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February 16, 2010· scvtalk.com · WordPress (SCVTalk 3.0) · Wayback capture

Feb 27 Rally organizers try to get Signal Reporter Jonathan Randles fired

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

The folks behind the January 16 anti-illegal immigrant rally and the forthcoming February 27 rally  are so incensed that Randles committed journalism they’re attacking him as a “son of a bitch” and telling readers to pressure The Signal to fire him:

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Later on, the poster says, “Lets keep on this little turd and get him flushed.”

Jonathan Randles has done a yeoman’s work covering the immigration debate and its aftermath in Santa Clarita. Not only has he covered the raucous debate in front of City Hall (twice!),  he spoke with an illegal immigrant day laborer to get his side of the story, something the Signal hasn’t done before (at least as long as I’ve kept this blog).

That the Save our State People (and by extension Roger Gitlin) are so insecure they want to get a reporter fired for doing his job speaks to just how deranged and extreme they are.

I can only imagine what The Signal’s LTE inbox looks like these days. They’re probably only publishing the mildest of LTEs regarding illegal immigration.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re receiving threats.

I know I have.

As SCVTalk has documented again and again, the Save our State folks primarily hail from areas outside of Santa Clarita, which means we now have out-of-town extremists attacking our local paper and one of its best reporters.

As if that wasn’t crazy enough, the whole cycle is set to repeat next week at the February 27 rally, but this time David Gauny, Bob Kellar and George Runner will be there to egg them on even more! And Gauny will be campaigning in front of these people.

Keep up the good work Signal. You know you’re doing you’re job as a journalist if you’re pissing someone off.

It’s time for the decent people of Santa Clarita -on either side of the illegal immigration debate- to close ranks and defend our town from these nutjobs.

Comments (33)

