Mediaboss Marketing

Activists ambush Sen. Kyrsten Sinema at ASU over Build Back Better Act

People with the organization LUCHA confront Sen. Kyrsten Sinema at Arizona State University on Oct. 3, 2021, over the Build Back Better Act.

Courtesy LUCHA

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema fled to a bathroom when activists confronted her at Arizona State Universitys downtown Phoenix campus because she believed recording someone inside one was a crime, according to an ASU police report obtained and shared by the Arizona Mirror.

The report describes the Oct. 3 confrontation between Sinema and activists who criticized the senator over her lack of support for the Build Back Better Act.

Living United for Change in Arizona, or LUCHA, an immigration reform advocacy group, posted a video of the confrontation on its Twitter account which showed activists following Sinema out of her classroom and into a bathroom after Sinema declined to speak to them.

We knocked on doors for you to get you elected," a woman filming the encounter who identifies herself as Blanca is heard saying after the senator enters a stall. "And just how we got you elected, we can get you out of office if you dont support what you promised us.

The Arizona Republic is not identifyingthe four activists under investigation as they have not been charged with a crime.

Sinema told an officer that she entered the bathroom because she believed it was a crime to record someone while inside one, according to the report.

The report also said four other female students were in the bathroom during the confrontation, some of whom told police they were startled and felt uncomfortable during the encounter, with at least one staying inside her bathroom stall until the activists had left the building.

Arizona law prohibits recording another person inside a bathroom, bedroom, locker room or another type of room where one has a reasonable expectation of privacy and the person is urinating, defecating, dressing, undressing, nude or involved in sexual intercourse or sexual contact. Doing sois a felony.

The report lists multiple offenses that include surreptitious videotaping, disorderly conduct, second-degree criminal trespassing, interfering with an educational institution and harassment, though its unclear whether police initially planned to recommend those charges.

ASU police eventually recommended that the four activists be charged with disorderly conduct and disruption of an educational institution both of which are misdemeanors, though the police report lists a detective recommending charges against only three of the activists.

The reason behind the discrepancy was not immediately clear as of Wednesday evening.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Officeinstead returned the investigation back to the police and requested more information. Adam Wolfe, an ASU police spokesperson, told TheRepublic on Wednesday that the investigation remained ongoing.

Sinema told police she wanted the activists to be held accountable for their actions without destroying their lives, according to the report.

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or perry.vandell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell.

Support local journalism.Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

Link:
Report offers new details on confrontation between Sinema and activists on ASU campus - The Arizona Republic

Texas companies pay construction workers so little, almost half of them end up relying on safety-net programs costing taxpayers $1.9 billion a year, according to a new study.

Low wages, weak state laws and rare federal law enforcement have turned a solidly blue-collar industry into a poverty trap. Voters should ask why nearly half of full-time, skilled laborers rely on food stamps and Medicaid to care for their children.

The data also bolsters the wisdom of granting visas to undocumented workers and only then strictly enforcing immigration laws to boost wages.

TOMLINSONS TAKE: Immigration reform should focus on employers, end black market labor

The low wages and exploitative practices in the construction industry, both in Texas and nationally, cause profound hardship for workers and their families. It also costs the public, the University of California professors wrote. When employers misclassify their workers or pay them under the table, they are defunding and defrauding government programs, including workers compensation, Social Security, and Medicare.

Texas has one of the fastest-growing economies in the U.S. The construction boom in San Antonio, Houston and Austin is the envy of any Rust Belt state.

More from Chris Tomlinson

One in 12 Texans work in construction, or about 1.2 million people, the Census Bureau reports. The industry contributes $92.3 billion to Texass GDP or about 5 percent. Personal income from construction totaled $87.3 billion in 2019. But that income is unfairly distributed.

Compared to laborers in other Texas industries, twice as many construction workers rely on Medicaid, the health program for the poor, the Childrens Health Insurance Program, Temporary Aid for Needy Families, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, research by UC Berkeleys Labor Center found as part of a nationwide study.

The most obvious explanation is found in the construction contract bidding process. The lowest bidder typically wins, and managers feel the pressure to squeeze every penny possible out of the workforce. Many bend or skirt rarely-enforced laws to bring in underpaid, undocumented laborers.

Stan Marek, CEO of Houston-based Marek construction, has lost many a contract to unscrupulous competitors over the last 50 years, and hes fought for immigration reform for a decade. He expects construction to expand quickly in 2022, and hes worried the corruption will only get worse.

Were on the verge of the biggest boom construction-wise weve ever seen, he told me. My guys should be making 25 percent more, but I would not be able to get a job if I put 25 percent more in it because Im bidding against people who are not paying payroll taxes, who dont have workmans comp and who arent paying overtime.

