The previous post "PBS's Hypocrisy Revealed: PBS station opposes day-laborer center" discussed WETA's reaction to a day-laborer center that was located near their headquarters in Shirlington in Arlington County, Virginia.

There have been several reports on this center and on WETA's reaction to it. See also "Heights of hypocrisy" and this bit of socialist indoctrination as part of a class from George Mason University.

The center is partially paid for by taxpayers, and partially by unnamed foundations. Whether the Rockefeller Foundation is one of those benefactors is unknown. From August 2003:

WETA chief executive officer Sharon Percy Rockefeller attended Tuesday night's board meeting, and was deeply critical of the final decision.

"It would absolutely complicate our lives," said Rockefeller, who noted that the new facility is to be located adjacent to WETA's broadcast center.

Rockefeller predicted that a "pretty hostile environment" would quickly develop between her employees, who now walk between the various facilities, and the day laborers. "I don't want the incidents to happen," she said.

Rockefeller also complained that the location of a day-laborer camp would complicate security around the studios of the "NewsHour," public broadcasting's signature daily news program. High-profile guests begin arriving at the studios shortly after noon each day, Rockefeller said, and would likely be met by the day laborers who did not find work that day.

"She's part of the liberal establishment that created the mess, now she wants to protect elite liberals from it," [Republican-leaning activist Robert Molleur] said. "Liberal hipocrisy at its best..."

The latest report about the center contains more about what happens when "liberals" get "liberalism" fed back to them:

..."I almost hit somebody again yesterday," [Jeff Rathner, a cameraman for WETA but who was only speaking for himself] said. "You have to slow down to turn onto that street, and they'll sprint after any car that comes by."

..."The very first day it was opened, some guy who was obviously drunk ran out in front of my car," Rathner said. "When I stopped, he blurted something at me in Spanish."

..."Trash is left all over the place," he said. "It has become a haven for scavenger birds and the most ungodly amount of bird poop that you'll see all over your car if you happen to park near there. It also brings rats."

..."People from our building will be walking by the job site, and they'll verbally harassed in Spanish," he said. "Of course, some of us can understand it. We know what's being said."

..."Whenever anybody cries foul, they're told this they have some 'not in my backyard' attitude, but that's just not the case," Rathner said.

..."We're working hard here with SEEC to find a solution that is good for the community," said Pat Williamson, director of the station's administration, who declined further comment.

Build a few of those centers in the Capitol area of DC and see how fast the laws and the enforcement of them start changing.