May 26, 2010: Illegal immigration benefits

 

THE TALK TODAY ON BEACON

HILL WAS ALL ABOUT ILLEGAL

IMMIGRANTS, AND THE

CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSAL TO

CRACKDOWN ON THEIR ABILITY

TO ACCESS JOBS AND

HOUSING.

TODAY THE SENATE VOTED ON

THE MEASURE BUT NOT BEFORE

THERE WAS A VERY PUBLIC

DEBATE.

JARED BOWEN HAS MORE.

>> Reporter: FOR THE

SECOND TIME IN AS MANY

MONTHS, THERE IS FORMAL

DEBATE AT THE STATEHOUSE

ABOUT CRACKING DOWN ON

UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS.

>> WE CANNOT STAY SILENT

WHILE THE BUDGET PROCESS

IS TURNING TO AN

ANTI-IMMIGRANT WITCH HUNT.

>> Reporter: JUST AS THE

STATE SENATE WAS TO

CONSIDER FOUR AMENDMENTS

THAT WOULD BAR IM LEGAL

IMMIGRANTS FROM RECEIVING

HIGHER EDUCATION, HEALTH

AND HOUSING BENEFITS, THEY

MET REPORTERS.

>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT

TO NAME THIS AMENDMENT FOR

EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.

IT IS A MULTI-MILLION

CAMPAIGN AD FOR

REPUBLICANS WHO ARE

SEEKING HIGHER OFFICE AT

THE EXPENSE OF TAXPAYERS.

>> Reporter: ACROSS THE

COUNTRY, THE IMMIGRATION

DEBATE HAS BECOME A

POLITICALLY CHARGED ONE.

SIMILAR EFFORTS WERE

NARROWLY DEFEATED IN THE

HOUSE.

SENATOR BRUCE TARR WANTS

BETTER LUCK IN THE SYSTEM.

>> MY BELIEF IS THOSE ARE

DOLLARS WELL SPENT.

>> Reporter: MONEY IS AT

CORE ISSUE WITH ADVOCATES

SAYING MORE IMMIGRANT

ENFORCEMENT WILL SAP

ALREADY STRAPPED BUDGETS.

>> IT IS GOING TO TAKE UP

TIME.

>> WE DON'T SUGGEST WE

WOULDN'T SENTENCE SOMEONE

WHO COMMITTED A CRIMINAL

ACT BECAUSE IT MAY BE

COSTLY TO INCARCERATE

THEM.

>> Reporter: THAT ISSUE

GETS DEBATED HERE AT THE

STATEHOUSE AND THE STATE

SENATE.

THERE ARE MIXED ISSUE

ABOUT HOW IT IS RESONATING

AMONG MASSACHUSETTS

RESIDENTS.

>> I FEEL LIKE THESE

AMENDMENTS ARE BEING PUT

ON THE TABLE TO MAKE IT AN

ISSUE.

TO MAKE RACE AN

IMMIGRATION.

>> Reporter: AN ISSUE,

PERHAPS.

CHANGE, NO.

LATE THIS AFTERNOON THE

SENATE VOTED ONLY TO

REINFORCE SCREENING ISSUES

ALREADY IN PLACE FOR

IMMIGRANTS RECEIVING

GOVERNMENT BENEFITS.

>> Rooney: WHAT GRABBED

SOME PEOPLE'S ATTENTION

WAS A COMMENT MADE BY THE

HEAD OF THE LOCAL

ANTIDEFAMATION LEAGUE.

>> AMONG THE MOST

OUTRAGEOUS CRITICS OF THIS

ARE WHITE SUPREMACIST, AND

NEONAZIS, WHO BLAME

IMMIGRANTS FOR ALL OF THE

NATION'S PROBLEMS.

THE DANGER LIES WHEN

THEY'RE SENTIMENT IS

EMBRACED AND EMBEDDED INTO

THE MAINSTREAM.

WHEN D.J.s AND

COLUMNISTS AND SOME

ELECTED OFFICIALS START

SPEAKING THAT SAME

LANGUAGE OF EXCLUSION.

>> Rooney: JOINING ME

NOW IS EVA MILLONA.

W.R.K.O. RADIO TALK SHOW

HOST TODD FEINBURG, AND

JARED BOWEN.

