Businesses with state contracts would be required to use an electronic verification system to ferret out illegal immigrants seeking jobs under a bill moving through the Legislature. ...more

March 26, 2009

A lot of good people around here are searching for ways to stimulate the economy. What our economy needs, and what the national economy needs, have some things in common and quite a few differences. What we really need is getting some construction moving. ...more

March 12, 2009

In reference to Mr. Gates Sr's. letter, "So LongIllegals," he blames it all on just the Democratic Party. Why not start with your city and county to send illegals packing? I believe this is a majority Republican-held commission, a council that permits illegal workers to abound here. Small and big businesses use illegals. Calls go unanswered when child labor practices are reported. They are just told it ain't happening without checking. Some of our own local elected officials need to be looked at about their own personal agenda. ...more

March 8, 2009

The administration has a golden opportunity to make a dent in the illegal immigration problem. That's because huge numbers of illegals here for jobs and not the "American Dream" have returned to their home countries due to lack of work. Their homelands are now hurting and may be forced to finally start taking care of their excess populations by improving infrastructure and job opportunities rather than having another generation of children dreaming of going to El Norte in order to support their desperately poor families. What the U.S. should do is step up enforcement so that those workers cannot sneak back in. Both law and order Republicans and bleeding heart Democrats would be comfortable with that; it's a win, win situation. ...more

February 24, 2009

The Highlands County commissioners agreed Tuesday with the goal of keeping companies that do business with the county from using illegal workers. ...more

February 11, 2009

Between illegals and America's guest worker programs we may be looking at 20 million jobs, jobs held by the many guest workers and illegals. I would ask that the government look at all programs that bring foreign employees to our shores. The E-Verify program, if used, could ferret out most all of the illegal workers, which I suspect could be close to 20 million jobs that are lost to our citizens. This could re-employ millions of American laid-off workers. Many American industries refuse to hire American workers, claiming that they are "over educated for the job." Many engineers in American industry were laid off in the early 1980s by the aircraft and auto industries, etc. They were replaced with foreign engineers from India, China and nations of low wages. ...more

February 7, 2009

Here is a word of warning to the new administration and to all illegals: It would be ill-advised for the new administration to consider pushing for "Comprehensive Immigration." To do so will spark civil unrest, unlike that which America has never seen before. The American worker has been very tolerant for many years with low wages, unfair tax re-distribution, the hiring of illegal workers, the bringing in of guest workers, failing to enforce borders and allowing drugs and illegals from all over the world to enter our nation and the using of tax dollars to offshore American industry. This has caused the entire collapse of the financial system, causing the American worker to lose homes, healthcare and the American dream. This civil unrest could get very ugly. The target of this unrest will be public officials, organizations or anyone who promotes the misuse of our laws, including the illegals themselves. The American worker is "mad as hell" and will not allow this insanity to continue. Let this also be a word of warning to all illegals: the American worker will no longer be mister nice guy. ...more

December 20, 2008

In temporary courtrooms at a fairgrounds here, nearly 300 illegal immigrants were sentenced this week to five months in prison for working at a meatpacking plant with false documents. ...more

May 24, 2008

Illegal immigration and undocumented workers are among today's hot-button topics, and there's no telling when the government might decide to crack down on employers. ...more

February 6, 2008

Reform Immigration Regarding "Bush Calls For Quick Tax Relief" (front page, Jan. 19): ...more

January 27, 2008