The ICE agent was specifically referring to the Commonwealth of Virginia (the state government) being the largest employer of illegal aliens in the metro area through their contractors and subcontractors. VDOT was one of the biggest departments employing illegal aliens.

What is the “scourge” that “people like me encourage”? I am generally opposed to scourges of virtually any kind. We did have a bad infestation of carpenter antslast fall, but I assure you that I did nothing to encourage it.

Thanks for helping DePortM figure out what the ICE agent was saying. My assumption was closer to your explanation than his.

SO, as I am not a private business owner, but, as one of 140 elected legislators, I am a trustee for the Commonwealth of Virginia, I proposed the amendment requiring all new hires to go through an e-verify background check.

Next, I can require that contractors on VDOT road projects do the same, and we can expand it further.

The Civil Rights movement started with a bus boycott in one city. The same principle was applied in other social areas.

You have to start somewhere.

Delegate Bob Marshall

PS Write your state senators about this amendment.

The story the ICE agent is quoting included employees of public contractors as being employees oftate. That’s why an e-verify provision is needed that applies to public (i.e., state) contractors. Marshall’s provision is much ado about nada, or at least very little. I doubt many illegals are employed by the Commonwealth, but from what I’ve seen of our state employees, I’m convinced their average IQ would be raised by hiring them.

You and I probably agree on one thing: Mr. Mashall’s little budget amendment will make about as much difference in the big scheme of things as one less teat on a boar hog. What’s needed is an e-verify requirement of all employers, especially public contractors. You and I could speculate on the constitutionality of such a provision ad nauseum, but that’s what’s needed to rid this Commonwealth of the scourge that people like you encourage. Such a law would be worth the risk of a constitutional challenge.

As for the fact you misrepresented, you stated, “When my company hires new personnel, we are required to ascertain citizenship or legal residency/visa status.” The misrepresentation is the part that implies your company “is required” to ascertain citizenship. Now you can engage in some Clintonesque quibbling about the meaning of “is” and say you were not implying there is a legal duty to ascertain the citizenship, that it is just a company policy. But we both know that woud also be a lie.

I have no idea whether mobs of 2Is are storming the job banks of the state government. That was my question.

I have no position on this legislation. Like everyone else, I can’t form a position without a thorough knowledge of the facts. Since no one else has such knowledge around here, I’m certain none of you are ready to take a position either.

I ask questions because I’m naturally curious. I also have noticed a tendency for people to run around like chickens with their heads cut off on certain issues. My conservative tendencies lead me to want to understand the depth and nature of a problem before I conclude that more coercive government measures are the way to solve it. I realize that that sort of thinking is anathema to liberals who hang around here in large numbers, but it’s just my way, based on lifetime of seeing government screw things up more than it makes things better.

DPortM: If Special Agent Beahn was referring to the Government of the Commonwealth as an employer (as opposed to 2Is in the state of Virginia generally), then ICE would have the numbers. If you link me to them, I’ll have a look-see.

While attending a Help Save Maryland function, Special Agent Beahn of ICE told the crowd that the Commonwealth of Virginia is one of the biggest employers of illegal aliens in the metro area. He did not provide figures. I believe that this provides the proof you are looking for.

I did not say they were a “him” nor did I say it was only one, but at least one.

As for my approach to treating suspects, I never said I advocated this method but thats just an option, harsh as it may seem, that you may select in your quest for your quantitive purpose.

You indicate that where you work you require a passport or greencard as a pre condition of employment . And that is here in the U.S.?

Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION NOTICE: It is illegal to discriminate against work eligible individuals. Employers CANNOT specify which document(s) they will accept from an employee.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-9.pdf

I’ve a few questions of my own.

Is anyone sure there are not illegal aliens employed by the State of Virginia?

What proof can be offerd to assure the taxpayers of this state?

What methods are employed to verify this information?

What proof do you offer that 2Is are not avoiding detection?

One last question.

