Posted on 12/04/2007 7:28:31 PM PST by DogByte6RER
Lawn work at Romney's home still done by illegal immigrants
Ricardo Saenz, owner of the company that employed illegal immigrants, worked on Romney's lawn recently.
By Maria Cramer and Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff; and Connie Paige, Globe Correspondent
Standing on stage at a Republican debate on the Gulf Coast of Florida last week, Mitt Romney repeatedly lashed out at rival Rudy Giuliani for providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants in New York City.
Yet, the very next morning, on Thursday, at least two illegal immigrants stepped out of a hulking maroon pickup truck in the driveway of Romney's Belmont house, then proceeded to spend several hours raking leaves, clearing debris from Romney's tennis court, and loading the refuse back on to the truck.
In fact, their work was part of a regular pattern. Despite a Globe story in Dec. 2006 that highlighted Romney's use of illegal immigrants to tend to his lawn, Romney continued to employ the same landscaping company – until today. The landscaping company, in turn, continued to employ illegal immigrants.
Two of the workers confirmed in separate interviews with Globe reporters last week that they were in the country without documents. One said he had paid $7,000 to a smuggler to escort him across the desert into Arizona; the other said he had come to the country with a student visa that was now expired. Both were seen on the lawn by either Globe reporters or photographers over the last two months.
Questioned this afternoon during two campaign stops in New Hampshire about the use of illegal immigrants on his property, Romney declined to answer. An aide said he would issue a statement, and Romney, emerging from a Concord restaurant, said, "Did you hear him? We’ll give you a statement."
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
It’s worrysome isn’t it? Who knows what disease is running around those kitchens.
Bet Bush doesn’t have illegals prepare his food.
Time to post that picture of the good senators laughing at our concern, and our inability to do anything about it.
I’m no great fan of Mitt Romney’s, but I don’t really see how anybody can be responsible for the immigration status of every employee hired by every service company they use.
What’s the difference between what Mitt did and what Tom Tancredo did? Tom hired a construction company to work on his house which happened to have some illegals on its payroll.
You certainly have a responsibility if you hire somebody directly. For instance, we have a cleaner who originally came here from Mexico. I checked her driver’s license when we started having her come in. (In California, as of now, you have to submit proof of legal residency to get a driver’s license — so far the governor has vetoed attempts to let illegals get DLs.)
But if, instead of hiring an individual, I had hired one of the many maid services in our area (”Merry Maids” or the like) would I have to check the status of all their employees? What about the people at the dog groomer’s where I take our dogs? The people at the shop where I take our cleaning and laundry? The deli where I buy our pastrami?
Oh, good grief.
I turned off Boston Legal tonight whe it ripped Ann. Did Kirk win the Larry Craig case? And how about the Imas case?
Haven't eaten there since. When we shoot pool these days, he invariably asks why. I won't tell him. Hell's bells, if he can't figure it out for himself, he won't be in business for much longer.
“All you need to do is to boycott every restaurant or other business the hires illegal aliens. Make sure also refuse to buy any produce that is picked by illegal alien labor.”
That kind of childish statement would cover everything, you did business somewhere yesterday where there was a child molester or a rapist etc.
Among the things that you can control is who works for you at your own home, and especially on a permanent basis.
You only show how scattered brain you are when you can’t stay on the story at hand and start ranging out into the ridiculous.
Showing that kind of desperation does not convince people of anything, except of the nature and quality of Romney’s support.
“I’m no great fan of Mitt Romney’s, but I don’t really see how anybody can be responsible for the immigration status of every employee hired by every service company they use.”
Post 13 covered your issue, go to the link and read the rest of the article, and then realize that he never changed landscapers, he kept them until Giuliani busted him on TV, a year after he was already outed.
That being the case, why not give the consumer the option to buy produce or a house that was picked or built with 100% American Labor?
Thus, when you walked into a grocery store you would have a choice to buy a head of lettuce that was picked by illegal alien labor or a head of lettuce that was picked by American Citizens.
You could also have an option to buy a new house that was built by some illegal labor or built by American Citizens?
Which would you buy?
“Maybe if we all questioned and fired the offending firms, American teenagers could make an honest buck from mowing lawns, like I used to.”
Most American teens won’t do this kind of work because it is actual work. MOST of them are too lazy to do any physical work at all.
You are right, but if you’ve already had one go-around with an unscrupulous company, why take the chance?
The guy is running for President, he can’t afford to make these kind of mistakes.
I'd rather be ON a cactus.
I agree with you.
However, the reason I said the Mitt should have fired is lawn guys sooner, and he should have, is to prevent the scenario that is now starting to dog him.
In other words stop engaging in commerce with the rest of America.
Which would you buy?
Interesting illustration, as I'm a builder.
I built my spec house using as much American labor as I could. My neighboring house was built by a general contractor who I think is an illegal himself, and used almost exclusively illegals. His house, similar in nature, or maybe even a little nicer than mine, was priced $200,000 less than mine and sold almost immeadiately. I still own mine.
No matter how this all pans out, he has at least a $200,000 to $300,000 advantage over me.
And, just for the record, because of the nature of the market right now, I priced my house well below what a 'normal' market price would be.
ping
I used the National maid service (MM) two years ago, (after surgery) and not one of the ladies spoke English. I did not hire illegals, I contracted with the company to have my house cleaned. If anything had happened, the company would have been responsible.
BTW - I have never used that company since. Not that they didn't do a fine job - I just didn't feel comfortable about having (probable) illegals in my home.
Mitt gave him a second chance.
Is that so bad?
Lord knows where I'd be in life if no one ever gave me a second chance.
Mitt gave the guy a second chance. He promised Mitt he wouldn't hire illegals any more, and Mitt got burned.
Unless I know the circumstances, I find it really hard to fault someone for giving a second chance.
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