OBAMA'S SNOW JOB ON JOBS!

As the country awaits the joint session of Congress speech from President Obama let's take a look at how this jobs charade issue will probably pan out. At the labor day rally on Monday President Barack Obama said Monday that congressional Republicans must put their "country ahead of their party" and vote to create new jobs. The question is which country is he talking about? The trouble is the Obama Administration has shown time and time again it does not put AMERICAN workers ahead of those here illegally from other countries. As Obama's Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said in no uncertain terms last week. Think about that as Obama gives his speech on Thursday and talks about getting jobs to unemployed construction workers  Then take a look at what has happened in the past:

"An Alabama employment agency that sent 70 laborers and construction workers to job sites in that state in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina says the men were sent home after just two weeks on the job by employers who told them "the Mexicans had arrived" and were willing to work for less. Linda Swope, who operates Complete Employment Services Inc. in Mobile, Ala., told The Washington Times last week that the workers -- whom she described as U.S. citizens, residents of Alabama and predominantly black -- had been "urgently requested" by contractors hired to rebuild and clear devastated areas of the state, but were told to leave three job sites when the foreign workers showed up."-Diggers Realm

"Tens of thousands of jobs created by the economic stimulus law could end up filled by illegal immigrants, particularly in big states such as California where undocumented workers are heavily represented in construction, experts on both sides of the issue say. Studies by two conservative think tanks estimate immigrants in the United States illegally could take 300,000 construction jobs, or 15% of the 2 million jobs that new taxpayer-financed projects are predicted to create."-USA TODAY

Just go take a look at any construction or renovation site in your area and see who is actually working there. Yeah, you might see an American foreman on the job but, the workers will probably not be American or even here in this country legally and that is just what the business groups and the Obama administration have no problem with. 

OBAMA IS HALFWAY THERE

Hard to tell if a New York Times article is just a PR piece for the Obama administration or a chronicle of a REAL effort by the Obama Administration to start to enforce our immigration laws. But, hopefully it will have a deterrent effect to those businesses that hire illegal immigrants. But, the article also shows that the Obama Administration does the job only halfway: Here are the money quotes:

"But at the arraignment days later in federal court here, no immigrant workers stood before the judge. The only criminal defendants were the owners, Mark Evenson and his son Christopher, and an accountant who worked with them, Diane Ingrid Strehlow. If the Evensons are convicted on all charges against them of tax fraud and harboring illegal workers, they each could face more than 80 years in jail."

I would hope those businesses and their accountants who do try to evade the law do some serious time along with some severe financial financial penalties.  In this case the IRS should also come down hard on them:

"The two of them, who are brothers, said they came to the United States from Mexico in the 1990s. Both had worked most of the time since in Chuy’s restaurants. The eldest, Alejandro Díaz Ojeda, 36, learned to cook the Chuy’s menu. Then he taught his brother, Javier, who is 30. The brothers said they had been treated well. “I became very fond of the company,” Javier said.
Their experience, however, suggests how the Evensons kept their menu prices famously low. The brothers said they were paid an hourly wage — Javier made $9.50 after 14 years — by payroll check for the first 40 hours a week. Any overtime was paid with a different check, with no taxes deducted and no higher rate, they said. Both brothers said they often worked 70 hours a week.

It seems these brothers were not only working here illegally but, evading taxes also! But, they were let go scott free while they pursue their attempt to get citizenship. WTF! I'd like to not pay taxes on any hours I worked after 40 for 14 years! I guess only illegal immigrants can get away with that without the IRS coming after them. File that under "Hola suckers".

BOYCOTT CHIPOTLE: JUST SAY ADIOS WITH YOUR WALLET!

When I work in Washington D.C. I use to sometimes get my lunch at a Chipotle restaurant on Wisconsin Ave. But, I won't stop there again or any of other Chipotle's anymore here's why:

"The hundreds of illegal immigrants recently fired from fast-growing burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc had a pretty good run when it came to job security.Not only did some get jobs with fake Social Security numbers and few questions about their immigration status, in some cases they actually told managers point-blank their papers were no good. And they often stayed on for years.Marta, an undocumented worker from Mexico, twice used false Social Security numbers to secure positions at the chain now being audited by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.She was hired with one false Social Security number in 2003 and rehired as a new employee a few years later under a different name with new, but still fake, number.
The second hire, in 2006, came after Marta told her bosses she needed to change her Social Security number because it belonged to someone else and had caused her mortgage application to fail."-Reuters

I'm not going to use my hard earned American dollars to support the corrupt corporate culture of Chipolte and reward their illegal hiring practices. They knew what they were doing. Chipolte made money by hiring cheap illegal immigrants instead of American workers who in these economic times need all the help they can get and that includes American teenagers who as the headlines often point out are finding it hard to find jobs in this economy too. So it's adios to Chipotle for me! The Chipolte motto is "Food with integrity"  but,  I guess that does not include ethical hiring practices! If they can't hire workers legally than I'll use my legal tender elsewhere. I hope others do the same.