Do you ask so many questions in an effort to avoid supporting your own posistion? If your good they run out of energy long before you run out of questions.

I don’t know if the State checks or not. I’d like to know if Cities and Counties do the same.

Read, JENA. Read. Take it slow if it helps. The nice thing about this format is that no one need know how long it takes for an idea to sink in, unless you comment publicly in a way that betrays that you didn’t get it. I said nothing about whether states require private employers to use e-verify. I did, however, suggest that Delegate Marshall, seeing himself as a good conservative, may not have addressed the issue in this legislation because he is a devotee to the Constitution. That’s just a theory, but I’m going with it until someone tells me (convincingly) that Mr. Marshall doesn’t care about the Constitution. I would be deeply saddened to hear that, if it were true.

And JENA, why doesn’t it matter how many illegals there are in state jobs when we’re talking about legislation to keep it from happening? If there’s one (C12’s theory), we might approach that problem in a way that’s different than if there are several gazillion. Quantification is important before reaching for the legislative solution - unless you’re a liberal, in which case you believe there can’t be too much legislation regardless of whether the problem is big, little, or non-existent.

You’re soft on job check evasion, JENA. You may not care, but that doesn’t mean that none of us does. Some of us care immensely.

Back to you C12. Interesting approach there to treating suspects. There used to be a market for that in some of the more oppressive third world dictatorships. It’s a fairly narrow field these days. Not sure what to recommend to you. What is your citizenship, by the way? Doesn’t sound like you’re too high on American values. Assimilation is much to be desired. That means you have to educate yourself about our culture and history well enough that you understand what makes America a unique and inspirational place for those who love freedom and mistrust government excess. It’s not enough to just come here from some tinhorn backwater and advocate that kind of treatment.

CoM: My question was whether the Commonwealth checks citizenship or legal residence as part of its pre-employment screening. It’s very common in the private sector. My thought was that if the State is doing this, and if we have no information that illegals are working for the state, we may not need the legislation. On the other hand, if the State doesn’t make any effort to check and there’s information that large numbers of illegals hold state jobs, Del. Marshall’s bill may not be adequate.

How many illegal aliens hold state jobs?

At least one ….and that’s too many

Can we quantify the problem?

One is too many; in fact it’s the start of an epidemic

Does VA already check citizenship/visa status?

Not good enough

If so, is there evidence that 2Is are evading those checks?

Yes

for more specific numbers we can hog tie any suspects and stack them like cord wood along the curb until a state inspector comes by and determines their degree of illegality and how many trucks will be needed to ship them out.*

*research has shown this to be the most effective in terms of accuracy as well as saving both time and money.

Doesn’t matter how many illegals hold state jobs.
Can’t quantify the problem because no one asks the question.
Is there evidence that 2Is are evading those checks? NO ONE CARES!

How many non illegals hold jobs in the Commonwealth of Virginia? What do you mean by… Does VA check Citizenship/Visa status?

How many illegal aliens hold state jobs?

Can we quantify the problem?

Does VA already check citizenship/visa status?

If so, is there evidence that 2Is are evading those checks?

To this, Rotacovda says I misrepresent facts ( how do you misrepresent facts by asking a question? the only assertion I made was that my company requires checks citizenship/visa status for all its workers - between Rotacovca and me, I think I get a little deference on this point, unless he works in my HR department and can tell me that they aren’t doing what I say they are doing).

/\/\ etc. - we require a passport or green card.

No one seems to have any idea of the answers to my simple inquiring-minds-want-to-know questions. Conservatives hate legislation that is not well anchored in fact.

Rotacovda - the reason this legislation does not require private employers to use e-verify is because immigration enforcement is constitutionally not a state function. No doubt Mr. Marshall, who considers himself a conservative, has at least a rudimentary sense of constitutional requirements.

“E-Verify –Language to reauthorize the E-Verify program and ensure that stimulus funds benefit legal American workers was unanimously adopted in the Appropriations Committee and agreed to on the House Floor. This language was completely removed from the conference report.”