Business lobby helps scuttle immigration curbs in Texas

[pampango]

Source: Reuters

Powerful business interests helped to scuttle proposed immigration restrictions in Texas on Wednesday, further evidence that Republicans in some states are facing resistance among their own supporters to an immigration clampdown. Since Arizona enacted sweeping restrictions on immigration last year and blamed the federal government for failing to pass national reforms, civil rights activists have feared that the crackdown would spread across the country.

The "sanctuary cities" bill would have barred cities from stopping police departments from asking about immigration status of people who are detained or arrested....(It) was far less restrictive than the measure passed in Arizona, and it was championed by Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry, who is considering running for president.

While Republican party infighting and rivalry between the two chambers of the legislature were factors in its demise, shocked conservatives and Tea Party supporters blamed "Country Club" Republicans with close ties to business. "I don't, for one minute, blame the Democrats for this one," an angry Mike Openshaw, Texas Tea Party activist, told Reuters on Wednesday.

Another factor in the bill's demise may have been opposition from Texas law enforcement groups.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/30/immigration-texas-idUSN1E75S29320110630

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Sounds like "business interests", "civil rights activists", and "law enforcement groups" won this one over Perry, "shocked conservatives and Tea Party supporters". Hopefully, "Republican party infighting" will continue and intensify.

[madrchsod]

1. what? white people want to much money in texas?

who else is going to work for less than minimum wage,take care of their kids, clean their toilets,and do those great day labor jobs?

someone must have rented the movie "a day without a mexican" and sent out the alarm

[customerserviceguy]

2. Rich ranchers and businessmen love illegals

They manage to fob the true cost of them on to others.

[Hubert Flottz]

3. The Ruling Class wants to import workers to do the American jobs

that they can't export to the Far East!

The higher ups want to crush the American working class forever.

[DBoon]

8. import "illegal" workers

Workers without legal status are much easier to exploit.

That's good for business

Texas is all about business

[Kolesar]

4. "Country Club" Republicans - I hope that message spreads

We can post it on RW web sites.

[Derechos]

5. This is why unions support immigration reform

including a path to legalization for those already here to ensure that employers no longer game the system and all workers are treated fairly.

See AFL-CIO policy on immigration reform - http://www.aflcio.org/issues/civilrights/immigration/upload/immigrationreform053111.pdf

SEIU - http://www.seiu.org/2010/01/seiu-immigration-reform-kicks-off-week-of-action.php

Labor Federations Announce Support For Immigration Reform … With Conditions - http://news.feetintwoworlds.org/2009/04/14/labor-federations-announce-support-for-immigration-reform-with-conditions/

Earlier this month, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), one of America’s largest unions, passed an important resolution at their national convention in Boston, MA calling for comprehensive immigration reform that respects workers and condemning the Arizona law, SB1070 - http://reformimmigrationforamerica.org/blog/blog/important-labor-unions-condemn-arizona-law-support-immigration-reform/

[Faryn Balyncd]

6. Bob Perry's billions come from taxpayers subsidizing the healthcare of his illegal sheetrockers...

....roofers, and other underpaid, hard-working, cash only, "independent contractors" who build his suburban sprawl McMansions, and whose liability is shielded from mega-builder Perry by his legions of low net worth subcontractors who handle the roofing, sheetrocking, slab-laying etc.

If Bob Perry had to pay the true cost of his workers (instead of having his home-buyers pick up the bill in the higher taxes they pay to the school and hospital districts), he wouldn't have the extra millions to bribe his hired hands in the Texas legislature, who get elected by pandering to racist fears only to sell out to Country Club Republicans like Perry, and not deliver on their fear-mongering promises to their gullible base.

[ananda]

7. Texas' new voter ID and drivers license bills make up for it.

http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/id-measure-passed-quietly-while-sanctuary-cities-bill-1571218.html

It's Jim Crow style politics all over again.

[Historic NY]

9. Where are the tea baggers now?