CBS Hypes 'Second Thoughts' About Alabama Law on Illegal Immigration
Wednesday's CBS Evening News featured a report by correspondent Mark Strassmann playing up the reservations that some are having about the new law to strictly enforce immigration laws in Alabama.
After noting that a poll supposedly shows that Latino voters are dissatisfied because the Obama administration has deported record numbers of illegal immigrants, substitute anchor Jeff Glor introduced Strassmann's piece by playing up the "second thoughts" that some supporters of the law are having: "Mark Strassmann went to Alabama, where some are having second thoughts now about a tough new law."
(Video below)
Strassmann began his report by focusing on a construction business owner who supports the new law as he argued that his competitors have not been able to undercut him by hiring illegal immigrants. Strassmann then switched to Mayor Sheldon Day of Thomasville, Alabama, who argued that foreign investors are concerned about the law and are thinking of backing out on deals to bring jobs to the city:
MARK STRASSMANN: But in Thomasville, Alabama, Mayor Sheldon Day worries the state's law has turned off his city's foreign investors.
SHELDON DAY, MAYOR OF THOMASVILLE, ALABAMA: As one of my international visitors said, you know, we feel like Alabama kind of shot itself in the foot when we did this because we didn't think it out. We didn't think it through.
The CBS correspondent continued:
In Thomasville, two foreign companies, one Canadian, one Chinese, have invested $230 million and created almost 800 manufacturing jobs in a city of 5,000 people. Because of the law, the Chinese factory reportedly is reconsidering whether to build a $100 million factory in Thomasville.
After including clips of Republican State House Speaker Mike Hubbard asserting that, while there will likely be modifications to the new law, the law will not be repealed outright, Strassmann concluded by cautioning that the law may hurt the state's economic growth:
Alabama is not backing down, but more investors may be backing out. Mayor Day tells us a steel company planning to invest in Thomasville will hold off until its foreign workers feel more welcome. Mark Strassmann, CBS News, Thomasville, Alabama.
Just over a month ago, on Wednesday, November 23, the CBS Evening News had previously highlighted aspects of the Alabama law even supporters consider to be flaws in a report by correspondent Chip Reid.
Below are video and a complete transcript of Strassmann's report from the Wednesday, December 28, CBS Evening News:
JEFF GLOR: The Obama administration has deported more illegal immigrants than any prior administration, and Latino voters have taken notice. In a Pew survey out today, 59 percent say they disapprove of how the President has handled the deportations. States are also cracking down. Mark Strassmann went to Alabama, where some are having second thoughts now about a tough new law.
MARK STRASSMANN: Construction company owner Tommy Seals supports Alabama's controversial new immigration law. It requires non-citizens to carry documentation and fines employers who hire illegal immigrants.
TOMMY SEALS, CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OWNER: We have people that go out there and hire people at a cut-rate price. I think it's wrong. I think it's wrong for the folks that it harms, yet it happens, and it's been happening quite a bit, at least until this law came into effect.
STRASSMANN: Seals thinks the law has helped his business. He has hired two more people because, he says, competitors can no longer undercut him. But in Thomasville, Alabama, Mayor Sheldon Day worries the state's law has turned off his city's foreign investors.
SHELDON DAY, MAYOR OF THOMASVILLE, ALABAMA: As one of my international visitors said, you know, we feel like Alabama kind of shot itself in the foot when we did this because we didn't think it out. We didn't think it through.
STRASSMANN: In Thomasville, two foreign companies, one Canadian, one Chinese, have invested $230 million and created almost 800 manufacturing jobs in a city of 5,000 people. Because of the law, the Chinese factory reportedly is reconsidering whether to build a $100 million factory in Thomasville.
MIKE HUBBARD, ALABAMA STATE HOUSE SPEAKER: I stand behind the law and what we intended to do.
STRASSMANN: Mike Hubbard is the Speaker of the House in Alabama.
HUBBARD: We're just simply trying to enforce the law because the federal government has done a horrible job of enforcing its own law.
STRASSMANN: Since the law went into effect, a German Mercedes executive, here legally, spent a night in jail after a traffic violation for not having proper identification. So next February, Alabama's lawmakers will consider changes to the law, including one provision making it a crime for immigrants not to carry their citizenship documents. So many people are saying just get rid of this law.
HUBBARD: It's got some parts of it that we need to change to make it work better and to, and to make it more enforceable, and we intend to do that.
STRASSMANN: So for anyone who expects Alabama to back down and just repeal this law outright, you'd say forget it, not going to happen.
HUBBARD: That is not going to happen.
STRASSMANN: Alabama is not backing down, but more investors may be backing out. Mayor Day tells us a steel company planning to invest in Thomasville will hold off until its foreign workers feel more welcome. Mark Strassmann, CBS News, Thomasville, Alabama.
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BS, as in Bovine Scatology.
"One of my international visitors said", equates to "some say". Come on, Mr. Mayor, name names. Identify the companies, man up.
The "foreign" steel company need not fear the welcome they'd get in Thomasville, if they employ citizens. If they want to cut costs, and hire illegals, build your plant in Mexico, or Bolivia, or Venezuela.
Look hard enough
If you look hard enough you can find the opinion on anything that fits your mandate for air time.
