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Fremont takes on illegal immigration

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By JEAN ORTIZ / The Associated Press

Friday, Jul 18, 2008 - 05:39:38 pm CDT

OMAHA — A Nebraska city is the latest community to try its hand at regulating illegal immigration — a job traditionally reserved for federal officials.

A proposed ordinance introduced by the Fremont City Council earlier this month and set for decision in late August would force prospective renters to prove they’re not illegal immigrants before becoming tenants in the city. A city councilman also has asked to make the measure prohibit hiring illegal immigrants.

Supporters say the law is needed to enforce federal rules they believe are falling by the wayside in the city of 25,000. Opponents of the measure say it could divide the community and prompt expensive legal challenges.

Fremont is one of a handful of Nebraska cities that have undergone marked demographic change, primarily because of the mostly Hispanic work forces at meatpacking plants.

The proposed ordinance is the first of its kind for a city in Nebraska, said Norm Pflanz, an attorney with Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest.

Nebraska Appleseed, the Nebraska Mexican-American Commission, union and religious leaders are among those opposing the plan.

Pflanz has several concerns, including the potential threat to public safety.

Based on similar efforts elsewhere in the country, he’s concerned as well about exposing the city to tens of thousands or even millions of dollars in possible legal fees.

“The cost to defend these ordinances is staggering,’’ he said.

Officials in Hazleton, Pa., Escondido, Calif., Farmers Branch, Texas, Valley Park, Mo., and Riverside, N.J. are among those who’ve voted on similar measures.

The ordinances were eventually repealed in Riverside and Escondido while federal judges struck down decisions in Hazleton and Farmers Branch, saying that only the federal government can regulate immigration.

In February, a federal judge upheld the Valley Park ordinance. That law was crafted to penalize businesses that hire illegal immigrants. The suburban St. Louis city had rescinded an earlier version of the law that sought to fine landlords who rented to illegal immigrants.

An effort by Nebraska lawmakers earlier this year also failed. That bill would have required state and local agencies to verify that residents applying for state benefits are in the United States legally. It also would have prohibited illegal immigrants from state or local retirement, welfare, unemployment, public housing and other benefits.

The Fremont factions are gearing up for the City Council’s July 29 meeting when the ordinance is up for discussion. A council vote is set for Aug. 26.

The first meeting, held July 8, drew strong opinions mostly from people supporting the measure. Some of the comments defamed immigrants, said Angel Freytez, who said he reviewed a tape of the meeting but did not personally attend.

Freytez said many of the comments singled out Mexicans and focused on national statistics, rather than what was going on in Fremont.

“It was just a lack of understanding the issues,’’ he said.

About 100 people gathered at a Fremont church Thursday night, most in opposition to the proposed ban.

The meeting was designed to distribute information, including the possible implications of such a ban, said Pflanz.

Opponents of the bans don’t condone illegal activity, but they fear the ordinance would lead to racial profiling, said Dan Hoppes, president of the local United Food and Commercial Workers Union, who also attended.

The measure isn’t designed to target a specific race or ethnicity, but rather it is about prohibiting illegal activity, said Wanda Kotas, a Fremont resident who supports the proposed ban.

Hoping to show city leaders just how many residents support the plan, Kotas is circulating a petition that she hopes to deliver by the July 29 council meeting.

Kotas manages the Fremont Veterans Club and said she organized the effort in honor of the people who served their country to give legal residents the rights they now enjoy.

Kotas, a grandmother, said she also worries about the potential for illegal immigrants to spread disease.

Anyone willing to turn a blind eye to this illegal activity is spitting in the face of veterans, said Marv Eden, a resident and World War II veteran. He added he doesn’t understand how someone can use privileges that haven’t been earned.

Eden has nothing against immigrants. His parents came from Germany after all, he said.

The allegation or insinuation that this is a racial issue hurts him, he said. It’s about illegal activity, plain and simple.

“I don’t know how they can even put together the thought that it’s discrimination,’’ he said.


