Hotel Tells Hispanic Workers to Change Their Names

Former Marine Larry Whitten, 63, after buying a run-down hotel in Taos, New Mexico, set up some new rules. The idea was to turn around the Paragon Inn (now renamed the Whitten Inn), as he had other distressed hotels he bought in recent years. Rule 1, requiring the Hispanic hotel workers to Anglicize their names, and forbidding them to speak Spanish in his presence, went over like you might expect in this liberal NM town: badly.

[lili5044]

What the new owner should do is call Homeland Security head Napolitano, and tell her to come get her little ILLEGAL ALIENS. Does anyone know when open season starts on the ILLEGALS? Is it deer then pheasant then ILLEGAL ALIEN? Just wondering.

[OneRyder]

lili5044 wrote:

What the new owner should do is call Homeland Security head Napolitano, and tell her to come get her little ILLEGAL ALIENS. Does anyone know when open season starts on the ILLEGALS? Is it deer then pheasant then ILLEGAL ALIEN? Just wondering.

Why would he do that, since he's hiring the illegal aliens?

Oh wait, I know why, because he knows he'll just get a slap on the wrist for being the incentive why our illegal alien issue is so huge.

If he doesn't want hispanic speaking people with hispanic sounding names then why hire hispance speaking people with hispanic sounding names?

Oh wait, I know the answer to that also. Cheap labor. He's making a nice profit.

Bottom line, he could fix the issue himself, by is hiring and pay processes.

[The laughing liberal]

Typical iria diarrhea story. Worthless.

[Kahoki]

Look, of course, who posted it. Iria. Do we even need to look further? Iria is so biased and only posts items from Snafu. Its quite pitiful actually.

Oops, I shouldn't bash Iria on her posting skills. I might be taken by the newly signed Hate Crimes Bill.

LOL, What a joke this is becoming. USA aka Police State.

[mayo420]

If the man has a problem with spanish names the arze hole shouldn't have hired them in the first place. Why do we need to seek opinions from rocket scientists here.
This "marine" should be boycotted anyway for not hiring Americans to begin with. Traitor.

[writewingproxyco ntin]

Whitten really ran into trouble when he stocked each bathroom with illegal liniments.

[OneRyder]

mayo420 wrote:

If the man has a problem with spanish names the arze hole shouldn't have hired them in the first place. Why do we need to seek opinions from rocket scientists here.
This "marine" should be boycotted anyway for not hiring Americans to begin with. Traitor.

Exactly....I think some who posted missed that point completely. They rather complain about the messenger then see the irony in this story.

Some "fine American just wants to maintain his culture" in their eyes. Yet the ratba$tard is trying to get cheap foreign labor to replace HIS requirement for Americans.

Cheap ratba$tard would rather see his profit increase than maintain his culture.

LOL. Might as well hire well trained German Shepards and demand they speak with an English accent, and change their name to American Bulldog....since it's cheaper for him.

[Hyrax]

Don't know why the terrorist group got involved. What he did was illegal and would have been taken care of by the city/states business agency.

[SmileOutLoud]

New names: Willy, Dolly, Billy, Chester, Minnie, Dick, Peter, George, Sally and Chuck...... ha ha ha ha ha ha

[mayo420]

OneRyder wrote:

<quoted text>
Exactly....I think some who posted missed that point completely. They rather complain about the messenger then see the irony in this story.
Some "fine American just wants to maintain his culture" in their eyes. Yet the ratba$tard is trying to get cheap foreign labor to replace HIS requirement for Americans.
Cheap ratba$tard would rather see his profit increase than maintain his culture.
LOL. Might as well hire well trained German Shepards and demand they speak with an English accent, and change their name to American Bulldog....since it's cheaper for him.

Well, I probably should refrain from judging his personal character. My dad was a Marine also, I don't feel any friction there. But as a businessman, he sucks. He started a business, hired people who had first names he accepted. He knows that in America we don't make such requests, if he needed that requirement he should have been savvy enough to plan ahead.

And if he wants them to speak a certain language in his presence? Elect an entire government that will cater to his needs specifically, problem solved. Or else, do like the rest of us, live with it or move the heck out.

[mister bill]

This would be easy; call the men George and all the women Laura.

[nobrainer]

He didnt hire these people,they worked for the previous owner.If you read the story in other newspapers youll find the manager on duty told employees that they had been through this before and just ride it out.I have nothing against mexicans or anyother person but they have to realize we are in a english speaking country.As for changing their names I have to say that was dumb.

[OneRyder]

mayo420 wrote:

<quoted text>
Well, I probably should refrain from judging his personal character. My dad was a Marine also, I don't feel any friction there. But as a businessman, he sucks. He started a business, hired people who had first names he accepted. He knows that in America we don't make such requests, if he needed that requirement he should have been savvy enough to plan ahead.
And if he wants them to speak a certain language in his presence? Elect an entire government that will cater to his needs specifically, problem solved. Or else, do like the rest of us, live with it or move the heck out.

Exactly. Its not like he was forced to hire the folks he hired.

[dos]

Perhaps, the guy should just shut down this place for a while, let the people go, then re-open with new employees.

It's the guys' money, his investment, his hardwork.

Everyone else is laborer and our employed by this guy.

[Nmae change]

That Kenyan obama fellow changed his name and it worked for him!

[Marichu]

He prohibited his Spanish-speaking employees from speaking Spanish because he was worried they might start talking about him in his presence. Does he think they will not talk about him outside of his presence? What a paranoid, insecure, emotionally fragile man. All he has to do is learn a few of the swear/curse words and phrases. If he hears an employee call him a derogatory term, he could counter with his knowledge of the term. Gives him a bit a leverage with his employees since they might not know how much Spanish he knows and understands.

[dos]

J-Shipley wrote:

The attitude of many Hispanics especially in that area is particularily disturbing. They feel they are entitled to do as they will regardless of American policies simply because Mexico once owned that parcel of land. Do we speak Native American up here in the Northeast because the Indians were the first to live here? No. So why would that apply to them?

The scariest secretary that Obama has is Hilda Solis.

[Keri]

Kahoki wrote:

LOL, What a joke this is becoming. USA aka Police State.

Love it or leave it.

As to the topic...changing names is ridiculous but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to hear English in your place of business unless it caters to the Hispanic community, say a Latin foods grocery store for example.

[mayo420]

OneRyder wrote:

<quoted text>
Exactly. Its not like he was forced to hire the folks he hired.

I see more sensationalist journalistic intent rather than pertinent issue here. This was a pill to swallow for a lot of folks, none of the employees were illegal. Darn.

[William Pena]

I know a little something about civil rights laws, but maybe just enough to be dangerous. I believe the dude was wrong to require employees to speak English. An employer can only require this if it is in the compelling interest of safety and security (for example, requiring a police officer or health professional to speak English). Maybe our Topix legal eagles can address the issue.