Thread: Maine: 1st Dist. Congresswoman Employs Australian Intern

I called the office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), who sits on the House Rules Committee, this morning to request that the amendments requiring E-Verify be retained in the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" (H.R. 1). Imagine my surprise when my call was answered by an Australian who told me he was here working as a political intern! While this may be perfectly legal, constituents of Congresswoman Pingree's in the 1st District of Maine may wonder why an Australian is being given--at Maine taxpayer expense--both employment and an education in the United States political process which could have gone to a United States citizen instead. I also wonder how many U.S. citizens are awarded positions as "political interns" within the Australian government?

Congresswoman Pingree takes emails from contituents only at her official website:
http://www.pingree.house.gov/

They and others also may contact her as follows:

Washington, DC Office
Chellie Pingree 1037 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6116
Fax: (202) 225-5590

District Office
Chellie Pingree 57 Exchange Street, Suite 302
Portland, ME 04101
Phone: (207) 774-5019
Fax: (207) 871-0720

Originally Posted by Texas2step

I called the office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), who sits on the House Rules Committee, this morning to request that the amendments requiring E-Verify be retained in the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" (H.R. 1). Imagine my surprise when my call was answered by an Australian who told me he was here working as a political intern! While this may be perfectly legal, constituents of Congresswoman Pingree's in the 1st District of Maine may wonder why an Australian is being given--at Maine taxpayer expense--both employment and an education in the United States political process which could have gone to a United States citizen instead. I also wonder how many U.S. citizens are awarded positions as "political interns" within the Australian government?

Congresswoman Pingree takes emails from contituents only at her official website:
http//www.pingree.house.gov/

They and others also may contact her as follows:

Washington, DC Office
Chellie Pingree 1037 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6116
Fax: (202) 225-5590

District Office
Chellie Pingree 57 Exchange Street, Suite 302
Portland, ME 04101
Phone: (207) 774-5019
Fax: (207) 871-0720

I would be ok with this IF there is an equal exchange program. One Aussie interns here while one American interns in Australia. That is the only way I find it acceptable.

Not exactly on the same subject:
But did you know that when the US needs help fighting forest fires or California wildfires it can call on the services of Australian and New Zealander fire fighters, since their fire season is opposite of ours? This might be better than importing illegal workers.

Originally Posted by Captainron

Not exactly on the same subject:
But did you know that when the US needs help fighting forest fires or California wildfires it can call on the services of Australian and New Zealander fire fighters, since their fire season is opposite of ours? This might be better than importing illegal workers.

I recall the Mexican Fire Department sending fire fighting engines over to San Diego from TJ during the 07 wild fires to help out. But they then had to return due to the fire having spread across the border I think. Nonetheless they did help out.

Originally Posted by EagleEye88

Originally Posted by Captainron

Not exactly on the same subject:
But did you know that when the US needs help fighting forest fires or California wildfires it can call on the services of Australian and New Zealander fire fighters, since their fire season is opposite of ours? This might be better than importing illegal workers.

I recall the Mexican Fire Department sending fire fighting engines over to San Diego from TJ during the 07 wild fires to help out. But they then had to return due to the fire having spread across the border I think. Nonetheless they did help out.

I have no problem with firefighters from other nations helping out when we are in need, just as I have no problem with our boys and girls helping other nations. It is when they hire people illegally who plan to stay here I have issues.

Originally Posted by cayla99

Originally Posted by EagleEye88

Originally Posted by Captainron

Not exactly on the same subject:
But did you know that when the US needs help fighting forest fires or California wildfires it can call on the services of Australian and New Zealander fire fighters, since their fire season is opposite of ours? This might be better than importing illegal workers.

I recall the Mexican Fire Department sending fire fighting engines over to San Diego from TJ during the 07 wild fires to help out. But they then had to return due to the fire having spread across the border I think. Nonetheless they did help out.

I have no problem with firefighters from other nations helping out when we are in need, just as I have no problem with our boys and girls helping other nations. It is when they hire people illegally who plan to stay here I have issues.

So does that apply to foreign interns, say Australian or Mexican or from where ever, "helping" our politicians? Are you ok with that??? Cause that's what this topic was about anyway.

IMO, there better be a quid pro quo with some Australian government official, where some American kid is interning there.
In a natural disaster, humanity does come together. After Hurricane Katrina, even the Cubans offered to send doctors and the Swedes has high tech communications equipment ready to ship to us to help with the holes in our system. All help was refused by Bushy. Kind of reminds me of all the international aid ships with medical supplies and food to aid the people of Myanmar (Burma) and they were refused entry and offloading while people were dying.

Originally Posted by EagleEye88

Originally Posted by cayla99

Originally Posted by EagleEye88

Originally Posted by Captainron

Not exactly on the same subject:
But did you know that when the US needs help fighting forest fires or California wildfires it can call on the services of Australian and New Zealander fire fighters, since their fire season is opposite of ours? This might be better than importing illegal workers.

