Archive for Friday, December 7, 2007
Senate leader: Caution on immigration
December 7, 2007
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Topeka — While some key House members are calling for sweeping measures to crack down on illegal immigration, Senate President Steve Morris is urging caution.
"We need to be careful," Morris, R-Hugoton, said. "This is a complicated issue, and we don't want to do something that will shoot us in the foot."
Morris said he would oppose measures that seek to punish employers who hire illegal immigrants.
He said he has spoken to companies in his western Kansas district about the difficulty in determining someone's legal status.
"They bend over backwards to check and double check," he said.
In the House, state Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, has said she will introduce a package of bills on illegal immigration.
One of those would be to revoke the business license and impose fines on businesses found to have knowingly employed an illegal immigrant.
Landwehr noted that Oklahoma has enacted legislation against illegal immigration.
"Kansas must take action," she said. "If we don't, not only will we see a tremendous increase in the number of illegal immigrants here, but as Kansas taxpayers, our taxes will go up dramatically to pay for the escalating financial burden on our schools, social services and hospitals."
Many of Landwehr's proposals are similar to the Oklahoma law, which took effect last month.
That law provides penalties for knowingly and willingly harboring illegal immigrants, and prohibits public health benefits to illegal immigrants, except in medical emergencies.
The law also requires public employers to run worker identification through a federal verification system, and it cuts off in-state tuition for illegal immigrant students unless they can prove they have applied for citizenship or plan to in one year.
Kansas has an in-state tuition law that benefits illegal immigrant students who have been in Kansas at least three years, graduated from a Kansas high school and promise to seek citizenship. Landwehr said it's possible she will seek to rescind that law although several attempts to do that in the past few years have failed.
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7 December 2007
at 7:32 a.m.
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consumer1 (Anonymous) says…
And all the psuedo intellectual left said. . .
See everything that follows below.
I guarentee you will see the name “knee jerk reactionary” below someplace, used by a person who claims to be fair and reasonable in their name calling attack on those who don't agree with them.
7 December 2007
at 7:48 a.m.
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bd (Anonymous) says…
Looks Like you are the first on your list BOZO!
7 December 2007
at 9:25 a.m.
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consumer1 (Anonymous) says…
And bd pulls ahead!
Thanks for proving my point! “name caller”!! ha ha hha
7 December 2007
at 9:39 a.m.
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toefungus (Anonymous) says…
Just shoot the immigrants in the foot. That will at least slow them down.
7 December 2007
at 9:54 a.m.
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BrianR (Anonymous) says…
Sneaking over the border should not be viewed as immigration. Entering properly is immigration, sneaking in is illegal. This is the most idiotic debate I've seen in this country in a long time. Anyone coming over the border illegally should be shot, those coming in legally should be welcomed and given every opportunity this society has to offer. The very idea that we're not guarding our borders in the post 9/11 world is insane.
7 December 2007
at 9:58 a.m.
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imastinker (Anonymous) says…
toefungus — they're driving now. For proof see the uninsured motorist charge on YOUR insurance.
7 December 2007
at 12:26 p.m.
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Confrontation (Anonymous) says…
“This is a complicated issue, and we don't want to do something that will shoot us in the foot.”
So, don't take an illegal home with you.
7 December 2007
at 3:57 p.m.
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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…
I know of seceral businesses which employ illegals almost exclusively and will take great delight in watching them go down if such legislation is enacted.
heh, heh
I might even make the calls myself.
7 December 2007
at 4:19 p.m.
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snap_pop_no_crackle (Anonymous) says…
snap writes,
My internet life is just wonderful.
7 December 2007
at 4:37 p.m.
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jonas (Anonymous) says…
“Anyone coming over the border illegally should be shot”
Wow, sneaking the border should be a capital offense? The same as serial-murder, more than rape? That's an interesting viewpoint.
7 December 2007
at 5:37 p.m.
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janeyb (Anonymous) says…
Illegal immigrants are illegal. And as long as states give those here illegallly jobs, drivers licenses, in-state tuition, better health care than many US citizens, etc., why go through the process of coming here legally?
We can't round up millions of people—and many of them are great people—and send them back home. Therefore we have to make it uncomfortable to be here illegally which, Mr. Morris, means making it more difficult to get jobs. In turn that will mean punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants. I am glad that Mr. Morris is showing us that failure to crack down on illegal immigration is equally shared by the Republicans and the Democrats.
I read a story, I think in the New York Times, about a family who came to the US and sent enough money home to Mexico that they were able to open a restaurant. Then they had to close the restaurant, because everyone in the village decided to go to the US to also become prosperous—hence no customers.
The article also mentioned a family that was trying to put together $300 to send to a family member in Oklahoma City, because his brick-laying work had dried up due to the housing crunch, and they figured he might as well come home. Illegal immigration is about finding jobs, and we need to take away the jobs.
7 December 2007
at 9:29 p.m.
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max1 (Anonymous) says…
I see Romney is actively courting the Hispanic vote:
November 29, 2007
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/p…
Attempting to fend off accusations that he had hired illegal immigrants as gardeners, Mitt Romney argued during Wednesday's Republican debate that homeowners shouldn't be expected to check the papers of workers with “funny accents.”
December 1, 2006
http://www.boston.com/news/local/arti…
For about eight years, Rosales said, he worked on and off landscaping the grounds at Romney's home, occasionally getting a “buenos dias” from Romney or a drink of water from his wife, Ann.
The Globe recently interviewed four current and former employees of Community Lawn Service with a Heart, the tiny Chelsea-based company that provides upkeep of Romney's property. All but one said they were in the United States illegally.
7 December 2007
at 10:50 p.m.
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BrianR (Anonymous) says…
“Wow, sneaking the border should be a capital offense? The same as serial-murder, more than rape? That's an interesting viewpoint.”
Perhaps we could fire off a terse memo?
8 December 2007
at 3:50 a.m.
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standuporget (Anonymous) says…
Max1 the company hired them not Romney
8 December 2007
at 5:56 a.m.
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max1 (Anonymous) says…
“Max1 the company hired them not Romney” -standuporget
By “them” I guess you mean the workers with “funny accents”.
I'm aware of who hired them. The article I linked to makes that clear:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/arti…
As Governor Mitt Romney explores a presidential bid, he has grown outspoken in his criticism of illegal immigration. But, for a decade, the governor has used a landscaping company that relies heavily on workers like these, illegal Guatemalan immigrants, to maintain the grounds surrounding his pink Colonial house on Marsh Street in Belmont.
The employees told the Globe that company owner Ricardo Saenz never asked them to provide documents showing their immigration status and knew they were illegal immigrants.
Romney never inquired about their status, they said.
––––––––—
And from the story above: Morris said he would oppose measures that seek to punish employers who hire illegal immigrants… “They bend over backwards to check and double check,” he said.
8 December 2007
at 4:28 p.m.
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Ruben (Anonymous) says…
We do not have an illegal immigrant problem ! We have a mass invasion look immigration up !! The reason Some Elected Government Officials are more interested in Not upholding Our laws is to Obvious they are Controlled by Corporate America and all other Corporate lobbyist….We do not have a labor shortage we have a Cost of living
problem Most employers pay far less to there legal employees when you compare the legal wages to your cost of living but lets not for get Corporate America
is to blame For past Slavery in this country and For enslaving Very young Children in INDIA China Africa South America ext
I have worked for many Kansas Construction Companies that pay less then $250 a week and pay illegals tax free Cash Money under the table and never pay state or federal taxes