From: Federation for American Immigration Reform
Date: 2006/08/07 Mon PM 03:57:34 EDT
Subject: Alert Update: 4-1 Win for Palm Bay Ordinance

ALERT UPDATE

Palm Bay Votes 4-1 for Ordinance Aimed at Cracking Down on Employers of Illegal Aliens!

FAIR is pleased to report that the Palm Bay City Council voted 4-1 last Thursday, Aug. 3, in favor of Commissioner Andrew Anderson's "Unlawful Business Practices" ordinance 2006-80 on First Reading. Special thanks to all who answered our call for action last week by calling and emailing the city council members and attending the hearing!

The Second (and final) Reading will be on Thursday, August. 17, 2006 at 7PM. Please mark your calendars to attend and speak in favor of this ordinance and keep those emails and calls to city council members coming. If adopted, this ordinance will eliminate the job magnet that attracts illegal aliens to live in Palm Bay, setting a precedent for localities across the nation to follow!

Here's How YOU Can Help!

1) Call and Email the City Council Now Through August 17.

Voice your support for Commissioner Anderson's "Unlawful Business Practices" Ordinance No. 2006-80 with a phone call to the City Council (321-952-3414) and a group email to the Council members and the Mayor at citycouncil@palmbayflorida.org. These calls and emails will be tallied and given the City Council members before the hearing they do make a difference! After making your calls and emails, ask others to do the same!

2) Attend the hearing if you can. Supporters should sign up to voice a brief message of support.

If at all possible, please attend the August 17 hearing and speak in favor of the "Unlawful Business Practices" Ordinance. (See hearing details and sample talking points below.) Even if you're not comfortable speaking, your attendance can still make a difference! We need to pack the hearing room with Floridians in favor of Commissioner Anderson's ordinance every person counts! Contact David Caulkett (dave@flimen.org) if you can attend and visit http://www.flimen.org/ for more information.

HEARING DETAILS

The Second Reading Hearing will be held Thursday, August 17, 2006, at 7:00 PM in the Palm Bay City Council Chambers (address below). Arrive early as seating is limited. Speakers must complete public comment cards and are limited to 3 minutes each.

City Hall Council Chambers
120 Malabar Road, SE
Palm Bay, FL 32907
321-952-3400


TALKING POINTS

Here are some talking points you may wish to use.


Unlawful employment is the #1 magnet for illegal aliens in a given community. By protecting law-abiding businesses, the Palm Bay ordinance will improve wages and working conditions for legal city residents of all backgrounds, and will deter illegal aliens from settling in the town, where they will increase the demand for taxpayer-funded services of all kinds.
Employers who violate federal law by knowingly employing persons who do not have the legal right to work often pay substandard wages, drive down wages and working conditions for American workers in the same occupations.
Employers who hire unlawful workers have an unfair advantage over law-abiding employers who play by the rules and pay a decent wage to legal workers. This unfair competition has pushed many law-abiding employers out of business.
Employers of unlawful workers often pay substandard wages "under the table." Appropriate employment taxes are not paid, social security contributions are not made, and federal taxes are not withheld.Employers who cut costs by hiring unlawful workers at substandard wages force Florida taxpayers to foot the bill to cover health care, education, and other services used by illegal workers and their families.
Read the following email sent by Floridians for Immigration Enforcement (http://www.flimen.org/) for a full synopsis of last Thursday's hearing.

4-1 Win on Palm Bay Ordinance First Reading

On Thursday evening August 3, 2006 the Palm Bay Council voted 4-1 in favor of the Unlawful Business Practices ordinance 2006-80 on First Reading. The Second Reading (final) will be on August 17, 2006. The Council unanimously passed a resolution calling on the federal government to enforce immigration laws.

The Unlawful Business Practices Ordinance 2006-80 is a business regulation ordinance requiring licensees to hire only legal employees. The ordinance would prohibit unauthorized workers including minors, convicted sex offenders, convicted felons and illegal aliens.

There were about 27 speakers on the ordinance, split roughly 50/50. In favor speakers included David Caulkett of FLIMEN, Joyce Tarnow of Floridians for A Sustainable Population, Harold Poole of Citizens Against Illegal Aliens, Chris Farrell of Judicial Watch, and a large number of Palm Bay residents. Speaking against the ordinance were the Florida Commission on Human Relations, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, The Puerto Rican Legal Defense, United Third Bridge, ACLU (AKA Anti-American Civil Liberties Union) and a large number of pro-illegal immigration supporters.

The turn out at this meeting was far different than the previous Palm Bay Council meeting where there was an overflow crowd. Noticeably lacking were the economic interests and the religious folks who were in full force in Avon Park but not Palm Bay. It is anticipated that the ordinance opponents, realizing the national implications, will gather a huge crowd for the Second Reading.

GOTV is the political campaign acronym for Get Out the Vote. FLIMEN's acronym for gathering supporters is GOWM (Get Out Warm Bodies). We worked hard for a good turnout and that was instrumental to passage. Other aspects critical to passage were an exceptionally well written ordinance, astute Council members, Palm Bay community support and the drive of the ordinance leader, Council Member Andy Anderson. Mr. Anderson described FLIMEN support as "awesome."

No doubt turnout at the Second Reading will be far different as the ordinance opponents are expected to pull out all stops against the ordinance. FLIMEN is attempting to form a larger coalition to include more Palm Bay residents, Veterans of Foreign War, American Legion, and trade union members. Your help in reaching these supporters is VITAL so if you have contacts with potential new supporters please contact them. If you can help please e-mail dave@flimen.org.

Many thanks to all who helped including:

Supportive FLIMEN Alert subscribers who among other things provided much needed local information,
Joyce who drove from Pompano Beach, Harold who drove from Fort Myers, and Chris who flew from Washington, DC,
Radio talk show hosts David Allen, David Isnardi, Ed Dean and Scott Duncan. Links are provided at www.flimen.org/talkradio.htm,
NumbersUSA.com and FAIRUS.org who sent notices to their members, and
All of the good people of Palm Bay (a nice Florida central East coast town of 100,000 Strong).

Of course the Pulp Peddlers (newspapers) published biased, racially-obsessed, anti-enforcement reports of the council meeting:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opi ... -headlines
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-palm ... -headlines
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 1/60804001
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.d ... S/60803033

The following reports seem to be factual and fair:

http://cfn13.com/StoryHeadline.aspx?id=17707
http://cfn13.com/StoryHeadline.aspx?id=17686

FLIMEN subscribers and others realize what is happening but the rest of the public is being mislead by the newspaper coverage so stay tuned for FLIMEN's stepped up exposure of the pulp peddlers.

We won the First Reading but we must not be complacent so please do all you can to help with passage on the Second Reading.