News

December 28, 2007

Voice of the People will rally at Alamo in Texas

By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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Voice of the People USA officials on Wednesday announced some of the group’s plans and strategies for the coming year.

Highlighting the group’s activities will be a July 4 rally at The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, Dan Smeriglio, the group’s founder, said Wednesday at a press conference in Freeland.

The group has been working with Texas-based anti-illegal immigration groups, and Smeriglio said they will follow the immigration reform rally at The Alamo with one in Houston, Texas, on July 5.

“We’re taking (an anti-illegal immigration message) to where the problem is of prime concern,” Smeriglio said.

The group, which Smeriglio organized earlier this year to support Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta and the city’s Illegal Immigration Relief Act, had a series of rallies in towns across the state including Hazleton, Nanticoke, Scranton and Harrisburg.

“And we’re not going to let up,” Smeriglio said.

Smeriglio said the group in February will have a fundraiser to help the city meet costs in defending the illegal immigration ordinance.

A federal judge in August ruled the law unconstitutional, and the city appealed the decision to the Third Circuit Court. The plaintiffs, represented by several civil rights groups, asked a judge to make the city pay their attorneys $2.4 million in legal fees, and the city’s insurance company asked the judge to rule it is not responsible for those fees.

Renee Butts, the Hazleton group’s executive secretary, said the group is also working with Sixth District Republicans to bring to Hazleton Brigitte Gabriel, an Iranian who was granted political asylum in the United States and wrote the best-seller “Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America.”

Gabriel warns of the growing threat Islamic radicals pose in America and other countries.

Butts said Gabriel charges a $10,000 fee for speaking engagements and asked that “concerned citizens, business leaders and religious organizations in the community” call her at 239-5342 if they would be willing to pledge financial support to bring Gabriel to the area.

Smeriglio said the group will continue working with crime watch groups and address issues such as the Luzerne County budget and debit card debacle.

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