Posted on 02/02/2011 6:56:18 PM PST by jdirt
Press Release
Feb. 1, 2011 Jackson, MS SB 2255 Border Fence Fund Bill passed through the Senate Judiciary A committee at about 4:45pm central time. This bill will fund the border fence by imposing a fee on money sent to foreign countries (remittances) from people unlawfully present in this country and in cooperation with other States. If only half the States participate, they could raise $1.2 billion annually for the border fence with an average remittance fee of 5%.
The vote was 5- 5, the tie was broken by the committee Chair and author, Senator Joey Fillingane.
The next step is for the bill to go to the Finance committee, Chaired by Senator Dean Kirby. That committee is about evenly split politically. The deadline for getting this bill passed through the Finance committee and the Senate floor is Feb. 23rd.
By late last night it was still not clear if the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary A committee was going to bring the bill to a vote but members from several Tea Party groups in Mississippi showed up to support the bill. The committee meetings are open to the public. Opponents and supporters alike are allowed to speak at the meetings. One of the tea partiers spoke about the bill in the morning session. She emphasized the need for States to send aid to our border States to build their border fences. This is no different then sending aid to neighboring States who have suffered man-made or natural disasters, she said. She stated that Americans are looking to the States to protect them now because the Federal government has failed to make good on their promise to secure the border for over 25 years..
Senator Chris McDaniel worked diligently throughout the day to make sure amendments would address any concerns that committee members may have.
Several amendments were made: the tax return option for citizens to get a full refund of the remittance fee was changed to use e-verify for each transaction eliminating the need to do a tax return. Those who do not clear the e-verify check will be charged the fee. Churches, missionaries, non-profit organizations and ligitimate MS corporations are exempt. a contingency was made for MS to withdraw the money out of the fund in case a border fence is not built.
A representative from Western Union spoke in the afternoon session, he insisted the fee was a tax to all Mississippians. He stated it would effect jobs. He claimed that the military would also be unjustly punished for sending money overseas. The Western Union representative did not reveal to the committee how many transactions take place in MS.
According to the Inter-American Development bank, $99 million dollars annually leave Mississippi. Mississippi spends $106 million dollars annually on K-12, emergency medical care and incarceration of illegal aliens.
The Tea Party in Mississippi would like to give a special thanks to Senator Fillingane, Senator Chris McDaniel, Senator Michael Watson, Senator Walter Michel, Senator Terry Burton, and Senator Lee Yancey.
mspatriots.com
Can someone enlighten me as to why Mississippi takes a leadership role in it’s need for a fence?
No. States are going to collect money to give to the STATES to build the fence. There is no federal involvement whatsoever. We need to be careful not to confuse this effort with anything comming out of washington. This is totally a state driven solution.
Cash transfers to non-military personnel in foreign countries should be taxed at a rate of 100%, with the tax being fully tax deductible. Lawful citizens get all the money back when they file their taxes, and illegals working cash under the table suddenly find lower-paying jobs back the home country much more appealing as they only make 50 cents on the dollar here. We can even use the money people don’t recollect at the end of every year to build a fence. This plan chases the illegals out, and uses their own money to keep them out. Seems perfect to me!
I hate to rain on Mississippi’s parade, but (i) levying a tax on money transfers solely when they go to foreign countries would be a clear violation of the Dormant Commerce Clause (and thus could only be done by the federal government, not by a state) and (ii) the federal government, not the states, are in charge of our international borders. While it is true that federal law currently states that a fence should be built among great swaths of our border with Mexico, I don’t think that AZ or TX would be allowed build the fence themselves.
>who has that money?<
Goldman Sachs?
The Muslim Brotherhood?
SEIU?
ACORN?
Thanks for leading the way on this, Mississippi.
The central government has failed us.
The states are going to have to reassert their sovereignty.
BUMP.
“Cash transfers to non-military personnel in foreign countries should be taxed at a rate of 100%, with the tax being fully tax deductible. Lawful citizens get all the money back when they file their taxes, and illegals working cash under the table suddenly find lower-paying jobs back the home country much more appealing as they only make 50 cents on the dollar here.”
Probably because (it’s) border states have been so over-run, that it feels the need to defend itself. ;^)
Ping!
Good start! Thanks for the ping, Pelham.
1. OK already has this law.
2. The fence can be built on any private land. All they need is a permit from the county. it must be built 60 feet from the actual border.
if the federal government prohibits the states from building the border fence on public and federal land, while the states are sitting on a billion dollars, Americans will go into an outrage!!!
Can someone enlighten me as to why Mississippi takes a leadership role in it’s need for a fence?
Because our neighbors are in mortal danger. Do we send aid when a neighbor state has a flood? hurricane? tornado?
This is no different. If people are being killed in the US, that is all our concern.
Are we the divided STates of AMerica or the United STates of America. It way past time for the States to protect us. The Federal government wants illegal aliens here. And even if they did suddenly decide to start building the border fence again, it will be another 20 years fighting on where they will get the money.
Mississippi is doing this because we care about the people in AZ, because States need to change the way they think and because it will help us too ultimately.
If they know who is illegal and sending money back to their countries, then why can’t they prevent them from getting jobs and then round them up and send them home?
States can’t deport as far as I know. The feds are on the catch and release plan.
OK taxes “remittances” going to foreign countries? Frankly, I can’t see how that law could withstand judicial scrutiny.
But providing money for a fund to defray the costs of private landowners building a fence near the border? That sounds fine, although I don’t know how effective it would be at keeping out illegal aliens having a fence removed from the border.
Well let’s say you have a ranch that’s 35 miles wide. If you had a fence put up in your back yard, the illegals might go around and you wouldn’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of someone sneaking around your front yard or looking in your garage. Those folks would be alot safer than it being wide open. If eventually the whole border of AZ is fenced, they will have to choose where is the easiest to get across. It would funnel people to those areas where the border patrol will be waiting.
Good idea to tax the money they send home, but I’m not sure how Mississippi can pay for a border fence.
The State should just keep the money and uses it to fund extra law enforcement or whatever else they think of domestic utility in the discouragement of illegal aliens labor.
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