D.A. King
They are two of the largest and most powerful lobbying groups in the Georgia Capitol. And neither of them seems to be on the same side of the illegal immigration/illegal employment fight as the citizen majority.
Including the ACLU, MALDEF and Jerry Gonzalez at the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, it would be difficult to find any organizations that are more effective in keeping meaningful punishments for violations out of the 2006 Georgia law that requires local governments and their contractors to use the federal E-Verify and SAVE systems.
Wait until you find out the source of their income. More on that further down.
A brief look at their respective Web sites provides some insight into each group. ACCG: "The Association County Commissioners of Georgia is a nonprofit instrumentality of Georgia's county governments." From the GMA Web site: "Our purpose is to anticipate and influence the forces shaping Georgia's communities and to provide leadership, tools and services that assist local governments in becoming more innovative, effective and responsive."
The recent discovery of the black-market construction labor working on the Cobb County Courthouse again illustrated the obvious flaw in Georgia's law intended to ensure that tax dollars are not spent to employ black-market labor. There are virtually no punishments for ignoring the law.
That is not an accident. Let's be crystal clear on this: the ACCG and GMA are directly and most responsible for the law being weak on enforcement tools.
The Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act went into effect in 2007 and required that all local governments use the E-Verify system to be sure they were not paying illegal aliens with tax dollars and to use the federal SAVE system to verify the eligibility of applicants for public benefits.
Even now, there is not 100 percent compliance.
In the 2009 legislative session, House Bill 2 was introduced to amend the language of the original law so that it would have teeth. HB 2 was fought in every step of the long committee process by the ACLU, MALDEF, GALEO and both ACCG and GMA.
A much watered down version of HB 2 eventually passed, but still without any real punishment for violations, thanks to the dedicated and tireless "kill the bill" lobbying from the ACCG and GMA. The other groups' opposition only creates more "yes" votes.
Currently there are several bills pending under the Gold Dome that would put substantial and effective sanctions into law for the local governments and their contractors who are now treating it as an option.
HB 1164 is a comprehensive fix for the loopholes in the 2006 law that all concerned have so industriously sought out on the original intention of denying Georgia's taxpayer-funded jobs and benefits to illegal aliens.
"As we continue to deal with declining state revenues and increasing unemployment, we must ensure that every dollar we appropriate is spent on jobs, services, and benefits for Georgians who are eligible," says Representative Rick Austin (R-Demorest) the bill's sponsor.
Along with the ACLU, the GMA opposes the bill and will lobby against it in Tuesday's House Judiciary Committee hearing. Under pressure, on its legislative tracking Web page, the ACCG has recently changed its "oppose" position to "evaluating" - but is still working to weaken the bill.
Another bill, the Georgia Public Works and Contractor Protection Act (SB 460), authored by Cobb Republican state Sen. Judson Hill, is specifically designed to address the widespread violations of the law illustrated in the Cobb Courthouse construction scandal.
GMA opposes the bill.
I promised to let you know who is providing the funds to pay the salaries of the lobbyists at the ACCG and GMA who work against enforcement of our state law that says we must obey federal immigration and employment and benefits laws.
You are. I am. Both groups are funded by dues paid by member counties and cities. They get the money from taxes paid by the usual victims in illegal immigration - the American taxpayer.
For an example, according to county records, Cobb paid $30,615 to the ACCG in 2008. The city of Marietta paid $$17,023 to the GMA from July 2009 to July 2010.
I am guessing not many readers were aware that they are indirectly paying anti-enforcement lobbyists' paychecks.
The ACCG can be reached at (404) 522-5022 and the GMA at (404) 688-0472.
Silence is consent.
King is president of the Dustin Inman Society and a 27-year Cobb resident.
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We need a lobby group that will look out for us poor dumb Americans in the Gold Dome. Heads up to my state legislators. Please begin packing. We will get yu out if for nothing else, not telling us about the ACCG and the GMA.
Thank you Mr. King. You are a brave man. Note to Cobb County government - stop paying ACCG or we will get your out too. Same for you Austell: no more of my tax money to the comrades at GMA!
If they stopped hating, they'd have to give up their membership in the Council of Conservative Citizens, and take down their autographed photographs of J.B. Stoner.
