Business
'Legal,' 'Illegal' Blur at Immigration Hearing
Florida businesses, activists link arms in battle against stricter enforcement
Around the State
Adam Babington, Dale Brill and Jack MartinRepresentatives of the state's largest business lobbies, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida, met before a special Senate committee gathering information and taking the state's pulse on immigration, all to get ready for the 2011 legislative session.
Without necessarily distinguishing between illegal and legal workers, the alliance hailed the "diversity" and "innovation" brought by immigrants. And the consensus was -- even if illegal -- foreign-born workers provide more to the state economy than they cost in social services.
“It’s critical that Florida protect its strong brand as a state that welcomes tourists, promotes international trade, and supplies much of the nation’s fruits and vegetables,” said Adam Babington, vice president of government affairs for the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
“Florida must use caution with any immigration restrictions to help ensure we don’t provoke an economic boycott or restrict economic growth," he warned.
Maria RodriguezWhile the Chamber soft-pedaled the distinction between legal and illegal immigrants, Rodriguez passionately rejected the terminology altogether. "'Illegal' is the N-word of today," she declared, contending that the U.S. workplace has devolved into an "apartheid system."
Dale Brill, head of the Chamber Foundation, said, "Workers chase jobs. They contribute to the economy." Noting that the "cyclical" nature of the slowing economy has apparently netted a reduction in illegal labor, Brill suggested that continued immigration is needed to pump up business.
Another business group, the Associated Industries of Florida, directly attacked the federal E-Verify employee-screening program, one of the more modest immigration reforms.
Brewster Bevis, a newly hired AIF vice president, listed a compendium of logistical and technical pitfalls, ranging from pernicious identity fraud to "public-relations nightmares" suffered by employers who used E-Verify.
Republican lawmakers -- including Greg Evers, R-Crestview; Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton; Alan Hays, R-Umatilla; Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville; and Rhonda Storms, R-Brandon -- rarely challenged the Chamber or AIF directly. But they expressed impatience with nuanced rhetoric that glossed over the legal status of undocumented immigrants and downplayed the attendant social costs.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Anitere Flores, R-Miami, who chaired Monday's hearing, said she tried to balance the pro and con debate. But the three-hour meeting was dominated by speakers critical -- or at least skeptical -- of tightened enforcement at the state level.
In the last 50 minutes of the session, enforcement advocates argued that illegal immigration hurts the lowest-skilled domestic workers while raising taxpayers' costs.
David Caulkett, vice president and founder of Floridians for Immigration Enforcement, said an estimated 575,000 unauthorized workers in Florida are exploited "in many shameful ways."
But, he added, the real victims are Florida's taxpayers who are stuck with the tab and U.S. citizens who are crowded out of the job market.
Comments (9)
I worked in 2009 for a well known chain restaurant -- rhymes with Marrabba's... I overheard the managing partner talking to the illegals working in the kitchen, asking for their FL driver's licenses and social security cards because they had to send in the I-9's -- what a joke! Of course, the names on the door of those who had not turned theirs in yet, were the usual suspects -- everyone knew they were the illegals and didn't have the proper id's!
This managing partner said to them "this looks pretty good, where did you get it?" The illegal responded at the "flea market in Ft. Myers" -- It's a well known fact that FAKE ID'S ARE SOLD AT THE FLEA MARKETS!!!) I've talked to many cops and they all know it, so why the hell aren't the cops busting these people?!? I also called several investigative reporters and asked them to do an undercover sting and out them. One was going to, but I'm sure the brass told them not to -- too much of a "controversy." The controversy should be that our supposed LEADERS ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE!!! Please vote out EVERY DEMOCRAT AND RINO who allow this to continue.
I work with tons of illegals with fake documents in a well known grocery store. I'm fed up with it. English is the secondary language. Even the management blabs away in their native tongues right in front of those of us they KNOW don't speak their language. This is extremely ignorant and rude and should not be tolerated. The customers have complained, but not enough of them. People -- vote with your DOLLARS AND SPEAK UP OR YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM!!!
PLEASE CALL YOUR FL state senator and demand they pass the HOUSE version of E-Verify!!! It's long overdue. Find them at: www.vote-smart.org -- a non partisan website aimed at getting voters involved. Click on tab, "Officials" and then click state of FL -- you type in your zip and all the info will pull up. GET INVOLVED OR SHUT UP! I'm sick of hearing people complain, but they don't do jack. This country is in the crapper and it's almost past the point of no return if Americans don't stand up, speak up and demand change -- now!!! Change, the good kind, not the Obama, happy, b.s. kind.
