Thread: Rendell sounds off on immigration reform at city event

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/ne ... 6046&rfi=6

07/21/2006
Rendell sounds off on immigration reform at city event
BY ROGER DUPUIS II
STAFF WRITER


Gov. Ed Rendell didn’t come to Thursday’s POWER young professionals meeting in Scranton to talk about illegal immigration, but he didn’t shy away from a question about it, either.

“A lot of this is mean-spirited,” he said of debate surrounding how to deal with illegal immigrants, spurred by a question from the audience about his opinion on Hazleton’s new get-tough legislation aimed at illegal immigrants and those who harbor them.

“A lot of this is being pushed by politicians who absolutely want to keep your eyes away from real stuff. They feed off hate and divisiveness.

“The only ones I want to hear speaking up and complaining about immigration are the Native Americans who we screwed,” he said.

At the same time, Mr. Rendell acknowledged some real concerns at the base of all the hype, from Hazleton to Washington. They include worries that illegal immigranst have an unfair advantage over immigrants who try to enter America the legal — and often long — way, and about illegals who take jobs from Americans.

“They should not be rewarded,” he said. At the same time, the governor said he agrees with President Bush that the nation needs a guest-worker program that would allow aspiring outsiders to take jobs “that Americans don’t fill,” as a means of helping impoverished families work toward a better life.

Mr. Rendell also lashed out at movements to make English the official language in various places. Such resolutions are fine, he said, if purely symbolic, but not so if meant to suppress governments’ ability to provide essential services and forms in other languages.

Mr. Rendell’s other remarks before a crowd of movers and shakers at the Scranton Cultural Center took up themes he has addressed many times before, notably his belief in the need to expand the state’s economy and protect the environment through increased reliance on alternative, non-fossil fuels.

He coupled those themes with a call for improving the quality of life in Pennsylvania’s cities and creating incentives for the growth of high-tech job clusters — two things that will help retain and attract young professionals like those who came to hear his speech. Mr. Rendell praised Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty for his efforts to foster such conditions in the Electric City.

“He’s really in line with what we believe as a group,” Scranton POWER Chapter Director Robert Watts, 29, said of Mr. Rendell. “Ten years ago, you wouldn’t come home from an Ivy League school to live here.”

Now, as the evening’s well-heeled attendees suggest, the picture is changing.

Contact the writer: rdupuis@timesshamrock.com

Ed Rendell is an idiot. He has done so much for the state of PA

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/govmail.html

Please let Mr Rendell know what you think!

Someone like Mr Barletta should be Governor!

I will be sure and contact Gov. Rendell, this is one Native American who would like to give him an ear full.

DONE ! ! !

“A lot of this is being pushed by politicians who absolutely want to keep your eyes away from real stuff. They feed off hate and divisiveness.

Illegal Immigration is not "real stuff"....just what the hell is "real stuff" to you Guv?? This is about as REAL as you can possibly get, to the tune of millions of "reals." Every ill of society is impacted by illegal immigration. I guess the "real" stuff, to him, is education and health care and jobs, the same tired-three politicians have hyped for decades.

He coupled those themes with a call for improving the quality of life in Pennsylvania’s cities

Get rid of Illegals...that will improve the quality of life for everyone not just the high-brow elite!

http://www.standardspeaker.com/index.ph ... 0&Itemid=2

Rendell: City law ‘feeds off’ hatred
Saturday, 22 July 2006
From staff and wire reports
Hazleton Mayor Louis Barletta and Gov. Ed Rendell traded barbs over a new city ordinance that cracks down on illegal immigrants, with Rendell saying during a Thursday stop in Scranton that it had been drafted by “mean-spirited” politicians who “feed off hate and divisiveness.”

Barletta disagreed, saying the ordinance simply upholds the law. The only mean-spirited remarks that Barletta said he could recall were made by two members of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, who publicly called Hazleton a “Nazi city” and said that Latinos would never assimilate into American culture.

The Associated Press and The (Scranton) Times-Tribune reported on Rendell’s take on the ordinance and remarks he made Thursday in Scranton while attending a gathering of young professionals.

