Thread: Texas business group wants immigration reform this year

Texas business group wants immigration reform this year


Friday, March 30, 2007

By Mónica Ortiz Uribe

Tribune-Herald staff writer

A construction foreman, a hotel manager, a chef and a grocery store shopper soon will address Texans in a televised ad campaign lobbying Congress for comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to legalization.

The message in all spots: “We need workers.”

Representatives from Waco’s two largest poultry-processing plants, the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, the Waco Business League and two local businesses were present to screen the commercial in Waco on Thursday afternoon.

The ad is sponsored by Texas Employers for Immigration Reform, a statewide group of trade organizations and business owners. It will begin airing on cable and network stations Monday in hopes of spurring Congress to renew its efforts to tackle the thorny, divisive issue.

Bill Hammond, president of the Texas Association of Business, said he is traveling to numerous Texas cities, meeting with business leaders in hope of pressuring lawmakers to pass immigration legislation by the year’s end.

“If we want to maintain a vibrant and healthy economy into the future and meet the needs of employers and the customers of this state,” he said, “we need to have a reliable source of immigrant labor.”

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., which employs about 700 workers locally, is a founding member of the seven-month-old reform group.

“I think on a local level we understand that this is a complex issue,” Waco plant manager Paul Miller said. “We understand that it can be an emotional issue and a polarizing issue. Open dialogue and discussion is certainly the direction we need to take.”

Pilgrim’s Pride participates in a voluntary pilot employee verification system to ensure employees are not illegal immigrants. The company has openly stated it supports a guest worker program, a path toward citizenship and border security.

Kenneth Hampton, senior vice president of community development for the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, said it is in the chamber’s best interest to examine all sides of the immigration issue.

“I think it’s definitely an issue we need to all look at as a nation and make sure that we are consistent and fair,” he said.

However, he said, the chamber doesn’t have an official stance on immigration reform.

Other businesses at the meeting encouraging immigration reform included Chef Canteen, a local vending business, and Jack-of-all-Trades, a local personal services company. A Waco representative for Cargill Meat Solutions also was present.

A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House this week includes a pathway to legalization for many of the country’s illegal immigrants. Citizenship would be possible if the immigrant has kept a job for six years, learned English and civics, and paid taxes.

Despite President Bush’s endorsement, Congress failed to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill last year.

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/ne ... paign.html

You know what? Why don't these companies that demand we invite illegals in and do our jobs that we won't do move themselves to Mexico?

Pilgrim’s Pride participates in a voluntary pilot employee verification system to ensure employees are not illegal immigrants. The company has openly stated it supports a guest worker program, a path toward citizenship and border security.

Doesn't look like ole Bo's doing too good a job verifying employees since listed as an illegal alien employer on wehirealiens.

Dagmar:

You know what? Why don't these companies that demand we invite illegals in and do our jobs that we won't do move themselves to Mexico?

Yeap, that's what I've been saying for a loooooooooong time.

Where is the opposing view in this article? I certainly did not see it. We need some emails in the air to this author to educate them about the ethics of Journalism and how to write with balance.

W

CCing is fun, and it works really well, too:

Management
Michael Vivio, publisher: mvivio@coxnews.com
Carlos Sanchez, editor: csanchez@coxnews.com
Carla D'Andrea, advertising director: cdandrea@wacotrib.com
Ann Roznovsky, marketing director: aroznovsky@coxnews.com
Rick Deaver, circulation director: rdeaver@coxnews.com
Lura Hancock, human resources director: lhancock@coxnews.com
Donna Tadlock, controller: dtadlock@coxnews.com
Norman Huddleston, production director: nhuddleston@coxnews.com

Newsroom
"Briefly," meetings items — click here or e-mail to goingson@wacotrib.com
News tips: news@wacotrib.com
Letters to the editor: letters@wacotrib.com
Becky Gregory, managing editor: bgregory@wacotrib.com
Bruce Kabat, assistant managing editor/online: bkabat@wacotrib.com
John Young, opinion editor: jyoung@wacotrib.com
Rowland Nethaway, senior editor: rnethaway@wacotrib.com
Paula Blesener, news editor: pblesener@wacotrib.com
Catherine Atkinson, lifestyle editor (Brazos Living): catkinson@wacotrib.com
Kim Gorum, sports editor: kgorum@wacotrib.com
Rod Aydelotte, photo chief: raydelotte@wacotrib.com
Bill Whitaker, city editor: bwhitaker@wacotrib.com
Jeff Osborne, assistant city editor: josborne@wacotrib.com
Ken Sury, community/Waco Today editor: ksury@wacotrib.com
Mike Copeland, business editor: mcopeland@wacotrib.com
Carl Hoover, entertainment editor: choover@wacotrib.com
Kathey Wigfall, office manager: kwigfall@wacotrib.com

They are just enforcing what many employers have contributed to this problem of illegal immigration. They just want cheap labor they do not care about the impact it has on the the cities and towns that are inundated with illegal aliens or the impact on the taxpayers. All they are concerned with is their wallets. We cannot allow these employers who are making money hand over fist at the expense of taxpayers continue to encourage illegal immigration in this country. If they paid a decent wage they would have american workers