Illegal immigration ordinance passes (in Fremont, NE)

[Ed Barrow]

Source: Fremont Tribune

Fremont voters approve a proposed illegal immigration ordinance in a special election Monday.

Unofficial results from the Dodge County Clerk's Office showed voters approving the measure 57 percent to 43 percent.

With approximately 45 percent voters turnout, 3,906 ballots were cast in favor of the ordinance and 2,908 against.

The ordinance would ban the harboring, hiring of and renting to illegal immigrants.


Read more: http://fremonttribune.com/article_abf359d6-7d86-11df-928c-001cc4c002e0.html

[CurtEastPoint]

1. From this city's own website: "Welcome!" ...

Welcome!

Welcome to Fremont (unless you are brown...my snark)

Located just 20 minutes west of Omaha, Fremont is recognized as a livable and progressive city. With a population of 25,000 residents, the city that was founded in 1856 has grown from its historical roots into an agribusiness community that provides a small town atmosphere and affordable living with big city amenities. Fremont promotes a positive environment for families, business, community organizations and visitors. Fremont will continue to be a community that we are proud to call home.

[Bette Noir]

2. Agribusiness?

1. Where are they going to get employees?

2. Where are those employees going to live?

[amandabeech]

5. Agribusiness employs all kinds of people, not just those who came

here without documents.

No doubt, the businesses will run ads and word will spread if anyone is hiring. It won't be any different than anywhere else. These days, it seems that if there's a job, people will come.

People hired who do have legit documents will live in the town. People who don't will live outside the town limits or in a close by town if the law actually is enforced.

This law will probably not be enforced more than a couple times before a lawsuit is filed and further enforcement of the law is enjoined by a court.

[Vincent441]

17. easy hire americans

[crim son]

58. I wonder if you have an idea why americans are not hired?

Do you?

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MellowDem]

27. Oh, so I guess it should read...

"Welcome all illegal immigrants! Please come to our town so you can be exploited by our corporations at everyone's expense and to the benefit of the CEOs of said corporation!"

I didn't know progressive cities were supposed to have a second class of citizens for the sake of profit and "the economy". So many progressive here really don't get it. Illegal immigration is a conservative wet dream. Cheap labor, no need for regulations, no unions, more profits.

Why don't you go to Europe, where you'll find the most progressive countries in the world are even more strict about illegal immigration than we are. And why? Because they're progressives.

You're snark about brown people is what businesses want! Yeah, being against illegal immigration and cheap labor is racist! That's the ticket! It's progressive to have unions and regulations, so please, keep demonzing those opposed to illegal immigration!

[davidinalameda]

3. people are pissed off about illegal immigration

why would this vote come as a surprise

the republicans are using this issue very effectively against Democrats

and yes, I agree that something needs to be done about illegal immigration

comprehensive reform needs to happen

we need to go after the employers who hire illegals and doing something about securing the border

there's a boatload of crap going on along the Arizona/Mexican border and people are pissed off about that as well

[Tempest]

4. "the republicans are using this issue very effectively against Democrats"

It's only working with whites.

Hispanics and other minorities are registering as Democrats in large numbers ever since AZ passed its law.

[davidinalameda]

6. only with whites?

I can't find any hard numbers but there may be evidence that African Americans aren't too thrilled with illegal immigration either

and let's not forget that whites still make up a majority of voters in most of the congressional districts

it's going to be the white vote that decides which party is in control of congress come November

[depakid]

10. Hispanic are the fastest growing demographic in the country

so it's very shortsighted to side with the cowardly bigots on things like this....

[davidinalameda]

13. shortsided or not

people want the issue resolved now

[joeglow3]

24. Cowardly bigots???

I explained in your other thread how my family was near homelessness when I was growing up due exclusively to illegal immigrants and their impact on the drywall industry (and their unions) in Omaha. You are a coward to refuse to discuss the real issue and resort to a cop out like calling everyone who opposes illegal immigration a bigot and trying to destroy any reasonable conversation.

I am a proud Democrat who supports working class, union workers and oppose people and businesses who break the law and destroy them.

