Thread: NC - State lawmakers target immigration issues for funding

State lawmakers target immigration issues for funding
June 15, 2008 - 6:51PM
By Barry Smith / Times-News
RALEIGH - With the immigration issue unsettled in Washington, the debate over how immigrants should be treated continues in state capitals, including Raleigh.

Bills dealing with illegal immigration have been introduced in the General Assembly, and one group fighting illegal immigration plans a rally in the capital on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, efforts to come to terms with immigrants in the country illegally and residing in North Carolina continue.

A provision in the House budget, adopted earlier this month, would provide $1 million to assist sheriff's departments across North Carolina that want to participate in an immigration enforcement program commonly known as the "287(g)" program.

That program, currently in effect in Alamance, Gaston and Mecklenburg counties, allows deputies to check the residency status of people arrested on certain charges. If the deputies, in working with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, determine that the people arrested are not in the country legally, they can be bound over to ICE officials.

"The $1 million is probably too much," said Rep. Alice Bordsen, D-Alamance, who co-chairs a subcommittee dealing with justice and public safety spending. She said that money not used by the sheriff's association over the next year would revert back to the state.

William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), said the money would help local law enforcement agencies wanting to enforce immigration laws.

"Some sheriffs say they don't have the money to allocate to this," Gheen said.

Tony Asion, executive director of El Pueblo, an organization advocating for Latino rights, questioned the use of tax money to reimburse deputies for training in the 287(g) program when the federal government said there is a backlog in such programs.

Gheen said that ALIPAC is hoping to defeat attempts to derail such programs and to bar illegal immigrants from receiving any taxpayer resources from the state other than those that are federally mandated, such as kindergarten through 12th-grade education and emergency medical care.

"No college, no license, no voter registration, no welfare, no food stamps," Gheen said. "We have to demagnetize North Carolina."

Gheen suggested that tougher immigration enforcement laws recently passed in South Carolina will likely prompt illegal immigrants to move from that state into North Carolina.

Asion said that political considerations are behind a lot of the tough enforcement laws being hammered out in state legislatures.

"Part of what we're trying to do is get them to do what is right and not what is politically correct," Asion said. "They're only doing that because the majority of the Latinos in North Carolina are not eligible to vote."

He said that many can't vote because they aren't citizens or are not yet old enough to vote.

"Legislation keeps getting thrown around for the purpose of people saying, ‘hey I've done this against immigration and consequently you should vote for me,'" Asion said.

Gheen hopes that lawmakers will approve a bill that would require local governments and businesses that contract with state and local governments to get all new hires cleared through an "e-verify" database to make sure they're legally in the United States.

Asion said that would work great if the e-verify system were dependable.

"It's relatively bogged down now," Asion said. "It's really not a reliable system. The system was not actually designed to check out everybody in the country. It's not capable of doing that."

Also, competing bills would either prohibit illegal immigrants from enrolling at the state's universities and communities or would allow them to do so.

And Gheen said he would like to see El Pueblo prohibited from receiving any state funds since the organization lobbies before the General Assembly.

"They're the biggest pro-illegal alien front in the Legislature," Gheen said.

Asion said that while his organization does receive grants, none of the money is used for lobbying.

El Pueblo gets money for education programs encouraging people not to drink and drive, use child safety seats in autos and fasten their seat belts, Asion said.

"We have reduced DWIs among Latinos over the last few years by 20 percent," Asion said. "Absolutely none of that is used for lobbying."

Barry Smith can be reached at bsmith@link.freedom.com

http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/immigr ... state.html

Comments welcome at the link provided

William what does it cost the Sheriff's office for being in the 287(g) program. I thought the training was paid by DHS. I understand that you have to buy the computer for the contacting the data base, but what else could there be?

The system should be manned night and day, 24 hours a day with entries going in constantly. I could enter for I can type, how hard can this be for the government to have a data program that checks the status of possible illegals?

And when an illegal is caught does ICE go and check the entire family? And why is a property owner renting to illegals in the first place?

