There must be a balance between:
Hal established this site to expose dishonest and corrupt polititians and bureaucrats.
Hal's experience as a Van Nuys block captain and community activist, has a style that rubs some people the wrong way. Politicians get very frustrated with him when he talks straight and stands behind his opinions. (Politicians don't like to take a strong stand, because they might need to change their position to save their skin). When some politicians and angry people couldn't find a legitimate argument against his views, instead of being honest they play dirty. They've often tried to paint him as a racist, a crackpot, and worse. Judge for yourself.
HAL'S BACKGROUND AND PRINCIPLES
Hal spent most of his youth in East Los Angeles. He is a Korean War Veteran and is an Electrical
Engineer by education.
As a Block Captain and Anti-Crime activist, Hal worked closely with the Van Nuys LAPD. Until he focused his activism and this website, he was active in the PTA, and was a public school volunteer. For the year 1999, Hal received the two awards, "Volunteer of the year" in 1999, and Volunteer award in 2003 for "Support of Headstart," from the Latin American Civic Association's Van Nuys Head Start Preschool.
Hal's principles are strong, traditional, and decent. He understands that there is always a balance in nature, and that the political/social/business climate in Los Angeles has fallen way out of balance. Hal wants to return our communities back into balance...a balance that welcomes and includes all colors, religions, and cultures... but a lifestyle still based on the values, culture, and principles of America.
The Police don't enforce many of the laws, the City bureaucracy has forgotten about fairness or what the citizens want, and many cultural groups are promoting their own agendas at the expense of the community overall. Many groups and individuals are taking advantage of our American generosity, short-changing the people whose hard work and honesty made it possible. Many Angelenos have been paying taxes, following the laws, and being honest for all their lives. The City government and many political special interest groups have allowed these good people's sincerity to be trampled on. That unfairness is against Hal's principles and he aims to fix it.
Hal's principles are that fairness and opportunity make America great, but that America and existing American citizens' interests must come first over the rest of the world. We paid the taxes, we went to war for our country, we designed and paid and built this great city. We deserve to enjoy it most.
Yes, I believe an American military veteran (of any color) who went to fight for our country should get preferential treatment over a non-citizen who pays no taxes and refuses to follow our laws.
Yes, I believe that Americans born here and who have lived here and paid taxes here deserve better than to be pushed out of business because an illegal, non-taxable business opened up next door.
Yes, I am against people who come here and turn our city into someplace that looks like a third world ghetto. America and we Americans living in Los Angeles have worked very hard and paid the price for the city to be clean and beautiful.
Because of our traditional American principles, laws, and values, America is the greatest country in the world. If someone doesn't want to accept our value system, our laws, and our standards of decency, then they have many other countries to choose from. Diversity is fine but it doesn't mean that the greatest country in the world has to let itself erode and crumble.
Allowing all groups of people to prosper and enjoy Los Angeles.
Fairness to those who have made the Los Angeles (and America) great, and
Not allowing Los Angeles to become a second-class city.
When that balance has gone haywire like it has in the last 20 years, it is time to put Los Angeles back on track.
Those are some of Hal's principles.
IS HAL A RACIST?
You be the judge. Hal is Jewish, is married to a Latina who illegally immigrated from Mexico in 1989 (now a proud U.S. Citizen), and Hal and his wife have three adopted daughters whose combined ancestry is Mexican, Honduran, and Filipino. An older daughter of Hal's is married to a Black-American, and Hal's brother's wife immigrated from El Salvador
IS HAL A XENOPHOBE?
Hal is the son of immigrants. His first language was not English. Counting his parents' Yiddish and his conversational Spanish, I guess Hal is tri-lingual. But his parents, his family, and he respected America enough to learn how to speak English. Hal respects other cultures and languages, but he strongly believes that if you wish to live and prosper in America you must show the respect and courtesy to learn English -- NOT forget any other language -- but to be able to communicate in the language of America. That doesn't make Hal a racist, it makes him a respectful, proud American. Hal believes that reasonably controlled, traditional, legal immigration is good for America. But the massive illegal immigration that has exploded out of control is not good for anyone and has to be brought back into reality.
www.WatchdogAmerica.com
Van Nuys, CA
About HAL NETKIN: his PHILOSOPHY
Hal is a no-nonsense Grass Roots Citizen who calls it like it is.
Hal is not a three-piece suit politician with a snow job. He is a community activist who tells the truth.
Hal has experienced the frustration of talking to a deaf L.A. City Council. He knows what it's like.
