Posted on 05/31/2006 12:33:07 PM PDT by VU4G10
CRETE, Neb. (AP) -- Forget the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
Nebraska natives, who have watched a steady flow of immigrants fill jobs at local meatpacking plants, increasingly oppose the new faces. And they are showing their opposition at the polls.
"It isn't so much that people don't like the immigrants or don't think there's a place for them," said Gary Pence, a 59-year-old Crete salesman. "It's just not that 'Leave it to Beaver' era we grew up in."
While the nation debates border security and the fate of 11 million illegal aliens, the farm town of Crete, population 6,000, is having a debate of its own.
Immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala have come to America's heartland for jobs at the Farmland Inc., meatpacking plant, working for about $9 an hour slaughtering hogs, boxing frozen hams and pork chops and cleaning up entrails.
They send their children to local schools - which added seven bilingual teachers - and attend services at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, now offering Sunday Mass in Spanish.
In 1990, there were some 40 Hispanics in Crete and 10 years later there were some 800. Now, Rev. Julius Tvrdy at Sacred Heart estimates they probably number 1,700.
"The immigrants are having a positive economic impact on the areas where they settle," said Marty Ramirez, a community activist in Lincoln, Neb., 30 miles northeast of Crete. "Without them, small towns would be struggling."
Interactives Illegal Immigrants: State-by-State Immigration Enforcement Poll
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Some disagree. A recent conversation between Pence and buddies over coffee at a Crete diner exposed raw emotions about how the nation should handle illegal immigration.
"It's so far into this that it's hard to straighten out," said Ken Henning, 78.
"I honestly think the only hope for Crete is if Farmland closes up," said Pence.
Frustration with immigration among native Nebraskans proved a significant factor in the May 9 Republican governor's primary and could figure in the Senate race between Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson and political newcomer Pete Ricketts.
One issue in the governor's race was legislation to make children of illegal immigrants eligible for in-state tuition at Nebraska schools.
GOP Gov. Dave Heineman vetoed the measure, saying it would give children of illegal immigrants a break that others did not receive.
Rival Tom Osborne - the legendary University of Nebraska football coach and three-term congressman - backed supporters of the legislation.
Heineman defeated Osborne in the primary.
Republican voter Stan Sipple of Lincoln, Neb., said Heineman's veto of the tuition bill sealed the deal.
"I believe it was a tipping point," said Sipple, 47.
Nelson, a moderate Democrat seeking a second term, has adopted a hard line on immigration, even opposing a bipartisan Senate bill with increased border security that also contains a guest worker program and a shot at citizenship for many illegal immigrants. His office says Nelson's own proposal would increase border security, but not include a guest worker program or a path to citizenship.
Republican Ricketts opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants but says they should be able to get residency if they pay a fine, go through a criminal background check, have a job, pay taxes and learn to speak English.
Nebraska is a solidly Republican state - President Bush won with 66 percent of the vote in 2004. Nelson's Republican colleague in the Senate, Chuck Hagel, was an outspoken supporter of the Senate measure.
Bush wants to send National Guard troops to secure the U.S. border with Mexico, but he also favors a way to citizenship for the millions of immigrants here illegally.
Nebraska ranks 34th nationwide in the number of Hispanics. Many live in Crete, Omaha, Lexington and other towns and cities with meatpacking plants. Between 2000 and 2004, the increase in the state's Hispanic population accounted for 70 percent of the state's overall growth. The number of Hispanics grew by about 26,000 while the number of non-Hispanic whites fell by 500.
Kirk Beekley, a 52-year-old worker at the Bunge Milling plant and a Democrat, feels the influx of Hispanics has changed Crete's character.
"While overall immigration isn't a huge issue in Nebraska, it imprints itself on people's minds who have had a greater influx of Hispanics on their community," said Beth Theiss-Morse, political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Some natives complain that immigrants have created problems in their communities, but numbers on education and crime in Crete suggest otherwise.
Crime remains virtually unchanged, with 194 crimes reported in 1995, and 201 in 2004, the most recent year available.
