Labor leaders blast TV ads by anti-immigration group

De Moines Register ^ | 1/01/2004 | BRIANNA BLAKE and JONATHAN ROOS

[Iowegian]

Iowa labor leaders Wednesday urged TV stations to pull anti-immigrant political ads that appear to represent a coalition of Iowa workers.

"They don't represent anybody in the labor movement in Iowa," said Iowa Federation of Labor President Mark Smith.

The ads, airing on KCCI and WHO television stations in central Iowa, call on the presidential candidates to change their positions on allowing more immigrant workers into the United States. The image of a fist hitting a punching bag, printed with a human face, is shown while a narrator talks about foreign workers dragging down wages and taking jobs away from Iowans.

[Iowegian]

I've heard the ads, I think almost everyone in Iowa has. The reason the liberals in particular (but all politicians in general) don't like the ads is, the are truthful and effective about the cost of illegal workers in America.

[Iowegian]

Kerry, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, said immigration reform is needed" so that people don't have to die in the desert to find a better life for themselves."

Just let anyone that wants to come in? Yeah that'll solve all the immigration problems. /sarcasm

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[goody2shooz]

"...foreign workers dragging down wages and taking jobs away ..."

I live in Cowlitz County, located in SW Washington state. We have over 33,000 unemployed citizens here, people who've lost jobs mainly in the manufacturing sector and that sector's support businesses.

A postion for motel receptionist in Kelso, the county seat, recently had over 80 applicants. The motel manager was astounded, as the job paid barely over minimum wage and a significant number of the applicants had some college, even BA degrees.

Both the Democrats and Republicans are way out of touch with the grassroot groups on the immigrations issue. Way out of touch.

A majority of U.S. citizens, even Hispanics, recognize the injurious problem of unchecked immigration. It will be interesting to see which candidate in the next nation-wide election realizes that fact. My expectation is that neither will do so.

[iopscusa]

I agree that the Open Border/Illegal Immigrant issue is ripe for a 3rd political party platform and could tap into a powerful group of supporters/voters....of course the Right and Left wing of the "Liberal Party" would not like it a bit!

[woofer]

There are about 25,600 Hispanic workers in Iowa,

I didn't know there were that many packing plant, concrete and landscaping jobs in Iowa.

[Iowegian]

They seem to be getting a lot of construction jobs here too.

[goldstategop]

Funny, organized labor used to be AGAINST illegal immigration and now they've changed. Why? Millions of illegal aliens have joined their service sector unions and the AFL-CIO leadership dare not offend those who pay the dues. The times are indeed a'changin.'

[DumpsterDiver]

Does the ad specifically mention illegal aliens (or undocumented workers)? Or could someone construe the ad as being about legal immigration?

[nothingnew]

Kerry, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, said immigration reform is needed"so that people don't have to die in the desert to find a better life for themselves."

They don't have to die, you nitwit socialist bastidge. They can apply for working visas or citizenship, just like my frikkin ancestors did. I'd love to punch you right in the face, you POS.

FMCDH

[woofer]

They seem to be getting a lot of construction jobs here too.

You must be in Council Bluffs. So far, the Trade Unions and the Dem mayor have been able to limit incursion into the good paying jobs. Bunch of hypocrites.

[dagnabbit]

What's the difference? A massive influx of third-world people related to third-world people already here (legal immigrants) is little different than a massive influx of people without such relatives (illegal immigrants).

[DumpsterDiver]

What's the difference?

As I see it, an ad that fails to differentiate between legal and illegal immigrants gives the people who came here legally an undeserved black eye.

I'd like to see the problem of illegal aliens addressed as a separate issue. I do believe that the government allows too many people in each year but that's a different issue to me.

[Paleoguy]

Immigration (legal and illegal) is encouraged by our elites for two purposes:

1) The economic elites wish to saturate the labor market with cheap workers so as to decrease labor costs and increase profits.

2) The political elite wishes to import more dependent, big-government friendly voters who will increase the need for a bloated nanny-state.

Most of the major institutions in this country are being used by these elites to advance their interests at the expense of the broad middle and working classes. These labor unions no longer represent the interests of actual working americans, but have sold out to the poltically correct agenda of the above elites.

[dagnabbit]

I see too-high legal immigration levels and illegal immigration as two sides of the same coin. The bottom line is that there are too many people arriving from developing countries, leading to conditions like those described in this thread.

[Iowegian]

Does the ad specifically mention illegal aliens

The ads are very clear, they talk about illegal aliens breaking the law.

[Inspectorette]

The times have indeed changed. Here in Kah-lee-foh-nia, the unions have lost thousands of members with the decline in the aerospace industry.

They're now actively recruiting immigrant service workers (legal and illegal) to get their memberships back up. The immigrants love being union members because for most of them, it's the first time they've ever had a job that comes with benefits.

[Conservative_Nationalist]

"It's just racist stuff with no factual basis," said Smith, who represents some 135,000 workers in Iowa. "In effect, what they're saying is that the state would be better if we got rid of all the immigrants."


Why can't anyone discuss immigration without some idiot calling them a racist like this dumb ass. Everyones afraid to speak out against anything to do with immigration because they know for 100% they will be called a racist and a bigot. Illegal immigration is out biggest problem but our legal immigration policy is screwed up too. We let the worst types of people into this country and they bring down the quality of this country instead of improving their quality of life. We need to start giving IQ test to people to see if they will even have a chance to contribute to society. Why is it so hard for White Europeans to become citizens over here these days? Because the INS want a LARGE majority of immigrants to be non-whites for some reason. We need to get rid of ALL illegal immigrants and start letting legal immigrants into the country who can actually contribute to society and not be supported by it.

[DumpsterDiver]

The ads are very clear, they talk about illegal aliens breaking the law.

That's great! I believe that Utah recently put up a billboard that in essence says: "[Name of politician] is in favor of illegal aliens. Are you?"

I bought some small size stickers that look like this and leave them in assorted places.

[Paulus Invictus]

The article avoids the use of the word" illegal" to go with immigrants. What's the logic behing the Unions backing illegal workers who take American jobs? I don't get it.