  1. lvogelFebruary 16, 2010 at 11:11 am
    I’m not a ‘fearful’ person by nature, but EXTREMISM in ANY FORM, scares me….yup, my fears may just come true with the ‘rally’ being planned in this city. And many of these people (most) call our president and SOCIALIST!?!
  2. IHeartSCVFebruary 16, 2010 at 11:42 am
    Fire Randles for over-using quotations and uncritically regurgitating what people say to him, yesh. Fire Randles for an illegal immigration story, no. The Signal has run other uninteresting pieces along the lines of “A Day in the Life of a Santa Claritan Whose Life is a Little Different Than Yours” before this most recent one, so firing would be unfair.
  3. BrianFebruary 16, 2010 at 11:47 am
    Let’s see, illegals or people who espouse unamerican activities. I’ll take the illegals! Do you suppose the teabaggers want this to get violent?
  4. lvogelFebruary 16, 2010 at 11:55 am
    Brian, You Betcha!!! What is their saying….”Lock and Loaded”?
  5. John AdamsFebruary 16, 2010 at 12:09 pm
    LOL Those dirty talking mean people!! EXTREMISTS!! http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4271328&mesg_id=4271539
  6. John AdamsFebruary 16, 2010 at 12:11 pm
    Those unamericans who “espouse unamerican activities”?? I need to find a 3rd-5th grade history book and research how this country was started.
  7. visionFebruary 16, 2010 at 12:41 pm
    WTF?! I defended Bob on the side of Free Speech and I will now defend The Signal on the side of Free Press. Wait, am I really defending The Signal?! I have not liked a writer there since Brian Charles left. The old ones are completely useless (and gross) and the new ones get a few good stories out before they get an offer from a real newspaper. But, fire this guy for writing an article? Please, rednecks…
  8. BrianFebruary 16, 2010 at 12:49 pm
    I propose an armed counter-demonstration to show that we will not surrender our valley to out of town troublemakers. For some reason they think progressives don’t own firearms or know how to use them! I guess the police should be on notice about this!
  9. BrianFebruary 16, 2010 at 1:01 pm
    BTW, thanks Kellar. See what you’ve done to our quiet city? Now resign from the council! You’re not making us any safer by bringing in the fringe elements who should be on the domestic terror list!
  10. Petz2February 16, 2010 at 1:15 pm
    Petz will be go on the record and say that it is appropriate for The Signal to interview an illegal immigrant. Can someone point me to the Spanish version of the City’s web site ?
  11. CCFebruary 16, 2010 at 1:22 pm
    Why would they fire the guy that is increasing their circulation?
  12. mike cFebruary 16, 2010 at 1:23 pm
    Petz, on the city’s website there is a little icon that says espanol….
  13. CCFebruary 16, 2010 at 1:23 pm
    What’s the matter Petz, did you lose the capacity to read English?
  14. Petz2February 16, 2010 at 1:32 pm
    Petz is practicing his Spanish for a mission trip to Mexico. Day of the Children at the end of April. @CC How about joining Petz for a cup of tea at The Corner Bakery before the big event on the 27th ? Took Uncle Sam down to the cleaners.
  15. Petz2February 16, 2010 at 1:39 pm
    That is pretty sad…better to just remove it.
  16. mike cFebruary 16, 2010 at 1:53 pm
    Call me crazy, but if you don’t like the article, then don’t read it…don’t like the newspaper don’t buy it..don’t like the reporter don’t read his articles.
  17. cashFebruary 16, 2010 at 1:54 pm
    Bob Kellar is my hero! At his age he could have said screw it and let others deal with the illegal immigrant fallout. The state is broke, the county is broke and our city is hiding the facts. Keep smiling as you see your state and federal income taxes increase, sales tax and property taxes increase. The millions of illegals that receive billions of your hard earned dollars will be smiling with you. Peace be with you!
  18. mike cFebruary 16, 2010 at 1:55 pm
    Petz, If you don’t like the city’s website you can check out Walmarts, B of A or Wells Fargo, just to name a few….
  19. blazingmonkFebruary 16, 2010 at 2:26 pm
    Jeff you beat me too this… Note Ole’ Glory is actually Roger Gitlin. The guy who tries to put a positive spin on this upcoming circus of a rally he is putting on. He also claimed in a letter that he wouldn’t engage directly in “war of words” with me then proceeded to engage in a “war of words” with in his column he wrote this last Sunday. Leave it to “John Adams” [he wishes] to try to excuse one group of extremist with the action of other groups of extremist.
  20. Petz2February 16, 2010 at 2:33 pm
    @MikeC Petz believes that the english version is great and my assumption was that the Spanish version mirrored it. Did Bob Kellar vote to put the spanish site up?
  21. Vince HansFebruary 16, 2010 at 2:56 pm
    Ironic that Kellar isn’t fighting for “one flag, one language” on the City’s website. Cash – of course we often don’t agree, but it’s nice to “see” you again.
  22. navigatorFebruary 16, 2010 at 3:39 pm
    Kellar had nothing to do with inviting either group here. He just had the misfortune of showing up and the larger misfortune of accepting the invitation to speak.
  23. BrianFebruary 16, 2010 at 3:51 pm
    His silence is acceptance. He should call this off for the safety of the citizens of SC. Armed protesters doing their best to get under someones skin will eventually succeed, violently. This is Kellars fault for embracing the vigilante mindset. Ex-cop misses the action. Pals around with the Minutemen and the wingnut section of the TEA party. Talks big against people who must remain silent or else. Tough guy! Resign! He’s not doing this for me!
  24. Berta González-HarperFebruary 16, 2010 at 4:09 pm
    The topic of illegal immigration is long over due for discussion and action. If you are concerned about radicals being in control of the next rally, show up and be the voice of reason. Better still, call or write your elected representatives and demand they enforce the law. Once that happens there will be nothing to protest at least on this topic. As to the call for Jonathan Randles to be fired, he was doing his job reporting on the issue from both sides. Those calling for his ouster should remember that free speech applies to all and the duty of a journalist is to report the story. I am not in support of illegal aliens but I certainly support free speech and freedom of the press.
