Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > May > 22 > Entry

Georgia agri-business lines up behind Chambliss, Isakson on immigration reform

Just got off the phone with Wayne Lord, a vice president for governmental affairs with Pilgrim’s Pride, the largest chicken company in Georgia, and the United States as well.

He’s up in Washington, trying to build support for the immigration reform package now being debated in the U.S. Senate.

Lord is also chairman of Georgia Employers for Immigration Reform, a group of 25 or so major businesses that are backing the play of U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, who helped negotiate the bipartisan compromise.

The group is one of the reasons the two Georgia feel comfortable sticking their necks out on this highly volatile issue.

“All of us as business leaders are very grateful for the leadership of senators Chambliss and Isakson,” Lord said.

GEIR is new. So new, that the group isn’t ready to publish its entire list of members. But Lord says GEIR represents a major slice of the state’s payroll.

Lord says his group has three priorities — border security, a workable verification program to ascertain the work status of employees, and a flow of temporary workers — “when the economy demands it.”

Lord and GEIR aren’t the only ones pushing this legislation in Georgia. On Tuesday, state Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin made public letters of support he’s sent to both U.S. senators.

“Just because we cannot solve every problem or please every person does not mean we should shrug our shoulders and do nothing,” Irvin wrote. “Despite all the changes in society, farming and food processing remain the foundation of Georgia’s economic well being, and our agricultural guest workers play an important role.”

You can see one of the letters in its entirety on the jump.

Honorable Johnny Isakson

United States Senate

4 Russell Courtyard

Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Isakson:

As Commissioner of Agriculture, I want to personally thank you for your leadership role in drafting the upcoming Immigration Reform Legislation.

Immigration is a very complex issue, and there is no one solution that will satisfy all parties. However, just because we cannot solve every problem or please every person does not mean we should shrug our shoulders and do nothing. This legislation is a step forward in addressing immigration issues, especially as they concern agriculture.

Despite all the changes in society, farming and food processing remain the foundation of Georgia’s economic well being, and our agricultural guest workers play an important role. Agriculture generates more than $5.1 billion per year in cash receipts to the state’s economy, and I applaud your efforts as you work to find solutions for the benefit of our state’s largest industry.

I believe this legislation is a positive step for agriculture and I want to join with you in supporting this vital piece of legislation.

Sincerely,

Tommy Irvin

Permalink | Comments (12) |

Comments

Commenting is now closed for this entry.

By Will Jones

May 22, 2007 7:09 PM | Link to this

The Roman Catholic bloc on the Supreme Court appointed the homosexual, draft-dodging grandson of Hitler’s Knight of Malta banker, Prescott Bush, to the White House even though the Constitution specifically states that disputed Federal Elections shall be resolved by Congress. Jeff Gannon/James Guckert’s lover has gone on to provably commit 9-11 to serve Roman Catholic/Rockefeller BIG OIL and the trade in Afghan heroin. Now Big Business wants to open even more the flood gates of illegal immigration kept open by the Roman Church’s “National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry’s” stratagem for taking over the United States. The Roman Catholic North had to destroy the Jeffersonian, Protestant South: it was called The War Between the States. When President Lincoln graciously ordered Grant to look upon their defeated brothers compassionately a gang of Roman Catholics, who worshipped together at St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., assassinated him six days later.

Rockefeller, now the Roman Church’s correspondent banker, and Iraqi State Bank, built the Standard Oil monopoly on unredressed murder and arson with George W. Bush’s great-grandfather by his side. When Rockefeller and the Roman Church wished to finance the rise of Nazism in Germany they used W’s Knight of Malta (the papal fraternity which openly claims to “run” the Vatican) grandfather to funnel money to the author of “I Paid Hitler,” papal baron, and fellow Knight of Malta, Fritz “The Rockefeller of Germany” Thyssen. Is it “odd” that Bush’s father, Carlyle Group war-profitteer and former president, GHWBush, has stated publicly that he “is unable to recall” his whereabouts upon hearing of John Kennedy’s assassination, six weeks after NSAM 263 ordered the military withdrawal from Roman Catholic-dominated Vietnam, even though two FBI memos: place the sitting president’s father in the organization a Federal District Jury determined, in 1985’s “Hunt v. Liberty Lobby,” committed the treason: the CIA; and, but 100 miles away from the crime scene only 75 minutes after the shots were fired…on the phone to the FBI on the subject of the assassination? (internetpiratedotcom/bushdothtm) Yet he “cannot recall” the previous 75 minutes to say where he was when he learned of the killing? How odd that Prescott Bush’s protege Richard Nixon was also unable to correctly recall his whereabouts either?

