprefer to do it yourself. As you mayknow, people will wait until the lastminute to RSVP, or will show up withoutRSVPing. Call the Tulsa HispanicChamber during the morning of the daybefore the event to get the latest count,and add a little cushion before commu-nicating a final number to your caterer. Ifexperienced, your caterer can probablyhelp with your estimate.

Will parking be an issue? If so, pleaselet us know where you would like gueststo park so we can inform them inadvance

The farther ahead you contact us themore publicity we can give your event

If you have a digital version of yourlogo, please email it to the RibbonCutting Coordinator so it can appear onour email

To arrange for your special event,please contact:

The Greater Tulsa HispanicChamber of Commerce918-664-5326 or email

[email protected]

Ribbon Cutting CeremoniesRIBBON CUTTINGS, GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONIES& OPEN HOUSES


Our next monthly luncheon is June 23rd, 2010 at 11:30 am

RenaissanceTulsa Hotel & Convention Center

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293 Members!

In the 11 years history of the The Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, membership levels have had their peaks and valleys, with the 293 membership mark being

achieved. We are extremely enthusiastic.

Thank you for your extraordinary support.

Winner of the Small Hispanic Chamber Award 2008

for Region III, from The United States Hispanic

Chamber of Commerce&

2009 the Whitney M. Young, Jr. award for unselfish service to the youth of America.

Tulsa Hispanic Chamber Newsleter May 2010

Documents

Transcript of Tulsa Hispanic Chamber Newsleter May 2010