Immigration crackdown hits fence builder

Yahoo News ^ | 12 January, 2008 | ELLIOT SPAGAT

[wgflyer]

SAN DIEGO - That the government wanted to put Mel Kay behind a prison fence is an irony, though one that neither he nor his accusers would find amusing.

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CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE! Mel Kay builds fences. His was the largest fence-building company in Southern California; he rode the nation's housing boom to $150 million in annual sales. His fences are just about everywhere — at gated subdivisions, on military bases, at prisons.

He even built fences at two immigration jails, a Border Patrol station and the U.S.-Mexico border.

...Kay, a longtime Republican, hopes the government overhauls laws soon to permit some illegal immigrants to stay in the United States. If not, he says, he may struggle to fill jobs when the housing market rebounds.

[wgflyer]

Mr. Kay should be in Jail for life, his business sold on auction to real Americans. No doubt Mr. Kay has given generously to McCain, or one of the other 3 GOP libs running for '08, and is the reason that the GOP completely ignores it's base on this issue.

Bet there's two GOP candidates he avoids like the plague.

[3AngelaD]

I liked this part: Flores strongly believes that American jobs should go to citizens and legal residents. He is skeptical of Kay's claims that Golden State couldn't find enough of them to dig ditches for $60,000 a year, with benefits.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

I hate BS artists like this who claim Americans are lazy...that “I cant hire Americans” BS. Or, “Jobs Americans wont do” BS

If you cant hire Americans, maybe you shouldn’t be in nusiness in America. Plenty of American businesses have no problem hiring Americans

[meyer]

OH, those wealthy Californians. Where would they be without their cheap labor?

[wgflyer]

Yes. It’s an easy claim to reject.

[Guenevere]

Sure....no decent American citizen wants to make 60K plus benefits....

...sigh...I am so sick sick sick and tired of the 'jobs Americans won't take' lies, I could scream.

Bush has spouted this mantra as well.

We're being driven down the socialist road so fast our heads are spinning .....Thanks to all the RINO traitors!

Duncan Hunter made the poing when he told about one company that tightened their regulations and fired a huge amount of illegals...

..and the next day REAL AMERICAN CITIZENS were lined up to compete for the jobs!

[ontap]

It’s pretty clear this author is trying to get some sympathy for this guy. How many honest fence builders did he put out of business? The argument that these people are doing work they can’t get Americans to do is always going to be their first mantra. These jobs could be filled “legally” but not at the price these employers are willing to pay. Remember most employers of illegals don’t have to waste their time on benefits and pesky workman’s comp.rules. They just let the taxpayers pick up the medical bills.

[chainsaw]

OH, those wealthy Californians. Where would they be without their cheap labor slaves?

[poindexter]

He is skeptical of Kay's claims that Golden State couldn't find enough of them to dig ditches for $60,000 a year, with benefits.

Ditch diggin' ain't what it used to be:

[3AngelaD]

And I would just add that Mr. Flores appears to be doing his job.

[Disambiguator]

Ditch diggin' ain't what it used to be:

I've had the opportunity to run a backhoe digging ditches before, and it's not "hard labor" by any stretch. It's kind of fun, actually.

[org.whodat]

But Kay compensated his employees well. New hires start at $35,000 a year and jump to about $60,000 after three years. Full-time workers get health and life insurance, sick leave and at least two weeks vacation.

The man is a lying POS, I would audit his firms payroll records for free if it would put his sorry Ass in jail forever.

[Socratic]

“Jobs Americans wont do”

It's the modern day equivalent of slave holders talking about their "peculiar institution."

[deport]

No doubt Mr. Kay has given generously to McCain, or one of the other 3 GOP libs running for ‘08, and is the reason that the GOP completely ignores it’s base on this issue.

---

You’d think he would be on the donation list for all politicians R or D.... I did a quick look at the FEC and didn’t find a Mel Kay as a donor for any candidate on the Presidential list, D/R. I didn’t check for House/Senate.

[discostu]

60 grand and benefits?! For ditch diggers?! NFW ditch diggers are worth that much.

[3AngelaD]

You don’t live in California or on the East Coast, I take it.

[discostu]

And I’m glad. Any part of the country that thinks ditch diggers should make 60 grand is just plain overpriced and silly. How the hell much is a 2 liter bottle of Doctor Pepper?

[wally_bert]

Beats me by a lot and I am supposedly in a real profession.

[Sophie Schol]

I hate BS artists like this who claim Americans are lazy...that “I cant hire Americans” BS. Or, “Jobs Americans wont do” BS

Now, I don't want to sound like a smartass, but doesn't President Bush want "guest workers" to do those jobs that Americans "won't do"?

I've always thought that if you can't find qualified candidates at minimum wage you shouldn't hire illegals, you should boost the wage rate.

[montag813]

So the U.S. government employed a firm which employed illegal aliens to build a jail for illegal aliens? Truth is stranger than fiction.