"Romney is a flip-flopper, as I said on our show tonight, December 4, 2007."
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 ...
Get a clue Mitt...
Ohh!!Bye-bye Mitt!!
"Romney is a flip-flopper, as I said on our show tonight, December 4, 2007."
None of the leading candidates understand how angry most Americans are over the illegal situation.
This is just another bit of proof, or he would have fired them long ago.
Does this revelation tell us why Mitt was determined to push the “religion” issue out there this week?
He knows that Thursday, the Mormon speech will step on the story about him taking a year to fire his crooked landscaper and his illegals.
Nobody on FR undestands how the level of anger in the country as a whole over illegal immigration is quite a bit lower than that of FR.
I Was Blind But Now I Si?
Maybe if we all questioned and fired the offending firms, American teenagers could make an honest buck from mowing lawns, like I used to.
That’s not what I hear on the streets. You seem to think FR is alone in its anger. It’s not at all. It is a huge issue everywhere I go. Maybe you hang with the elites who don’t mow their own lawns?
“Ok, I’m confused, is this the firm he just fired, or is this the firm he had take their place?
This is the same contractor from last year. Mitt didn’t fire him until today, after it came out in the debate.
DECEMBER ONE YEAR AGO: 2006 Mitt’s “SANCTUARY MANSION”
“”For about eight years, Rosales said, he worked on and off landscaping the grounds at Romney’s home, occasionally getting a “buenos dias” from Romney or a drink of water from his wife, Ann.
“She is very nice,” said Rosales, 49.
About 6 miles away in Copado, a 37-year-old man who recently returned to Guatemala from the United States told a similar story, describing long days tending Romney’s 2 1/2-acre grounds.
“They wanted that house to look really nice,” said the worker, who asked to remain anonymous. “It took a long time.”
As Governor Mitt Romney explores a presidential bid, he has grown outspoken in his criticism of illegal immigration. But, for a decade, the governor has used a landscaping company that relies heavily on workers like these, illegal Guatemalan immigrants, to maintain the grounds surrounding his pink Colonial house on Marsh Street in Belmont.
The Globe recently interviewed four current and former employees of Community Lawn Service with a Heart, the tiny Chelsea-based company that provides upkeep of Romney’s property. All but one said they were in the United States illegally.
The employees told the Globe that company owner Ricardo Saenz never asked them to provide documents showing their immigration status and knew they were illegal immigrants.
“He never asked for papers,” said Rosales, who said he had paid smugglers about $5,000 to take him across the US-Mexican border and settled in Chelsea.
The workers said they were paid in cash at $9 to $10 an hour and sometimes worked 11-hour days.
Romney never inquired about their status, they said.
In addition to maintaining the governor’s property, they also tended to the lawn at the house owned by Romney’s son, Taggart, less than a mile away on the same winding street.
Asked by a reporter yesterday about his use of Community Lawn Service with a Heart, Romney, who was hosting the Republican Governors Association conference in Miami, said, “Aw, geez,” and walked away.””
Mitt said that if they are legally here, they should be given a card, and that employers should not hire them without this card.
Mitt said that employers who hire illegals should be "sanctioned".
Greta immediately challenged that, and said if they hire illegals, why not just prosecute them under the law?
Mitt returned to the "sanctions" explanation, saying that if they hire illegals there should be a fine, then if they keep hiring illegals there should be a bigger fine eventually, "like if you don't pay your taxes".
Mitt never did say that employers of illegals should be prosecuted. He said they should pay a fine.
Hey Mitt - it’s time to get a clue...
Here’s a peso- buy a clue, Sherlock.
Most of us know that elsewhere the intensity on a whole lot of issues, including illegals, is a whole lot lower.
Otherwise, FR would have millions of posting members.
The striking thing about illegals though, is how it crosses party lines.
Way back, shortly after DU got started, I used to lurk there. It was amazing how angry some regulars got when anything positive about illegals was posted.
It might be safer to say, have you ever NOT eaten in ..................
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