Protest at Anderson fire station construction site enters second day

Anderson Independent Mail ^ | 2/13/09

[4everontheRight]

ANDERSON — Civil unrest escalated Thursday while protesters stood outside the Anderson construction site of a city fire station and said the workers on the project were not documented as legal United States residents.

[4everontheRight]

According to what I read and heard, several citizens complained that the men working on this fire station were illegal. Next thing you know, people start showing up to protest and the "workers" scattered! Later truck loads of "the workers" were passing back in forth in front of this fire station and telling the protestors to "meet them down the street!!"

[Travis McGee]

Sounds like my 2nd novel.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Its good to see people standing up against illegal aliens and Economic Anti-Americanism.

Next election the residents of Anderson need to vote their anti-American city leaders out of office. They may not be directly involved, but the builders they used should not be allowed to use illegal aliens

[indcons]

Pssst- where’s the excerpt/article? You’ve replaced the original article with your comment.

[4everontheRight]

That is an exerpt from the article.
But here goes.....

ANDERSON — Civil unrest escalated Thursday while protesters stood outside the Anderson construction site of a city fire station and said the workers on the project were not documented as legal United States residents. Chad Summerall, the owner of Summerall Masonry Inc. in Anderson, organized the protest on Simpson Road and asked a half-dozen people to hold up signs. He is frustrated because he thinks companies have been relying on illegal immigrants to push bids so low his company cannot compete. Officials for the fire station project have said that the workers are documented as legal residents. Summerall said that two truckloads of Hispanics drove by protesters on Thursday and angrily asked the protesters to meet them down the street. He also said that a plumber working on the fire station site told the protesters to “go to McDonald’s and get a job.” “I will be out here until I get a job,” Summerall said. More than 40 residents have also signed a petition from protesters stating they were concerned about social justice and the hiring of legal workers. The petition will eventually be presented to city of Anderson officials, Summerall said. About 25 protesters rotated shifts for hours as they held up signs outside the construction site on Thursday while drivers honked their horns and stuck up their thumbs in support. Damian Berrios, 22, of Greenville is an electrician for subcontractor Priority One Services and he spent the day pulling wires on the construction site. He confirmed that a worker on site did tell the protesters to find a job at McDonald’s, but said the protesters have been a distraction. “People are beeping their horns and making comments to everybody at work," Berrios said. He also said that if the protesters spent as much time job searching as they do protesting they would be able to find employment. However, Berrios did not dispute the charge that there may be illegal immigrants on the site. “Everybody knows there are illegal aliens on every job site there is,” Berrios said. Summerall said he believes the workers for J&H Masonry are illegal immigrants. Jose Hernandez, the owner of J & H Masonry, said on Wednesday that all of his workers are legal residents. Brad Fousek, the superintendent of the project from Lazer Construction Company Inc. in Anderson, said that protesters intimidated workers as they worked on Wednesday. He said he did not want any of his workers engaging in civil unrest. “If it comes from this side, I don’t condone it,” Fousek said. “I don’t want anyone yelling across the street.” City officials have said that city police officers cannot enforce federal and state employment laws and the city depends on contractors to uphold those laws. Randall Williams, a spokesperson for the city of Anderson Police department, said that no reports have been made to the department regarding shouting at the construction site. He said residents should call the police department to let them know about any civil unrest if they would like the city police to patrol the area more frequently. Brian Welborn, 34, of Anderson said he participated in the protest on Wednesday and Thursday. He has been out of work for six months after serving as a laborer for Summerall. Welborn said more investigation into whether the workers are legal residents was needed. He also said that J & H Masonry needs more diversity on its staff. “That is another country taking our jobs,” Welborn said. “They have their own country.”

[indcons]

“Jose Hernandez, the owner of J & H Masonry, said on Wednesday that all of his workers are legal residents.”

LOL - Jose must have arranged for the legal “paperwork” through his own amigo network.

[indcons]

FRiend,

You may consider asking AdminMod to replace your comment with the body of the article. This is a good article that goes into interesting and troubling details.

[4everontheRight]

According to the lead protestor - the truck the workers arrived in has no license plate.

[hellbender]

protesters stood outside the Anderson construction site of a city fire station and said the workers on the project were not documented

We need a few thousand people marching outside the White House protesting that its occupant is not documented either.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

The City leaders would use the same excuse my neighbors use about their lawn men - “I hired an american firm, I can’t help it if the workers aren’t legal”....

[aberaussie]

Welborn said more investigation into whether the workers are legal residents was needed. He also said that J & H Masonry needs more diversity on its staff.

???

[1010RD]

He is frustrated because he thinks companies have been relying on illegal immigrants to push bids so low his company cannot compete. Officials for the fire station project have said that the workers are documented as legal residents.

Let's not confuse opinion with fact. They look like illegals? How do illegals look? Their prices are too low? Competition is American. Low prices and lower prices are American.

Sounds like a competitor protesting too much and abusing the sentiment against illegal immigrants. This is a tempest in a teapot. Not a noteworthy example.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Are you kidding me? How do illegals look? Apparently you don't live near pockets of illegals - they are shorter than most American Hispanics and much darker - and here's a big clue - they don't speak English!

Competition is great, the American way - but not when one company is allowed to break the law to have the lowest rates. No insurance, no taxes - sure they can underbid everyone else - they are almost using slave labor.

[indcons]

“I hired an american firm, I can’t help it if the workers aren’t legal” That was Mitt Romney's response during one of the GOP primary debates when he was asked about hiring multiple illegals to work on his family's multiple properties.

[Fee]

The way to solve this is to require all employers to e verify their applicants thru the Homeland Security. That is available for everyone to use, but voluntary.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Oh really? Yikes - people justify their actions.

[Just mythoughts]

The story tells what illegals look like, they scatter and run when questions get ask.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I have a neighbor who owns a lawn care service. All of his workers are illegals. I confronted him once and he calmly said "all of my guys have a social security number" - and I thought, yeah I'll bet they do but it isn't theirs.

I noticed a few years ago that his company trucks have two different names - some have one, some have the other. I figured he cooks the books and is ready to flip the guys to the other company if someone starts asking questions.

[indcons]

Even worse - he just stopped short of calling Rudy Giuliani a racist when Giuliani brought up the news report of Romney’s personal “legalization” program during the 2nd or 3rd debate.

[indcons]

And, I assume you’ve heard the recent news that e-verify is not going be renewed by Obama and the ‘rat Congress? It expires in March 2009.