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David wrote on July 18, 2008 3:35 pm:
" Great to see the people of Fremont standing up to fear and hatred. I was at the July 8 city council meeting and the meeting last night. It was amazing to see the hatred and fear expressed at the city council by the backers of this ordinance and compare it to the sense of community and hope that was present at the Methodist church last night. Also, I think it's sick that Ms. Kotas is using veterans as a excuse to back this racist, unconstitutional and idiotic ordinance. Our veterans did not die to further racism but to end it. Don't believe that this about "legal" vs. "illegal"; it's about fears of being overrun by brown people. Demand that the federal govt pass comprehensive immigration reform, but don't back this unconstitutional ordinance. "

 Paul wrote on July 18, 2008 6:08 pm:
" It's about time! This not only makes sure people are legal residents but also makes sure that background checks are done on everyone seeking residency in their town. Thus, it will be easier to catch those who have warrants for their arrest and other legal issues and keep them from residing in the city of Fremont. I think Lincoln should do the same. "

 Scott wrote on July 18, 2008 6:08 pm:
" So, I was born in the US and am a former Fremonter. How exactly do I "prove" that I'm not an illegal alien? Am I supposed to carry around my birth certificate everywhere? This is the stupidest ordinance I've ever heard of. Shame on the Fremont city council for considering such a ridiculous piece of legislation. "

 Late ODay wrote on July 18, 2008 6:09 pm:
" People in Lincoln will find it difficult to believe that a City Council more incompetent and self-serving than our own actually exists. Indeed, about the only positive thing I can laud our own Council with is the notion that (unlike Fremont -- my home town) our Council hasn't yet thought to exploit local paranoia and to scapegoat Hispanics in order to hide their own shortcomings. At least not yet. "

 David wrote on July 18, 2008 6:20 pm:
" It has nothing to do with the color of their skin. There is a legal way of entering our country and an illegal way. Are we to turn our backs to the law? Please consider the taxes hardworking Americans pay to support people who have grown to expect it. Face it! They're getting a free ride. I applaud the City of Fremont. This country wouldn't be in the shape that it's in now if it weren't for all the illegals depleting the system without paying in. All communities should follow Fremont's fine example. "

 Illegal is Illegal wrote on July 18, 2008 6:34 pm:
" 100 people had a tantrum, so what, it's only 0.4% of Fremont! The other 24,900 residents apparently don't love lawbreakers like the smaller group does. "

 Anya wrote on July 18, 2008 7:06 pm:
" Wow. I'm almost speechless. Almost. So, Mrs. Kotas is worried about foreign nationals spreading disease? What does she think they are...rats?

I'd like to know who is going to work at the processsing plant if all the "illegals" are gone. Anglos? I doubt it, or else there wouldn't be job openings! The same thing happened in Norfolk. They opened a processing plant to "give jobs" to the locals. Ha! They couldn't get enough locals. They had to hire foreign nationals who can't afford to turn down dangerous, disgusting jobs. "

 How wrote on July 18, 2008 8:28 pm:
" how are they deciding whom to check...will only dark skin people be checked? Are whites atnomatically not suspicious? Illegal come in all colors..get out that birth certificate now.... "

 Galen wrote on July 18, 2008 8:57 pm:
" It's about time! It's only a race issue if we allow the people against the ordinance to turn it into one. These people - where ever they are from - are here ILLEGALLY. Plain and simple. Uphold the laws that are already on the books. "

 whatever wrote on July 18, 2008 9:20 pm:
" This isn't a racist action, this is what happens when law and order breaks down and citizens are forced to take the law into their own hands. I'd say deal with the problem in manners like this, if you don't real resentment and real problems will manifest themselves. Lincoln your turn is coming in a big and profound ways. "

 truth abounds wrote on July 18, 2008 9:30 pm:
" How do landlords feel about this?Seems like many have a risk of losing good tenants and good AMerican $$.I know partiotism only strectches so far when money is at stake. "

 Josh wrote on July 18, 2008 9:33 pm:
" This is a direct result of brain drain - anybody with an IQ above their age left town, those that are left have fights like this one... "diseases" ?! Are you kidding me? I would be far, far more concerned about getting a disease from the local girls home from UNL to do laundry than the guys breaking their back for the ability to send a few bucks back home.

Personally - I'd really love to see if this could even be enforced in an unbiased manner. Who are you going to require ID from? Joe Bob that grew up down the street? Naa - he's a good ole' boy. Juan that nobody knows? Yeap... he must be illegal - matter of fact, he's probably a terrorist also, somebody call the CIA - I'll call ICE.