  25. mikecFebruary 16, 2010 at 4:26 pm
    @ Petz, no idea as to who authroized/made the decision for the city’s website to available in Espanol.
  26. CCFebruary 16, 2010 at 4:53 pm
    Petz, Thank you for offer. You’re right about that being so close to my home and we like to invite Saugus residents to enjoy our fruits. Unfortunately, I have plans in Santa Barbara that day so I will not be able to attend the rally or tea. I hope that it is a spectacle because it does my heart good to see so many people involved in our City.
  27. blazingmonkFebruary 16, 2010 at 6:18 pm
    “I am not in support of illegal aliens but I certainly support free speech and freedom of the press.” Speechless. Smells like Logic. Could it be?
  28. SCVFanFebruary 16, 2010 at 9:16 pm
    1000% bored with this blog lately. New topics PLEASE.
  29. Vince HansFebruary 17, 2010 at 2:03 am
    Looks like all your arguing is working! Illegal Immigrant Numbers Plunge http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/11/local/la-me-immig11-2010feb11 A new report that the nation’s illegal immigrant population has declined by nearly 1 million has sharpened the debate over whether to legalize those remaining or allow their numbers to shrink through attrition. The number of illegal immigrants living in the United States dropped to 10.8 million in 2009 from 11.6 million in 2008, marking the second consecutive year of decline and the sharpest decrease in at least three decades, according to a report this week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. California’s illegal immigrant population, still the largest in the nation, declined by 250,000 to 2.6 million. The state now accounts for just one-quarter of the nation’s total illegal migrant population, compared with 30% in 2000. “This represents a sharp break from the past, when pretty much the illegal population has continually grown,” said Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C., research group that favors immigration restrictions. “It shows illegal immigration is not inexorable.” Homeland Security department spokesman Matthew Chandler attributed the decline both to the weak economy and what he called the deployment of “unprecedented resources” in stopping illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border and throughout the country. Immigration control advocates pounced on the report as evidence that illegal immigration can be reduced by restricting job opportunities and that legalization is not necessary to solve the problem. Giving a pathway to citizenship to qualified illegal immigrants has long been the most controversial element in congressional proposals for comprehensive immigration reform. “Whether jobs dry up because the government is doing enforcement or because of the recession, illegal aliens react in a rational manner: They either will not come or they’ll go home,” said Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. “It certainly shows that illegal immigration is a controllable phenomenon.” Immigrant advocates, however, argue that millions of illegal migrants have been here for years, with settled lives they will not easily disrupt to return home. “Millions of people here are good citizens and workers who pay taxes and own homes,” said Father Richard Estrada of Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in Los Angeles, a self-declared sanctuary for illegal immigrants. “The reality is that they are not going back.” The report estimated the size of the illegal immigrant population by comparing the total foreign-born population in the United States to the legal resident population and subtracting the difference. The report cautioned that changes made to the census survey could have affected the results. Researchers believe the drop was caused by a combination of fewer illegal immigrants entering the country and more leaving. Mexican government census data, for instance, showed that 226,000 fewer people left that country in the year ending August 2008 than the previous year. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has stepped up removal of illegal immigrants, to 387,790 in fiscal 2009 from 291,060 in 2007. But Estrada said that undocumented immigrants still arrive daily at his church, seeking help. Last week, he said, a couple came with candles, a baby Jesus doll — and visibly swollen feet after walking days through the desert as they furtively crossed the southern border of the U.S. The woman asked for a priestly blessing after she tearfully described leaving her children behind in Mexico to find work here, Estrada said. “She knew about the recession here, but there are no jobs over there, so they thought they would try here,” Estrada said. “There are a lot of false hopes out there.” The Chinese illegal immigrant population showed the steepest decline, plummeting by nearly half to 120,000 in 2009 from 220,000 the previous year, the report showed. Mexicans, who account for 62% of the undocumented population, declined by 380,000 to 6.65 million. Illegal immigrants from South Korea, the Philippines and El Salvador declined while those from Guatemala, Honduras and India increased. Among states, illegal immigrants increased in Georgia but declined in other major areas. Several states experienced a double-digit decline, led by Arizona’s 17.8%, followed by Florida, New York and New Jersey.
  30. christinaFebruary 17, 2010 at 2:40 pm
    Jonathan Randles writes more stories in greater depth than anyone I’ve seen at the Signal in a very long time. I say keep up the good work and don’t let angry, racist old people get the best of you because you refuse to pander to their beliefs.
  31. Petz2February 18, 2010 at 5:35 am
    To pull my friend Roger Gitlin into this matter is beyond the pale. Guilt be association is not the American way. Please show me where Roger called for the firing of The Signal reporter.
  32. Petz2February 18, 2010 at 5:39 am
    At least they had the courtesy to put the Signal’s phone # in large print for us seniors who have a difficult time reading the computer screen.
  33. SOS'erFebruary 18, 2010 at 8:52 am
    Ole Glory is Mr. Gitlin. Ask him yourself.

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