Thread: Sandwich rejects sanctions for hiring illegal immigrants

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Sandwich rejects sanctions for hiring illegal immigrants
September 25, 2006

SANDWICH, Mass. --Town meeting voters have effectively killed a proposal to punish businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

The home-rule petition, if passed by the town's citizens and then approved by the legislature, would have made the Cape Cod town of 23,000 the first in the state to target employers hiring illegal workers.

But residents voted 572-301 Monday night to indefinitely postpone consideration of the measure, in effect killing it, the Cape Cod Times reported.

The proposal, which was opposed by human rights and immigration advocates, would have revoked, suspended or denied a license to any business found by federal authorities to be hiring undocumented workers.

Sandwich resident Paul Schrader, who made the motion to postpone the vote, said the measure would be divisive and that is the job of federal, not local government, to enforce immigration laws.

"Local intrusion into these issues will only serve to unnecessarily divide the citizens of our town and may result in unintended consequences. What we do here tonight will tell the rest of the world what kind of community we are, what kind of people we are," Schrader said.

Selectman Douglas Dexter, who proposed the sanctions in June, said they would give the town "the means to protect local businesses from unfair and illegal competition and homeowners from employers who hire illegal workers."

Other selectmen had at first unanimously supported Dexter's proposal. But selectman Adam Chaprales withdrew his support two weeks ago, saying it sent the wrong message that the town was targeting immigrants, and was unfriendly to businesses at a time when the town needs to improve its commercial tax base.

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Information from: Cape Cod Times, http://www.capecodonline.com

THIS IS POPPYCOCK...IT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S JOB...IT'S EVERY LAW ENFORCERS JOB...THEY TOOK AN OATH TO ENFORCE THE LAWS AS WRITTEN WHEN SWORN IN...IF THEY DON'T WANT TO DO THE JOB...THEY SHOULD FIND SOME OTHER KIND OF EMPLOYMENT....
WE (AS IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY) NEED TO START SUING THESE ILLEGALS, EMPLOYERS TAKE TAX-FREE STATUS AWAY FROM CHURCHES , AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE AIDING AND ABETTING.
HOW MANY MORE CITIZENS NEED TO BE ROBBED,RAPED AND MURDERED

http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com

Measure targeting businesses that hire immigrants bypassed


SANDWICH, Mass. A motion made early last night nipped the immigration issue in the bud for the town of Sandwich.

Selectman Douglas Dexter had proposed a measure to sanction local businesses that hired illegal immigrants.

But the Cape Cod Times reports a motion to postpone a vote on Article Nine was passed early in the meeting by 572-to-301.

Paul Schrader, the resident who made the motion, said going ahead with such a measure would only divide citizens of Sandwich, a town of 23-hundred.

Dexter insisted illegal immigration was a local issue, but others didn't see it that way.

Resident James Barrasso said (quote) "let's not get distracted." He says he's concerned with property taxes, gas prices and health care.

Selectman Adam Chaprales -- who initially supported the measure -- withdrew his support because the tone was unfriendly. He said no one wanted to do business in a town that targeted immigrants.

http://www.boston.com

Sandwich rejects illegal Immigrants penalties, a component of Healey's platform
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Correspondent, and David Abel, Globe Staff

Town Meeting voters in Sandwich Monday night essentially rejected a proposal by an almost three-to-one margin that would have created local penalties against businesses that employ illegal immigrants.

By a count of 582 to 201, residents voted to "indefinitely postpone" the measure, according to Town Clerk Barbara Walling.

While the article would have only affected residents in Sandwich, it plays off a national debate about immigration that Republican Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey has made a centerpiece of her gubernatorial campaign.

The measure, proposed by Selectman Douglas Dexter in June, would suspended or revoked town licenses of businesses that employ illegal immigrants. While the Board of Selectman had approved the proposal in July, Chairman Randy Hunt said after Monday night's defeat that the measure was dead.

"I don't think we're going to spend more time on this," Hunt said in phone interview after the meeting. "We have a lot of other things to do."

Last week, Healey unveiled a 50 point for the Commonwealth, which included fines for businesses that hire illegal workers. She has used her positions on immigration issues to criticize her main opponent, Democrat Deval Patrick.

Healey took a campaign bus tour of Southeastern Massachusetts over the weekend and addressed the coming vote in Sandwich.

"Certainly I'm not going to tell towns what kind of ordinances that they can pass, but on a state level, I think we do need to strengthen our penalties," Healey told the Globe. "Employers only hire people who are here illegally because they think they can get away with it. Certainly imposing higher fines and enforcing those fines would discourage that practice."

Posted by the Boston Globe City & Region Desk at 10:06 AM