Bloomberg an Independent Voice of Reason, Action, and Compassion on Vital Issue
America’s Voice strongly commends New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for using the occasion of his recent inaugural address to make an extraordinary pledge of leadership on the national issue of immigration. In his remarks he promised to organize a bipartisan group of elected officials from around the country to support President Obama’s call for comprehensive immigration reform.
As the leader of the nation’s financial capital and home to thriving and diverse communities of immigrants, Mayor Bloomberg understands that comprehensive immigration reform will enhance national security and strengthen New York’s economy. As a mayor on the front lines of making his city work, he understands that inaction by Congress on this issue only serves to make a bad situation worse for similarly-situated state and local officials throughout the nation.
“Mayor Bloomberg clearly gets it,” said Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice. “Thanks to his decision to step up and provide leadership, we believe that this will be the year Congress gets it, too. Unencumbered by partisan politics and undeterred by immigration reform opponents, he is focused on what is best for the city, the state and the nation, without regard to party or ideology. Elected leaders in Washington would be wise to do the same. After all, what most voters want is performance on big issues rather than politics as usual.”
Mayor Bloomberg has said that “New York’s immigrant communities have driven America’s economic engine for generations.” Sharry agreed, saying “immigration reform would remove these immigrants from the economic margins of society and make them legal members of the mainstream economy. Additionally, an improved immigration system would also act as a disincentive for unscrupulous employers to hire illegal workers over legal workers for jobs with lower wages and unfair working conditions. It would improve labor standards and earnings for all employees – immigrants and U.S.-born alike. It would also allow state and federal authorities to better track who is entering and leaving the country and ensure that immigrant workers and the companies that employ them are paying their full and fair share of taxes.”
“Unless Congress steps up and acts now, the problem of illegal immigration will only get worse – for anxious American workers, frustrated taxpayers, fair-minded employers, frustrated local communities and hard-working immigrant families,” Sharry said.
America’s Voice — Harnessing the power of American voices and American values to win common sense immigration reform.
http://www.americasvoiceonline.org
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