If the Santa Clara Valley Water District does any business with
Arizona, board chair Richard Santos wants to make sure that they
don’t.
If the Santa Clara Valley Water District does any business with Arizona, board chair Richard Santos wants to make sure that they don’t.
“Until that has gone away,” Santos said about the strict new law that is hammering down on illegal immigration from Mexico. But many – such as Santos and other government agencies across California – describe the process as nothing less than racial profiling.
At the water board’s next meeting on May 25, Santos said directors will discuss the item he submitted to the agenda that lists some recommendations to consider:
– Adopt a resolution specifying the board of directors’ desire to urge Arizona to repeal SB 1070 and HB 2163 and send a copy to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer.
– Authorize CEO Beau Goldie to order all district departments to prohibit the use of district funds for official business, attendance at conventions, meetings or other events in Arizona, unless critical to the mission of the water district.
– Authorize district counsel to explore opportunities to file amicus curiae (or “friend of the court”) in support of appropriate litigation challenging the Arizona laws or to join in efforts by other organizations to do the same.
“I don’t agree with this profiling. Because they may be a ‘Santos’ they could get stopped. For what? It’s one step away from internment camps,” Santos said.
The board will discuss the recommendations and they could decide to adopt a resolution to forgo any business relationships with the state of Arizona if applicable.
The water district provides water supply and flood protection to the county’s 1.8 million people. The agency employs about 750 people and has a budget of about $305 million.
