The Republican governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, is planning on
running for president in 2008, and one of his big issues is illegal
immigration.
Romney supports the idea of building a fence across the border with
Mexico, and according to the Boston Globe, "announced he would seek an
agreement with federal immigration authorities to allow Massachusetts
State Police to arrest illegal immigrants for being in this country
illegally."
But if Romney's really so concerned about getting tough on illegal
immigration, perhaps he should start by literally looking in his own
back yard.
The Globe recently interviewed four current and former employees of
Community Lawn Service with a Heart, the tiny Chelsea-based company
that provides upkeep of Romney's property.
All but one said they were in the United States illegally.
The employees told the Globe that company owner Ricardo Saenz never
asked them to provide documents showing their immigration status and
knew they were illegal immigrants.
"He never asked for papers," said Rosales, who said he had paid
smugglers about $5,000 to take him across the US-Mexican border and
settled in Chelsea.
The workers said they were paid in cash at $9 to $10 an hour and
sometimes worked 11-hour days.
Romney never inquired about their status, they said.
In addition to maintaining the governor's property, they also tended
to the lawn at the house owned by Romney's son, Taggart, less than a
mile away on the same winding street.
Whoops.
So how did Romney react to the news that he's a big fat hypocrite?
Asked by a reporter yesterday about his use of Community Lawn Service
with a Heart, Romney, who was hosting the Republican Governors
Association conference in Miami, said, "Aw, geez," and walked away.
By EarlG
Democratic Underground
http://www.democraticunderground.com/
.
|
