Thread: Immigration bill picks up support from businesses

Immigration bill picks up support from businesses
Agricultural firms say they need workers and disagree that the offer is amnesty.

By Mary Lou Pickel
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/02/07

Representatives of several Georgia agricultural businesses say they favor the proposed federal immigration bill that could legalize millions of undocumented workers in the United States.

And they're working to win passage for the proposal.

Dick Lobb, a spokesman for the National Chicken Council, said employers are caught in the middle of a sticky debate.

"We have work that needs to be done," he said of the poultry industry. "It's of a highly perishable nature here. We have to run the plants five days a week to process the chicken. We need workers to do that."

The bill has received widespread criticism from many corners of Georgia, with opponents calling it a wholesale amnesty for lawbreakers who came into the country illegally.

However, Tommy Bagwell, CEO of American Proteins Inc., a poultry by-products rendering business in Cumming, is urging Georgia legislators not to use the word "amnesty" when talking about the proposed reform.

Bagwell said he's "spitting mad" when he hears conservative pundits characterize the compromise legislation that way. "It's inflammatory and untruthful," he said. "This bill is full of punishment, punishment, punishment."

He said illegal immigrants must go through a difficult process to receive a temporary visa.

"You have to register, get background checks, get a biometric marker for your ID card, pay a fine, and get to the back of the line [for a green card]," Bagwell said. "You might say this is not adequate punishment, but to say it's 'amnesty' is purposeful demagoguery."

The "Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007," known in Washington as "the grand bargain," could legalize the estimated 11 million to 12 million immigrants now in the country illegally, but it would also place higher fines on employers that hire an undocumented worker. Fines would start at $5,000 per illegal immigrant and increase to $75,000 per illegal worker for employers fined more than twice.

The bill would also require all businesses to check all workers through a federal electronic verification system to ensure they are legally allowed to work in the United States.

Wayne Lord, vice president of governmental affairs for the poultry company Pilgrim's Pride, traveled to Washington to drum up support for the comprehensive reform, which includes 18,000 border patrol agents and staff, 370 miles of fencing, four unmanned aerial drones and resources to detain an average of 27,500 illegal immigrants a day.

Lord says the bill would increase border security while allowing employers to attract workers to the United States through a guest worker program.

Lord said he did not approve of a reduction last week in the number of temporary guest workers from 400,000 to 200,000.

"About 500,000 people come across the border each year, so it seems logical that somewhere around 400,000 is what we would need," he said.

The number of illegal workers in Georgia is disputed, but a Department of Homeland Security report estimated that it approaches 500,000.

While the legislation would greatly affect Georgia's employers, not all industries are taking a position on the immigration bill.

The Carpet and Rug Institute in Dalton, which represents the carpet industry, declined to comment. A spokesman said industry leaders will have a meeting next week in Dalton to discuss their views and may have a statement then.

In South Georgia, Michael Hively said he's against the employer fines. Employers already have "enough hoops to jump through," said Hively, general manager of Bland Farms, which brings in legal temporary workers each year from Mexico to plant and harvest onions.

Hively is not happy that Congress has already reduced the proposed number of temporary workers allowed into the country through the bill.

"I know people who build pallets who cannot get enough local labor to do that job, so it affects our supply chain," Hively said. "Any type of cutback in laborers will hurt those of us in agriculture."

http://www.ajc.com/printedition/content ... 0602a.html

They are liars!!!! Where have they been advertising for workers over the last 10 years? Not in the local news papers. Liars!

Produce rotting in the fields translates to we get paid for failed crops!

This is what Agra-Business has done for America.

They get paid to not produce and for lack of production. They receive recovery from the American Tax Payer.

Communist government control the crops and food supply.

That I now of, Pilgrim's Pride has never been raided by ICE and I'll bet my bottom dollar they hire illegal aliens. Most of their processing plant employees can't speak any English. But you know how this administration is, no enforcement expecially on a big contributor like Bo Pilgrim and his family. I guess Lord had a good visit with GW while he was there.

Why does a corporation need a governmental affairs department? It's not like they are manufacturing arms or military equipment.

Think about it!

Dixie

Originally Posted by had_enuf

Lord said he did not approve of a reduction last week in the number of temporary guest workers from 400,000 to 200,000.

"About 500,000 people come across the border each year, so it seems logical that somewhere around 400,000 is what we would need," he said.

...so it seems? Lord "seems" to be basing the number of temporary guest workers he needs on the number of those who come here illegally. Proving that this is indeed an amnesty program, and that employers will probably start hiring even more illegals by atttacting even more illegals into the country once the bill is passed! If our own government is refusing to honor the law right now, what makes us believe they will follow the laws in a new bill? If the bill is passed, employers will still ignore it and bring in more illegals and lie by saying they are "guest workers". They are liars now and always will be...

What "conservative pundits"? This is Middle America saying that it is Amnesty.

Of course they support it, they helped to write the bill!! Traitor Bush says the same thing they do, he is working for them, not us.

This is why when I call Senators I say I am not going to pay any taxes to support amnestied illegals, instead the businesses that hire them need to have their taxes doubled.

Greedy bastards. They're pushing hard, no doubt throwing alot of money around, so we have to push back harder and not let up! I'm recharging my cell phone battery, warming up the fax machine, getting ready to rock & roll tomorrow.

However, Tommy Bagwell, CEO of American Proteins Inc., a poultry by-products rendering business in Cumming

Seems like a lot of humor potential in that sentence...

"The last capitalist we hang shall be the one who sold us the rope." These were the words of one Karl Marx. I always thought this pretty well summed up American corporate greed. Today, that rope is being replaced by rampant illegal immigration......all encouraged by corporate America.