Whitman backs off on immigration inspections

Sacramento Bee ^ | 7/16/10 | Susan Ferriss

[SmithL]

Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is backing away from a key immigration proposal she advanced in this spring's competitive GOP primary after farmers and other business interests expressed displeasure with her idea.

As she campaigned this spring, Whitman said she would send state and local officials into California businesses to look for illegal immigrants – her own version of federal immigration workplace inspections.

But her campaign now says she would wait to act until the federal government institutes a "fail-safe" way for employers to verify workers' status – an effort that has been more than a decade in the making.

A glossy 48-page policy agenda book that Whitman mailed to hundreds of thousands of voters and posted on her campaign website this spring includes a one-page list of measures aimed at illegal immigrants.

"Modeled after drug seizure raids," Whitman's book says, "Meg will institute a system where state and local law enforcement agencies conduct inspections of workplaces suspected of employing undocumented workers."

"First-time offenders will be required to pay a fine and have their business licenses suspended for 10 days," it continues. "Third-time offenders will have their business licenses permanently suspended and pay a substantial fine and other penalties."

Whether Whitman ever had the authority to institute such a program is doubtful, civil rights advocates say.

The state regulates many aspects of the workplace now,from schedules to water breaks and shade requirements for farmworkers in the fields.

But immigration workplace checks are, by law, a federal – not state or local – responsibility.

[hometoroost]

California just keeps getting the politicians it deserves.

[AlexW]

Just another baby RINO....and oh, did you know that she just adores Van Jones? Yes, the Marxist Van Jones.

[hometoroost]

The CEO of a company I used to work for supported her. He was a Northern Virginia RINO who talked about conservative Republicans being a bunch of "angry, old white men" and how the people inside the Beltway needed to be running things because they knew what to do and the rest of the country needed to be told how it was. He lasted longer than I thought he would but too long for the company's good.

When he said he liked her I didn't know much about her except that the odds were good I wouldn't like her. The more I know about her the more I know my initial thoughts were correct.

[WOBBLY BOB]

[Vigilanteman]

But her campaign now says she would wait to act until the federal government institutes a "fail-safe" way for employers to verify workers' status – an effort that has been more than a decade in the making.

IOW, it will happen some time after the pictured event.

[AlexW]

“The more I know about her the more I know my initial thoughts were correct.”

Me too.
When I was still in the USA, I was a big Ebay operator, meaning that I sold a lot on Ebay and thought it was great.
Since I left in 2005, I have seen only a few video clips of her. She sounded great, but then I saw the clip of her praising Van Jones....I knew then that she was a Trojan horse RINO.

[Logical me]

Did some of you listen to what Meg is saying or are you just turned off to reason. The check system is so flawed that it cannot be relied on. I have a daughter working for a huge corporation and says it is like Russian roulette. Broken.

[MamaTexan]

But immigration workplace checks are, by law, a federal – not state or local – responsibility.

Okay, I may be a constitutional nitpicker, but the feds have the authority to make the rule of naturalization regular, NOT regulate immigrants OR 'create' citizens.

[Logical me]

She sounded great, but then I saw the clip of her praising Van Jones....I knew then that she was a Trojan horse RINO.

Post the clip or at least a reference. Thanks

[free me]

What check system? Do you mean E verify?

[free me]

On May 6, 2009, Meg Whitman, who is running for governor of California, told reporters that she is a huge fan of Obama green czar Van Jones.

[AlexW]

“Post the clip or at least a reference. Thanks”

I wish I could, but I saw it on cable TV in another town and time, maybe a few months ago.
There was no doubt that she expressed great admiration for him.
Could it be that they were on an Alaska cruise together?
That somehow creeps into my memory.
I am sure, with enough search options, the clip can be found
on the internet.

[Oldpuppymax]

Typical limp-wristed, spineless RINO. She deserves to lose.

[ssaftler]

Hmmm. Fair and balanced reporting from the Sac-a-crap Bee-Ess, I don’t think so!

And she’s still a far better choice than the washed up Moonbeam the Demon-craps are throwing at us.

[AlexW]

““Post the clip or at least a reference. Thanks”

Try this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kelly/van-jones-hearts-meg-whit_b_277637.html

[free me]

I posted the link to the youtube video in post 12

[upchuck]

But her campaign now says she would wait to act until the federal government institutes a "fail-safe" way for employers to verify workers' status – an effort that has been more than a decade in the making.

In other words she'll be waiting until The Twelfth of Never.