Thread: Candidates discuss illegal immigration: Hanover PA

Candidates discuss illegal immigration
By CHRIS KELLY
Evening Sun Reporter
Article Launched: 04/09/2008 10:42:18 AM EDT


Click photo to enlargePhil Avillo, Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative, 19th District, responds to a question...«1»A candidates night Tuesday sponsored by the Adams County Farm Bureau gave 10 office-seekers a chance to talk about agriculture, and several took the opportunity to weigh in on immigration.

Republican Jim Taylor, a candidate for state Senate in the 33rd District, said he worked for the Border Patrol in Arizona and saw illegal immigration as an "organized invasion."

"The average person is getting 'whacked,'" Taylor said.

One of his Republican opponents, Cathy Cresswell, cautioned that illegal immigration is a federal as well as state issue and efforts to limit the number of immigrants can end up doing more harm than good.

Skip Strayer, representing Republican Rich Alloway, said farmers are caught in the middle.

The people show up, want to work, and have "documents" proving their legality, he said.

"I've heard the, 'The farmers want cheap labor,' line before," he added. But, he said, the average farmer is employing immigrants for $16 an hour.

Bob Curley, who had entered the race as a Republican but recently changed his party affiliation to Democrat, said that after World War II, the need for workers and temporary labor went up, causing immigration to increase. But, he said, it's not OK to illegally immigrate, even for a short period.

"As a society, we should not be made to carry the burden of another country," he said.

In all, more than 60 people turned out at the Gettysburg American Legion Post 202 to hear the candidates. Also


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weighing in on immigration were Democrat Neil Clifford and Republicans Will Tallman and Mike Rishel, all running for a seat in the 193rd District in the House of Representatives.
Clifford said that after World War II, his mother emigrated legally from England.

"If she could do it, anyone can do it," he said.

"If you are an illegal, go home," Tallman said.

But Rishel said efforts to combat illegal immigration can backfire. He pointed out that Hazleton lost a costly court battle with the American Civil Liberties Union over its anti-immigrant ordinance.

Also present at the forum were U.S. Rep. Todd Platts, R-Spring Garden; Phil Avillo, a Democratic candidate for the seat Platts holds; and Dan Moul, a Republican who represents the 91st District in the state House of Representatives. Neither Platts, Avillo nor Moul is opposed on the primary ballot.

John Hess, 66, of Gettysburg, said he was there to hear about immigration.

After hearing the candidate's views, he wasn't satisfied because the issue wasn't resolved but he said the ideas proposed were interesting.

"We need to work on a program that's feasible," Hess said.

Contact Chris Kelly at ckelly@eveningsun.com.

http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_8862902

Candidate response part 4: Illegal immigrants
Public Opinion Online

April 14, 2008

Public Opinion posed four questions to the four GOP candidates for the 33rd State Senatorial District.

Candidates were limited to responses of 250 words or less. The fourth question deals with the issue of immigration.


What actions would you take as a state senator to deal with illegal immigration? What role does a non-border state such as Pennsylvania have in what appears to be a federal issue?


Jim Taylor

"It is wrong to assume that immigration is a problem for the federal government alone. Because the feds have failed to control the border, states and localities are forced to expend billions because of the presence of illegal aliens in our communities.

"When I stood watch on the border in Arizona as a member of the Minutemen, the local people showed us the bus stop that illegals go to if they managed to cross the border. They know which bus to take if they're going to Memphis, Atlanta, D.C. or elsewhere. And when they get off the bus someone is waiting for them to take them to a house with 20 other people, and a job will be waiting for them the next day. This is an organized invasion.

"Recent estimates say that at least 20 million illegals live in America, perhaps as many as 30 million.

"We must halt the financial burden of illegal immigration on Pennsylvania taxpayers. We must stop the many taxpayer-supported benefits we provide to illegals and stop the magnet that jobs provide. We can do this by penalizing employers, who knowingly hire illegal immigrants and deny all but emergency services to them. Legislation to enforce this has been introduced in the state senate, and I will push this bill toward a vote.
"The cost to Pennsylvania's education system, our health care system and incarceration costs total billions of dollars expended on illegals which could otherwise be spent to improve the lives of Pennsylvania citizens and reduce taxes. I want Pennsylvania to allow state law enforcement officials to be trained on immigration law and to enforce them. There also is legislation in the Senate to enable this that still has not been voted on; it must be brought forward to a vote."


Rich Alloway

"I have endorsed a plan introduced by Sen. Joe Scarnati to stop improperly documented immigrants in Pennsylvania from gaining access to public benefits, such as medical assistance, food stamps and other social welfare benefits that Pennsylvania taxpayers provide. While we wait for our federal legislators to reform our United States immigration problem, Pennsylvania should do all it can to protect the interests of our law-abiding taxpayers. The citizens of the 33rd Senatorial District should not be forced to sacrifice their hard-earned dollars to support illegal immigrants. This plan would ensure that the commonwealth's more than 100,000 improperly documented aliens face tighter scrutiny when applying for services.

"This plan should have no effect on non-citizens who work to keep our businesses running. It focuses on those who are here illegally living on the public dole of our taxpayers. It would require anyone requesting public benefits in the commonwealth to provide authentic documentation proving they are legal residents. Additionally, they would be required to sign an affidavit stating they are a U.S. citizen or an alien lawfully present in the United States. Again, this is a federal issue and our federal government needs to take action."


Catherine Cresswell

"The immigration issue in this country requires a national solution. That said, we are faced with this issue at home and there are ramifications to any decision that is made in Washington.

"In one regard, we must protect the interests of the farming and agricultural community. The announcement by the largest grower of fresh market tomatoes in Pennsylvania to quit operations due to an inadequate work force should raise the alarm of future availability and low cost of fresh products.

"We need to have a system that allows the current illegal aliens to become legal taxpaying, contributing members of our society to reduce the costs on our schools and social services system. I favor a federally driven system leading to citizenship combined with a guest worker program to meet the needs of our agricultural community."


Robert Curley

"I would promote a sponsor program. The program would help farmers expedite temporary visas for migrant workers needed to operate their operations. Under this program the responsibility for care, cost and supervision of these workers would fall on the individual sponsoring them. We need to enforce existing laws. If a law is violated, and the individual is determined to be illegally in the county, that individual needs to be deported. If an individual is not self-sufficient and requires public assistance, either medical or financial, and they are determined not to be legally in the country, they need to be deported."

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/ci_8915540