Posted on 06/28/2007 6:00:10 AM PDT by P-40
WASHINGTON -- Home Depot is turning to Congress for help.
The home improvement company is tired of local governments forcing it to accommodate day laborers who turn up in its store parking lots seeking construction work.
The Senate has attached an amendment to a proposed immigration bill that would prohibit city councils from requiring home improvement stores to pay for shelters and services needed to maintain day labor sites.
The amendment is sponsored by Republican Senator Johnny Isakson. He says forcing companies to provide those services in order to receive permits is "extortion."
But local officials say home improvement companies have a responsibility to provide for the labor markets they attract. They also argue it's none of the federal government's business.
Local governments are wrong to do this, but that doesn’t mean it’s a Federal issue.
Our local Walmarts have tried to cajole city governments into changing zoning laws, etc. in order to get their stores located where they wanted them.
Let them deal with the local officials in the same way. If they don’t like the municipality’s laws, take it to the public who elect the municipality’s leaders.
I assume this was shot down yesterday with the other amendments. Of course, if you have not plan to support the bill, as both Chambliss and Isakson assured all of us angry constituents, why do you work to add amendments? Hmmmm.
But it is still extortion by the locals.
Actually it is the Feds business. They should be there busting illegals and shipping them back home.
These labor sites are mostly ilegals hanging around looking for jobs. Send the illegals home and the problem is solved.
“Gee, don’t local officials have a responsibility to enforce laws against loitering. I’d be willing to bet that the locale has them. Or did they take those off the books?”
“The People’s Republik of Madistan” didn’t enforce theirs until things got really bad, i.e. open-air drug deals, Gang Bangers shootin’ up the streets at bar time, rowdy fistfights with chains and broken bottles after Hip-Hop concerts, etc.
They said those loitering laws discriminate against the “upstanding citizens” that are just out having fun! Yeesh!
(Hint: It wasn’t a bunch of Amish Youths coming in from the farm causing the problems. I’ve never SEEN a city so afraid of offending thugs in my life!)
This actually is a legitimate interstate commerce issue though. Local governments should not be able to target certain retailers to coerce them into supporting illegal activity.
I’ll take Home Depots side on this one. They are a supplier of materials, not a labor provider. If the Local Communities want to stop the Illegal Day Laborers from congregating, they need start penalizing those that hire them. Stop the hiring, stop the congregating. It’s a terrible thing for our local doughnut shops I realize, but something of this nature has to be done interim until we can get the Federal Government to honor the contract with America and enforce existing Border laws. It’s one of the primary responsibilities of the Executive Branch of our Government.
It also legitimately falls under interstate commerce.
It WOULD be a local-law issue if the illegals using the sites werent violation federal law.
Worked for Wally in a similar situation where a municipal government was running amok.
Not only that, but if a customer is ever harmed by one of these laborers, I’ll bet the city won’t pay the damages and legal fees Home Depot would incur from a lawsuit...
What I would throw up a couple of 4x4 posts and put some tin corrugated roofing up on top. Then when the illegals congregate, pick up the phone and call ICE. I wonder how quickly word would get around that Home Depot isn’t safe anymore for illegals..
Illegals are their business, and granted, day laborers are mostly illegals, but it's still none of the feds bizness if a local gubmint hassles a business about a day labor shelter.
Locals.
“Locals are right about one thing. It’s none of the feds business.”
The locals are forcing companies to provide facilities for people trespassing on their property.
The fed should be arresting those day laborers that are illegals.
Huh? Home Depot want to END laws that force them to accomodate illegal aliens.
Oh well. Pretty typical. I just got off the phone w/ a guy had to spend $300 on an electrician/permits to move his lit exit sign 3 feet, cuz some local authority told him to.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.