I've got the perfect solution for all the white guys (and I'm one of them) and disease fearing granny's - stop and think about why there came to Fremont. It wasn't for the beautiful rolling hills and cheap rent, I'll promise you that. It was pretty likely they came up for the jobs that the locals wouldn't do. Stop and think about the last $.99 double cheese burger you had at McDonald's - that burger ain't that cheap b/c we're paying packing workers a living wage. You can't have it both ways. Think about it - it's very, very basic economics... if you don't agree - see paragraph one (that's at the beginning for those worrying about disease). "

 Mark wrote on July 18, 2008 9:57 pm:
" Free ride, my back end. These "illegals" buy food, clothes, gas, cars, and everything else that "legals" do. They do the nasty jobs that lazy, white Americans refuse to do so quit complaining while you're eating your lettuce salad with tomatoes, celery, and peppers picked by people not afraid to do HARD work and don't forget about that thick, fat steak you just put on the grill. We have become a country of xenophobes and are so worried about other people getting a little bit of "ours" that we have become a country of whiners and paranoids. "

 Brooke wrote on July 18, 2008 10:00 pm:
" Spread disease? Are you kidding me? I believe it's very important to enter the US legally, but this whole idea stems from ignorance. The Veteran Card got pulled, come on. It's people like Ms. Kotas that make me ASHAMED to be from a small town. Next time you say this isn't a racial issue, come up with some solid facts and not stupidity. "

 blazer wrote on July 19, 2008 5:21 am:
" Good for Fremont, Financial institutions have to do it in order to open an account. Why shouldn't we require proof of legal residence to rent or buy a place to live. I have no problems with the people that have come here to better their lives as long as the did it the right way. If they didn't, their very first act in this country was to break our laws.

This should not just be after the illegals, we should go after the people that hire them and bring them in here as well. The business owner is just as guilty if not then as the person that went around our laws to get here. "

 Hjalmer wrote on July 19, 2008 6:25 am:
" Prejudiced and hateful in addition to unConstitutional is what you can say about this. It's also the latest expression of lost faith in the national government. If Fremonters want to restore faith in the performance of their national government, quit voting for the same Republicans you always send to Congress and the legislature. The immigration policy currently in place is the one the U.S. Chamber of Commerce likes. It provides a plentifuly supply of workers that work cheap and are afraid to complain. The fear now is that the next generation of Latinos are legal (children of the first wave) since they were born here, and now they're organizing to VOTE. Fremonters have a right to be angry, but they're pointing their anger in the wrong direction. "

 Dale Gribble wrote on July 19, 2008 6:46 am:
" change that first sentence: A Nebraska city is the latest community to try its hand at regulating illegal immigration — a job that Federal officials traditionally have ignored. "

 kate wrote on July 19, 2008 7:03 am:
" One of the diseases that can be spread is Tuberculosis. A disease that is spread by coughing, not curable. School kids at big risk. "

 shouldnt have to to this wrote on July 19, 2008 7:48 am:
" If the laws were being followed, it wouldn't have come to this - but now, something has to be done... As for 'who will work in the packing plants?' --- Well, let's restructure the welfare/disabilty system and get some (not all) of those 'lazy' people off welfare/disablity -- now is that profiling? Probably - that would be profiling the lazy - not a specific race because lazy comes in all colors -- welfare breeds welfare and I see a lot of people who 'choose' not to work and try to get on welfare or a 'lame disabilty' claim and live off the State - those are the people that can work those undesirable jobs and if they still need State assistance, they so be it. These welfare and disablity cases should be reviewed every 6 months to see if these people actually need to receive assistance and time limits placed on their cases. I've seen 'disabled' young/middled aged men spending their days driving around all day, doing nothing but but drinking or doing side jobs but they are getting disabilty -- because 'they can' -- they can 'work the system' -- just like they system gets worked for illegals - it gets worked for welfare and disablity so the whole thing needs to be torn apart and rebuilt from the ground up!!!! "

 Beaner wrote on July 19, 2008 7:55 am:
" Go Fremont!!! It's time we as a nation stopped trying to be everything to everyone illegals included. Free this, free that, it's NOT free to the people who have to pay for the programs that illegals recieve.
The name "Beaner" is not a racial slur,,,I just love coffee. "

