H1N1 Vaccine Shot Clinics In Milwaukee

Flu shots provided by the City of Milwaukee, and Tamiflu-resistance swine flu found in North Carolina

November 20, 2009

Milwaukee (HNNUSA) - City health officials had another H1N1 vaccine clinic at South Division High School on Friday. Hundreds of people including children were vaccinated from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
H. Nelson Goodson received an H1N1 vaccine shot from Carlos I. Velázquez one of Milwaukee's finest EMS fire fighters at South Division in the 1400 block of W. Lapham Ave. Goodson said that he decided to get the shot after city health officials allowed anyone to get the shot as a preventive measure. People waited at least 30 minutes to get process and received the shot. This was the second clinic offered to the general public.
On Nov. 13, health officials vaccinated about 2,900 high risk people including children at South. State health officials confirmed 30 deaths contributed to the H1N1 flu virus. The flu shots were provided free of charge to the public by the City of Milwaukee.
North Carolina health officials reported a drug resistance H1N1 flu virus has been discovered at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham. Doctors say the Tamiflu-resistance mutated virus has spread to four patients at the Center and five patients at a hospital in Wales have also contracted the mutated virus.
Health officials say the current H1N1 flu vaccine could become useless in treating the mutated swine flu virus.

Milwaukee Mayor To Keep Current Practice To Provide Licenses To Business Applicants

More than 2,000 people marched for immigration reform, state driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, and to protest the proposed City of Milwaukee citizenship requirement for professional or commercial licenses or permits

By H. Nelson Goodson
October 10, 2009

Milwaukee - Immigration reform march organizers released a statement from Mayor Tom Barrett during a rally held at Mitchell Park earlier today saying the mayor will keep the current practice to provide professional licenses to applicants. Mayor Barrett on Friday wrote, "The regulation of immigration is exclusively a federal power, and the City of Milwaukee is not the appropriate jurisdiction to enforce the 1996 law enacted by the federal government. The City currently provides licensing services that support business operations, are efficient and provide adequate protections for the public. It is my intention that these services will continue to be provided to the public in the future as they are today." Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera read Barrett's statement to those attending Saturday's rally.

Rally participants cheered and celebrated Barrett's decision to keep Milwaukee from supporting anti-immigrant policies that would create division among Milwaukeans. More than 2,000 people marched for immigration reform, state driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, and to protest the proposed City of Milwaukee citizenship requirement for professional or commercial licenses or permits. March organizers are currently collecting signatures from voters in State Senator Tim Carpenter's district in support of driver's cards (licenses) for undocumented immigrants.

On September 29, the Licenses Committee members unanimously decided to postponed a proposed ordinance (090411) that would require proof of U.S. citizenship and legal alien status to obtain a professional or commercial licenses or permits in the City of Milwaukee. The ordinance would have required new applicants and those applying for renewal to prove their legal status in the country. City Attorney Grant F. Langley proposed the citizenship ordinance to comply with the U.S. Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
Ald. Tony Zielinski moved for the proposed ordinance to be placed on hold to give various community groups, and constituents more time to review the proposal and to comment on it. The committee agreed and voted to postpone the measure.

Milw., WI: Legistar posted video on line of Licenses Committee Sept. 29 hearing of citizenship ordinance 090411 requiring legal status in the country for issuance of professional or commercial licenses or permits, click the following link and then on video http://bit.ly/YywZO

Immigration Reform March To Include Protest Opposing Milwaukee Citizenship Requirement For Professional And Commercial Licenses And Permits

March organizers to protest City of Milwaukee proposed Business citizenship ordinance