Plucking chickens or picking peanuts. Nailing boards or blowing leaves. The work can get done by honest labor. Georgia does not need politicians in bed with Rome’s master plan for taking over America.

Keep the labor and let the honest workers become citizens. Try and punish Rome’s Rockefeller Fifth Column for their generational treason and expropriate their assets they have stolen from the Sovereign People. The pedophile priesthood must be removed from our land. The Roman Church’s land and wealth must be fully nationalized. The families of the Bush/Rockefeller fascist plutocracy must be expropriated and banished or put to death for treason.

Whig interpretation makes the Truth easy to discern. Let us separate the “sheep” from the “goats,” and seek righteousness as One Nation.

By James

May 22, 2007 8:10 PM | Link to this

Will, please, go get a cold beer and get a girl, do something man, you are way out of control and desperately in need of something serious, fast!

By Michael H. Smith

May 22, 2007 8:56 PM | Link to this

It was much like watching a knife being placed in the backs of the American workers today as Senator’s Chambliss and Isakson voted against the Dorgan amendment. Senator Byron Dorgan argued passionately on behave of Georgians and Americans to defend what remains of their wages and jobs. Senator Chambliss as I recall from your e-mail reply I received today that you stated you were going to do what is best for America? As I recall Senator Isakson you staunchly campaigned against this Bush Guest worker program when you ran for office?(flip-flop)

May I be direct gentlemen, what you two done today is your worst… the worst betrayal that I’ve ever personally witnessed in my lifetime to have been carried out against the vast average working majority of the American people.

Perhaps your business friend and those onion farmers who now applaud you can re-elect both of you.

I won’t.

By BackfromIraq

May 22, 2007 9:18 PM | Link to this

This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Saxby Chambliss is owned by Agro-Business. Senator Chambliss has been one of the major architects of the immigration mess that we are in today. Long before Saxby moved into the Senate he was the Chairman of the Judicial sub-committee for “Immigration, Citizenship and Border Protection” and as such he personally influenced (on behalf of Agro-business) the agenda of that sub committee. Each and every area that he was the chairman of is a mess! Sorry Senator but if Big-Agro business cannot find their labor needs from the 20 million illegal aliens already here then another 600,000 more aliens each and every year (as provided by the Senate Compromise Immigration bill currently on the floor of the Senate) is not going to help. I certainly hope that Georgians remember when Senator Chambliss is up for re-election next year that no one else has done more to produce the mess we are in today the Georgia’s senior Senator.

By Katharine Otto

May 23, 2007 11:35 AM | Link to this

Saxby Chambliss is selling the South out as fast as he can. He is beholden to the mega-corporate pseudo-farmers who have been hiring illegals for years, through intermediaries, to work the fields and chicken processing plants. They got away with it because they had friends in high places. Now, the federal government, in a desperate cash flow crunch, wants a cut of these workers’ earnings in the form of income and payroll taxes. The ruse to enhance border security is a means of keeping that cheap labor force in Mexico, where the US corporations are fleeing. A better solution would be to cut the subsidies and tax breaks to the mega-corporate pseudo-farmers that squeeze independent and small farmers out of business. This will help level the playing field, put more legal Americans back to work, and reduce the demand for immigrants.

By Emery Woodall

May 29, 2007 9:51 AM | Link to this

You know there has to money behind the corruption and betrayal of GA by Sen. Chambliss and Isakson. The only ones to benifit from this is big business. I’m sure there are many others in the meat packing, furniture and builiding as well. Do not vote for these quislings. Let’s get someone in there that represents the citizens of GA.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/RecallSelloutGASenatorsChambliss/index.html

By Christopher DeNeve

May 29, 2007 2:15 PM | Link to this

RECALL THEM NOW

Amnesty Isakson and Saxby clueless need to get thrown out of Washington. They are not representing Georgia. I’m going to start a recall petition. Isakson is a two-faced liar and I know him well because he used to attend services at our Church and ‘w*******’ himself for votes.