ON THE COMMENTS FROM

DERRICK SCHUL MAN --

SCHULMAN, THERE DIDN'T

SEEM TO BE A REACTION, AND

THEN IT KIND OF BUILT

STEAM AND THEY WERE

DEBATING THOSE COMMENTS ON

THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE.

>> IT SEEMED LIKE MUCH TO

DO ABOUT NOTHING.

IT WAS ANOTHER WRITTEN

SPEECH THAT HE WERE YOU

READING.

IT DIDN'T READ ANYTHING.

WHEN I STARTED TO HEAR

THAT ONE OF THE COMMENTS

WAS MORE INFLAMMATORY, I

THOUGHT IT WAS SENATOR

DIAZ, WHO WAS DIRECTLY

TARGET HER REPUBLICAN

COLLEAGUES AND SAYING IT

WAS MORE ABOUT CAPITAL --

>> Rooney: BECAUSE HE

DIDN'T MENTION SENATE

REPUBLICANS, BUT HE SAID

POLITICIANS.

>> AND D.J.s -- I ASSUME

THAT MEANT RADIO TALK

HOSTS.

>> HE KEPT IT IN BROAD

TARGETS AND DIDN'T MENTION

MASSACHUSETTS

SPECIFICALLY.

THIS WAS SHAPED IN THE

CHAMBER.

>> YOU'RE SAYING THAT WAS

NOT UPSETTING?

I THOUGHT IT WAS AN

UPSETTING COMMENT.

THIS IS THE STORY LINE

DEMOCRATS WANT EVERYTHING

TO BE ABOUT.

THERE IS NOT A RACIAL

COMPONENT TO IT.

IT HAS TO DO WITH

ABSOLUTELY IRRATIONAL

POLICIES.

>> Rooney: PEOPLE LIKE

MARK WILLIAMS HAS MADE IT

ABOUT RACE.

HE IS THE TEA PARTY GUY.

HE IS NOT WRONG THAT SOME

OF THAT RHETORIC HAS CREPT

INTO THE DEBATE.

>> THAT IS BOMBASTIC

RHETORIC.

>> I THINK THAT WAS NOT

WHAT HE MEANT TO SAY.

THAT WASN'T IN THE TEXT,

REGARDING THE SPONSORS OF

THE BILL.

THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD HIS

SPEECH WAS CALLING

ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE

ABOUT HOW MUCH HATE THIS

WOULD CAUSE.

>> HOW DOES IT CAUSE HATE

TO HAVE PEOPLE --

>> Rooney: BECAUSE YOU

USED THAT --

>> BECAUSE IF YOU SAW THE

TITLE OF IT, IT IS AN

AMENDMENT THAT WOULD BAR

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM

GETTING BENEFITS.

IT IS TIME TO TELL THE

PUBLIC THE TRUTH.

UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

ARE NOT ENTITLED TO

BENEFITS.

>> THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY

DON'T GET THEM.

>> THEY DON'T GET

BENEFITS.

AND THEY WERE NOT TARGETED

BECAUSE THEY'RE DEFRAUDING

THE STATE OR BECAUSE

THEY'RE GETTING BENEFITS

THEY ARE NOT ENTITLED TO.

THIS WAS FOR POLITICAL

BENEFIT.

AND THEY SAY IT IS

EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, AND A

BURDEN ON THE TAXPAYERS.

>> TO BLOCK PEOPLE WHO ARE

NOT ENTITLED --

>> BLOCKING THE PEOPLE WHO

ARE NOT ENTITLED TO GET

THE SERVICES --

>> Rooney: I HAVE TO

INTERJECT TO SAY THIS

WHOLE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE

FINANCES SHOULD BE EXCISED

FROM THIS DISCUSSION AND

PUT OVER HERE.

IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW

MUCH.

IT IS LIKE ARGUING OVER

WHAT IT COSTS TO PUT

SOMEBODY IN PRISON.

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THIS

IS GOING TO COST MORE OR

LESS --

>> EXCEPT THAT YOU HAVE --

YOU PROPOSED AN AMENDMENT

THAT IS REDUNDANT.