Milwaukee (HNNUSA)- On Sunday, October 4Th, Immigration reform march organizers were visiting and campaigning for support at local businesses against the proposed City of Milwaukee citizenship ordinance requiring legal status in the country for new and renewal applicants for professional and commercial licenses and permits. Organizers say, next Saturday's, October 10Th march will incorporate a protest against the business citizenship oridnance. Protesters will meet in front of Voces de la Frontera's office at 11 a.m. and will march along the South side to Mitchell Park located in the 2500 block of W. Pierce St. in Milwaukee.
Chritine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera, 1027 S. 5th St., personally delivered a letter to business owners inviting them to a special meeting being held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6Th at Voces. Neumann-Ortiz is calling for unity and for Latino businesses to support the Voces march opposing the city citizenship ordinance.
Last week, September 29Th, the License Committee members unanimously decided to postponed a proposed ordinance (090411) that would require proof of U.S. citizenship and legal alien status to obtain a professional or commercial licenses or permits in the City of Milwaukee.
The ordinance would have required new applicants and those applying for renewal to prove their legal status in the country.
Two executive directors from several community based organizations, and a South side resident testified during the meeting in opposition of the measure. Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant rights organization, said her organization did not learn of the proposal until Monday night. "This is very disturbing... Such an ordinance would reduce the tax base and increase poverty," Neumann-Ortiz said. She also criticized J.B. Van Hollen's decision to enforce the U.S. Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 with the state Department of Regulation and Licensing. In October 2007, Van Hollen wrote that federal requirements applied and that Secretary of Regulation and Licensing Celia Jackson should begin enforcing the measure, but was not mandatory to do so. Nevertheless, Jackson began enforcing the measure.
H. Nelson Goodson, an immigration rights advocate and a member of Taxpayers for Immigration Reform told the committee, a class action lawsuit is pending on appeal in a Pennsylvania federal court concerning a similar enforcement of the measure. The Lozano vs. City of Hazleton lost the first round when a judge ruled the anti-immigrant measure was unconstitutional. Hazleton city officials have appealed the case and a decision concerning the case is expected soon, according to Goodson. Goodson also advised the committee, that passing such an ordinance, the city could face a legal challenge costing taxpayers thousands of dollars when the city is facing a 90 million dollar deficit.
If the ordinance is imposed, the city would decrease business growth and eliminate a substantial amount of taxes and revenues generated from licenses and permits. The Common Council salaries come from these type of revenues, property taxes, and it wouldn't make sense for them to cut revenues by passing an ordinance limiting business growth. Especially, when Mayor Tom Barrett is proposing budget cuts from the Police Department, city services, and Fire Department. I don't see the Mayor and his staff or the Common Council proposing cuts to their own salaries, Goodson added.
"City Clerk Ron Leonhardt and Asst. City Attorney Bruce Schrimp who favor the citizenship ordinance have yet to produce a directive from Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General stating that the City of Milwaukee is in federal violation of the law or the city is facing punitive measures by cutting Block Grant funding from the federal government. The 1996 Act hasn't been enforced by the city for the last 13 years and I doubt the city would face any action from the federal government, if they decide to ignore enforcement of the Act. It's an immigration issue and it should be resolved at the federal level," Goodson said.
Tony Baez, president and CEO of the Council for the Spanish Speaking, questioned the city attorney's opinion, which cited the opinion from Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen concerning the 1996 Act.
"Why wait so long?" Baez asked the committee, and said the city hasn't enforced the 1996 Act for the last 13 years. Baez told the committee that time was needed to get other groups and advocates involved in this particular measure.
Leonhardt and Schrimp advised the committee that the city is expected to enforce the 1996 Act, but did not provide a recent decision by the current U.S. Attorney General that the measure is en-forcible.
Ald. Tony Zielinski asked for the proposed ordinance to be placed on hold to give various community groups, and constituents more time to review the proposal and to comment on it. The committee agreed and voted to postpone the measure.

