Council keeps illegal alien law for now
By Dave Munday
Previous Stories
Clock ticks for illegal workers; Dorchester code takes effect July 1, published 06/07/07
State lawmakers, Dorchester council debate crackdown, published 05/30/08
SUMMERVILLE — Dorchester County will keep in place for now its program to penalize businesses that hire illegal immigrants.
A proposal to quit enforcing the county's Lawful Employment Ordinance was up for final approval last week. The logic behind the move was that the county no longer needed to worry about auditing businesses for illegal immigrants because the state is taking over the job.
The state program, which is under development, is part of the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act, which the General Assembly passed this year.
The problem is that the state won't start checking businesses for compliance until at least July, and it's not even clear how much effort the state can put into it then, council was reminded before the vote last week.
"The loophole created by the ordinance under consideration tonight should be obvious," Dorchester County Taxpayers Association Chairman John Braund said in a letter to council on Nov. 17 .
"We need more enforcement, not less," Summerville resident Ron Turner told council.
Several other residents also spoke against the change. Council agreed to keep the program in place at least until the state can handle the job and put it into a committee for more study.
"Why kill this now after going to all the trouble to implement it?" Councilman Richard Rosebrock asked.
Dorchester County started its program in July. When somebody complains that a business is using illegal immigrants, an auditor checks papers against a federal database. Employers that use illegal workers would lose their business licenses.
The county has received five complaints since the program started, but nobody has lost a license as a result, County Administrator Jason Ward said this week.
The county hired an additional codes-enforcement officer to handle complaints, but he also spends time on other duties, he said.
The state is supposed to start handling complaints of illegal workers in July for businesses with more than 100 workers and July 2010 for smaller businesses.
The S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation is working on an outline of the new enforcement program to present to the Legislature in January, Communications Director Jim Knight said. It's not yet clear how extensive the program would be, how many auditors would be needed to carry it out, or how much money lawmakers will allocate for it, he said.
Reach Dave Munday at 745-5862 or dmunday@postandcourier.com.
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NativeSon (anonymous) says...
Yes, we need a lot more enforcement since obama and mc cain are ready to kiss the butts of these illegals with amnesty!
November 29, 2008 at 4:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Estoban (anonymous) says...
With unemployment rapidly rising, it's an excellent decision to keep the program. Far too many American jobs are being filled by illegal aliens. When employers are forced to refrain from the corrupt, greedy practice of hiring illegals the economy can only improve.
November 29, 2008 at 7:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
"because the state is taking over the job." "The state is supposed to start handling complaints of illegal workers in July for businesses with more than 100 workers" HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA! I THINK I LAUGHED SO HARD I PEED MYSELF!
How about start with the large landscape company up hwy 78?
I agree with ESTOBAN" unemployment is rising BUT most of the unemployed now will rely on the state VS swinging a weedeater. That in itself is another problem. Cut the benefits OFF after so long and force them back to work. We all have had to work jobs we certainly didn't want to.
November 29, 2008 at 8:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CaptPete (anonymous) says...
This will be overturned as it has in other places. Latino groups are better funded than Dorchester County. Also may have more clout with Obama in office.
November 29, 2008 at 9:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
metallic (anonymous) says...
The attempts to stop "foreign workers" is primarily a move driven by racism.
Overt racism, like that practiced against blacks in the past, is not acceptable in our culture anymore, so the racists have to find other methods to make their attacks against those of a race different than theirs.
The attacks against foreign workers (most doing jobs U.S. citizens wouldn't touch) is the outlet the new racists use to attempt to spread their vile message of hate.
November 29, 2008 at 1:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justjerry (anonymous) says...
metallic - there is a huge difference between foreign workers and ILLEGAL foreign workers. I doubt seriously if there are a lot of folks ticked off about a legal, foreign worker cutting a yard or putting up drywall. Where the angst arises is when the person doing the work does not have a legal right to be in this country.
November 29, 2008 at 4:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bigclownkiller (anonymous) says...
It always makes me wonder about the intelligence of some one who preaches on the evils of racism yet they can't distinguish race from resident status. Some liberals want that feel good rush so bad that they refuse to let reality intrude on their fantasy's.
November 30, 2008 at 5:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justjerry (anonymous) says...
bigclownkiller - "Some liberals want that feel good rush so bad that they refuse to let reality intrude on their fantasy's."
....and hence the reason the presidential election came out the way it did.
November 30, 2008 at 7:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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