While the percentage of minority students rose from 5 percent to 35 percent in 10 years, Crete school superintendent John Fero said state aid covered the additional costs for bilingual teachers and other expenses.
The influx of packing plant workers has benefited residents financially. The district has been able to keep property taxes below the state-mandated level and four years ago persuaded voters to back a bond issue to build a new middle school.
Unlike other rural school districts, Crete's population has steadily increased about 1 percent annually for the past 20 years.
"I feel very good about our adapting to it," Fero said.
RINO Republican Ricketts opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants but says they should be able to get residency if they pay a fine, go through a criminal background check, have a job, pay taxes and learn to speak English.
It's going to be an interesting November nationwide.
My great grandfather and pretty much all my immediate ancestors settled the area around Crete over 140 years ago.
No schools, no welfare, no nothing except farm or starve. Well, starvation you could do even with farming. Just took one bad year, or a long winter.
I have relatives who were in their 80's before they ever met someone from Mexico or who spoke Spanish as their native language.
But now the failure of their miserable countries drives them to flood into what was the American heartland, where they will bring their special brand of political terrorism, governmental corruption, social anarchy, and cultural subversion, all driven by their unwarranted hubris, hatred and resentment.
How nice for the Midwest.
I agree. How Nebraskans put up with Chuck Hagel is beyond me.
Not a good sign for the Republican party in 2006...
I say re-elect nelson then. The last thing we need is another Hagel, and this guy is eveidently being backed by the business plants in Nebraska.
The funny thing is that these politicos are completely ignoring the fact that at some point they themselves will be replaced by the same people they are itching so hard to make legal.
Representative Republic meet the new Banana Republic.....
Nelson is a shoo-in.
In 1981 Meatcutters made $17-19 an hour. I drove a livestock truck, hauling mainly hogs to Detroit, and got to know some of the guys pretty well.
Today, I understand Meatcutters make about $9 an hour.
Outsourcing is not the only thing pressuring wages-Illegal immigration is too.
I fail to see how the GOP is doomed if 100% of the democrat party is pro illegal immigration where as 75%(my own figure) of the Republican party is against illegal immigration.
How does that doom all Republicans?
The current polls show Overall Congressional approval is at 27% approve to 56% disapprove. However, approve/disapprove "My Own Rep" is at 53% to 28%
Also, in the current Fox poll it showed more Dems are disapproving of Congress than Republicans. Dems approval of Congress is at 23% while the Republicans approval of Congress is at 36%.
If these numbers are to be believed than I don't see how this would ever translate into a Democrat takeover.
Today, I understand Meatcutters make about $9 an hour. Outsourcing is not the only thing pressuring wages-Illegal immigration is too.
Illegals are doing the jobs Americans used to do years ago for $18 an hour but won't for $9 an hour today. And all so supermarkets can have $1.99 a pound ground beef specials.
Now we know why the legendary Coach Tom Osborne got his butt whipped.
GOOD!!!
It's also trickle down.
Some years ago the Meatcutters at Wal-Mart threatened to Unionise. Wal-Mart shut the service meat counters down and went to all pre-packaged meat.
Guess who's prepackaging the meat.
I'm not on The Unions side on this.
The rank and file Union guys are OK, but thier leaders are incredibly corrupt.
Thankfully, W's administration has implemented financial disclosure rules that are going to give these lying pr*cks heartburn.
Proud to say Nebraska is my home state. Wish I still lived there.
Says something when even Tom Osborne loses an election because of his pro-illegals stance.
Doesn't say anywhere that these are illegal immigrants.
During the strikes that used to occur with clockwork predictablity at IBP's meat-processing plants, busloads of ... "guest workers" ... would show up at the plants. Most never left when -- and if -- the strike ever ended.
This Nebraskan is voting for Ben Nelson.
"Doesn't say anywhere that these are illegal immigrants."
Yes, that's funny isn't it? A simple web search shows many hits, that strongly suggest, that there are many illegal aliens working there.
By the way, it's "illegal aliens", not "illegal immigrants".
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