Alabama and illegals
I have lived in AL these past 9 years and, in the 1980's, 5 more. I come from NYC and with 2 MA's and a PhD, do not fit the NYT mold of redneck. Albeit, I do fit Obama's descriptors of being religious and do have have a "right to carry" permit. Thenagian, I am not bitter nor do I cling to anything, so that part of his small-town, redneck description does not fit.
AL, like AZ and SC, finds that Holder/DOJ will not enforce federal law as to illegals...yes, illegals, not undocumented aliens or some such euphemism. AL has been relentlessly targeted by such liberal mouthpieces as NYT, the Southern Poverty Law Center (aka ACLU south), the mainstream media...and, sadly, all-too-many clergy who only demand social justice when it suits their aganda.
All of this in itself should alert people to the fact that something is wrong and it is not the AL law.
We hear the same tired aguments, mainly false. I live in a major resort area and one which had foreign workers and gained more foreign workers to help clean up after the BP oil spill...they are, in the main, still here. We here still, through charities, provide for them...they are not leaving the schools (personal note: I tutored at a local Elementary School and can attest to fact that there was no precipitious or even minor, exodus of students. People wanting Mexican or other foreign workers still know where to find them for day...or longer...work. I do not see round-ups of persons who look Hispanic, or check points.
What I do see is a state that wants follow the law; is that the real problem , Mr. Holder???
Fraud
Voter fraud is the only way phucktards can win.
Simple soloution...
...why not just adopt Mexico's law on Illegal immigration and everyone will be happy. Our amigos to the south just "Jail 'em and Rail 'em" right out of the country, no ifs, ands, or buts.
Except, Of Course. . . Obama Lied
"Record deportations" yea right.
https://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2011/12/obama-admin-skews-deportation...
The statistics of "some"
Ever notice how the MSM distorts numbers? If the percentages are bad, they will give you raw numbers (e.g. 13,000 new jobs instead of 0.1%) or 34 million uninsured (about 11% of the total population). But SOME has no statistics. It is the number of the lazy newscaster, or the newscaster whose opinion is outnumbered badly. He tries to use SOME, MANY, etc to convince you of something.
When you hear the words "some", "many", "frequent", etc, that newscaster either doesn't know his elbow from second base or did find out that his/her opinion is not borne out by the majority. Beware the use of "SOME"!
Dennis Prager
"ALL Economists say"...
-the stimulus will create jobs
-Oblamercare will save money
-Paul Ryan's budget is stinky
-Republican's are icky
-etc., etc., etc.
The "Teleprompter in Chief" likes to use this trick all the time, coupled with his "down home" ethnic accent....
So who are these fairytale companies....?
The report made bogus claims of companies that are backing out of developing in Alabama but cannot name a single one.
Apparently the Chinese won't build factories anywhere they cannot hire illegal aliens.
To be honest I think Strassman and Mayor Day are lying through their teeth.
The GOP must demand zeituni
The GOP must demand zeituni leech and drunk omar be deported. They aren't hard worker "americans".
A foreign language temper tantrum?
Feel better now? You wasted your point though. No one cares what you have said, but they're getting a GOOD laugh out of it. It DOES sound like an ineffectual temper tantrum. Have a good day.
The title of the article says it all
"Second thoughts about Alabama Law on Illegal Immigration". There SHOULD BE NO SECOND THOUGHTS. Illegal means Illegal. Why can't dopey liberals get that through their heads?
So we change the laws and say
So we change the laws and say it is not illegal.
If this story contains ANY facts,
which I doubt. I want to know where the lib media heads and Occupiers are. Obviously, with these two 'foreign' companies backing out, we have a case of evil corporations looking to only hire illegal slave labor on sub-standard wages. Where is the outrage?
Backing out?
Obviously, any foreign company backing out of any deals in Alabama are MOST concerned about not being able to hire CHEAP slave labor from the illegal alien invader pool! That tells me that those supposed jobs in Alabama aren't MEANT for American citizens in good standing, but for illegal alien invaders instead! Why would Alabama want to bring back the illegal alien invaders to supply those companies with cheap slave labor when Alabamians in good standing WON'T get those jobs. That makes NO sense to Alabamians!
a company was exampled that was reconsidering moving there
I got forced to watch TV news a my Mom's place the other night and they had this report or a clone of it. Their big scare was that some company that was going to move there was "reconsidering".
However...
The company was bringing in "foreign workers" to work the plant. So then, how the heck does that really help the citizens of that city? Tax base...? NO, they always give several years of tax forgiveness and other incentives to move in. Jobs...? Perhaps if you figure the fast food and gas station purchases made by the foreigners. My guess is that they were going to bring in a herd of Mexicans, mostly illegal. Good riddance.
Funny, isn't it?
Now the press is suddenly enamored of capitalism and factory jobs. What of the environmental concerns? Where are the mentions of non-Union evil?
This story is a chock full of firsts in that regard. A 'Chinese' industry? Another first. I'm still straining my brain to come up with any Chinese manufacturing going on presently in these United States, other than the purchasing of real estate.
Hmmm...what's worse? Two alledged manufacturers pulling out of a deal that weren't,obviously, going to be hiring American citizens in the first place...or two American, operational, guitar factories that have employed Americans for over a century being shut down by the Partisan-in-Chief? Gee...now if I were a news editor which story would I deem more relevant and important for the public to know? Tough one..