Thread: GA: Governor in tight political spot on illegal immigration

Governor in tight political spot on illegal immigration

The Augusta Chronicle
February 25, 2011
By Jeremy Redmon
ATLANTA, GA

Nathan Deal fought hard against illegal immigration when he served in Congress. And when the Republican ran for governor last year, he campaigned on bringing a very tough Arizona-style law to Georgia.

Now the governor is urging caution as the Legislature considers such a crackdown.

Deal said he doesn't want to put an "undue burden" on employers who would have to abide by certain requirements in the bills pending in the state Capitol.

These comments are now causing many critics to worry that Deal could flip-flop under pressure from business groups.

A Deal spokesman said Thursday the governor remains committed to fighting illegal immigration but is focused on other priorities, including closing a massive state budget shortfall and overhauling the state's pre-kindergarten and HOPE scholarship programs.

Many local supporters of the illegal immigration bills have now mounted a campaign to call Deal's office and strongly urge him to "stick to his campaign promises".

In a blog published on the National Review's Web site this week, the head of a Washington-based group that advocates for tighter immigration controls called Deal's recent comments "weaselly equivocation."

Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, wrote of Deal: "He hasn't sold out yet, but this kind of stalling and evasion exactly highlights the need for eternal vigilance, whoever the politician and whatever the issue."

A Deal spokesman said it is too early in the session for the governor to take a position on pending legislation such as House Bill 87 and Senate Bill 40, adding that they could change drastically in the coming weeks.

Deal, meanwhile, wants to severely curb illegal immigration in Georgia but in a way that would avoid unnecessary and costly court challenges, said his spokesman, Brian Robinson.

Robinson said "there is no governor in the country with a stronger record on fighting illegal immigration than Gov. Nathan Deal. We will put his record up against anybody's."

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/En ... 85&start=1

Did the governor’s spokesman use a far left Nazi analogy to attack pro-enforcement Georgians today?
February 25, 2011

SAY IT AIN’T SO GOVERNOR DEAL! IS YOUR OFFICE CALLING US NAZIS?

We are waiting for a disclaimer from Georgia’s governor on a wildly insulting, ridiculous and disgusting analogy to Nazi “jackbootsâ€

Governor in tight political spot on illegal immigration
By Jeremy Redmon

Georgia Politics 6:03 p.m. Thursday, February 24, 2011

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Nathan Deal fought hard against illegal immigration when he served in Congress. And when the Republican ran for governor last year, he campaigned on bringing a tough Arizona-style law to Georgia.


Gov. Nathan Deal is taking heat for urging caution in some illegal immigration legislation the state is considering.

Now governor, he is urging caution as the Legislature considers such a crackdown. He said he doesn’t want to put an “undue burdenâ€

Cynthia Tucker

Of course, Gov. Deal is backing down on illegal hiring


4:33 pm February 28, 2011, by ctucker

Don’t tell me you’re surprised that Gov. Nathan Deal is having second thoughts about cracking down on businesses that hire illegally. I’m certainly not.

Deal is playing the very same game that Georgia’s elected officials have played for years — excoriating illegal immigrants on the campaign trail but refusing to pass tough laws that would force employers to hire legally.

Here’s the dirty little secret that everybody knows but no one wants to admit: some Georgia industries, including agriculture, are utterly dependent on illegal labor. No matter how much farmers are willing to pay, few Americans are going to take on the back-breaking, bone-wearying miserable labor of picking peaches or Vidalia onions. Georgia needs those undocumented workers.

As I wrote in a column last year:

"During the go-go ‘90s, construction managers, agricultural concerns and carpet manufacturers demanded the cheap, pliant labor that illegal immigrants were happy to provide.

In 1998, the then-Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) conducted raids on Vidalia onion fields at the beginning of the harvest season. Crews scattered, and the harvest was stalled. Farmers freaked and called their congressmen.

Eight members of Congress, including Republicans Saxby Chambliss (then in the House) and Jack Kingston and Democrat Sanford Bishop, signed a letter to then-Attorney General Janet Reno complaining about the raid and a “lack of regard for farmers.â€

Originally Posted by American-ized

Deal's spokesman said Thursday the governor remains committed to fighting illegal immigration but is focused on other priorities, including closing a massive state budget shortfall and overhauling the state's pre-kindergarten and HOPE scholarship programs.

"Solve the illegal immigration problem, and the rest the problems will disappear this I promise you!"

"He's just another, POS that ran his campaign on this issue, got elected and put on the back burner!"

"Sorry! No Deal!"

The cost of illegal immigration to the state of Georgia is $2.4billion a year!
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Newsmaker: Deal on Budget, Immigration

WITH VIDEO

Updated: Wednesday, 23 Feb 2011, 11:30 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 23 Feb 2011, 11:30 PM EST

By: RUSS SPENCER/myfoxatlanta

ATLANTA - Governor Nathan Deal sat down with FOX 5's Russ Spencer in his office at the state Capital to talk about the range of tough choices he and the legislature faces, given a $2 billion budget deficit, and the cost of implementing the new federal health care law.

Governor Deal says he doesn't want to make life difficult for Georgia businesses, but the Farm Bureau and other business groups say the Arizona-type immigration bills the legislature is looking at could spell trouble.

Governor Deal has taken some heat from conservatives for saying he would sign a Sunday alcohol sales bill if one ever gets to his desk and for his support of specialized drug and DUI courts for non-violent offenders.

As far as Sunday store sales of alcohol are concerned, the governor says it's not his priority, but he thinks local communities should be allowed to decide whether to keep the old blue laws.

Having said that, the governor says he won't be disappointed if the Senate bill remains stalled in committee and never gets to his desk


http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/ne ... ion-022311