Does the center check that the workers are legal? I would never want to run the risk of hiring an undocumented worker and incurring all the penalties involved. I would hope that ensuring the proper legal status of its workforce would be job 1 of the center.

Does anyone know where the funding comes from for the Day Worker Center?

Excuse me, but aren't these workers illegal immigrants? If so, why are we, the City of Mountain View, supporting and subsidizing these people? Free health care? American citizens can't get free health care. Are we a sanctuary city? If so who is responsible for making that decision?
If they are illegal, some city official is breaking the law. It is against the law for these people to be in our country without proper documents. When our city officials were sworn into office they took an oath to protect our country from foreign invaders. The illegal workers should be turned over to US Customs for deportation.

No wonder coyotes are smuggling woman from Mexico to Mountain View.

I have commented on the Day Worker Center several times before. I have asked anyone to answer the one simple question that has been put forth already in this section. That question? Are the workers in the center here legally? A very easy question to answer. And yet no one has taken the time to answer it. To my way of thinking no answer is a very loud answer. I have to assume that they are not documented since there has been nothing said to the contrary. I, for one, will not hire anyone who is undocumented since I don't want to break a very easy-to-understand law. We are not legally allowed to hire undocumented workers. End of story. Why won't the people involved with the Day Worker Center just answer the question??? Until it is answered - this Mountain View resident will not even consider using the DWC as a point to hire workers. And I will continue to tell anyone that I know, who is looking for workers, to look elsewhere. I'm sure that it is a wonderful place with all kinds of help for these unfortunate, illegal workers, but as far as this reader is concerned, they are here ILLEGALLY. Until I hear otherwise, I will stay far away. End of story.

This comment is directed to Mr. Nick Veronin - the staff writer who wrote this article as well as the one on the MV woman who was kidnapped by a smuggler. Since I saw a response to your other article written by you, I find it extremely interesting that you haven't dignified any of the people who wrote a comment on this article with an answer to our question. We all know what that question is, but I'll repeat it just in case. Are the workers at the Day Worker Center documented and here legally? I will respectfully wait yet again for an answer.

an Open House - what a great idea!

It's an opportunity for the community to get more acquainted with the Day Worker Center and see what it has to offer back to the community. Meet and learn about the workers, their families, and the dedicated staff at the center.

As someone who has made use of the Day Worker Center's resources, I can say it is a positive addition to Mountain View. Thanks to the City Council and the residents of Mountain View for making it happen!

If you haven't visited the center already, stop on by....It's for you, too.

Mike-
Interested in the process since you have used the DWC... what mechanisms are in place to guarantee that the workers you hire: 1) are legally employable, 2) are paying taxes on their wages, 3) are licensed to do the work if required to do so by the state (e.g. plumbing, electrical), 4) are carrying worker's compensation insurance, 5) have no recent criminal convictions that would preclude them from getting a contractors license. If these safeguards cannot be met, I'll not take chances with my family, home and financial security hiring from the DWC. If they are, I'd be curious what types of wages are typical.

Does the Immigration department provide rewards to those who turn in employers of undocumented workers?
If so I can see a cottage industry being started needing only a digital camera and a telephone. Take a pic of the employer and his car lic plate, then hand it over to those who's job it is to keep our borders secure. Time to go after those hiring undocumented workers.

I love what the Day Workers Center does and I'm proud to have a place like that in our community.

This is what their website FAQ says about worker documentation:

Q: Could I get in any trouble for using a worker who does not have proper documentation?
A: Information about employers who hire workers at the Center of employers is private and will never be shared with any government agency.

re: Ellen

That's a nice reassurance, but I doubt it would hold any water in a court of law. Its not like attorney-client privilege, more like dealer/user confidentiality. They can call it confidential all they want, but the DWC, they may be REQUIRED to turn over any information they have by the court, else they be held in contempt. Are those running the DWC willing to go to jail to protect that confidentiality? I doubt it.

Hello,

This is a response to "member, a resident of the Blossom Valley Neighborhood."

You will find the answer to your question about the citizenship status of day workers in the final paragraph of my story above. I know how scrolling can be a pain, though. So here is what I wrote, verbatim (I have added an all caps portion for your benefit):

"In exchange for using the center, members must attend classes in English, computer use, job search skills and labor law. The center also offers members HELP IN APPLYING FOR CITIZENSHIP or provides free health care services, if needed."

If you would like to share your opinion on how the kidnapping victim was handled, my offer still stands. You will find my e-mail address in my comment, in the thread following the kidnapping story. We go to print at the end of the work day today, March 23.

The only way the city would shut down this "brothel for undocumented workers" would be if they tried to sell medical marijuana to sick people who are legally entitled to use it.
Mess up priorities imo.

Nick V, You either do not understand the simple question, or you do not understand that your last paragraph answered NOTHING regarding the current working status of those being held out for hire.
How does your last paragraph answer the very direct question from "member":
"Are the workers at the Day Worker Center documented and here legally?"
Simply saying they have to take classes does not address current legal status in the least. You know that right? If not let me help with an example and see if the "answer" flies or plops:
Potential Customer: "Is this car your selling street legal?"
Car Salesman Nick: "It is required to take a smog test"
Potential Customer: "Yes, but it street legal?"
Car Salesman Nick: "Well, my repair shop helps car achieve street legal status"
Lost Customer: Well, that's great, but you're not answering...never mind, Thanks (walks out).

