HAYWARD – Like Santa and his merry elves, a green-vested volunteer team of Guatemalan day laborers came out of the shadows Tuesday morning to spread some holiday cheer.Unlike the traditional elves up at the North Pole, who are universally loved.No toys. Just lots of gum-scraping, leaf-raking, graffiti-busting and deep-cleaning of downtown sidewalks.
Carlos Alinan, wearing a T-shirt depicting characters from "A Garfield Christmas Special," hoped that his scrubbing of a grimy Main Street also carried a subtle message.
"We're trying to make a good impression," he said in Spanish. "Some people like us and some people don't." [Day laborers clean up downtown to improve Hayward's image , ANG Newspapers, November 28, 2007]
Say, as a way of showing gratitude, why doesn't Hayward reward these helpful fellows with repatriation, er a free ride home to celebrate Christmas with the family?