'Speak English' signs allowed at Philly shop

[revwardoc]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23715954/

Commission on Human Rights rules Geno's postings do not discriminate

PHILADELPHIA - The owner of a famous cheesesteak shop did not discriminate when he posted signs asking customers to speak English, a city panel ruled Wednesday.

In a 2-1 vote, a Commission on Human Relations panel found that two signs at Geno's Steaks telling customers, "This is America: WHEN ORDERING 'PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH,'" do not violate the city's Fair Practices Ordinance.

Shop owner Joe Vento has said he posted the signs in October 2005 because of concerns over immigration reform and an increasing number of people in the area who could not order in English.

Vento has said he never refused service to anyone because they couldn't speak English. But critics argued that the signs discourage customers of certain backgrounds from eating at the shop.

Commissioners Roxanne E. Covington and Burt Siegel voted to dismiss the complaint, finding that the sign does not communicate that business will be "refused, withheld or denied."

In a dissenting opinion, Commissioner Joseph J. Centeno said he thought the signs did discourage some customers.

"The sign appeared immediately above another sign that had the following words: 'Management Reserves the Right to Refuse Service,'" Centeno wrote.

New immigrants in Italian neighborhood
Geno's and its chief rival across the street, Pat's King of Steaks, are two of the city's best known cheesesteak venues. A growing number of Asian and Latin American immigrants have moved into the traditionally Italian neighborhood in recent years.

Vento had threatened to go to court if he lost. His attorney, Albert G. Weiss, said he was "pleasantly surprised" by Wednesday's decision.

"We expected that this was not going to go our way," Weiss said.

In February 2007, the commission found probable cause against Geno's for discrimination, alleging that the policy discourages customers of certain backgrounds from eating there.

The case went to a public hearing, where an attorney for the commission argued that the sign was about intimidation, not political speech. The matter then went to the three-member panel for a ruling.

W. Nick Taliaferro, the commission's executive director, said he would not appeal.

[reconeil]

WOW!!!,...what a marvelous new concept!
Just imagine that,...Americans having to speak American and/or English in American shops.

If this strangeness catches on, do you think that now even all The French will have to
speak French in France, and all Italians will have to speak Italian in Italy, etc., etc.?????

Neil

[Robert Ryan]

Some actually acknowledges that English is the primary languae in America. When the feds get a hold of this, he will be made to remove the sign so he can be polictically correct like and not offend anyone who doesn't speak English.

[reeb]

I just wonder how many Politicos can even pronounce Spanish let alone order a pizza or whatever.

I was in Tx for 25 yrs and you had better be able to speak a little ( pakito ) ( that is how I spell the darn word.

The way ya say it is " If'n ya dunt speeaak the language weuns were taught, then keep yer mutt shut.

Sore wish I were one of them thar English speaking humans.

In other words: English is English. Keep it here.

I sure as the heck dont go into a restrauant and order in Vietnamese even though there are plenty of them here.

Dont ya just love it? AMERICA the land of the free and opportunity!!

enough.......reeb

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Us hillbillies are goin up thar and protest them Yankees criminatin agin us.

[QM3steve]

You'd better bring your best translator with you... so's we'all Yankees kin reed yur sines.

[revwardoc]

I just wish that someday we'd get a politico who would introduce, and fight for, a bill that would make English the official language of this country. The problem is, once elected, they leave their balls at home.

[revwardoc]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,339589,00.html

Michigan Congressman Wants 50-Cent Tax Hike on Every Gallon of Gas

A Michigan congressman wants to put a 50-cent tax on every gallon of gasoline to try to cut back on Americans' consumption.

Polls show that a majority of Americans support policies that would reduce greenhouse gases. But when it comes to paying for it, it's a different story.

Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., wants to help cut consumption with a gas tax but some don't agree with the idea, according to a new poll by the National Center for Public Policy Research.

The poll, scheduled to be released on Thursday, shows 48 percent don't support paying even a penny more, 28 percent would pay up to 50 cents more, 10 percent would pay more than 50 cents and 8 percent would pay more than a dollar.

"I don't want to pay more, I don't think anyone wants to," said Karen Deacon, a motorist.

"I think that wouldn't make any sense," said Frankie Hoe, a motorist. "Ugh ... who's making the money from all this and where is that money going? Is it going to go green? I don't see any green things anywhere."

The automobile is the nation's biggest polluter; Americans use more gas than the next 20 countries combined.

Some environmentalists and economists say pain at the pump may be bad for Americans, but good medicine for a sick planet.

But others say it wouldn't change much. Even if Americans abandoned their cars, global emissions would fall by less than one percent.

"A tax on gas is a way to reduce dependence on import oil, reduce traffic congrestion and reduce carbon emissions," said Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute.

The Earth Policy Institute proposes raising the gas tax 30 cents per gallon each year over a decade and offset with a reduction of income taxes, Brown said.

David Ridenour, vice president of the National Center for Public Policy Research, said the proposal wouldn't help long term.

"I think when you are talking about raising gas prices, there may be short-term reduction, put off vacations, but bottom line is over long term, that isn't going to have much of an effect," Ridenour said.

While Dingell's idea will likely lie dormant until after the 2008 election, the idea of carbon taxes is not. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain all support some type of system that either directly or indirectly will raise prices to penalize polluters.

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Typical politico reaction: when you can't figure out how to fix something; tax it!

[Robert Ryan]

Why wouldn't he, he doesn't pay for his gas, we do, he gets use his damn gas card that we pay for. It wouldn't bother him in least to have a 50 cents tax on gas.

[Advisor]

I'd go for it with a few provisos.
Every elected official has to pay for their own fuel.
100% of all revenue must go into the research for alternate fuels.
All automotive manufacturers must be required to meet stringent fuel economy requirements. And no extension of deadlines.