Posted on 11/08/2011 1:25:49 PM PST by moonshinner_09
Utility company PROHIBITING illegal immigrants from obtaining electric, gas, water or sewer service in Alabama...
A major utilities company in Alabama is now prohibiting illegal immigrants from receiving electricity, gas, water or wastewater services to heated reactions on both sides, but they're just following the law.
The Decatur Utilities company is now one of many in the state that follows the newly signed immigration law which prohibits business with illegal immigrants in the state or its subdivisions.
'We did not [originally] document or confirm whether or not they were citizens or aliens here legally,' Stephen Pirkle, Decatur business manager and chief financial officer told the Decatur 'Because of the new law, we are now going through the process to confirm that they are either a citizen or an alien here legally. If not, we will deny them service,' he added.
Section 30 of the Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act, signed into law on June 9th of this year, will make it a felony offense, encouraging businesses like Decatur Utilities, with over 30,000 customers, to check customer's citizenship before service.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I rented a house in the country years ago and the guy down the road about a half mile had peacocks I had never heard one. First time one cut loose I thought a child was being hurt.
You’ve got a good point. Unfortunately, the feds aren’t doing it(in fact they are fighting against enforcing the immigration laws)so someone’s got to pick up the slack.
“If the utility is going to do this, then they need to make absolutely sure that they don’t cut anyone off unless they are right.”
Agreed.
“I also don’t see why it’s the utility’s job to care about citizenship.”
Well SOMEBODY has to.
I think this may be an “unintended consequence” of the law. I suppose the law is for companies to run a background check and fill out the proper form for checking citizenship (already the Federal law!!??). And to make it against the law to hire the illegals standing outside of Home Depot to suppliment your roofing crew. (Still against Federal law).
This seems like a lot of hassle and cost to the utility company, and will just get passed on to the customers. And no doubt it will still have problems. Rental units owned by a citizen but rented by illegals, fake documents, etc.
Hmmm - does this mean Home Depot can’t sell a leaf blower to an illegal? It would seem so.
I grew up in a small town that was....”vanilla” in hue. I went into the Army after graduation. Came home after a 4 year hitch and thought I’d been mistakenly dropped off in Mexico City.
I also live close to the border. The CANADIAN Border.
Because the IRS has guns? And the State will fine you $10,000 for working the trades without a licence? Because we are not free?
America turned from God, and became the land of the fee and the home of the knave.
Imagine that, denying services to criminals. What is the world coming to?
Actually the beltway pols that ignore the rule of law deserve exactly the same treatment.
>>>Hmmm - does this mean Home Depot can’t sell a leaf blower to an illegal? It would seem so.
You raise an interesting question. Does one have to carry a birth certificate or passport with them to confirm citizenship status when they get their haircut or dine at a restaurant?
So...do they plan on having all their existing customers provide proof that they are here legally and require the same from all new customers? Otherwise how else will they know?
Man - what a hassle. Perhaps they could come up with a tattoo or something?
Reminds me - as a small business owner, I think it is this upcoming year that for any CUMULATIVE $600 or more spent I will need to fill our some tax form to send to the person/company/store and one to the gov’t. This includes all of those bits and pieces that add up at the hardware store, etc. I wonder if hotels count? I suppose so.
You can bet Holder will be on this in a flash - can’t be letting any harm come to those illegal immigrants on Obama’s watch!
So there are no private run/owned utility companies? That’s not a good thing for Alabama.
They’d better get it right. Any screwups are going to kill that law.
That apparently seems to be the plan. “Papers please” to keep your lights on.
Can’t see any possibility for abuse there.
“Because we are not free?”
Exactly so. We are not free men, but slaves.
There are down in Central and Lower Alabama, Southern Company is the main one. We have municipally owned utilities up here because we can buy cheap (subsidized somewhat) power from TVA.
Constitutionally, it’s the job of the Federal government. Obama needs to do his job rather than pawning it off on everybody else.
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