Illegal Immigrants Say They Remodeled Basement for Congressman Known as Immigration Critic

Associated Press ^ | September 19, 2002 | Jon Sarche

[hchutch]

Yeah, and I've seen "true conservatives" pronounce perfectly good Republicans like Bill Simon as RINOs or "sellouts" because they are not 100% "pure" on issues.

Just ask Gophack or Poohbah. They'll tell you the horror stories.

[usadave]

Sure illegal immigrants are bad, but dammit I want my produce for cheap.

We could still have cheap produce without having to resort to using illegal aliens to pick it.

[Poohbah]

Dave, it wouldn't be difficult to actually check out. The INS is probably doing it already, because this is getting high-profile. The contractor is NOT going to admit that they hired illegals; that would allow the INS to fine them.

Tancredo's response was a nice piece of Clintonian parsing. Yes, it is illegal to inquire as to the nationality of the contract employee; no, it is not illegal to independently verify the legal status of the employees. The fact that Tancredo offered his excuse in that fashion says that he probably did not want to know in the first place.

[usadave]

Why is he so OBSESSED with illegal Mexicans, and not illegals from terrorist countries?.

From what I've read about Tom Tancredo, he is concerned (not obsessed) with all illegal aliens in the United States. It just so happens that the largest and most visible group of illegal aliens in the U.S. are Mexicans.

[usadave]

You'll be amazed at how many votes calling Mr. Apodaca and his family a "bloodsucker" and "his parasitic kin" will LOSE.

Lose whose votes? Those of the pro-illegal immigration Latino Republican voters?

[MissAmericanPie]

Yeah, I'm sure Tancredo knew all about them being illegal. I'm also sure if he has asked to see their SS cards they would have whipped their fake documents right out of their pockets.

[Poohbah]

Lose whose votes? Those of the pro-illegal immigration Latino Republican voters?

No, the middle-of-the-road folks who don't cotton to people throwing that sort of rhetoric around. It makes it SO much easier for the Democrats to portray Mr. Tancredo as a mouth-breathing sheethead.

You can say the same thing without like you're late for your monthly belligerence meeting.

Tancredo doesn't have enough votes in his district from folks like you to win. It's very rare to find a Republican who does have that luxury.

[Poohbah]

I'm also sure if he has asked to see their SS cards they would have whipped their fake documents right out of their pockets.

From the way he answered the questions about why he didn't check, he didn't WANT to know one way or the other.

[usadave]

Tancredo's response was a nice piece of Clintonian parsing. Yes, it is illegal to inquire as to the nationality of the contract employee; no, it is not illegal to independently verify the legal status of the employees. The fact that Tancredo offered his excuse in that fashion says that he probably did not want to know in the first place.

Probably so. Some group cleverly painted Tancredo into a corner, and no matter how he chose to explain his way out of it, he was made to look less than respectable. Very unfortunate.

[MissAmericanPie]

Sure, like you, or me, or anyone else, asks.

[Poohbah]

Probably so.

Your next sentence needs an edit.

Some group cleverly painted Tancredo into a corner, and no matter how he chose to explain his way out of it, he was made to look less than respectable.

It should read:

Some group Tancredo cleverly painted Tancredo into a corner, and no matter how he chose to explain his way out of it, he was made to look less than respectable.

There are no victims, only volunteers. I've done due diligence on contractors coming to my home. Tancredo needed to do it far more than I did, and he didn't.

When one starts throwing stones, one had better make sure that one's house is made of Kevlar and not glass. It is far easier to avoid the problems in the first place rather than engage in Clintonian word games after the fact.

Like it or not, the liberal media is not going to give a conservative the same pass that

Very unfortunate.

Yeah, his foolishness was very unfortunate, indeed.

[MissAmericanPie]

Businessman denies charges

Drywall installer angrily challenges illegal-alien claim

By Heather Draper And M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News

September 20, 2002

A Denver businessman accused of using illegal workers to remodel U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo's basement said Thursday he would welcome a visit from immigration officials.

J.J. Fukunaga, who has owned and operated Creative Drywall Designs of Denver for 19 years, said he was blindsided by the accusations and frustrated that he didn't know who was making them.

The Denver Post, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that illegal immigrants were used to finish Tancredo's basement and install a home theater system - charges that Fukunaga angrily denied.

The newspaper interviewed two workers who said they took part in the job.

"I can't believe the story came out without anybody doing their homework," Fukunaga said.

