:evil: :evil: I recently had the opportunity to talk to several folks from New Orleans that are temporarily located in Longview TX as a result of Hurricane Katrina. One of them had several years experience in construction, and stated he would like to return to New Orleans, get a job, repair his house and get his life back in order. Evidently, there is no work available for him, yet FEMA allows hundreds of illegals to work and draw FEDERAL WAGES that will be sent back to Mexico to improve their economy. And we, the working tax payers, are supporting the folks that want to go home and go back to work. The following was published in a local newspaper, something is wrong with this picture. In my opinion, the illegal immigrant problem is totally out of hand, and the White House and Congress are showing little interest in repairing the problem. :x :x :x
Norwood Calls for DHS to Withdraw Illegal Alien Amnesty Rule
for Gulf Coast Reconstruction
(Washington, DC) House Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairman Charlie Norwood (R-GA) today called on the Department of Homeland Security to follow up the Presidents decision to re-impose Davis-Bacon wage regulations in the Gulf Coast reconstruction area with a similar reinstatement of illegal immigration enforcement efforts. "If itsa time to reinstate Davis-Bacon," Norwood says, "then itsa time to reinstate enforcing the law against illegal aliens, and protect our federally-funded reconstruction jobs for U.S. victims of Katrina and Rita."The Department of Homeland Security on September 6 announced a 45-day waiver of employer sanctions for using illegal immigrant labor following Hurricane Katrina, shortly after the President temporarily suspended Davis-Bacon wage rules. Both waivers were promoted as efforts to streamline federal regulations to speed recovery. The Davis-Bacon waiver had no impact on wage rates, but was successful in reducing weekly contractor paperwork requirements. The Davis-Bacon minimum labor rate for the Greater New Orleans Area was $9.55 an hour; contractors in the area are reported paying a minimum $15-17 an hour. However, waiver of DHS enforcement efforts against illegal immigrant labor has resulted in a flood of illegal immigrants into the New Orleans area, the firing of U.S. reconstruction workers who are replaced at lower wages by illegal immigrants, and hampered the return of storm victims to the area. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin told business leaders that the city was currently being "overrun by Mexican workers." Norwood has demanded the federal government do everything possible to provide temporary jobs for hurricane-displaced workers through the reconstruction effort. "These jobs should go to our own citizens who need work," Norwood says, "not illegal immigrants who are swamping the labor pool." Norwood says the impact of illegal worker takeover of Katrina reconstruction affects more than just Gulf Coast storm victims. "These illegal workers are sending a large part of their earnings to their home country in the form of remittances, which means once we pay them, the money is permanently taken out of our economy, and doesnt help to stimulate any new permanent jobs here, as it would with an American workforce."
