It appears that word has reached the Chamber of Commerce that the public is not pleased about illegal immigration. I guess the CoC members were too chicken to speak up in Hutchison and Cornyn's town hall meeting for fear of the public.

The citizens can not allow this special interest group to get the upper hand in this matter. Remind your senators that the CoC members don't outnumber the voters, which are opposed to illegal immigration and want strict enforcement.

There are no labor shortages in America, our unemployment rate is not Zero, and our wages are not on the rise to indicate demand. So what if some businesses go out of business. The ones that are fearful of loosing an illegal alien population are the retail, used car, immigration attorneys and services that cater to illegal aliens. Well, no big loss there. America as a whole wont even miss those businesses.

The economy will not fail but all aspects will adjust uniformly to the number of people removed. No loss there either.

Dixie

From: Havel, Peter [mailto:PHavel@USChamber.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 10:40 AM
To: Havel, Peter
Cc:
Subject: Please contact Senators Hutchison and Cornyn to encourage them to continue working to achieve significant immigration reform


Chamber Friends in Our Great State of Texas ,

On immigration reform, things are moving. The Senate will return to the immigration debate next week. Senators Cornyn and Hutchison are important players in that debate, and they need to hear from business now.

The need for reform is clear. Businesses of all sizes are experiencing worker shortages despite their best efforts to recruit U.S. workers. The demographics are unmistakable – we will need workers from beyond our borders as we grow in the future to fill both high-skilled and low-skilled jobs. Further, the 12+ million undocumented workers already here are holding down jobs now and are not going to be deported. We need to bring them out of the shadows and into society, while acknowledging that there should be real penalties for coming into the country illegally, and that they cannot be put ahead of those in line who are waiting to come into the country legally.

Employers are facing increasing and more confusing liability exposure under a dysfunctional federal system, while states and municipalities consider hundreds of new laws governing immigration in the face of the failure of Congress and the Administration to act. By last count, 1150 state and local immigration-related bills have been introduced this year – more than twice the number during all of 2006. And it’s certain that the Department of Homeland Security will continue to ramp up enforcement. We need a new law to clarify employer responsibilities and to deal with the realities of the workplace.

Now is the time to contact Senators Cornyn and Hutchison and urge both of them to work through the process and achieve the best possible bill. This doesn't necessarily imply endorsement of the Senate bill as it currently stands---only that it is important to keep the process moving because the status quo is unacceptable. You and your members can reach them at:

(omitted senators' contact info)

Thank you from your help on this crucial and difficult issue. If there’s anything that I can provide that would help, please let me know.

Pete Havel
Executive Director, Southwest and South Central Regions
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
222 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Ste. 1560
Irving, TX 75039
Office- (972)387-1099, ext. 4282
Mobile- (214)244-7906
Fax- (972)404-9130
www.uschamber.com