June 20, 2008

Caltrans suspends Adopt-A-Highway to "review" guidelines (SD Minutemen, ACLU, Lori Saldana)

From this we learn that the California Department of Transportation ("Caltrans") is reviewing the guidelines used in their Adopt-A-Highway program, whereby groups can volunteer to clean up stretches of highways. In exchange, they get some publicity with their names on signs along the stretches. Those currently in the program aren't affected, only current and future applicants.

Through a wild coincidence, the San Diego Minutemen is engaged in a federal court battle with Caltrans due to the latter's interesting handling of their application for a stretch of the San Diego Freeway. They were denied their first choices and instead offered a less-traveled route. A Caltrans spokesman says there's it's all just a coinkydink. And, as another twist, the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties (ACLU) is taking the Minutemen's side, with their David Blair-Loy saying:

"It's hard to believe its merely a coincidence... It certainly seems to be in violation of the spirit, if not the letter, of the First Amendment to close down a forum for speech... I welcome the review to the extent that it may lead to the correction of unconstitutional language in the guidelines...

Also:

California Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, D-San Diego, said last month that she wanted Caltrans to refine its application procedures to require a membership roster, a board of directors and bylaws.

Based on hearing about them, I'm not a big fan of the SD Minutemen, and while taking on Sacramento is a big point in their favor there are much better things they could be doing with their time and probably money. Namely, working to discredit those politicians who support illegal immigration by asking them tough questions.

6/28/08 UPDATE: A federal judge has told Caltrans to let the Minutemen clean up one of the original sections of the 5 freeway that they requested.

Posted to Immigration2008a at June 20, 2008 01:43 PM