Posted on 05/25/2007 5:22:45 PM PDT by Baladas
WASHINGTON – Texas business leaders are pressuring the state's Republican senators to back the immigration reform bill now being debated in the Senate.
A coalition of Texas businesses published an open letter to Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn in Thursday's editions of The Dallas Morning News, to "express the urgency in supporting passage of comprehensive immigration reform."
"We hope both Republican senators from Texas would get behind this bill. We think it's a unique opportunity and we need to finish the job," said Bill Hammond, president of the Texas Association of Business and a board member of Texas Employers for Immigration Reform.
The coalition members said the state and national economy would be damaged and businesses would face a labor shortage if Congress doesn't complete work on an immigration bill.
Their position mirrors that of a fellow Texan, President Bush, whose administration has been pushing through Congress a bill to provide illegal immigrants legal status and create a temporary worker program. Under the proposal, some immigrants would have to leave the country and re-enter before they could legally work.
In a conference call with reporters, business leaders said nothing can be gained from requiring the illegal immigrants to leave and re-enter the country.
"To ask them to return home and touch back is going to put a unique burden on them and on employers," said Cliff Butler, vice chairman of Pilgrim's Pride, based in Pittsburg.
Hutchison said she would try to amend the part of the Senate bill that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain four-year, indefinitely renewable Z visas that allow them to remain in the country and work and only have to return to their home countries if they want to become legal residents.
She said her amendment "will take the amnesty out of the bill and require that before a person can work in the country legally, if they are here illegally, they would have to go home and apply outside the country." Her plan would be to give the immigrant two years to leave after registering with the federal government.
Cornyn backed a similar proposal in a bill he sponsored last year.
Cornyn and Hutchison were involved in negotiations on the compromise bill, but aren't among the senators moving the bill.
Cornyn said he understands the business coalition's position and spoke with them Thursday.
"However, there are several aspects of the current bill that I'm very concerned about ... But I'm committed to improving this legislation to make sure we balance security with the needs of Texas employers," Cornyn said.
Hutchison said she rejects arguments that the millions of illegal immigrants can't be made to leave the country. "I think we can," she said.
J. Carnes, president of Winter Garden Produce in Uvalde, Texas, said the state already is seeing labor shortages. With the state's thriving economy, he said he has about half the workers in fields than he had in previous years and the number will continue to dwindle without reform.
"It's not just immigrants who benefit from work," he said. "If you have a farmer and rancher who employs immigrant labor all the businesses who supply that ranch or farm benefit from having those immigration workers," Hammond said.
The senators have previously found themselves in a dilemma with immigration legislation. Both voted for a bill mandating 700 miles of fence on the border, including some in Texas.
As government officials have begun contacting land owners about possible use of their land for the fence, those land owners, local officials and business leaders have protested, questioning its effect on their economy and binational way of life.
The senators responded to the protests late Wednesday with an amendment to the immigration bill that would mandate Homeland Security Department cooperation with local officials on the fence. The amendment, passed on a voice vote, was sponsored by Hutchison and co-sponsored by Cornyn.
>>A coalition of Texas businesses published an open letter....<<
A coalition of Texas traitors.
“I’d like to see a list of the coalition members.”
So would I.
Sounds just like the arguments that slave owners gave in Congress before the War Between the States. I guess there aren’t enough college kids for these employers to rip off to get their work done for sub-standard pay...boo hoo. They think it’s swell that they can employ illegal illiterates on the cheap and we Texas taxpayers pay through the nose for the their medical care, education for their pitifully uneducated children, and the ever-popular incarceration costs.
Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn better ponder the fact that there are far too few of these business owners to elect them next time they run.
Do we have a name of these companies, so I can make sure I don’t by any of their products?
When did businesses get the right to vote?
Adams Insurance Services, Inc.
Associated Builders & Contractors of Texas
Associated Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of Texas
Baldi Gardens
Beecherl Investments
Belton Area Chamber of Commerce
Bob Perry
Bowerbird Construction
Bud Smith Organization
Cameo Samples LLC
Cedar Creek Farms
Clearstream Wastewater Systems, Inc.
Contran Corporation
Corporate Facilities Management Services, LLC
Dairy Farmers of America
Emerald Garden
Excell Cleaning and Building Services, Inc.
Express Personnel Services
Federation of Employers & Workers of America
Four Seasons Sunrooms Design and Remodeling Center
Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce
Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce
Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
GreenWay Lawn Care
Henry S. Miller Companies
Hunt Building Corporation
Hutchison Homes
IBTX Risk Management System
International Bank of Commerce
James Leininger, M.D.
Kenjura Tile, Inc.
Lawn Management Company
Landmark Nurseries Inc.
Loeffler Tuggey Pauerstein Rosenthal LLP
Lone Star Milk Producers
Manhattan Policy Institute
McAllen Chamber of Commerce
Mesquite Chamber of Commerce
Metro Blind & Shade Inc.
Mortellaro's Nursery, Inc.
North American Stone Company
Pape Farms
Phil Adams Company
Pilgrim’s Pride
Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.
Powell Plant Farms, Inc.
Ran-Pro Farms Inc.
San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Sanderson Farms
Select Milk Producers, Inc.
South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce
Southern Multifoods, Inc.
Southwest Property Landscaping
TawaKoni Plant Farm
Texas Agriculture Cooperative Council
Texas Apartment Association
Texas Association of Builders
Texas Association of Business
Texas Association of Dairymen
Texas Association of Mexican-American Chambers of Commerce
Texas Cattle Feeders Association
Texas Citrus Mutual
Texas Cotton Ginners' Association
Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Hotel & Lodging Association
Texas Nursery and Landscape Association
Texas Package Store Association
Texas Pork Producers Association
Texas Poultry Federation and Affiliates
Texas Restaurant Association
Texas Retailers Association
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Texas State Florists' Association
Texas Travel Industry Association
Texas Vegetable Association
The Honorable Dolph Briscoe
Turfgrass Producers of Texas
Tyson Foods, Inc.
West Texas Plants
Wester Landscape Management
Wilhite Landscape and Lawn Care, Ltd.
Winter Garden Produce
No different that crack dealers in my eyes. Both are criminals who do damage to society.
I was looking for that image “Gringo de Mexico” so I can mail it to the RNC. Have you mailed it to any GOP fundraiser addresses?
Since I am in Texas and don’t agree with these “Business Men” (Scum) I’ll make it easy for them to work with less of a work force by not supporting or buying products from them. That way they don’t have to hire illegals and wreck our country. If they stood up for CITIZENS I’d pay MORE for their goods and help them support the USA. I buy only US Cars, I try to only buy US Products if I have a choice.
Anyone have a list of the people who sent this open letter? Or their companies
Now he knows how the plantation owners felt after emancipation. And they are illegal immigrants, not immigrants.
As would I, who are these people who urge shamnesty behind anonymity?
Hmm, LOL, but I bet if someone checked the Federal Election Committee’s filings for this quarter, we would no who was backing this and how much they were paying the Senators.
That will ensure the fence never gets built. No surprise there.
In my part of Texas, we "gringos" are now outnumbered as it is.
1 No eating out at SPI, or spending a penny there
2 No Pilgrims pride or Tyson and will limit the beef
3 No hotels, No Florists, No Restaurants
“businesses would face a labor shortage”
There always is a “labor shortage” for these people.
What it really is is a “pay shortage.”
If we “face” in the future a specific identifiable shortage, we can craft bills later.
The “business” do not like supply and demand, and fair bargaining.
They want the senators to juice their profits now and quickly.
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