[Tempest]

40. Scapegoat much?

There are an estimated 24,000 illegal aliens living in Nebraska.

http://www.statemaster.com/graph/peo_est_num_of_ill_imm-people-estimated-number-illegal-immigrants

There are 1.7 million people living in Nebraska. Illegals make up less than 2% of the population in Nebraska.


And you're claiming they are responsible for the impact on the drywall industry?

That's just plain ignorance.

[davidinalameda]

43. and you know the state of the drywall industry in Nebraska better than someone

who has had family involved in it?

[Tempest]

45. Who claims to have family involved

And what does his family's involvement have to do with reality on the ground?

That's like saying a soldier in the Army has a better grasp on the Iraq war than the Pentagon.


I'd like to see some empirical data backing up his statement since the figures I provided don't show any correlation.

[joeglow3]

48. I am not getting in a dick waving match

I cited a perfect example you can look up - Local 444 petitioning to get the Omaha World Herald to run an article on E&K Drywall of Omaha employing illegals to build the $200M+ Omaha Convention Center and Arena (now the Qwest Center). You choose to stick you fingers in your ears and yell "lalalalala," there is nothing I can do.

[Tempest]

15. You're wrong

Hispanic voters have been influencing elections all over the west. Even highly conservative Kern County in CA has a Hispanic state legislator because of the Hispanic vote.

You ignore the influence of the Hispanic vote at your own peril, but most of us understand the importance and size.

[EFerrari]

7. That border doesn't run into Nebraska.

I hope these people are ready for their local economy to tank when all those tax payers leave.

[davidinalameda]

14. what taxpayers

[Tempest]

16. Hispanic tax payers

Illegals own houses and pay property taxes. They pay sales taxes and user fees into the local government.


There was a story a few months ago about a town in upper New York that passed a law like Fremont's and now the town is dying because of it.

[Vincent441]

18. you are wrong

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Llewlladdwr]

42. Isn't it a violation of DU rules to call out someone for low post count? NT

[Tempest]

44. Not yet

And I'm still waiting for a response from him.

Do I get to claim victory by default? :evilgrin:

[amandabeech]

53. Deleted.

[EFerrari]

22. Yep. It happens where ever these laws are passed.

You'd think someone would have noticed by now.

[Tempest]

36. As Georgia and Iowa found out

Here's a couple of examples of what they can expect:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003261371_immigaftermath16.html
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kyle-drennen/2009/06/15/cbs-immigration-raid-left-indiana-town-s-economy-tatters

[joeglow3]

25. I would argue it is due to businesses leaving

They will follow the cheap labor. Thus, the only way to have any impact is with comprehensive national reform. Too bad our government appears poised to do jack shit on this.

[Tempest]

34. Your argument doesn't follow what is happening

I can't find the article, but the town in New York I mentioned had businesses closing because of how many immigrants left.

It is also a fear of businesses in AZ.


Here's a couple of examples of what they can expect:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003261371_immigaftermath16.html
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kyle-drennen/2009/06/15/cbs-immigration-raid-left-indiana-town-s-economy-tatters

[davidinalameda]

41. which town in New York

it's not that I don't trust your spin on things

just like to find out for myself

[Tempest]

46. See post #38

I can't find the article on the New York town, and it may have been elsewhere, but post #38 has two examples of what Fremont can expect.

[Tempest]

47. Found it

It was New Jersey, not New York.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/nyregion/26riverside.html

Those eastern states are all the same to us west coasters. :)

[MellowDem]

28. So you're for cheap, illegal, exploitable labor...

so that the local economy can do well. The hypocrisy just keeps on coming on these illegal immigration threads.

Posters keep mouthing what are essentially right-wing talking points about the economy, all for what? I don't know. I guess they want more Hispanics in the US? Because supporting illegal immigration is pretty much going against everything the working class stands for.

[EFerrari]

31. You are insulting me based on your own faulty conclusion.

:)

[MellowDem]

32. Seems like a very accurate conclusion.

:)

[Tempest]

35. As a third party watching your conversation

Your conclusions were based upon no information.

Nothing he posted would indicate he was for all the things you accused him of.