By Philly

May 29, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this

We need to start a “Draft Herman Cain for Senate” movement.

By Will Jones

May 29, 2007 3:07 PM | Link to this

Herman Cain is a dull tool of the corporate fascist plutocracy which created him. He can’t handle argument because his position is immoral, anti-patriotic, and undefensible.

By Skeeter

May 29, 2007 6:24 PM | Link to this

I agree with Philly—Herman Cain is superior to Shameless and Isuckson.

Mr. Cain has good morals, a strong business background, loads of common sense, and an ability to connect with people.

Our current 2 senators are out of touch with Georgia voters and are walking cases for term limits.

I wrote each of our 2 senators expressing my dislike for the immigration legislation and got the standard reply. Republicans who support this bill will be vulnerable at the next election cycle.

While I won’t vote for a Democrat candidate I can certainly vote for a Libertarian or not cast a vote for either of these 2 senators.

Saxyby’s term expires in ‘08 while Johnny’s expires in ‘10. If Johnny runs for governor instead of seeking re-election for his Senate seat, he’ll not get my vote if he continues his support of this misguided immigration “reform.”

These two fellas aren’t reading the tea leaves very well. Gentlemen, return to private life post haste.

By debbie

May 29, 2007 8:26 PM | Link to this

I still have faith that our Senators will vote against this bill. I do believe they trusted the bill contained what they wanted. Chambliss and Isakson are both great Senators and in the end, they will do the right thing and vote against this bill. I would expect nothing less from these fine men.

From Dustin Inman Society:

DIS Update: More on La Bill: SEN. SESSIONS DESCRIBES HOW THE WHITE HOUSE TRICKED CHAMBLISS & ISAKSON

Here is what Sen. Sessions said the other day and it sums up quite nicely the terrible thing that George Bush, Ted Kennedy and John McCain have done to Georgia’s two Senators to whom we will give the benefit of the doubt and assume that they trusted their fellow negotiators to write legislative language that matched the public talking points 9 but they should have read La Bill before standing behind Kennedy in support):

“It is clear the people who drafted this legislation had an agenda and the agenda was not to meet the expectations of the American people.

“The agenda was to create a facade and appearance of enforcement, an appearance of toughness in some instances.

“When you get into the meat of the provisions and get into the bill and study it, tucked away here and there are laws that eviscerate and eliminate the real effectiveness of those provisions. It was carefully done and deliberately done. This is a bill that should not become law.

“It is a bill that will come back to be an embarrassment to our Members who have supported it. I wish it were not so. I know how these things happen. You do not always have time to do everything you want to do. You try to do something you think is right, but ultimately in a bill as important as this one that has tremendous impact on the future of our country and our legal system and our commitment to the rule of law, we ought to get it right. We ought not to let this one slide by. It is not acceptable to say, let’s just pass something and we will send it to the House and maybe the House of Representatives will stand up and stop it and fix it. That is not acceptable for the great Senate of the United States.”

—————Sen. Jeff Sessions, Senate Floor, May 23, 2007 READ the Session’s entire floor speech on La Bill here. http://sessions.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=256024

By Emery Woodall

June 2, 2007 3:22 PM | Link to this

Chambliss abd Isakson Sell Out To Big Business!

Sorry to dissapoint you but they have already been bought and paid for by GA BIG BUSINESS. It’s all about profit and avoiding costly legal challenges. Thats why they are trying to rush this bill through. That is what this new lobby GEIR is doing.

http://www.nilc.org/immsemplymnt/misc/misc003.htm

 

Search AJC Archives

1985 to present     1868 - 1939 Advanced search

Kudzu.com services Find the right people for the job

Keyword     Business Name

AJCPets » The community for Atlanta pet lovers

Do Good Search for non-profit causes near you