March 24, 2017 A new battle is brewing in Salinas that cuts to the very core of what it means to be an American. The City Council - led by neophyte councilman Tony Villegas and two-term councilman Steve McShane - is pushing an ordinance to allow Salinas residents, who are not U.S. citizens, to serve on city commissions and boards. If passed, non-citizens, non-voters, could have significant control over millions of voter-approved Measure-E and Measure-G dollars. Would this open the door to somehow requiring that they be allowed to run for City Council, too? Maybe residency shouldn’t matter either; if it doesn’t matter if you’re a U.S. citizen, why require a board member to even live in Salinas? This ordinance was on the agenda for this past Tuesday’s council meeting. Fortunately, it was pulled, but we’re told that after some tinkering with the wording, it’s certain to be back. It shouldn’t be. It diminishes the value of U.S. citizenship. And we can’t help but note the irony that Villegas - the person pushing hardest for this ordinance – is a councilman currently under investigation for not having been a resident of the district he serves, back when he was elected.

March 24, 2017


A new battle is brewing in Salinas that cuts to the very core of what it means to be an American.

The City Council - led by neophyte councilman Tony Villegas and two-term councilman Steve McShane - is pushing an ordinance to allow Salinas residents, who are not U.S. citizens, to serve on city commissions and boards.

If passed, non-citizens, non-voters, could have significant control over millions of voter-approved Measure-E and Measure-G dollars. Would this open the door to somehow requiring that they be allowed to run for City Council, too?

Maybe residency shouldn’t matter either; if it doesn’t matter if you’re a U.S. citizen, why require a board member to even live in Salinas?

This ordinance was on the agenda for this past Tuesday’s council meeting.

Fortunately, it was pulled, but we’re told that after some tinkering with the wording, it’s certain to be back.

It shouldn’t be. It diminishes the value of U.S. citizenship. And we can’t help but note the irony that Villegas - the person pushing hardest for this ordinance – is a councilman currently under investigation for not having been a resident of the district he serves, back when he was elected.