English Only Would Jeopardize the Delivery of Non-Profit Services

Local non-profits tell the Tennessean why Eric Crafton's English Only is bad for their clients:

Hal Cato, executive director of the Oasis Center, said the city contracts his agency for counseling services. The center employs a counselor whose entire caseload is composed of Hispanic families, many having trouble adjusting to life in the U.S.

Cato fears the new measure would jeopardize funding for that counselor.

"I do think that people will misunderstand it and that people will be will be negatively impacted by it," he said ....

Lewis Lavine, president of the Center for Nonprofit Management in Nashville, said the amendment could create confusion for groups that get both federal and local dollars because many federal regulations require that information be distributed in other languages.

"We believe it's bad for Nashville," he said. "Even if it were enacted and disavowed by the courts, it would still put Nashville in a bad light."