WHEN THE FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT IS ALREADY

TAKING CARE OF IT --

>> Rooney: THAT'S A

DIFFERENT ISSUE.

>> THEN WHY ARE YOU

BRINGING AN ISSUE WHEN IT

IS ALREADY A DONE ISSUE.

>> WHY YOU GUYS ARE

FIGHTING SO VORSIFOROUSLY.

>> IN COLORADO, THEY

PASSED A SIMILAR BILL, AN

IDENTICAL BILL, THE EXACT

SAME LANGUAGE.

AFTER ONE YEAR OF

IMPLEMENTATION, IT IS A

$2.4 MILLION EXPENSE.

THE COST SAVINGS IS NILL.

PENNSYLVANIA JUST REJECTED

THE SAME MEASURE BECAUSE

THE POPULATION IS

19 MILLION.

>> Rooney: IT'S LIKE

SAYING WE SHOULDN'T DO THE

WIND FARM BECAUSE IT IS

GOING TO COST MORE MONEY.

SOMETIMES YOU DO THINGS

THAT COST MORE MONEY

BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT

THING.

>> THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE

IS A FEDERAL ISSUE.

THERE WERE A BUNCH OF

AMENDMENTS INTRODUCED.

WE VERIFY COMPONENTS WHEN

WE KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL

LAW REQUIRES THAT

EVERYBODY FILLS OUT AN I

AND I FORM.

AND IT IS VERY STRICTLY

DONE.

WHY WOULD YOU CREATE

ANOTHER STATE LAW THAT

WOULD BE A LOGISTIC --

>> BECAUSE PEOPLE ON A

NINE FORM CAN WRITE DOWN

WHATEVER THEY WANT --

>> THAT IS FOR EVERYBODY.

FRAUD IS COMMITTED BY,

UNFORTUNATELY, EVERYBODY.

>> Rooney: SO YOU WANT

ANOTHER LAW, TODD,

FRANKLY?

>> I LIKE LAWS.

>> WE LIKE LAWS, TOO.

I'M GLAD WE REAGREE ON

THAT.

BUT IT IS JUST A REDUNDANT

LAW THAT DOESN'T DO

ANYTHING.

AND IT WOULD BE A BURDEN

ON THE TAXPAYERS.

AND USING IT AS A

POLITICAL PLOY --

>> THE POLITICAL PLOY IS

ALL OF THIS UP ROAR AND

CRIES OF RACISM.

HOW DID THE PRESIDENT'S

AUNT GET PUBLIC HOUSING?

AND YET WE HEAR THESE

CLAIMS CONSTANTLY THAT

THIS NEVER HAPPENS.

I TALKED TO KIDS GETTING

IN-STATE TUITION.

AND IT IS KIND OF A RUSE

BECAUSE NOBODY ASKS THEM

IF THEY'RE IN THE STATE

ILLEGALLY BECAUSE THEY GET

ILL-STATE ADDRESSES.

>> LET ME SPEAK ABOUT

THAT, BUT FIRST LET ME

TALK ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S

AUNT.

THE MISCONCEPTION IS THAT

PEOPLE ARE GROUPED IN TWO

BLOCKS, THE UNDOCUMENTED

AND THE U.S. CITIZENS.

PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THERE IS

A LARGE SEGMENT IN

BETWEEN, AND TO BE

PRECISE, 26 MILLION

IMMIGRATION STATUS, PEOPLE

WHO ARE LAWFULLY EMPLOYED

IN THE COUNTRY.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE CASE --

>> THAT'S BASED ON THE

CASE.

AT THE TIME SHE RESIDED,

SHE HAD A LAWFUL ADDRESS.

AT THE TIME, SHE WAS

ELIGIBLE TO APPLY AS A

LAWFULLY RESIDING

IMMIGRANT.

SHE WAS DENIED, AND SHE

WENT TO A DIFFERENT COURT,

AND THEN A DIFFERENT

COURT, AND FINALLY IT WAS

DENIED, AND THEN WAS

REOPENED AND THEN IT WAS

GRANTED.

SO DURING THIS TIME, SHE

WENT FROM LAWFULLY

RESIDING TO AN UNLAWFUL

STATUS AND TO A LAWFUL

RESIDENT.