Most states impose basic standards to protect workers, but not Texas. State lawmakers have consistently killed bills to guarantee decent wages and benefits. And when cities try to step in, GOP lawmakers make city and county prevailing wage and health insurance requirements illegal.

Gov. Greg Abbott may brag this is good for corporations, but kids still need to eat, and parents still get hurt on the job. Rather than make employers pick up the tab, Abbott and these companies shift the burden onto taxpayers.

Construction companies also misclassify workers as independent contractors rather than employees. A corporation has no obligation to guarantee labor laws are followed with independent contractors, and since onsite enforcement is rare, many developers cheat.

Those people work for you. You set their hours. You tell them what to do. Youre directing them. Marek, who directly employs most of his workers, said. The IRS wont touch it. Ive tried to get them involved in Washington, and they say it doesnt work.

Abbott talks a big game about immigration, but hes resisted state requirements that construction companies use E-Verify to check workers status. Lobbyists for residential construction companies have defeated every bill that would require them to respect labor laws.

TOMLINSONS TAKE: Shortages in daycare, elder care and nursing slowing economic recovery

Youve got a lot of contractors like me that if we could access the undocumented worker, just get an ID and background check; we could literally take hundreds of thousands of workers just in Texas and put em on payrolls, Marek said.

For every million people you take out of the underground economy and put them on a W2 payroll adds $4.75 billion per year for Social Security, he added.

The immigration problem facing the Texas economy is not undocumented workers taking jobs from Americans but scumbag contractors using unprotected foreigners to drive wages down to the poverty level for American citizens.

State and federal officials must do more to stop crooked construction companies from cheating those who follow the rules. But we also need all hands on deck to meet the nations construction needs, both citizen and foreign workers.

Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and politics.

twitter.com/cltomlinson

chris.tomlinson@chron.com

See the article here:
Tomlinson: Cheating Texas construction companies place $1.9 billion burden on taxpayers - Houston Chronicle

Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford)announced Wednesday he would run for reelectionin the newly created 22nd Congressional District.

My commitment to the Central Valley is stronger than ever, Valadao said in a statement. Ill continue to be an independent member of Congress who will stand up to the divisive partisanship in Washington D.C., get things done to grow our local economy, and deliver more water for our farmers and communities. Im excited to earn the vote of old friends as well as new voters across Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties.

Valadao currently represents the 21st Congressional District, including Kings County and portions of Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties.

In 2018, Valadao narrowly lost his reelection bid to T.J. Cox (D-Fresno) but avenged that defeat in 2020 byjust 1,522 votes.

The newly redrawn 22nd Congressional District skews more Democrat thanValadao's old district. PresidentBiden would have carried the new 22nd District by 13 points, 55 percent to 42 percent, in an analysis by political websiteRoll Call.

In 2020, no member of Congress was elected to a district that voted so heavily for the other partys presidential nominee, Roll Call found.But Valadao overcame an 11-point winning margin for Biden in his current district, so political pundits say the Hanford politician could still win the new district, rating the election race a toss-up.

The new districtwill take in the southern half ofTulare, most of southern Tulare County, and parts of Kings County, including the city of Hanford, and Kern County, including the cities of Delano and McFarland.

More: Redrawn political maps may split Visalia, Tulare. That could mean less government representation

Valadao will likely face several strong opponents in his bid for reelection, includingCalifornia State Assemblyman Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield)and Chris Mathys, a FresnoRepublican who has criticized the Congressman for his voteto impeach former President Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

The Kings County congressman was among 10 House Republicans who voted to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate.

"I am running for Congress in Californias 21 Congressional District against David Valadao, who betrayed our trust when he voted to impeach President Trump,"Mathys wrote in a press release announcing his candidacy. "Send me to Congress, and I will fight for our freedoms and make sure President Trump gets the respect and support he deserves."

Mathys, a former Fresno City Council member,has also strongly opposed COVID-19vaccination mandates and has criticizedValadao's support of immigration reform.

James Ward covers entertainment, news, sports,and lifestyles for the Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register. Follow him on Twitter.Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month.Subscribe today.

Visit link:
David Valadao will run for newly drawn 22nd Congressional District - Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register

Our nations immigrants are the constant reinvigoration of America. Each wave of newcomers brings their patriotism, bravery and determination to succeed to our shores and in doing so, makes America more American. As students and servicemembers, entrepreneurs and public servants, parents and neighbors, these new Americans affirm our countrys fundamental, founding truth: that in diversity, lies strength.