 Douglas Novak Crete wrote on July 19, 2008 9:40 am:
" I see that none of the posters today are willing to sign their name to their opinion. I fear not to state my opinion. I have great distain for any one who cheats at anythng and those who are here illegally are cheating and stealing from legal citizen taxpayers. Individually, the illegal immigrants who are my neighbors are really nice people, collectively they are a tremendous financial burden on our entire country. Thank You to the Council of the City of Fremont for standing up and presenting a proposed solution. The City and schoiol budget can only stand so much "free" to all who show up for services. Eventually, and without a doubt, services will be cut for every one. The City is trying to avoid that circumstance and I applaud their effort. Anything less would be a disservice to the voters who elected them. "

 Discrimination wrote on July 19, 2008 10:00 am:
" Here's what's going to happen: Landlords are going to be handed this law, requiring them to make sure they don't rent to illegals. Being practical people, they're going to check the people whom they think fit the description in the law. They're going to forget, or allow to pass, people who "seem to be" legal. The problem with that is it's against the discrimination laws here in this state and this country, and we're going to see a jump in discrimination convictions in Fremont.

Way to go, Fremont City Council. You're contemplating an ordinance that is going to cause your landlords no end of legal woes. There's a reason I moved out of that stinking town the day I turned 18. Fremont truly is the armpit of Nebraska. "

 Go Fremont wrote on July 19, 2008 10:24 am:
" Focus on the illegal fact, I guess if we pick and choose what laws to follow we would be much like a corrupt third world country. I understand people come here to work but they need to do so legally. If the avenues don't exist for that they need to make changes in Washington. What illegal workers do is drive down the wages for the rest of us. If they are doing work "no one else will do" perhaps big business should cut the CEO pay and benefits and raise the pay of the hourly workers. I could care less about the ordinance but do care about illegal workers. Our lack of immigration enforcement and policy is just another red flag for our worthless elected officials who can not take on any issue that is important to the United States and resolve it. "

 Riiiight wrote on July 19, 2008 10:26 am:
" When this law goes into effect I hope someone does a little study and sends 5 white couples and 5 Hispanic couples to try and rent, and see which ones are forced to prove they're not here illegally. "

 Use to be GOP wrote on July 19, 2008 10:48 am:
" I'm from Fremont, and I think that this whole thing about legality is cover for the real issue, which is xenophobia. I'll bet they wouldn't be so twisted up about this if the immigrants were here "illegally" from Germany or Denmark.

The guy who mentioned veterans was REALLY off the wall. Has he stopped to notice how many soldiers fighting (and dying) in Iraq have Latino names? Answer: a LOT of them.

They are implying the same things about Latinos that people said about Italians 100 years ago: They are greasy dark skinned people who eat funny food and have strange accents...and they are all criminals!

Midwesterners need to catch up with the rest of the world and get used to having people in their midst who aren't white. These newcomers are cleaning our toilets, building our homes and cutting our meat. They are the backbone of our economy. If you run them off, then we will end up with totally stagnant economies like Europe and Japan; countries that don't have access to a cheap labor pool. "

 Sean wrote on July 19, 2008 11:23 am:
" I want to know what law I can break and not have to deal with the consequences. Illegal is illegal. A Federal judge already said it in Mo. If you don't have the paperwork to be here, YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW. That makes you a CRIMINAL. Criminals need to be caught, tried and punished. Or did the rule of law change in this country because you need someone to work at a meat packing plant at slave wages? "

 TellMe wrote on July 19, 2008 11:42 am:
" So tell me all you 'do gooders', how much money does the county have to spend annually for services for all of the illegals? How much money does the State of Nebraska have to spend annually for services provided to all of the illegals? How much more money do Nebraska residents have to pay each year for their auto insurance because many illegals do not have it, and when they have an accident they don't pay for it? How much more money do Nebraska residents have to pay each year for their medical insurance because many illegals do not have it, and when they go to the hospital/doctor they don't pay for it? Legal Nebraska residents are having to pay the illegals' tab for these and other goods and services. It is the unlawful and/or unethical transfer of funds (stealing) from legals to illegals. So tell me all you 'do gooders', how do you justify that?? "