I'd say your attempted answer landed with a PLOP.

I have to agree with Big Ben. That does not answer the question. Help in applying for citizenship in and of itself does not prove anything. Undocumented, illegal workers are also capable of "applying for citizenship". Nice try. Oh, and I'm sure that you can guess my opinion on the kidnapping victim. She is here illegally. Again, end of story. We have laws in this country, and they have to be followed or there would be complete mayhem. I'm sorry that she had to go through such an awful experience. But what did she expect would be the outcome? Those people are ruthless and after nothing but money. She had to know that there was an element of danger. Frankly, if it were the other way around and she was sneaking into Mexico, the outcome would have been the same, or maybe even more terrifying, based on the words of their own president. So maybe it's time to start focusing on the laws instead of on each individual's situation. There will always be a story that will seem unjust. But the law is the law and that should preclude any "feelings" we might have. I could use some extra money. Does that mean that I have the right to go into a bank and just take what I need? No, there are LAWS against it. But my children need food. Doesn't matter. The law is the law. I will not be swayed by sad stories when the law is what keeps us from becoming animals. Thank you for finally answering my post, but it seems that you cannot give anyone a straight answer, and it also appears that you are swayed by "feelings". But I guess if you just kept your eyes on the laws rather than on how a story makes you "feel", there wouldn't be much to write about, now would there? End of story.

C'mon guys, Nick can't answer the question because he doesn't know how to ask the question--which is pretty disturbing for an aspiring journalist. This isn't a news article that presents facts, it's a politicized version of what Nick wants us all to believe and is therefore highly suspect.

Let's remember how so many journalists had no problem posing a similar question to. that former gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman

Hello,

This will be my last comment in this thread.

Yes, member, undocumented aliens CAN apply for citizenship. And I think it is safe to assume that anybody applying for citizenship is not yet a citizen, yes?

So, if the Day Workers Center sees a need to provide this service to its members, doesn't it follow that some of its members are undocumented and that the center is well aware of that? It is a simple enough chain of logic, I think. Maybe you want me to say it some other way.

Whatever the case, member, I would like to offer, one last time, to give you a chance to e-mail me and go on the record concerning your feelings about the woman who was kidnapped. Like I said in the comment on that post, I am writing an article that expands upon my original article. In it, I have asked the official police spokeswoman why the woman was returned to her family. She responded to me, on the record. However, no one who disagrees with the way the police handled that event has been interviewed. No one was interviewed because no one responded to that post. If no one ultimately responds to that post, your point of view will not be included in the article.

Nick:

Go back to journalism school. Just because no one responds on-line to your baiting, doesn't relieve you of your responsibilities to ask more searching questions or research different angles on the part of your readers at at large.

This has become pathetic. My original question to you has still not been answered. If the DWC is allowing undocumented workers to go into people's homes and yards to do work, then they are breaking the law. It then stands to reason that if I hire said workers, I am also breaking the law. What part of that are you finding hard to address? And I find it extremely interesting that you find it necessary to deflect all of us from this issue and onto the one about the smuggled woman. I don't recall writing a post on that article. Why do you keep insisting on getting us to go "on the record" about her? My concern all along has been with the legality of the DWC - not a woman who made a stupid choice and ran into trouble as a result. I'm afraid that I have to agree with Observer. Your style of journalism is nothing but baiting others to get the response that you're looking for. I have not seen even an inkling of unbiased writing at this point. I really had higher hopes for the MV Voice, but apparently whatever the journalist wants to write, he/she can write. The public really has no say. Thanks for the heads up - I will read every article in the Voice with a filter on - especially those written by you. We all now know you for the baiter and ignorer that you are. Good luck trying to move up in the area of journalism. I doubt that many other papers would be interested in hiring you until you learn to be more open about looking into the facts of an article.

This article was supposed to be a fluff piece about the DWC's open house, so cut Nick some slack.
Regardless, I think its apparent that until the DWC starts screening OUT undocumented workers, the residents of MV won't be getting any warm fuzzies about it.
Besides, if I'm gonna risk hiring undocumented workers, its legally safer for me to head to the CVS parking lot and do it anonymously than to go to the DWC and be on record for hiring illegal workers.

Huh Boy - I will not cut Mr. Veronin "slack". Puff piece or not, we all had a legitimate question that he failed numerous times to address. What's the point of having a forum where we can post comments and ask questions if all the writer does is ignore them, try to re-route us to other articles, or answer questions that we didn't ask? And this isn't the first time he's done that. So, no, I won't cut him any slack.

As to your other comment. You are absolutely right. If you have to hire someone, better to do it where it's not documented and pay cash. However, I, for one, will not be hiring anyone who is not documented - period. I will not knowingly break the law.

"members must attend classes in... labor law."

Wow. That really smacks of hypocrisy.

Who wants to bet that the labor laws covered deal with worker's right and compensation for when you get hurt on the job by some unassuming homeowner.

One more reason not to use the DWC. I agree with Huh boy. Go to the CVS parking lot or Home Depot and bypass this farce.