If Mother is allowed to stay she is sure to get pregnant again, then with three or four children under arm and an average of $600.00 dollars federal entitlement for each child, food stamps, the family can then apply for low income housing. Read the cost of the Liberal extremist campaign that has no conscious, about making citizens and legal residents keep paying as they have for thirty years. Let me repeat web-pages at Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons Volume 10 Number 1 spring 2005 (the report on Illegal Aliens and American medicine) defines the issue as a monolithic non-reimbursement concern of hurting hospitals across the United States. This is just a financial ripple in the ocean of state bankruptcies that may be eminent, if our politicians don't find a backbone and speak out.
Type in the Google, Yahoo search space “Snopes-illegal Immigration.” www.snopes.com There is report after report here on costs to YOUR jobs, health care, education and keeping the criminal element in prison. Snopes website will tell the avid reader where your taxes are going. Just type in the Snopes search engine and you will locate taxpayer’s expenditure and where the original topic came from? Even hard core Liberal press like the Los Angeles Times has testimonial on the subject matter. Click here for hospitals and investigate the free health care, such as $100.000 dialysis given to illegal immigrants, while an American must wait? THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT THE LIBERAL PROGRESSIVES DON”T WANT YOU TO SEE?
Does any US citizen realize that there are insane cuts to the living standards of Senior citizens, because the Liberal media fails to tell the truth that American Senior Citizens are suffering over the occupation of the unsecure flow of illegal workers and extended family members? Illegal aliens are reducing the retirement payments, pensions to our old folk. At http://www.rense.com/general79/seniors.htm are the answers to all your questions?
States like Wyoming whose politicians who have now failed to heed the people's warning of aiding the illegal immigration of this sovereign country are likely to be voted out of office. Many States as with Colorado Tennessee, Kentucky are listening ardently to The peoples message, that illegal immigration is out-of-control. Some State lawmakers are copying the laws of Arizona and are standing ready for the onslaught of the ACLU (American Communist Lawyers Union) litigation. The US Chamber of Commerce, radical groups as La Raza, along with the pro-illegal immigrant legislators Senator Harry Reid, in collusion with union bosses and other special interest entities to keep the hordes of foreigners pouring into the US. California--a sanctuary city state are so far in the financial hole, that Jerry Brown has no choice but to cut all entitlements, pensions and more programs caused partly by a collision with illegal alien population and a $25 Billion deficit.
1. Mandatory E-Verify would free up to 7 million plus jobs currently held by illegal aliens. All existing and new hires should be checked without any prior warning.
2. End the Visa Lottery, which gives up to 50,000 US jobs to foreign workers without regard for work skills or educational background. Only extremely highly-skilled need apply.
3. Pass a moratorium on most legal immigration until jobs created can meet the jobs demand of American worker. US labor must come first.
4. Build the--REAL--double layer 2006 Secure Fence. Not the parody we have now and not even completed. Station our troops along the border to stop the incursion of criminal gaining ground in our nation.. Demand the US border Patrol given access to all State and Federal land with no exceptions.
Communicate your major requests to politicians about the Dream Act, illegal Immigration, and Amnesty through the Washington switchboard at 202-224-3121. Learn more in depth information at Numbersusa website
No copyright ever. Distribute freely.
They don't care that what we're experiencing with illegal labor is a false economy. They and the other drivers of it will keep it going as best they can today, even if it's at the expense of an economy tomorrow. They just want to get what they can out of it for their family and to heck with the rest of America.
I have an idea for a compromise though. They can opt out of E-verify, but we start checking the legal status for children in school and publically funded day care, as well as keeping tabs for medical care, including emergency care, immunizations of illegal children, and the hospital bill for anchor babies and then let those who opt out split the bill. Then we'll see just how important the illegals are for the economy, because I'm sure they're willing to put their money where their mouth is and prove it to us.
Finally, I don't use the "n" word, but I'll be darned if I'm going to shamed into not calling a person that snuck into our country without bothering to do it legally an illegal immigrant, or illegal alien.
Coming in the "front" of the immigration door, you, as well as all Americans, will STILL be, "Human Capital" it will just be a little cheaper...
Sometime during the last 40 years it became a crime for Americans to make a decent wage. The globalist propaganda that Americans needed to compete with third world slave labor was utter BS.
Eventually the race to the bottom of the wage market will catch up with the corporate world. The US once had the largest consumer base in the world. The large middle class purchased more consumer goods then the rest of the world combined. The globalists promoters have destroyed the [filtered word] that laid the golden eggs. If Americans are working for third world wages, who will buy their products? Henry Ford realized long ago that if his workers made better wages, they would buy his cars.