Rendell called the ordinance and similar crackdowns on illegal immigrants a “mean-spirited” work of politicians and said initiatives such as Hazleton’s are skewing the national debate over illegal immigrants.

“A lot of this is being pushed by politicians who absolutely want to keep your eyes away from real stuff,” Rendell said Thursday. “They feed off that and divisiveness. The only ones I want to hear speaking up and complaining about immigration are the Native Americans who we screwed.”

Barletta issued a written response to Rendell’s comments Friday.

“As a former mayor of Philadelphia, Governor Rendell should understand the desire to protect the legal citizens of a city,” Barletta said in the news release. “As the governor, Mr. Rendell is aware of the current financial situation of the City of Hazleton , where it is important to make every dollar count, where every dollar should be spent on the legal residents of Hazleton.”

Barletta said he wants to know how upholding a law is “mean-spirited or divisive” and said he was “very surprised” when reading remarks made by the governor.

“I was surprised with the governor’s comments – especially since two members of his Governor’s (Advisory) Commission on Latino Affairs have gone on to say some pretty mean-spirited things at me and at the city with no response from the governor’s office,” Barletta said.

The mayor referred to remarks made by Anna Arias, who spoke out against the IIRA during a recent Hazleton City Council meeting and called him a “monkey” during a television interview.

“I would say that calling the mayor a ‘monkey’ during televised interviews, as the representative of the governor did, is also mean-spirited,” Barletta wrote. “The ordinance is not motivated out of anything other than a desire to protect the legal residents of Hazleton and make every precious taxpayer dollar go as far as it can.”

A spokeswoman from the governor’s office announced shortly after Arias made the remarks that Arias was not speaking on behalf of Rendell or the

Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs.
Arias issued a news release that essentially said the same.
Barletta, however, said during a late Friday interview that he was surprised Rendell didn’t offer a comment of his own.

“If I ever had said that same thing to her or anyone else, they would’ve asked for my resignation the next day,” Barletta said. “I think I deserve the same respect I’ve shown. That’s why I’m taken aback by the governor – who did not respond to her hateful comments.”

Rendell reportedly expressed concerns about illegal immigrants, saying Thursday that he agrees with President Bush’s proposal to set up a guest-worker program that would allow aspiring immigrants to take jobs “that Americans don’t fill” as a way to help impoverished families seek a better life.

“I’m upholding the laws of this country,” Barletta continued. “It’s the law. Illegal is illegal. I guess we shouldn’t uphold laws any longer – or am I missing something?”

Barletta’s ordinance, which was approved by city council, makes English the official language of Hazleton and makes all documents available in English only – unless superseded by state or federal law.

It also prohibits businesses found hiring illegal immigrants from operating within city limits for five years and cancels any and all contracts those businesses may have with the city.

Additionally, the ordinance fines landlords $1,000 per person per day for knowingly renting to any illegal alien.

Rendell reportedly expressed concerns about illegal immigrants, saying Thursday that he agrees with President Bush’s proposal to set up a guest-worker program that would allow aspiring immigrants to take jobs “that Americans don’t fill” as a way to help impoverished families seek a better life.

He can stick this tired quote in his ear. If I hear it one more time I think I will need the barf bag.

Rendell is not only a idiot, he is a major JO!

Originally Posted by Darlene

Rendell reportedly expressed concerns about illegal immigrants, saying Thursday that he agrees with President Bush’s proposal to set up a guest-worker program that would allow aspiring immigrants to take jobs “that Americans don’t fill” as a way to help impoverished families seek a better life.

He can stick this tired quote in his ear. If I hear it one more time I think I will need the barf bag.

Rendell is not only a idiot, he is a major JO!

DARLENE,
do you want me to put you on my new 'barf bag mailing list' along with COTO?
I have a few extra to share but I fear I'll be needing to save a few for myself

Put me on your list 2nd, I think things are going to go from bad to worse.

All you have to do is listen to these same old talking points over and over to know who not to vote for.

You would think they would wise up and notice everyone is quoting the same tired, trite lines over and over and over and come out with something different. What idiots!