 gah wrote on July 19, 2008 11:53 am:
" Can we just dispense with the fallacy that anyone's getting a free ride? Undocumented immigrants pay sales tax whenever they purchase something that isn't food. The pay property taxes in their rent checks that their landlords, in theory, factor into renting costs. They pay the gas tax whenever they fill up their car. They may or may not pay federal/state income tax and FICA tax, depending on whether their employers follow the law and withhold taxes. So, to quickly review, undocumented workers undoubtedly pay the taxes to go back into the local community in which they spend most of their time, and probably pay the taxes to go to the state and federal governments (and if they don't, it's probably more a factor of their employer gaming the system than their own willful disregard of the system). That doesn't seem like a free ride. They're probably paying more in and getting less out when all's said and done. "

 Josh wrote on July 19, 2008 12:05 pm:
" Gotta love that Veteran Card - and as a vet myself, I'm unsure of exactly what Mr. Eden's veteran status has to do with his opinion of "use privileges that haven’t been earned". I'd even take his statement one step further since we're all throwing our vet cards on the table: what exactly earns you those privileges? Being born here? That's not earned, it's given. What about military members currently serving that are not citizens - have they earned those privileges? What about the 19-30 y/o, born and raised in the heartland, never served "their" country but perfectly able to - what have then done to earn these privileges?

Let's not reinstate the draft, but I say we allow anyone (who can pass standard entry requirement for background, same as American's must pass); they get citizenship after two years. No read tape - not difference in duty from any other enlistment - just two years of service. You'd learn English, a trade and develop a great deal of pride for your new country. (And Mrs. Kota - they'd even get vaccinated) Immediate family would also become citizens during and after service. KIA before two years - family still gets citizenship.

Anybody have a better idea other than "send em' home before they eat my pets!" "

 Fremont wrote on July 19, 2008 12:10 pm:
" Most of the people in Fremont do not want this. "

 MD wrote on July 19, 2008 1:43 pm:
" Oh my. so you think Ms.Kotas that illegal spread disease?? shame on you!! it shown how badly you judge ppl, I do aqree with David and Brooke. Why don't you try to work on the plantation plant first and see how hard the work is before you start open your mouth and say bad thing about other ppl? they are illegal yes..but that's doesn't mean that you can accuse them that way, Ppl said when you get older, you get more wisdom, but I don't see that on you. "

 Doesnt pertain to US citizens wrote on July 19, 2008 3:32 pm:
" I don't see what the issue is. If you are legal than the law does not pertain to you except for a $5 fee (can't even buy a whopper meal for that!) every time you move.

I'm guessing those who are against it are illegal, and thus shouldn't be here anyway. "

 confused wrote on July 19, 2008 4:14 pm:
" If people are coming across something as artificial as a political border to fill jobs that most natives won't, why does it matter that they didn't go through the slow and onerous process of naturalization? Our government, for uncertain reasons, is loth (and slow) to give vouched-for PhD students visas to enter the country legally, so what can you expect when it's unskilled laborers from Mexico or Guatemala or E. Asia? Even now we have a clear need for laborers in several sectors of our economy that holds down growth...imagine if we just curtailed such immigration altogheter, or better yet, sent back everyone who was proactive and pursued their economic well-being without waiting for an inefficient bureaucracy to sign-off? The point, above all, is that the laws don't make sense since our government isn't efficient enough to adequately meet our vast and dynamic labor needs with "legal" immigrants. Thus, it makes more sense to figure out if immigrants are behaving legally and productively once they've arrived in the US, rather than dwell on how exactly they got here. "

 Hmmm... wrote on July 19, 2008 5:34 pm:
" An effort by Nebraska lawmakers earlier this year also failed. That bill would have required state and local agencies to verify that residents applying for state benefits are in the United States legally. It also would have prohibited illegal immigrants from state or local retirement, welfare, unemployment, public housing and other benefits. THIS SHOULD BE BROUGHT FORWARD AGAIN, AND PASSED. Illegals have NO rights, and the people who employ them should have theirs taken away!! "

 Wonder wrote on July 19, 2008 9:32 pm:
" You people talking about diseases and protecting your small town from this 'invasion' do understand that you're the laughing stock of the majority of the Western World don't you? I just moved back from Europe (military) - and was embarrassed to lay claim to this part of the United States. I'm not trying to make fun - I'm just letting you know how our neighbors are viewing our house - we really need to do some soul searching before we start judging others. Honestly... spread diseases??? Come on. "

 Former US Marine wrote on July 19, 2008 10:57 pm:
" Disease? Veterans? privileges they haven't earned? I don't know why no one ever bothers to study or research an issue before speaking! Quit being so darn lazy people and just mouthing off the first thing that comes to your head or repeating what you've heard from other people!

