Thread: Iowa House of Reps hammers illegal immigrants

Iowa House of Reps hammers illegal immigrants

The Iowa House of Representatives passed last week a bill to hammer illegal immigrants by requiring employers to check their employees, employees to carry driver’s licenses or other state-issued identification, and for bail to be denied for illegal aliens who are arrested. Local police must notify ICE. The House majority leader called the bill a symbolic statement. Ah?

The article in full:

By CHARLOTTE EBY, Courier Des Moines Bureau

DES MOINES --- Trying to deal with an influx of illegal immigrants, the Iowa House moved forward Wednesday with a measure meant to reduce the employment of undocumented workers.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, said Democrats wanted to send a message to the federal government and try to deal with a problem Iowans have been concerned about.

"The symbolic statement is a plea to the federal government to start enforcing the law and have a comprehensive, logical immigration policy," McCarthy said.

The measure, which cleared the House on an 84-16 vote, requires employers to check driver's licenses or other state-issued photo identification from Iowa or the surrounding states and verify it within 10 business days of a hire. Employers or their designee must sign a form under penalty of perjury confirming they have examined the ID and "facially validated" the employee.


The measure also would mean aliens who are arrested would be denied bail, and local law enforcement agencies would be required to notify the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The measure seeks to stop employers from paying employees cash or misclassifying them as independent contractors. Backers say the practice has been used in the construction industry and means employees can't get unemployment or workers' compensation benefits.

Employers who misclassify employees could face misdemeanor criminal penalties.

Failure to follow the law could result in civil penalties, and those who make false statements or conceal material facts could be charged with a Class D felony and face a possible five-year prison term.

Reps. Elesha Gayman, D-Davenport, and Phil Wise, D-Keokuk, offered an amendment accepted by the House that would make it an aggravated misdemeanor for anyone to make or obtain identification cards that would assist an illegal alien in gaining employment.

Gayman said during the campaign voters asked what could be done about illegal immigration.

"Since our identification systems are run at a statewide level, I do believe that it is appropriate for our state to take action on this," Gayman said.

Rep. Jamie Van Fossen, R-Davenport, doubted the sincerity of the bill's sponsors, saying it would give lawmakers political cover. He voted for the bill, but argued the problem is with the federal government not enforcing the laws, not employers.

Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, voted against the bill. She pointed to what she called a humanitarian crisis and reminded fellow lawmakers of Iowa's tradition of lending a helping hand to immigrants.

"I wonder what I would do or any of us in this chamber would do if we were not able to feed our children. Would we break the law or would we allow our children to starve?" Wessel-Kroeschell said.

After approval in the House, the measure now moves to the Senate for consideration in the waning days of the session.

"We will take a look at what they've done," said Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs.
http://www.workingimmigrants.com/2008/0 ... s_ill.html

Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, voted against the bill. She pointed to what she called a humanitarian crisis and reminded fellow lawmakers of Iowa's tradition of lending a helping hand to immigrants.

"I wonder what I would do or any of us in this chamber would do if we were not able to feed our children. Would we break the law or would we allow our children to starve?" Wessel-Kroeschell said.

Our children ARE starving! We are not the worlds humanitarian "depot"! We need to take care of our own citizens, not the citizens of one of the world's wealthiest countries!! Let Mexico take care of its own citizens, where's THEIR humanity?

I wonder what I would do or any of us in this chamber would do if we were not able to feed our children. Would we break the law or would we allow our children to starve?" Wessel-Kroeschell said.

Why do they have to come to the United States to feed their children? Cannot they break the law in Mexico to feed their children? Last time I checked, people were able to feed themselves quite well in Mexico.

"I wonder what I would do or any of us in this chamber would do if we were not able to feed our children. Would we break the law or would we allow our children to starve?" Wessel-Kroeschell said.

Mexican Babies Are Fatter
By Eliza Gauger December 30, 2006 | 3:37:09 AM



How come Mexican babies are so fat?

This is the mystery that plagues scientists in an AP story about low-income preschoolers and obesity.

Researcher Rachel Kimbro took into consideration many factors, including time spent watching television and the parents’ access to grocery stores. The only thing that seemed to differentiate the Mexican children was the high instance of bedtime bottle-feeding, even of children as old as three.

The article is worth every iota of effort it takes to read it, for this quote alone:

[quote][b]That finding supports other research that “one of the most common causes of overweight in children is overfeeding,â€

Zeezil wrote:

Thank you, Dr. Nader. That will be all.

These guys don't look starved and hungry to me. They just look fat. One looks to be yanking his pants off as fast as he can...real classy.

The majority of illegal aliens are Mexicans who instead of being poor on a world scale are rich they have a quarter of our per capita income. The Mexican Health Department calculates that out of one hundred and six million people only a half million have malnutrition. There is more concentration of income but the answer to that is investing in productive assets. Instead of doing that most remittances are spent on buying manufactured food, on houses and on clothing. Those things should be coming out of income the beneficiaries have in Mexico.

Truth be told Mexico is not a poor country (it currently is in the top tier of world economies and by 2050 will be the world's fifth-largest economy), it's a corrupt country! There's a difference. Mexicans do not live in horrible poverty. People in Nigeria, Bangladesh and Vietnam live in horrible poverty. If our goal were to offer an opportunity for a better life to people living in abject poverty, Mexico would not even be on the list of countries we would look at. IF after providing all available American workers with a job that pays a decent, living wage we still need workers for agriculture or such, why not bring in people from other countries who truly do need a helping hand? People who could not possibly pay a coyote thousands of dollars to smuggle them into the US? People who would appreciate an opportunity to work in the US on a temporary work visa and go home with a tidy nest egg? People from countries who have not fleeced the taxpayers of the US. Countries whose leaders have not meddled in our immigration affairs with the intention of subverting our legal immigration system. Slam the door shut on Mexico and lock it. The world is awash in unskilled labor. We can get any workers we need from other countries. We don't need the people from south of the border. Let's lend a hand to people who will respect our laws and not burn our flag in the streets.

There are plenty of jobs in Mexico. Unfortunately, we just happen to share a border with Mexico and there are higher paying jobs here so Mexican leaders backed by their rich elitists ship their uneducated and poor to us to employ and take care of. Truth is, Mexicans realize that the jobs in Mexico pay significantly less with little benefits (thanks to their corrupt and oppressive government) than in the U.S. Why labor in Mexico at the wages being offered because they can make 10 times as much in this country. Why sweep a floor in Mexico for $7 dollars a day when you can come here illegally and make $7 an hour sweeping the same floor. Further, our generous social systems will actually pay you to have babies and give those babies citizenship, thereby providing an anchor to your presence. So on top of your $7 under the table wage, you can get an anchor baby, food stamps, housing subsidies, access to no cost medical care, education, and a bevy of activist support groups and immigration lawyers that will help you stay here.

It's as if they have hit the lottery and you can bet these people will never go back to Mexico so long as they have the economic incentive and a host of facilitators and advocates that aid and abet their presence to remain here in this country.

Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, voted against the bill. She pointed to what she called a humanitarian crisis and reminded fellow lawmakers of Iowa's tradition of lending a helping hand to immigrants.
"I wonder what I would do or any of us in this chamber would do if we were not able to feed our children. Would we break the law or would we allow our children to starve?" Wessel-Kroeschell said.

Who voted for this idiot??? What tradition?? Hey, Wessel-Kroeschell, if you would even consider breaking the law, then you shouldn't be a lawmaker!! IOWANS, VOTE THIS IDIOT OUT IN THE NEXT ELECTIONS!!

[quote]Quote:
That finding supports other research that “one of the most common causes of overweight in children is overfeeding,â€