[MellowDem]

50. I questioned their response...

I actually didn't conclude or accuse anything. From their response it seemed that may have been their position. Which is why I asked. Most of my response wasn't even directed at them personally, but more like those defending illegal immigration as good for the economy. Their response certainly came off that way and mirrors what many on the right always say when it comes to labor vs corporations.

[EFerrari]

39. Nope. Pointing out that the local economy will tank

is not a stamp of approval on exploiting labor. It's just objectively true.

[MellowDem]

51. so you only point out the negative effect...

Which does not come across as "objective" at all. That's why I asked you if that's what you believed. Usually not fully explaining your opinion, giving facts that support only one side of the debate, and generally being obtuse will lead people to ask about your positions. It's not a conclusion, it's a question.

[EFerrari]

56. The negative fact?

LOL

Have a nice day.

[New Dawn]

8. Like I said in the other thread, we need to go after the business owners responsible.

And not pass laws that target low-wage workers.

[laureloak]

21. delete

[MellowDem]

29. You do know that illegal immigration most negatively impacts...

low wage legal workers, right? I fully agree that business owners should be gone after.

[Tempest]

37. Yet another jump to conclusion post from you

You're accusing him of not knowing something when he gave no indication of such.

In fact, if you read his post carefully he points that out.

[MellowDem]

52. point out the "conclusion"...

I asked him if he knew that. It's not an accusation. What you are doing is accusing and coming to conclusions, which is amusing.

[depakid]

9. I hope it costs them a fortune...

that they have to make up with a special assessment or some other tax or cut to services.

[joeglow3]

26. Sounds like people are lined up to pay for it

Listened to a local show this morning and they said they have had groups around the country offering to pay the costs.

[Tempest]

38. The cost to the local economy will dwarf the lawsuit costs

Here's a couple of examples of what they can expect:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003261371_immigaftermath16.html
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kyle-drennen/2009/06/15/cbs-immigration-raid-left-indiana-town-s-economy-tatters

[joeglow3]

49. Not really comparable

Stillmore is a town of 1,000 people near no major cities. Likewise, Postville is a town of 2,000 people also near no major cities.

Fremont, on the other hand, is a city of 25,000 that is part of a metro of about a million people. Many people live in Fremont and travel to Omaha for office labor (i.e. it is not a town reliant solely on manual labor).

However, as an outsider living a thousand miles away, you clearly know more about the demographics, regional layout, drywall industry, etc. than I do living here.

[depakid]

54. For each of the people in the voting district, I hope the direct costs exceed $2,000

which would be about right- and just for this sort of bone head xenophobic play.

[joeglow3]

57. Keep up the stereotyping

Until you deal with it personally, you don't know jack. However, stereotyping and pre-judging people sure are great things, huh?

[Broke In Jersey]

12. I thought it was already a federal crime....

does this just in theory allow local law enforcement of the federal law?

[laureloak]

20. Obey the laws. Enforce them. That's what the public wants. nt

[primavera]

23. This is so ironic

Nebraska was the target of Operation Vanguard ten years ago, an attempt by the then INS to crack down on the hiring of undocumented labor in the meat packing industry. In response, Nebraska went totally postal when they were denied their undocumented meatpackers - the INS was forced to shut down the enforcement effort owing to extreme political pressure from Nebraska's governor, congresspersons, and senators.

[amandabeech]

33. So Nebraska acted to stop the federal effort to enforce federal law.

The federal government folded instead of telling the state of Nebraska to step aside because immigration is a federal matter.

Now the locals are trying to do something to get the effect of the federal law that neither the feds nor the state of Nebraska will enforce.

Enough of this and the governed will lose all faith in the rule of law and their governing institutions.

That will not be a good situation.

[depakid]

55. You claim to be a lawyer, but haven't been sounding much like one on these threads

or at least, not one who paid attention in the MPRE classes.

[MellowDem]

30. This won't go over well with the business owners...

Wonder what they'll do this time to discredit the opposition. They're racists? It'll hurt the economy? Well, it did hurt the economy of the South when slavery was outlawed. Maybe they should try that analogy. It's all about the profits.