It did run a little over 500.00 to apply for 287 g training. A few citizens from my county volunteered to pay for the training. Still no 287 g. The other costs vary for the computer programming, etc., but the expense can be quite high . We suggested that some surrounding counties get together and possibly have some type of joint training with one or two or more officers from each county. Senator Elizabeth Dole is making 287 g a priority for her state and other Senators should do the same. Excuses are not acceptable.

If you think about all of the costs of incarcerating illegal aliens, paying for bed, food, medical, interpreters, etc., it costs so very much that the savings over time should be a reason to do something. Besides, there is a continually coming back through the court system of so many of the illegal aliens. If 287g were in place, they would be on their way out of the county and hopefully out of the United States, taking family members with them.

Romans 5:8

El Pueblo needs to be shut down and their tax exempt status pulled. We don't need them to tell people not to drink and drive. We don't need them for education purposes. We have law enforcement and public service ads that tell people not to drink and drive and we have public schools for education.

I will be very upset if one dime of state money is fed to El Pueblo for anything, not one dime do I want going to any agency or not-for-profit that even talks to our legislature.

If they want to be a political action group and court legislative members or other elected officials, then they can not be a not-for-profit. It isn't fair, it isn't right. To take hard earned tax dollars from struggling North Carolinians and pump it into El Pueblo who then wines and dines and earns salaries at 4 and 5 times the average North Carolinian, to get programs, opportunities, educations and public services for illegal aliens deflating North Carolina Workers wages, is revolting.

Getting illegal aliens out of North Carolina will cut drunk driving accidents by a significant number so we don't need to fund El Pueblo to tell North Carolinians not to drink and drive or educate North Carolina Kids. Is El Pueblo educating North Carolina Kids? Nope. Is El Pueblo reducing drunk driving accidents? Nope. El Pueblo isn't hanging out with kids or drunks. Nope. It's hanging out with our legislature and policy makers and public officials lobbying for benefits and services for illegal aliens.

This. Is. Madness.

Pass the FairTax, Shut Down These Phony Not-For-Profit Charities like El Pueblo, National Council of La Raza, the Ford Foundation, the Pew Center (who only pretends to count illegal aliens), the Southern Poverty Law Center and so many others down. No income tax, no tax-exempt deductions for corporate traitors.

www.fairtax.org

This tax legislation is in the US Congress, House Bill 25, with 73 Congressional sponsors and picks up more all the time. It has a chance to pass if people call and let their Congressman know about it.

It replaces the existing system with a national retail sales tax on new products and services, not used, only new, and eliminates all income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, interest tax, dividend taxes and social security taxes. Americans would no longer have to file a tax return, business or individual. Businesses pay no tax, they only collect a sales tax when they make a sale at the retail level.

There is also a Prebate calculate on how many people in the household. $199 a month for each adult and $69 a month for each child up to 7. A family of 4 would receive $527 a month from the Social Security Administration and it only applies to US Citizens and Legal Residents but everyone who purchases a new product or hires a service pays the tax whether they're legal or not.

Under the FairTax, no longer would you have any withholdings from your paychecks for income tax or social security and medicare. You go home with all your earnings free of federal tax. Then you decide whether to keep it, save it, invest it or spend it and you decide what you spend it on. The sales tax rate is 23% but its inclusive and because businesses are no longer charged tax or required to pay social security tax, their savings will be more than the tax so prices will not increase, in fact, some will decrease.

Companies will no longer get board approval to make these ridiculous contributions to these phony not-for-profits because there will no longer be a tax advantage to do so.

The retail businesses collect it at the final point of sale and retain a fee for doing so and send the money less the fee along with a report to the states. The states supervise and monitor the program and collect a fee for their role and send the balance to the feds. No one deals with the federal government any more concerning taxes except the 50 states.

Not for profits will still exist and they will be tax exempt from the sales tax on their purchases but that's the only advantage they'll have which is all they should have.

The money is ear-marked when it reaches the feds. The 23% rate is divided between general revenue and social security. 14.91% is ear-marked for general revenue and 8.09% is ear-marked for social security and medicare.

