Reed’s photos of these meetings don’t often show constituent’s signs.
U.S. Rep. Tom Reed said President Donald Trump’s decision to coordinate a U.S. led airstrike against chemical weapon facilities in Syria was a “reasonable action” meant to send a message to dictator Bashar Assad.–Eric Tichy, The Post-Journal
“The use of weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical weapons like we saw in the horrific videos, is not going to be tolerated in the world,” Reed said.
“This was to send a message that this type of weapon was not going to be tolerated,” Reed said.
Reed said he expects to see a “tremendous amount of activity” to take place in committee (while the House is expected to do little or nothing).
“We’re very interested, at this point in time, to getting feedback,” Reed said. “This is where the legislation is created; this is where the legislation is drafted before it goes to the floor of the House.”
Reed said one of his priorities regarding the farm bill is looking at food stamp reform.
“What I believe we should do is take the approach that I have long held that giving fish to an individual for a day feeds them for that day, and that is good,” Reed said. “However, if you could not only give them fish but teach them how to fish you will arm them for a lifetime being able to take care of themselves.” (Can one fish for milk and toilet paper, one wonders?)
Reed — in the only time he raised his voice Saturday — came to the defense of the woman (who complained that SNAP recipients live high on the hog), and pointed out that her tax dollars were being used to buy “shrimp and lobster.”
“I’m confident this (investigation of DJT’s potential crimes) will wrap up sooner rather than later,” Reed said. “We need to get to a conclusion. … Sunshine will have its day.”
Sunshine may come, but what is exposed to sunshine may stink.
http://www.post-journal.com/news/page-one/2018/04/reed-talks-syria-farm-bill-at-town-hall-meeting/
New NY 23rd 
Was the message to Assad that he can build a warehouse, which may or may not contain weapons for thousands, which the Americans will spend millions to destroy?
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Mr Reed says that giving people food is not a good thing.It is better to make them work for food. I have no objection to that philosophy. So, where is Mr Reed’s JOBS PROGRAM to insure that every American who wants a job can have one? Where are the guaranteed jobs for those eager to work?
On the other hand, giving BILLIONS of dollars away in tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans is OK. Doesn’t that teach them they don’t have to work for their money? Manipulating the tax code to give billions to the wealthy is OK, but spending those same tax dollars on the hungry is not.
WOW. What a set of “values”.
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It’s not just any jobs, but full-time jobs that pay enough in wages and benefits so that the employee and family don’t quality for food stamps. That so many jobs don’t meet this standard is no accident–it can be fixed. Low paying jobs and stingy benefits, whether from the employer or the government, are a recipe for wide-spread poverty such as we have in NY-23.
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Reed said one of his priorities regarding the farm bill is looking at food stamp reform.
Which of his constituents suggested that, one wonders?
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Illegal immigration keeps the starting wage low and wages in general repressed.
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Wrong again Gary; where is the evidence for your claims?
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Ryn. You may be correct about illegal immigrants keeping wages low. Illegal immigrants are used by many corporations, especially in meat packing, construction and agribusiness. They are taken advantage of, sometimes not paid overtime and forced to work in unsafe, unsanitary conditions.
Of course, it is against the law to hire illegals, so I winder who is doing all the hiring? Any guesses?
If the corporations would pay living wages to US citizens who need jobs they can survive on perhaps the illegals would not come here to work. i mean, SOMEBODY is hiring them and knowingly doing so illegally. Of course, hiring illegals also keeps the cost of food low. How much more are we willing to pay for essentials in order to provide fair employment for our fellow citizens?
That is why “border security” is a red herring. Until the US cracks down on the corporations doing the hiring there will always be people evading the border patrols and coming into the US. Jobs are the magnet.
Now, there are fines imposed once in awhile ( I think $96 million was the highest ever) , but the profits made from cheap labor more than makeup for the fines. Start jailing CEOs and company owners who hire illegals and you might see some changes.
(Anecdotal: I listened to a radio broadcast a few years ago about a contractor in Texas who went out of business. Why? He hired only US citizens and he was continually underbid by other contractors who hired illegals off the books. Being honest drove him out of business.)
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Meat packers may well pay low wages, but that fact fails to justify Gary’s broad claim. Whether we focus on meat packers, hotel maids, or farm workers, the idea that low wages in those areas promote low pay for teachers, engineers, and stockbrokers is likely wrong.
