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Kolbe explains bill, but doesn't find support at SV town hall
BY BILL HESS 14 August 2003
Sierra Vista Herald/Review SIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA -- U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe said he needs support for a new guest-worker program to end the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States, but he did not get much encouragement from people who attended his town hall Wednesday night. One woman angrily and emotionally demanded that the federal government close the border now and protect her and others who are living in fear. Her voice rising, the woman said she does not sleep at night because the flow of illegal immigrants goes by her home in the Hereford area. She also said her property is being trashed. She is afraid and has purchased a gun for protection, the woman said before leaving the meeting. Kolbe, R-Ariz., began his town hall in the Sierra Vista City Hall council chambers by talking about the proposed bill he, U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., recently introduced in Congress. The congressman told the nearly 100 people at the event that the majority of illegal immigrants entering the United States from Mexico are "coming here for a job." In the future U.S. job market, U.S. citizens will be taking on employment in the high-end paying positions when the baby boomer generation retires in the next few years, the congressman said. Lower-paying employment, including service industry jobs such as those in restaurants and hotels, will have to be filled by migrants, he said. The proposed bill will provide an avenue for people throughout the world to apply for jobs that Americans will not do, Kolbe said. The bill "recognizes reality" by legally allowing workers to enter the United States with a special visa. It also gives those here illegally an opportunity to become legal in the sense they can stay and work, the congressman said. Kolbe said it is not amnesty for those who in the country illegally, just as he has said in recent meetings when he has discussed the proposed bill. John Harrington of Elgin said the federal government needs to go after the businesses that hire illegal immigrants. Kolbe said it is not proper to make business owners be immigration law enforcement officers because they do not have the ability to determine if documents being presented are real or fraudulent. After the meeting, Harrington said Kolbe did not answer his question, which leads him to believe the bill is a bad one that should not be passed by Congress. Greedy business owners want the "slave labor" coming across the border. They will not hire legally if the bill is passed because they will have to pay migrants more money, Harrington said. To solve the problem, Harrington said officials need to go after the money people on both sides of the border -- those who hire the illegal immigrants on the U.S. side and those who are paid on the Mexican side to get illegal immigrants into the United States. Jim O'Donogue of Sierra Vista said that because of the federal government's inaction, "the gates are open and the horses are gone." Kolbe said he would take any suggestions to make the bill better and ideas on how to control the border. O'Donogue suggested that the border be strengthened by using unarmed retired military people "stationed every 200 or 300 yards." The volunteers would only need cell phones to call for law enforcement support when a group of illegal immigrants is seen crossing the border. O'Donogue added that he would volunteer for 12 hours a week, and the only pay he would want is a "baloney and cheese sandwich." Margaret Stephens of Hereford said that unless action is taken to control the border, which doesn't mean coming up with a new visa process for those seeking jobs, "this will not be the United States of America, it will be the United States of Mexico." She added that illegal immigrants demand more and more once they come into the United States. "An illegal is no better than a person robbing a store," she said.
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