THE ENTIRE AREA BEGINS TO DETERIORATE!

FACE TO FACE WITH THE ILLEGAL ALIEN PROBLEM

06*13*08
Diane Reaves,
Lakewood, NJ

In 1998 is when my family and I first moved to Lakewood, Ocean County, New Jersey. We lived in a two family, second story apartment on 5th Street. At this time, we were pretty ignorant about the entire illegal alien problem. But the area we moved into, seemed to have almost every other house occupied with, what appeared to be, huge families living in single family homes. Most of them were from Mexico.

We lived there for nearly three years. And in that small amount of time, we began to see other families move out rapidly. We didn't understand what was going on yet. The newly sold homes were then being filled, and are still filled to this day, with huge numbers of Mexicans.

It started out with the loud, thumping music being played at all hours of the day and night. Every single weekend, every single holiday. There was no rest from it. You can imagine how this would begin to wear on your nerves hearing it continually. So we started going across the street, going a few houses down the road, and asking kindly if they could just lower the music some. If they could just turn it off after a certain hour in order for the kids and yourself to get some semblance of sleep for school and work. To kindly refrain from it during a holiday when you knew you would be having guests over. But that, apparently, was not allowed.

It begins to escalate and shouting matches become common. Then the threats begin. One very early morning after dealing with just about as much as you can stand; you march out and practically beg for some peace and quiet. What happens? Your jumped by nearly a half a dozen drunk illegals. They proceed to beat you with pool sticks and pull a knife out on you. But your not going down without a fight! So you fight with all you have breaking one of their noses, not once, but twice! It looks like its about to fall off of his face, yet he still keeps coming back for more. They were doing this to my husband. I can't just stand there, so I try to help him by ripping off some of those who are all over him beating him. I get seriously injured in the process. My finger nails are torn out of my fingers, blood everywhere. My rotator cups on my shoulders are ripped out as well.

Finally, the police arrive. They sort everything out, and of course, my husband is not charged, he was attacked and it was considered self defense. After several visits to a special doctor, I'm told I may need surgery to correct the damage to my rotator cups. I refuse because I know it may also work against me. It literally took close to three years before I could even raise my arms again!! I begin having heart problems, and have to be rushed, during another time, by ambulance to the emergency room, thinking I'm having a full blown heart attack. I suffer now from extreme panic attacks.

Obviously, we move as quick as we can. We find another place closer to the park in Lakewood. Another two family, the area is cleaner and there are more families with children there. We become very close to our new neighbors. Our children grow up with them. Then it starts all over again. Suddenly, the entire block is being sold up. Our neighbors are selling their homes and moving out of Lakewood completely. And the homes are being bought up by the same buyers. More block busting taking place. Its happening all over Lakewood.

The absentee landlords fill the houses to the brim with huge numbers of illegals. The entire area begins to deteriorate. Gang markings start appearing on the wooden fences surrounding some of the homes. We sit on our front porch and watch as the strange faces who now occupy the many homes, climb into their vehicles drunk. Barely able to walk straight, yet climb behind the wheel and drive off. We have witnessed countless accidents on the end of our street. Its just a matter of time before a child gets killed her. Bikers have been killed here, so have pedestrians. No surprise.

One home on the right side of our home has been filled several times over with many different occupants in the last four years. Filled with males workers, who have had prostitutes over many times over. Engaging in lewd acts right in front of the house, in full view of our children. We've found drug needles thrown all over our back yard. Yes, we called the police and turned them in. What can they do? We've had to witness some of the males come outside and go to the bathroom, again, in full view of our children, right in the back yard. And I'm not talking about taking a leak either. I'm talking about defecating in their back yard!

And when they had their heat shut off, couldn't fill the oil tank. They decided to tap into the natural gas line. The odor of gas was so strong, that by the time the Inspectors, Police and Fire Marshal arrived, we were told the entire block would have blown in less than two days, tops! They also were using several propane heaters throughout the small residence. Another violation.

On the other side, the left side, they were operating an illegal day care center out of a residential home zoned for six occupants only. They had over 25 children and 18 adults there. The trash was extreme - they also used the back yard, which used to be covered in grass and a swing set for children, as a brand new dumping ground! Hazardous materials, old broken down vehicles, piles and piles of bikes and parts of bikes. Tires, oxygen tanks, you name it, it was out there. There were so many diapers at the end of a week's time, they would put their over flow of trash into other folks garbage containers. Some of our neighbors had to call in a complaint to the police department because of it.

While operating as an illegal day care center, the home had NO certificate of occupancy; they had NO working heating system; they had black mold covering walls throughout the place; they had disgusting, infested carpeting that the babies were all over; and they had men living in the basement area, sharing beds with young children.

