What do you think of this? I think we should go to his store and BUY,BUY,BUY to help support his stance!?

day-labor feud
Nov. 7, 2007 12:00 AM

Mike Sensing sits in the office at the back of his family's furniture store and he wonders: Where's the mayor?

For the second year in a row, day-labor activists are targeting his store in the crucial weeks leading up to Christmas, branding him and his father as racists and vigilantes.

"This isn't about illegal immigration," Mike Sensing says. "We're trying to sell sofas." advertisement





Trying, being the operative word here.

M.D. Pruitt's has the feel of a bunker these days, as Sensing has lined the front of his parking lot with delivery trucks to shield his customers from the protesters who are gathering every Saturday in an effort to close him down.

The problem began two years ago, when day laborers were chased from a nearby Home Depot, prompting them to gather along Thomas Road between 32nd and 40th streets in Phoenix. Their presence disrupted businesses whose owners rightly turned to City Hall in search of a solution.

The city's suggestion: hire off-duty cops to keep laborers and those who hire them from violating city ordinances. So Sensing and 25 other business owners did just that, sparking last year's cries of vigilantism and protests.

At Sensing's request, the city stepped in to mediate late last year, leading to an agreement that ended the off-duty patrols and the protests.

Sensing says the patrols cut down on trash, public urination and customer intimidation but problems escalated once they were gone. He returned to City Hall, only to be told that off-duty cops can no longer work for Pruitt's. So he sought out Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who a few weeks ago began making traffic stops and arresting people. This angered the day-laborers' spokesman, Salvador Reza, who has called for protests at Pruitt's every Saturday until Christmas.

Both sides accuse the other of breaking their promises. Sensing says Reza agreed to establish a day-labor center but never did. Reza didn't return calls for comment. He has said that Sensing reneged on his promise to drop the patrols.

Notably absent: the leader of this city. Mayor Phil Gordon is currently reprising the role of Sgt. Schultz in Hogan's Heroes. ("I know NOTHING!")

"I didn't have the meeting, I wasn't part of that," Gordon told me. "They worked through their process. They (the Sensings) even issued a press release thanking me for their meeting, and on their own they decided to do what they did, and I wasn't part of it so I can't even tell you what the agreement or no agreements were."

Bill Scheel, Gordon's senior deputy chief of staff who attended last year's meeting, says the deal required only that Reza attempt to establish a work center, something he has been unable to do.

Gordon, meanwhile, bristles at the suggestion that he should show some actual leadership and step into the fray, pointing out that the law bars cities from funding or running work centers.

"We have stepped up enforcement over the year with dedicated officers on the streets," he said. "That is what Phoenix has been doing, arresting anyone that committed any crimes. With respect to the decision by the operators of Pruitt's and by the day-laborer representatives, that's been their decision as to what to do. We are going after the criminals."

While Gordon is going after criminals, Sensing wonders who is looking out for businesses. And why city leaders - who suggested the off-duty patrols in the first place - won't get involved.

"We've been here for a long time," he says. "We pay our taxes. We employ quite a few people."

For now, that is. Sales were down 40 percent Saturday, he says, and with the arrest of an ACLU official, things are likely to heat up even more. If it keeps up, layoffs will be inevitable.

Among his 115 employees, more than half are Hispanic.

We need to SUPPORT this guy, and other businesses like his!! Anyone need new furniture for Christmas??? Keep him in mind!

I can't understand why the police or ICE is not at this store deporting the people that are protesting and don't belong here. Weird.

I support pruitt and arpaio's efforts to obey the LAW. these "protesters" are showing their true, anti-american colors and more and more of Phoenix is starting to wake up. I dont understand why they have to give an incentive to get arrested as they are already commiting a crime by being here, but at least arpaio is doing SOMETHING. I would much rather my taxes go to that than to more welfare for people that dont put in but are more than happy to take,take, take.

If I did or knew someone who did, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

If his employees protect their jobs, and meet these protesters head on, that would stand for something. Seems like they don't take their jobs seriously. My guess is when the layoffs happen, they will join the protesters. Good for Arpaio! He seems like the only one taking this seriously and standing up for someone's business.

If you don't want people loitering on your property, scaring off customers (I know it isn't the first place I would choose to shop) and urinating on the premises, they do this?

Isn't that intimidation and harassment?

Mayor hell. Where are the police?

Hope u find somebody to help ^_^

This is totally ridiculous. All that needs to be done is to send ICE in to start making arrests.
Who cares waht the illegal immigrants rights groups have to say and why do we bother to print it? Illegal aliens do not have a right here. There mere presence is against the law. If a group of teenagers were to gather on the street the cops would be all over them for "loitering" creating a public "nusiance" and a host of other laws yet they allow these illegal criminals to harrass legal citizens and urinate in the street.
Send ICE in and let the deportations begin.

We as citizens are entitled to EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW!!! 14th Amendment

now that kind of bu!!sh!t is what everyone is p!ssed off about. why should this man loose business because these people want to stand on the street corner for day labor.

why in the he!! havent the police done anything about these people loitering??? disturbing the peace????? this city's mayor is a fool that should be taken out of office. where was the ACLU when this business owners business is being killed because of illegal business practices by the people hiring these people????

why hasn't there been protests to home depot???? they were the ones that kicked them off their property first??????

makes me sick!!!!!!

Hello? We don't give a rats adze. Shove off, sailor.

NO 1 cares.

You win the prize for longest question asked. Jeeeez!