This was said about the italians, irish, germans, blacks, muslims, jews, etc. etc. When will you and all of you who are whining and complaining stop targeting and blaming other people, stand up and take responsibility for yourselves, and stop hating. It doesn't work and never has. All of the immigrants mentioned above are now full fledged citizens contributing to this country though they were called "illegal", sub-human and worse. You are fighting a losing battle because this country is built on immigrants and every period of growth in this country has been fueled by new immigrants. The current downturn in our economy is due to all the money wasted on hating and enforcement (which isn't working) and not funneled into jobs and other growth programs. All independent studies show that when we increase the number of legal immigrants, by a limited amnesty for the currendt undocumented who have earned their citizenship, and by changing our antiquated immigration visa and naturalization laws, our econonmy will grow and eventually boom again. So you are all cutting off your own noses to spite your own faces--take a lesson from the Masters and stop throwing stones and try loving your neighbors for a change--you will find that life is wonderful and there is enough of everything to go around.
D.A. has written on these groups before. Prior to D.A's article, I had no idea we had so many opponents of law enforcement. Upon learning, I “googled” these groups to find the names of members. What I found interesting…is that when I called the only name I recognized, he played dumb to being an accomplice in promoting and condoning illegal immigration.
The battle against illegal immigration is the most important battle we can fight. This war that has been waged against America has many tentacles…too many to mention in this article. When you look at what our own Representatives have allowed to happen to the United States…you should understand that is more complex than just jobs.
Below is an excerpt from an article by F. Wooldridge.
Wooldridge writes: “Former Colorado Governor Lamm said, “Are we in dreamland? The United States has had zero net job growth since 2000, yet we imported more than 10 million permanent immigrants in the same period. Our real U.S. unemployment rate is 17.3 percent when we consider the discouraged workers, more than 20 million, and yet some in Congress along with Udall and Bennet, propose increasing legal immigration and giving amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, who themselves will be allowed to bring in their spouses, parents, children, brothers, sisters and spouses and children of brothers and sisters. America has its plate full putting our own workers back to work.”
Jack Barnes, Fort Collins, Colorado, said, “Why is allowing more than 12 million current illegal aliens to become citizens considered “immigration reform”? What will we call it when another 10 or 20 or 100 million citizens from other countries cross our borders in defiance of our laws and sovereignty and demand to become citizens? I see not positive outcome in sight following the current ‘reform’ logic.”
DOES ANY OF IT MAKE SENSE TO AMERICAN CITIZENS?
The answer? A resounding “NO!” None of it makes any sense whatsoever!
Thank you Mr. King, for again shining the light on an untalked about, unreported side of our government. I expect to hear more about this from this paper.
Everyone on the South East supports laws against illegal immigration violations and they want more ! Go ask any black/white/other American in Dekalb,Rockdale,Clayton,Covington and all over Atlanta. They are not for illegal aliens transporting and working inside the USA or GEORGIA. Evryone has been dispalced in many types of jobs. Rockdale now has Illegal alien/Hispanic gangs coming into the county from Gwinnett and California.
D.A. King must reach out now and expand the lobbyist just as ABLE and GALEO along with Communist state Senator Nan Orock has along with the ACLU. We need CHOOSE BLACK AMERICA in Georgia. Maybe the Dustin Inman Society can help bring Ted Hayes to Atlanta.
We need more real men to stand up to the plate and fight those that want to harm our country jobs,family,finances and health. No amnesty for illegal aliens and no amnesty for employers of illegal aliens !No more laws that people can ignore. I want jail time and felony charges against anyone aiding and hiring illegal aliens. Wake Up Men Of America ! Take some testosterone pills and step up to the plate !
Our country is being sold to the Mexicans and the nutty left by country club set.
And proof it's working??? As of last month 89 companies had been audited & 36 companied fined! The wording in South Carolinas bill is meaningful- it makes it VERY CLEAR that falsifying any documents reguarding the bill will result in being charged w/ a FELONY!!!!!! & jail time!!!!
The new bill introduced in Georgia puts the workload on the already overburdened & incompetent Dept of Labor! They aren't qualified to get anything done correctly & effieciently.
SB529 should have been done right when it had a chance. These band-aids are confusing & aren't going to work. Watch for more South Carolina truck tags. I'm already noticing them!
If these organizations are getting a dime of my tax dollars, I will become a crusader like King.
Illegal immigration is killing our country and we are helping to pay for lobbyists who stop good laws? Uh - uh. Is there ANYONE on the side of us citizens?