Most people may already know about this tax proposal but for those who don't, it's worth figuring up how it will benefit you.

www.fairtax.org

I've studied it for almost 2 years so if anyone has any questions just post a question or PM and I'll do my best to answer it.

Way to go everyone!

I love your, writing and input. And Judy do you have a degree in accounting and common senses?

Totally, there for "No Tax Dollar to any illegal alien group." That should be the easiest for ICE to check and the FBI. And we active people can report to ICE and the Attorney General's Office that state funds are being used for illegals.

Super Hero, Judy, I am past ready for the Fair Tax System. It will save and make our state and country so much more money. Do you realize how the system would be checking retailer and wholesaler? Which is what our country is set up to do best right now, today. Targeting income spending is easier than targeting everyone's individuals income in the United States. IRS will be shut down to the states collecting the money for the federal government. Sounds good to me! NEEDED THIS YESTERDAY!

The illegals shopping at Wal-Mart will be paying into the Federal Tax System, then. I have seen illegals with packed grocery carts and group gathering to shop at Wal-Mart. I hate Wal-Marts!


Tax only on new is great, but the Fair Tax will tax everyone, equally.

Wal-Mart is not good for America or anywhere. THEY ARE NOT FOR AMERICA! But with Fair Tax we can bring everyone, even Wal-Mart into the fold of pro-America.

Originally Posted by vmonkey56

Way to go everyone!

I love your, writing and input.

Totally, there for "No Tax Dollar to any illegal alien group." That should be the easiest for ICE to check and the FBI. And we active people can report to ICE and the Attorney General's Office that state funds are being used for illegals.

Super Hero, Judy, I am past ready for the Fair Tax System. It will save and make our state and country so much more money. Do you realize how the system would be checking retailer and wholesaler? Which is what our country is set up to do best right now, today. Targeting income spending is easier than targeting everyone's individuals income in the United States. IRS will be shut down to the states collecting the money for the federal government. Sounds good to me! NEEDED THIS YESTERDAY!

The illegals shopping at Wal-Mart will be paying into the Federal Tax System, then. I have seen illegals with packed grocery carts and group gathering to shop at Wal-Mart. I hate Wal-Marts!


Tax only on new is great, but the Fair Tax will tax everyone, equally.

Wal-Mart is not good for America or anywhere. THEY ARE NOT FOR AMERICA! But with Fair Tax we can bring everyone, even Wal-Mart into the fold of pro-America.

EXACTLY!!!! It will also rejuvenate the US Economy ... alot of companies leave because of Free Trade Treason, not because they want to but because some of their UNpatriotic competitors did which to compete means they have to. Under the FairTax, those who stay here get a tax free operating environment. Those that leave and go overseas ... only get foreign tax exemption if they pay US income taxes here ... without one here, they'll have to pay those big ones over there, while their imports here get taxed the same as everyone else's.

They'll be crying to come home.

Yes you are absolutely correct ... the FairTax puts corporate America on our side. When we aren't happy and show that in reduced spending, they won't be happy. Now it's business and citizens on the same side for the first time since 1913.

Lets do this people. Pass the FairTax. Shut these phony subservient anti-American not-for-profits down, put our companies on the same team with US, improve our own personal and business situation tremendously, increase every American's expendable income, give what tax money we want to pay to the states who now control the coffers during their ride to the US Treasury.

www.fairtax.org

Call your Congresspersons and tell them you want it. House Bill 25.

Remember: The Smart People want to stop illegal immigration and pass the FairTax.

This is the real problem with it:


"The retail businesses collect it at the final point of sale and retain a fee for doing so and send the money less the fee along with a report to the states. The states supervise and monitor the program and collect a fee for their role and send the balance to the feds. No one deals with the federal government any more concerning taxes except the 50 states."

CA is sooooooo corrupt that they will find a way to mess it up then the feds would take over again. CA is trying to stop the state from using the E-verify system to verify SSN's for employment. Now tell me how that would help anyone except illegals and ID thieves. CA is no where to live now.

I might have to eat my words, if the federal government ever gets to this point of Fair Taxing. California might becoming a good state, again, via direct pressure. The illegals there will hate paying federal taxes!