Posted on 9/25/2008, 7:42:53 PM by machogirl
Local and national business groups are funding a media campaign launched Wednesday in Arizona to convince voters the United States has done enough to secure the border and now needs to legalize the 12 million or more undocumented immigrants and consider allowing more foreigners into this country.
The group, Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together, is going to spend “several hundred thousand dollars” on TV advertising in four states. Jim Pignatelli, president and chief executive officer of UniSource Energy Corp., the parent of Tucson Electric Power, said the time has come to move the debate along and find ways to help business get the workers they need.
And Pignatelli said the best place to start is with those already here.
“You can’t ignore 10 to 12 million people who are trying to make a living, who are undocumented,” he said. Pignatelli, who said he is interested in the issue from a personal perspective and not because of his role at Tucson Electric, said if they could somehow be deported “it would take years for another 10 to 12 million to come in” to fill the jobs they are doing now. “These people are providing valued services to the economy,” he said.
The commercial says there have been “incredible strides” made in border security, the number of deportations is up and there are stronger penalties against employers who hire undocumented workers. Glenn Hamer, president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that’s fine — as far as it goes.
“We need to finish the job on immigration reform at the federal level,” he said. Hamer said that means not just legalizing those already here but ensuring that employers can bring in more foreign workers.
“It is an extraordinary benefit, not a burden, that people from all over the world who are bright and hard working want to come to the United States, want to come to Arizona, improve their lives and improve the prosperity for all Americans,” he said.
But the effort to reshape the debate comes as many incumbent federal lawmakers and those hoping to unseat them in November are appealing to voters by promising to do more to staunch the flow of illegal immigrants into Arizona.
Even Sen. John McCain, who sponsored a comprehensive immigration reform bill last year that included a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, has backed away from his own plan.
“I get it,’’ McCain said last August, acknowledging the public wants more done to secure the borders before any talk of immigration reform. And McCain, in a televised debate, said he would not vote for his own legislation if it came back.
I am more than disgusted.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Calling illegal aliens undocumented immigrants, is like calling drug dealers unlicensed pharmacists.
Let me know when McCain wants to stop the debates so he can deal with the Immigration crisis. Lol. Country First.
McCain gets nothing. He just not Obama. Pray for our republic. We are in deep doo doo.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
The east valley tribune and the republic most of the time have trouble calling an illegal immigrant or an “illegally documented” immigrant what they are.
could be that the trib fixed it for howie.
ping
..you can't ignore?..our federal government just proved you could..they've done it for 20 years..IT IS HIGH TIME THEY AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU START LISTENING TO THE AMERICAN TAX PAYER AND CITIZEN...stop giving them jobs and they will go away on their own
The greed in the business community is beyond belief.
What government in their right mind would watch, and encourage thousands of business to leave the country for low wage labor, while at the same time publicly encouraging low wage illegal aliens to flood the country by the millions?
This will eventually end in total, complete disaster for the American working class.
Unemployment is high here. I know. I can’t find a job and I need one.
These businesses just want to dumb down wages and then expect the state to pick up the bill for: education, health care, increased crime, etc. *I call this TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION when we taxpayers have to foot the bill when some FEDERAL JUDGE tells us so.
I agree. It’s time for the glass or loaf of bread analogy when voting for Pres.
Do we want a big pile of poop, or half a pile?
First red flag....
“The United States has done enough to secure the border”.
They are trying to generalize and sweep what they haven’t done. As far as I can see, they are still coming across.
If Mexico is in the drug trade; why don’t they take care of their own people. They certainly can afford it.
bingo
stopping those “illegally documented” from working will naturally stop the flow.
as an aside what these people should also be worried about is: IF GROUPS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS CAN SLIP ACROSS THE BORDER THAT EASILY, SO CAN TERRORISTS AND NUKES.....
They may not have any companies to run into the ground after they have run our country into the ground.
LOL
“to convince voters the United States has done enough to secure the border”
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!
““You can’t ignore 10 to 12 million people ........, who are undocumented,” he said. Pignatelli,”
Why not??? The government has for 20 years.
DEPORT.
I agree. It used to be 20 years ago or more, here in AZ and I’m sure across the country, that a blue-collar worker (trade worker) could earn a good living.
Not anymore. The “illegally documented, illegal aliens” have taken over the construction jobs, dumbing down wages. This has also happened in other trades. These companies turn a blind eye, hire, and them claim that they didn’t know.
We will end up just like Mexico, caused by our govt. and the mexican govt. There will be NO MIDDLE CLASS. Just rich elites and low income. That’s it.
They still are and so are the drug cartels doing hits.
No telling whom else and what else is also coming over. I’m sure those others don’t have “good intentions” and are “hard working, family oriented”.
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