I am a LEGAL alien who served in the US Marine Corps, so please don't come with a statement of "spitting in the face of veterans"... because if that's the case then EVERY time someone speeds, or samples a grape at the supermarket, or downloads pirated music, or buys illegal fireworks, or buys something online without paying local sales tax... you are all breaking the law. So if we follow the logic of "Anyone willing to turn a blind eye to this illegal activity is spitting in the face of veterans", then I guess this whole country has just hawked a big loogi at us!

Disease? Rest assured the risk of disease is no greater than the risk of disease from US born residents!

Privileges they haven't earned!?!? There may be a handful of individuals who have dodged the system, but rest assured that illegal immigrants are not able to collect benefits! I know plenty of them and I know they aren't collecting benefits. Matter of fact, of all the ones I know a good 95% of them, report their income tax. If they are due a refund, the state of Nebraska does not give it to them if they are here illegally. That's money on which illegal immigrants do not see a direct return, instead it benefits those of us who are here legally!

Not a racial issue??? Please! Don't insult my intelligence. It's just a coincidence that you have alot of hispanic people in your town? I hope you do pass that law in Fremont so you can see the ramifications of your bias. I wonder what all the companies who hire them and all the landlords who rent to them will do? Maybe they'll have to move to another town too!!!! Have they broken the law? Yes. No denying that! So fine them, penalize them... don't destroy them... don't destroy their lives... you reap what you sow... in the end, you may end up finding that those "illegal" immigrants, made larger contributions to your society than you thought. "

 DOC wrote on July 20, 2008 3:29 am:
" Okay Class, who gets hurt the most when employers use illegals? The honest employers who do not hire them. You remember them, the guys that pay good wages, have to have insurance, etc., etc. Fremont would never have had to come to this if employers were made to follow the laws and not wink at every phony social security card. If we can't handle a simple matter like this how are we going to handle the people coming in that want to kill us. You remember them? The saying first comes Saturday, then comes Sunday. First we destroy the little satan, then we destroy the big satan. "

 Lindsay OBrien - formally of Crete wrote on July 20, 2008 10:06 am:
" I'd like to add on to "confused" comment on the slow immigration process. My husband immigrated from the United Kingdom, and so far with fees to the USCIS we've spent approximately $5,000. To get his greencard in hand could possibly take another 6 months (though I hope not!) In the next few years we are going to have to shell out another $2-3K in fees to the USCIS for removing conditions for permanent residency. I make decent money and he made decent money back in England but we found these fees quite difficult to pay...I could imagine the average illegal that made it over here sees it as completely daunting. Instead of the thinly veiled xenophobic rhetoric spouted by some here, why don't we look at practical alternatives...someone mentioned citizenship via military/domestic service.

Furthermore...the argument "illegal means illegal" is not a valid argument. Illegal is relative to the culture. It was once illegal for women to vote, blacks to vote etc but after realizing the gender/race bias of such laws they were repealed. Before you comment, please have an argument of substance rather than an repetitive ad hominem attack. "

 Late ODay wrote on July 20, 2008 6:59 pm:
" Look beneath the surface. You want to understand what's REALLY going on in Fremont? Why don't you look at their local bureaucrats. It might provide a clue. Fremont is glutted with self-satisfied, do-nothing, backwater GOP good ol' boys who have run the city into the ground. Yet -- much like Western Nebraska -- the voters keep re-electing these entrenched career-politians in droves, so it's kinda hard to work up much sympathy for the community. They are getting exactly what they asked for. You know the way the national GOP uses pre-fabricated and phony hot-button issues to galvanize their base and to distract them from real issues? Well, you're seeing exactly that in Fremont in microcosm. "

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