I recall the Mexican Fire Department sending fire fighting engines over to San Diego from TJ during the 07 wild fires to help out. But they then had to return due to the fire having spread across the border I think. Nonetheless they did help out.

I have no problem with firefighters from other nations helping out when we are in need, just as I have no problem with our boys and girls helping other nations. It is when they hire people illegally who plan to stay here I have issues.

So does that apply to foreign interns, say Australian or Mexican or from where ever, "helping" our politicians? Are you ok with that??? Cause that's what this topic was about anyway.

Ok, you know this person is from Australia, what else do you know? Is this a legal immigrant who has been here long before ever even hearing of this congresswoman? Or was he brought here on a visa just to do this job? Is this part of an exchange program? Is this Aussie a permanent legal resident who one day hopes to become a citizen? The answers to these questions are imperative to my answer.

If my husband were to get hired by a politician, would you demand he be fired because he has a brogue? Do you suggest that no immigrants be given employment above minimum wage? Nixon appointed an immigrant to be his Secretary of State (ok, the fact his appointee was a knacker is beside the point). Many government positions in the past have been held by legal immigrants. Merely an accent and stating they were born in Australia does not send off automatic red flags for me, however, it does lead to a number of questions that I would want answered before I could or would render a definitive opinion.

cayla99:
The man who answered the office telephone of Rep. Pingree of Maine answered my questions to him as follows:
1. He is Australian;
2. He is here on a visa and working in Rep. Pingree's office as an intern (whether he received his visa specifically to come to this country to work as an intern there I did not ask.);
3. It is a current visa.

Since I was calling from Texas at my own expense specifically to request that the E-Verify amendments be retained in the H.R.1 stimulus bill, I did not wish to waste any more money asking him questions. If you have further questions about his status here, please contact Rep. Pingeee's office yourself and inquire directly.

However, even if he were part of a "mutual exchange program", I think that at a time when people across our nation are being laid off in the tens of thousands, Mainers have a right to ask why this job did not go to a Maine citizen. Outside the wealthy yacht owners who park their expensive boats along the beautiful coast of Rep. Pingree's district, Maine is a very poor state. Perhaps she could have hired an "intern" from the western part of Maine instead. In that part of Maine, young people still take jobs walking the potato fields each spring to pick up the rocks which work their way up through the soil each year. I'm sure one of these young people would have welcomed an opportunity to work in Rep. Pingree's office instead.

Finally, I made no "demand" that this gentleman from Australia "be fired", which I think would be both illegal and certainly unethical until he completes his contracted term in Rep. Pingree's office. It was my thought, however, that Rep. Pingree's constituents and other citizens of Maine might be interested in learning that their federal and state tax dollars are going to provide this non-Maine citizen employee both with a job in the present, and with specialized knowledge acquired on the job which will allow him to obtain an even better job in the future while young Mainers are out looking for work.

I also would like to point out that my great-grandfather and his three sisters came to this country as legal immigrants from Ireland.

However, even if he were part of a "mutual exchange program", I think that at a time when people across our nation are being laid off in the tens of thousands, Mainers have a right to ask why this job did not go to a Maine citizen. Outside the wealthy yacht owners who park their expensive boats along the beautiful coast of Rep. Pingree's district, Maine is a very poor state. Perhaps she could have hired an "intern" from the western part of Maine instead. In that part of Maine, young people still take jobs walking the potato fields each spring to pick up the rocks which work their way up through the soil each year. I'm sure one of these young people would have welcomed an opportunity to work in Rep. Pingree's office instead.

If it was part of a mutual exchange program, that would mean that some person from your state did get the job, only the job would be with the Australian government getting experience that would help them if their goal was to eventually work in foreign affairs. by canceling the exchange program, the same number of Americans and Aussies would be employed, just in different places. I See nothing wrong with that.

I suppose I am sensitive right now because they are "restructuring" my husbands job. currently Indiana has 4 markets and 4 market managers. There are 2 American born, 1 LEGAL Mexican immigrant and 1 LEGAL Irish immigrant. They are going to change it to two districts. In spite of the fact that my hubby is THE ONLY ONE OUT OF THE FOUR with all of the certifications for the job, has been with the company longer and has a better record than the other 3, In spite of the fact that he received special recognition for achievement in the company, the two Americans have written letters insisting that My husband and his Mexican counterpart are the two to be laid off. My husband is our only income. I think they should keep the two most qualified. I am against importing workers just to import workers, but my husband is here because this is where I and my children from my prior marriage are. He gave up a far better job than the one he has here in order to be with me.

You asked our opinions on this foreigner working for your congressman. How it came about does indeed influence my opinion on this. If he came over strictly for this particular opportunity, with no exchange program, it is wrong. If there is an exchange program, or he was already here on a visa as a permanent resident and was chosen out of a number of applicants for his qualifications, I have no problem with it. That is my opinion.