How does this kind of exposure "harm" me? It robs me of my quality of life that everyone is entitled to. It robs me of some semblance of normalcy when it comes to trying to enjoy nights for sleeping, holidays for entertaining, or being able to sleep peacefully when I or my children are sick. We are forced to live according to what they wish to dish out. If they want to blast their horrific music, so loud that fans and a/c's turned up on full blast, does nothing to alleviate the shaking of the windows from the vibration of music. Ear plugs do nothing. I can't tell you how many times I've called the police department for disturbing the peace complaints. And bless them, they always come when I call.

I've gone over, out of sheer anger and mind loss, and personally taken my camera out, in full view of the illegals. And began taking their pictures. Nothing upsets folks more than that, IF you are here illegally. Nothing upsets them more if you stand in front of their vehicles, and start taking pictures of the plates. They all have out of state plates for years on end, and nobody does anything about it. Let YOU or I try to pull that and see how fast you would be forced to change your plates and license over to Jersey!

The police are called when they start seeing me take photos. They get angry and start yelling I can't take their pictures. I tell them the law states I can if I'm on a public street and they are in full view. When the police arrive, they don't harass me. They know what I'm dealing with. They always ask to see some identification from the illegals, funny, how they never seem to ever have any...So the police warn them about turning down the music and then after the drunk illegals try to fight with the police verbally, stating they can't do anything to them. It just ticks off the officers who proceed to have the vehicles towed in the street because they have no proper insurance, registration or tags on them.

The real estate values have dropped tremendously. Once the illegals move in, the rest of the block is destroyed. Who wants to purchase any home with that living on both sides of you? Why do I stay? I'm asked that over and over again. Because I have been here for nearly a decade now. I was here first! And I'm a legal American, law abiding, tax paying citizen in good standing - and I REFUSE to give up because they want everyone out so that they can take over the entire block - what do you think these absentee landlords do after a few years of this? They knock down the homes that have now been completely destroyed by the illegals and rebuild - who do you think moves into the brand new mega houses? That's right - the "special interest" group that has the largest voting block here in Lakewood. The "special interest" group that will soon have complete control over the entire township committee. Who do you think has taken over our own school board here, even though NONE of their own children attend public school? That's right, the "special interest" group. They have destroyed the budget, and our public schools are a disaster! Reason number 58 why I have personally been home schooling our three children.

The gangs are coming in more and more, not only in town, but also in the schools. The huge number of illegals, over 15,000 know that Lakewood is a sanctuary city. If you take a drive down our main street, called Clifton Avenue, you will see hundreds of illegals standing out on Clifton Avenue looking for day labor. On the weekends, a local man with a big blue bus, comes out and has cook outs and gives out tons of free clothes to the illegals. They have no reason to be afraid here; they have everything they need. They are able to work, without worrying about anyone enforcing Federal Laws, they are able to rent without anyone having to worry about those pesky Federal Laws again; and they enroll their children and have anchor babies here in Lakewood because they know they will have all their needs met. No problem. They don't worry about having legal paperwork to drive either. Why bother? Who in Lakewood is even going to bother asking them if they are here legally?

The laws mean nothing to these folks. And parts of our town look like third world countries. We have vendors operating out of shopping carts here; we have some who set up mini restaurants here; selling food without any kind of health license, or merchantile license. All in full view of the police department. Nothing gets done. We have homes that are not even kept up to code and allowed to house huge numbers of folks, why? Because the landlords all got together and sued Lakewood Code Inspectors for DOING THEIR JOB! Now, and you'll love this, if there is to be an inspection, THE LANDLORD has to be FORE warned before the inspectors arrive! If there is a complaint of over crowding; the landlord is FORE warned before hand! How insane is this system?

I wonder when a home will catch fire and dozens will die because there are no fire codes being enforced. Insanity at its best. Yet, we are the ones who are ignored. Nobody cares about what we have to endure here. I've tried till I'm blue in the face to get attention brought to this situation. I've been in the paper more times than I can count. I've stood out on Clifton Avenue protesting the day laborers; I've complained countless times to the inspectors office, they all know me down there personally now! I've attended and spoken out at all the township meetings; and I chair a committee called the Lakewood Rental Advisory Committee. Basically, a committee to try and appease me because I have been so vocal.

I have documentation, photos, reports, newspaper clippings, you name it, I have it to back up every allegation I have made here. But where does that get me? Not very far I'm afraid.

I hate living here now. I wish I could afford to move out. But I home school our three children, I work part time out of the house, and financially, we make a great deal of sacrifices to be able to continue home schooling. Its not easy. So I don't have many options. The rent we pay now is affordable to us. If we move, we would have to pay almost double based on what the rentals are getting today. Its too much for us to bear. So we remain, in hell.

Well, this is a pretty detailed letter. I hope its enough. Forgive me for being so pessimistic but I don't see anything coming of it. It never has before, and I've written countless letters to countless people and organizations. I have even organized two major Rallies here in Lakewood, with some pretty amazing key note speakers. Like Carmen Morales, and Mariann Davies. I just don't know what else I can possibly do to bring attention to our plight here...

I remain,
Diane Reaves Lakewood, NJ

Paul Streitz
amfirst@optonline.net