Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Misleading anti-immigration ads air on TV

Coming to a television near you: scare tactics (and we’re not referring to a mediocre reality show).
In an advertisement the Coalition for the Future American Worker (CFAW) says: "Last year 2.5 millions of Americans lost jobs ... Yet with millions jobless, our government is still bringing in a million and a half foreign workers to take American jobs."

The TV spot, aimed at US workers threatened by a further downturn in the economy, concludes with the question: "Could your job be next?"
Apparently the CFAW is a coalition of anti-immigration groups whose spokesman is the founder of NumbersUSA.

The CFAW had previously run ads in the 2004 that, according to FactCheck.org, was factually accurate though those facts were distorted by a political message. Such was definitely the case with the vaguely worded, fear-mongering ads the CFAW started airing this week.

In order to minimize the problems related to immigration. The complexities of the immigration debate cannot be solved by oversimplification or misleading the public. Thus, the CFAW’s ads do nothing but detract from meaningfully discussing the pros and cons of immigration.

Image- solidarityeconomy.net (2007 CFAW print ad that tried to equate immigration reform with African-American economic hardship).
Online Sources- FactCheck.org, Wikipedia, AFP

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

As one of only two contractors in the San Francisco Bay Area that have joined the E-Verify process, let me share a fact or two: 1. E-Verify Works, I know I'm an authorized E-Verifier for my company 2: Labor Unions have no contractual obligation to verify their workers!!!! An illegal alien that joins the local labor union (like here in the bay area) will start out at $78,000 a year, are these the jobs that Americans won't take?

All the money that's being paid into the pension funds for these illegal workers will never be paid out. Simply put these workers are undocumented and un-traceable therefore they will probably never collect an ounce of the pension money that’s owed them!

This is why labor unions and the DNC are against any type of worker verification system, their make a bundle from extorting money from honest contractors who are forced to pay into these pension funds. Unions and the DNC have sold out this country and are getting FAT beyond belief.

NOTE TO UNION MEMBERS:
Never say your proud to be a union worker, your union sold you out, that’s sad and real fact!

Will the infrastructure bailout plan that President Obama proposes ensure that only American workers take these new jobs? Think about it? Unions are salivating right now along with Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi. All the money that illegal aliens will be making if e-verify is not passed will be sent out of the United States to support their own families in their respective countries. Is this the American stimulus President Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats have in mind.

Who's going to get hurt here? Yep you got it, once again the American Worker will have to take the hit and pay for it!

P.S. When you read articles that infer that the CFAW is against immigration, slow down and look closely on how pro-illegal immigration journalists write, they will always leave out the important words, like the word "illegal". The CFAW is not against immigration, they never have been. They and Americans like myself are against "illegal" immigration, so before you comment know what your commenting on.

-calling an illegal alien an undocumented worker is like calling a crack dealer an unlicensed pharmacist.

Forever an American
Manuel A. Martinez
Authorized E-Verifier
tony@sites2000.com

Erwin C. said...

Manuel -

There's plenty to discuss based on your comments but I just wish to examine two things.

First, you claim that you are a contractor who has joined E-verify and can attest that it's useful. Can you please verify those claims?

Additionally, you mention that the CFAW is soloely opposed to "illegal" immigration, so before you comment know what your commenting on."

Yet as the AFP reported (cited in the post), the CFAW's campaign "suggests calling on the White House to cut off access to the American economy to foreign workers with H-1B visas, which are awarded to professional or skilled workers in numerous sectors, including industry." The H-1B visa program falls under legal immigration.

Furthermore, FAIR (one of the founding members of CFAW) claimed in October 2007 that CFAW "has worked to champion the interests of American workers and to demonstrate how mass immigration, illegal immigration and unnecessary guest worker programs are undermining those interests."

Therefore (and contrary to your claim) the CFAW targets both legal/documented immigration and illegal/undocumented immigration.

virginiagomez said...

I am an American of Mexican descent. I have a friend(American born citizen) who is unable to find a job, yet I have spoken to illegal aliens who speak no English at all, and are working. Does this seem fair? No; it does NOT. Our economy is in terrible shape and our unemployed US born
citizens are without jobs, and our congress and special interest groups along with business corporations want to import more foreign workers and hire illegal aliens?!! Enough is enough. This country has been going down hill and corporations are heartless and greedy and don't care what they are doing to our citizens! This is Our Country and We must stand up and fight for Our Rights and for all of Our Unemployed American citizens (as well as those that entered this country "legally" and became US citizens-who are also now unemployed). If illegals can take to the streets and make demands from this country -then it is the Right of Every American to also take to the streets and Demand that We Take Our Country Back and take care of our own! If I entered Mexico illegally, I would NOT be entitled to anything and would be thrown out. It is time for All Foreign Countries to take care of their own people and create jobs for them, instead of handing them a map to assist them in crossing our borders illegally!

Anonymous said...

Erwin

Would you actually think that I would lie about being a E-Verifier for my company? I've left my email address at the end of my comment you can email me and I'll send you my personal phone number, explaining E-Verify is not easily done on a blog. Also if anyone would like to speak to me in regards to E-Verify, please email me I'd be more than happy to speak to you directly about the effectivness of the program and how it protects the American Worker and helps owners of companies comply with FEDERAL LAW.

Forever an American
Manuel A. Martinez
Authorized E-Verifier
tony@sites2000.com

Anonymous said...

The ads are not misleading at all, and simplification is necessary when you only have 30 seconds to get your message across. For more information about the factual basis behind the ads, please see these two pages on our website:

http://www.numbersusa.com/content/nusablog/cbreiter2/december-8-2008/real-stupid-stimulus-or-real-sensible-stimulus.html

http://www0.numbersusa.com/content/resources/video/commercials/elevator-commercial.html

--NumbersUSA Staff

Anonymous said...

www.numbersusa.com/
content/resources/video/
commercials/elevator-
commercial.html

and

www.numbersusa.com/
content/nusablog/cbreiter2/
december-8-2008/real-stupid-stimulus-
or-real-sensible-stimulus.html