Georgia Republicans are coming down with a serious case of Arizona envy

from the Athens Banner-Herald:



Republican candidates for governor, following the example of the Western state, are competing on who will crack down the hardest on illegal immigration.

Most recently, former U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal aired a campaign commercial calling for local law enforcement to deport illegal aliens. They're costing Georgia taxpayers more than $1 billion, he says in the ad.

"It is the officer on the street that sees the problem first," he said in an interview.

Deal's number came from a recent Federation for American Immigration Reform report that actually puts the cost at $1.6 billion, he said. The Immigration Policy Center, though, cast doubt on the FAIR report, saying it included the cost of educating children who courts have ruled must be allowed to attend school. It also does not take into account the wages illegal immigrants spend and the taxes they pay, IPC said.

Deal took credit for a federal law requiring Medicaid recipients to show proof of citizenship. Since the law took effect in 2006, Georgia's Medicaid rolls dropped for three years, until the economy turned sour in 2008. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/071010/new_674320529.shtml

Republicans in mini-mansions' upkeep would skyrocket, if not for our cheap day laborers.

All this has made me much more aware of my responsibility to make sure I hire companies that aren't tax and labor cheats.

Around here in Savannah, 90% of the yard care companies and contractors use hispanic labor. The only anglo is the boss. Maybe they just happen to be citizens or otherwise legal?