Yet President Trump and Congressional Republicans continue to push a hateful, harmful anti-immigrant agenda that instills fear in our communities and weakens our country. Instead of respecting the hard-working men and women who want to contribute to our nation, Republicans are trying to make American taxpayers pay for an immoral, ineffective and expensive border wall. At the same time, the Trump Administration is unleashing a cruel deportation force that is tearing apart families across America.

We must reject these senseless and destructive policies. Democrats remain committed to passing comprehensive immigration reform that recognizes and embraces the talents and contributions of our immigrants. We will continue to work toward a comprehensive solution for our countrys broken immigration system, and we will never stop fighting to ensure that America remains a land of opportunity for those who work hard, abide by our laws and dare to dream.

See the rest here:
Immigration Reform | Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Pedestrians line up to cross the U.S. border checkpoint in Calexico, California, in this file photo. The Build Back Better plan includes $100 billion for immigration reform, including expanded access to visas and DACA-like protection for up to 7 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., but not the pathway to citizenship advocates had pushed for. (Photo by Josh Denmark/Customs and Border Protection)

WASHINGTON Buried in the $1.9 trillion Build Back Better Plan is $100 billion for immigration reform, money that critics say has no business being in the bill and that migration advocates say does not go nearly far enough.

The immigration provisions, which were included in the bill House approved Nov. 19 on a mostly party-line vote, are certain to become a sticking point if and when the Senate takes up the full Build Back Better bill, one of the Biden administrations key initiatives.

The money would be used for everything from expedited processing of immigration paperwork, expansion of visa availability and access to work permits for as many as 7 million undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S., among other provisions.

But it does not include a pathway to citizenship for those immigrants, which advocates see as a slap that does not address the larger issue the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

The Build Back Better Plan, the one that passed in the House, its not a path to citizenship, and it just feels like a temporary bandage, said Vicki Gaubeca, policy and communication strategist for the Southern Border Communities Coalition.

So its a short-term fix, but really, I think, ideally, we need to get immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for all 11 million people who are here without work authorization, Gaubeca said.

That was echoed by Jose Patio, the director of education and external affairs at Aliento, an Arizona-based immigrant advocacy group.

Its been since 1986, over 35 years since we had an immigration reform, Patio said, referring to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. That bill, signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, led to citizenship for more than 2 million undocumented immigrants who were in the country at the time.

But Ira Mehlman, media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said the U.S. has no ethical obligation of rewarding people who have broken the law by coming here illegally.

Nobody promised people who came into the country illegally that they were going to get some kind of benefit, you know, including a path toward citizenship, Mehlman said.

The bill currently before the Senate does not provide a path to citizenship, but it provides a path to at least a provisional status, which is parole for, you know, for undocumented immigrants who arrive prior to January 1, 2011, said Donald Kerwin of the Center for Migration Studies of New York.

In addition to being here since 2010, immigrants who want to apply for protection under the bill would be charged a fee for the application and would have to meet other criteria. Kerwin said it is similar to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, under which work permits and other benefits are provided along with temporary protection from deportation.

But DACA provides just two years of protection, which can be renewed for two years at a time, for undocumented migrants who can prove they were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Under the Build Back Better plan, however, the deportation deferral would be good for five years at a time, and renewable.

Its a very positive bill, Kerwin said.

Mehlman does not just disagree with the proposal, he disagrees with the way Democrats are trying to get it through the Senate.

With the Senate evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, critics of the bill can easily block a measure by filibustering it, since it takes 60 votes to end a filibuster and bring a measure up for a vote. One way around that is through budget reconciliation measures, which need only a simple 51-vote majority.

Mehlman noted that the Senate parliamentarian has already rejected an attempt to include immigration language in an early reconciliation bill, and said that should happen again, since he does not believe the migration policy proposal really constitutes an investment.

Shes going to have to rule again, that these are social policies that really dont belong in a budget reconciliation bill, Mehlman said of the parliamentarian.

You can dress it up any way you want, call it an investment. It is not, it is a major policy change, he said. So, you know, it probably is not going to make it into the final version of the Senate bill.

Gaubeca said that not only should it be included but she hopes that senators take it a step further and include a path to citizenship, even though she concedes that she is being a little bit super-idealistic.

That would be awesome to offer a pathway to citizenship, even though they will have to send it back to the House, she said.

Patio said undocumented immigrants deserve a path toward citizenship, noting their contributions to the U.S. by serving as front-line workers in dangerous circumstances during COVID-19 pandemic.

They were the ones who are out there risking their lives with no vaccines, no access to unemployment, a very little gear, and making sure that we have food on the table, he said.

Continued here:
Neither side thrilled with immigration reforms in Build Back Better bill - Cronkite News