He said he has documentation on all his employees and has been meeting with his lawyer to determine what he should do next. He said he would happily allow U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service agents to go over the paperwork.

Fukunaga and several members of his family also run Denver Audio Design, which worked on Tancredo's home theater system, installed during the basement remodeling. Denver Audio currently only has one employee on its payroll, store manager Brett Olkowski, who said he was born in Buffalo, N.Y.

Olkowski said he and two other men worked on Tancredo's audio system - Jeff Wolff, who was born in Denver, and Brad Brock-Purviance, who was born in San Diego.

"We're all definitely legal citizens," Olkowski said.

Tancredo's offices in Denver and Washington were flooded with calls, mostly in his support, his staff said.

Tancredo, a Republican from Littleton representing Colorado's 6th Congressional District, said he had no evidence that the companies involved in his renovation project did anything wrong, so he planned to take no action.

"I have nothing to tell the INS about these two alleged illegal aliens who are felons," Tancredo said.

"I don't know who they are and I don't even know if they are real people.

"I have no information to lead me to believe the company has done anything wrong. I don't even know, frankly, that those people really are here illegally. They could be people who didn't even work in my basement, but they despise me."

[Poohbah]

Sure, like you, or me, or anyone else, asks.

I do ask. You choose to NOT ask. It's an important part of screening a contractor.

[Poohbah]

OK, let's parse.

Fukunaga and several members of his family also run Denver Audio Design, which worked on Tancredo's home theater system, installed during the basement remodeling. Denver Audio currently only has one employee on its payroll, store manager Brett Olkowski, who said he was born in Buffalo, N.Y.

Ah, yes. Only one "current" employee. Have they fired anyone recently?

Olkowski said he and two other men worked on Tancredo's audio system - Jeff Wolff, who was born in Denver, and Brad Brock-Purviance, who was born in San Diego.

They did ALL of the work, huh? No day laborers to do the grunt work?

Sure. Right. Uh-huh.

<snip>

Tancredo, a Republican from Littleton representing Colorado's 6th Congressional District, said he had no evidence that the companies involved in his renovation project did anything wrong, so he planned to take no action.

Why am I reminded of Al Gore's infamous iced tea?

"I have nothing to tell the INS about these two alleged illegal aliens who are felons," Tancredo said.

Hmm. He's suggesting that he knows they're here and they're illegal. "I don't know who they are and I don't even know if they are real people.

Now he doesn't.

"I have no information to lead me to believe the company has done anything wrong.

Coupled with his earlier statement...is it that he doesn't know, or that he doesn't WANT to know?

I don't even know, frankly, that those people really are here illegally. They could be people who didn't even work in my basement, but they despise me."

Interesting. He doesn't know who they are, he doesn't know if they're illegal, but they're felons.

Inconsistencies upon inconsistencies. Something sounds amiss.

[MissAmericanPie]

"Inconsistencies upon inconsistencies. Something sounds amiss.

Yes, like your claim that you question your contractors about illegal employees.

[Poohbah]

Yes, like your claim that you question your contractors about illegal employees.

I check paper on anyone coming into my house to do work.

There's a very technical word to describe the individual who doesn't do that.

That word is "stupid."

[hchutch]

But you forget, Poohbah, Tancredo's their HERO. He's been set up by that EVIL "open borders" crowd that wants to give amnesty to terrorists, drug smugglers and people who want to come to this country, get on welfare, and have lots of "anchor babies."

This is kinda fun to watch, actually. Does anyone have some popcorn?

[Poohbah]

But you forget, Poohbah, Tancredo's their HERO. He's been set up by that EVIL "open borders" crowd that wants to give amnesty to terrorists, drug smugglers and people who want to come to this country, get on welfare, and have lots of "anchor babies."

You forgot to describe them as "Satanic Forces of Darkness."

This is kinda fun to watch, actually. Does anyone have some popcorn?

I'm going to go have myself a libation...

[usadave]

Yeah, his foolishness was very unfortunate, indeed.

Then I would imagine that the vast majority of Americans are just as foolish. So apparently the owner of the contracting company that worked on Tancredo's house lied when he denied having any illegal aliens on his company's payroll. I guess we can't trust anybody to tell the truth anymore. Like Reagan said, "trust, but verify", because apparently this isn't our grandfather's United States anymore.

[usadave]

This is kinda fun to watch, actually. Does anyone have some popcorn?

You're right, this is fun to watch. That is, watching all of the Tancredo bashers trying to make a mountain out of a molehill (or maybe an anthill).