Milw., WI: Legistar posted video on line of Licenses Committee Sept. 29 hearing of citizenship ordinance 090411 requiring legal status in the country for issuance of professional or commercial licenses or permits, click the following link and then on video http://bit.ly/YywZO

Mass H1N1 Vaccination Planned For City of Milwaukee

Between 40,000 to 50,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine to be made available at three sites

By H. Nelson Goodson
September 26, 2009

Milwaukee - City health officials announced Thursday that they are preparing to vaccinate between 40,000 to 50,000 people when the A (H1N1) vaccine becomes available in mid October. First to be vaccinated would be health care workers, afterwards young adults, children, and pregnant women.
Health officials say that three mass vaccination sites would be announced later in October. The vaccination sites would actually provide 50,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine. Vaccine doses would also be available for patients at doctors' offices, according to health officials.

Last Monday, September 21st, city health officials and Mayor Tom Barrett kicked off the seasonal influenza shots for the fall season at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM).
Mayor Barrett was at UWM to kickoff the influenza awareness season. Barrett was among the 198 people who received the free seasonal flu shots. Students, faculty, UWM employees and residents around the campus began standing in line about a couple of hours early. The event with Barrett began at 1:00 p.m., but a couple of hours later an estimated 110 people were turned away due to a shortage of doses. People who stayed had to wait between one hour to more than two hours to receive the flu shot.

City health officials only made available a couple of hundred of doses to the public free of charge. The seasonal influenza shot costs about 24 dollars at neighborhood drug stores and clinics.
Milwaukee Health Department officials had available only 1,100 doses this year, of which 900 have been earmarked under a federal program for children 18 and younger.
The seasonal influenza shot won't protect people from the H1N1 strain (Swine Flu), and it takes about two weeks to get immune from the seasonal flu.
The H1N1 vaccine is expected to be ready by mid October. H1N1 accounts for 90 % of influenza cases in the country, according to city health officials.
This month, in Wisconsin at least six people were hospitalizations due to the H1N1 flu virus, but no deaths were reported by the state Department of Health Services.
Since April, Wisconsin has recorded eight deaths and 239 hospitalizations from the A (H1N1) virus. About 99% of the state's lab tested influenza cases were confirmed to be from the H1N1 virus. None of the cases tested and reported have been resistant to anti-viral medication, according to state health officials.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that between September 6-12, 2009, widespread influenza activity was reported by 21 states (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia). Regional influenza activity was reported by Puerto Rico and nine states (California, Colorado, Maine, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin).

Milwaukee Bilingual Police Officers Are Paid Less Than Other Police Departments

Officers get $1.00 for each hour they are translating, and police aides don't get paid extra for translating

By H. Nelson Goodson
September 7th, 2009

Milwaukee - The Milwaukee Police Union for years have tried to get officers a pay raise when they are on the field translating for the City of Milwaukee. Today, officers get a dollar for each hour they translate in any language, including sign language. The officers who accumulate hours of translating would have to submit quarterly slips to get compensated.
Some officers who do translate say, they don't even turn the slips in because it has become hectic to do so. The officers who do turn them in get paid every three months. However, police aides in Police District Two in the South side of Milwaukee don't even get paid extra for translating and are left to compensate for those officers who are not available when needed to translate.
At times, officers have to use an 800 number for translation help, which the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) has contracted with a private company to help officers with translating on the field or when people call 911 and can't speak English. MPD pays at least $25 per minute for using the translating firm, according to officers. The $25 fee for translating could not be confirmed due to the Labor Day weekend holiday.
On Sunday, Officer Juan Lopez who has been with MPD for the last 12 years says, he practically translates almost everyday while on duty. Lopez also gets assignments to translate while off duty, but gets to work overtime. Officer Lopez on Sunday was assigned to Operation Impact in the near South side area. Operation Impact was initiated with the help of Alderman Bob Donovan and area businesses. The businesses compensate the officers while working during Operation Impact, according to Lopez.
Lopez and other officers who translate would like the City of Milwaukee to negotiate a pay raise with the Milwaukee Police Association compatible to other police departments in the country where a large concentration of diverse cultures exists. Like in Milwaukee where a majority of officers confront language barriers everyday during traffic stops and emergencies.