Thread: Sheriff Beck taking immigration concerns to D.C.;

Beck taking immigration concerns to D.C.; Sheriff attending Mayors and County Executives for Immigration Reform conference
By BETH L. JOKINEN
419-993-2093
03/03/2006
bjokinen@limanews.com

LIMA — Allen County Sheriff Dan Beck will soon meet with other officials from across the country who share his concerns about illegal immigrants.
Beck will be in Washington, D.C, on Sunday and Monday attending a conference of the May-ors and County Executives for Immigration Reform, a group working to address illegal immi-grant issues and to pressure Congress to reform immigration laws.
“If you look at this issue and the potential for some of the problems we face, I need to gather as much information as I can,” Beck said. “And I need to speak as articulately to this issue as I can and I need to share that information with other governmental officials and certainly the public.”
Beck participated in a conference call Thursday with about 50 officials who will be at the con-ference. He said while many are from larger cities, illegal immigration’s impact on smaller communities was still brought up.
“There was a question brought up about how this is affecting the smaller counties and I joined on the discussion at that point,” he said. “While the problem may not be as visible in the smaller counties, it is still there.”
Beck said the mayors and executives have the same worries he has about illegal immigrants, including the costs associated with immigrants and schools, hospitals, jails and overcrowded housing.
“The cost of illegal labor is not cheap,” he said. “Certainly the paycheck is cheap and the em-ployers get off easy, but as you start to look at the tremendous costs that are involved, it is extremely expensive.”
Beck estimated that the health costs associated with the July accident here involving illegal immigrants was between $100,000 and $200,000. Three migrant workers were killed in the accident.
Following the accident, Beck announced plans to increase efforts in identifying false docu-ments belonging to illegal immigrants. His comments sparked church leaders and members of the Hispanic community to speak out, and led to the formation of a local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
Another concern Beck has involves illegal immigrants taking the jobs of local residents. He is especially worried about contractors hiring them.
“I think on any of the public contracts in the city of Lima, there needs to be legislation drafted to ensure that the contractors that are taking the taxpayers dollar are using legal workers, U.S. citizens,” he said.
Beck said the conference will include discussions with immigration experts and proponents of immigration reform. He said participants will have the chance to talk to members of Con-gress.
Along with encouraging better security of the country’s borders and enforcement of immi-gration laws, Beck said the group’s plan is to develop a position paper and strategy to try to see changes in immigration policy.
“We need to develop some reasonable and practical legislation that will relieve the cities and counties of the tremendous financial cost of this issue,” he said, adding that getting reim-bursement from the federal government will also be discussed.

http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=23102

Several of the sheriffs spoke yesterday. I am furious at John Cornyn's flippant remark that the US and Mexico are married, they can't get a divorce so we must work out our differences. What a schmuck!

Those sheriffs brought pictures and data to Washington to show the legislature in Washington what they -- and we as the people who live with the mayhem-- are up against. Those prima donnas like Cornyn who live in gated communities have the nerve to spew foolishness as a response. I don't know how any of those sheriffs had the self restraint not to shake the snot out of him.

Originally Posted by JuniusJnr

Several of the sheriffs spoke yesterday. I am furious at John Cornyn's flippant remark that the US and Mexico are married, they can't get a divorce so we must work out our differences. What a schmuck!

Those sheriffs brought pictures and data to Washington to show the legislature in Washington what they -- and we as the people who live with the mayhem-- are up against. Those prima donnas like Cornyn who live in gated communities have the nerve to spew foolishness as a response. I don't know how any of those sheriffs had the self restraint not to shake the snot out of him.

Yeah I watched the Sheriffs, we need to get transcipt. It was good.