>> Rooney: ONE OF THE

ARGUMENTS IS THE BIGGER

ISSUE IS NOT HAVING THEM

HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

FORGIVING OUT A WAY SO

WE'RE NOT IN A SITUATION

WHERE WE'RE CREATING LAWS

TO SOLVE A PROBLEM THAT IS

COMPLETELY OUT OF OUR

AREA.

PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO

THIS COUNTRY ILLEGALLY.

THAT IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE

FIXED.

PUT ALL OF THESE FINGERS

IN THE DIKE NOW SEEMS

POINTLESS.

>> THIS IS THE IDEA OF

WHAT KIND OF INCENTIVES

WE'RE OFFERING AS A

COUNTRY FOR PEOPLE TO COME

HERE ILLEGALLY.

IT IS ALL PART OF THE

COLLECTION OF POLICIES

THAT MAKE IT LOOK LIKE

WE'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE

TO COME HERE ILLEGALLY.

SO IF YOU DON'T PATROL THE

BORDERS, IF YOU DON'T SEND

PEOPLE BACK, IF YOU DON'T

GO --

>> Rooney: WE DO SEND

PEOPLE BACK.

>> IF YOU DON'T GO AFTER

EMPLOYERS FOR EMEMPLOYING

PEOPLE, AND YOU LET EVERY

SINGLE SPACE OF IT DROP,

AND YOU OFFER SERVICES FOR

PEOPLE COMING HERE, YOU'RE

BASICALLY PUTTING UP A BIG

BILLBOARD THAT SAYS COME

TO AMERICA.

INSTEAD OF HAVING ONE TO

TWO MILLION PEOPLE

STROLLING OVER THE BORDER

WITHOUT BEING CHECKED,

LET'S HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE

WE CHECK AND CONTROL AND

BALANCE OUR IMMIGRATION.

AND DECIDE WHAT SKILL SETS

ARE COMING IN AND WHAT

EDUCATION LEVELS ARE

COMING IN.

THERE IS NOTHING RACIST OR

WRONG ABOUT THAT --

>> Rooney: THERE IS

DEFINITELY AN ANTI-MEXICAN

SENTIMENT.

THE ARGUMENT BEING THEY

DON'T ASSIMILATE --

>> BUT THOSE AREN'T RACIAL

ISSUES.

IF WE HAVE A MILLION

PEOPLE FROM THE SOVIET

UNION OR FROM SWEDEN

COMING EVERY YEAR.

PEOPLE WOULD BE IRATE

ABOUT THAT.

>> Rooney: NO, BECAUSE

MANY OF THESE GROUPS

BEFORE HAVE ASSIMILATED.

THEY'VE LEARNED THE

LANGUAGE.

THEY'VE COME TO THE

COUNTRY --

>> BUT THAT IS NOT A

RACE--BASED OR A CULTURAL

THING.

WE'RE INCENTIVEIZING

PEOPLE TO COME HERE.

AND IT IS A BIGGER BURDEN

NOW.

>> I AGREE WITH YOU TO THE

POINT THAT THE SYSTEM IS

DYSFUNCTIONAL.

THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS

DYSFUNCTIONAL.

>> WITH THAT, I CAN AGREE

ON.

>> AND WE NEED A

COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION

LAW.

AND THEY NEED TO ESTABLISH

THE RULE OF LAW AND

ENFORCE THE LAW.

IF WE LOOK AT WHAT IS

HAPPENING WITH THE

DEPORTATION AND THE

ENFORCEMENT-ONLY

MEASURES -- IF WE LOOK AT

THE NUMBERS, THE OBAMA

ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN

VERY SERIOUS ABOUT

ENFORCING THE LAWS.

400,000 PEOPLE ARE BEING

DEPORTED EVERY YEAR.

>> Rooney: I DON'T WANT

TO BE IN A DEBATE ABOUT

WHO CREATED THIS MESS

BECAUSE CLEARLY WE'RE IN

IT.

TODD FEINBURG, GOT TO GO,

AND JARED BOWEN.

THAT'S IT FOR "GREATER

BOSTON." WE'LL BE BACK

TOMORROW AT 7:00.

I'M EMILY ROONEY.

GRNLT.