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Comrade Whungerford,
For several years I had a customer in Lincolnton, NC who had a mostly Hispanic workforce of between 600 and 700. They hired Hispanics who provided the required documents (SS card, driver’s license etc.)
One day ICE and teh NC State Police served a warrant on teh facility to arrest a few employees who were involved in a Fake ID documents operation. The very next day 60% of the workforce did not show up for fear of their documents being scrutinized by ICE. It is not the responsibility of the employer to verify the authenticity of the documents. The employer’s responsibility is photo copy and submit teh documents.
This happens all over the country.
https://www.lincolntimesnews.com/news/man-faces-charges-in-fake-id-operation/article_02fb37ce-f6ad-504e-be48-3f69ac08aff2.html
Illegal Immigrant Arrested For Trafficking Fake ID’s
Lincolnton, NC – Lincoln County Sheriff’s detectives arrested a 33-year-old Hispanic male Friday in a takedown bust at the Colonial Village Apartments in Lincolnton.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Detective Lt. Hal Kluttz identified the suspect as Emilio Camarena Guzman, 33, of 410 Hunsucker Road, Hickory, NC. Guzman is charged with one count of Trafficking in Stolen Identities and three counts of Financial Identity Theft.
Lt. Kluttz said Guzman was arrested after making arrangements to make false identification for an unidentified illegal immigrant. Guzman met with the person on one day to take a picture and returned the next day with a North Carolina Driver’s License and number…. and a Social Security number and card for a price of $150. He was taken into custody at that time. Guzman was carrying a large amount of cash, blank Social Security Cards and other photos when he was arrested.
Lt. Hal Kluttz said that the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office would aggressively pursue and arrest those undocumented immigrants that are working illegally in Lincoln County under a false name using fraudulent identification and someone else’s Social Security number to gain employment. If these individuals are using false names supported with fraudulent identification to work, then it is also feasible that they will use the same false name and supporting documentation to operate a motor vehicle illegally and when being issued citations during a traffic stop and/or if they are arrested for other crimes. Imagine the problems that would be created if hundreds of persons were processed through our Courts and Jails under fraudulent names using fraudulent identification. Lt. Kluttz said in his opinion this is a growing problem but it has been our experience that ICE and other Federal agencies have been slow to get involved or assist local agencies. While state law makes it illegal to possess certain forms of fraudulent identification, a relatively new law passed makes it a Class E Felony and allows local law enforcement to arrest those individuals trafficking or actually making and selling these fraudulent identification documents for profit.
Mr. Guzman is believed to be part of a larger ring of persons operating out of Hickory and Charlotte. These individuals are suspected of producing fraudulent North Carolina, California, and Texas Driver’s license, North Carolina Identification Cards, and Social Security cards that appear to be authentic at first glance. The copies we have seen are missing the holograms embedded into the North Carolina Driver’s license and State Identification cards. The fake ID’s appear to be good enough to fool the average person, maybe some employers, and possibly some law enforcement officers.
He was placed in the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center under a $40,000 secured bond.
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Comrde Whungerford,
You are unscrupulous. Getting me to do your research for you when I should be working.
Fake Documentation
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/courts-using-anothers-ssn-not-crime-f6C10406382
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/09/undocumented-immigrants-and-taxes/499604/
http://www.gopusa.com/at-chicago-bakery-labor-issues-pit-blacks-against-illegal-aliens/
https://www.thoughtco.com/illegal-immigration-explained-3325416
http://www.osceolaiowa.com/2017/06/11/ruling-protects-illegal-immigrants-using-fake-documents-to-obtain-work/ag8lpgm/
So now we know that US employers use illegals to keep wages low. They also use the H-1B Visa Program that Congress keeps growing to keep trained, educated and technical labor down.
https://wolfstreet.com/2015/02/05/the-search-for-cheap-labor-in-tech-behind-the-h1-b-visa-scenes/
https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-an-H1-B-sponsorship-cost-to-a-company
https://betanews.com/2012/10/25/h-1b-visa-abuse-limits-wages-and-steals-us-jobs/
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/silicon-valley-h1b-visas-hurt-tech-workers/
Comrade Whungerfoprd, take the time to read and do some of your own research to become better informed and educated on the subject.
And as my mother used to tell me “Put that in your pipe and smoke it”!
True Free Market Capitalism fails in the US because of so much government intervention while they have left our southern border open for decades.
Big Government sucks
https://sites.psu.edu/detcivicissues/2017/03/23/big-government-sucks/
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To suggest that it is not the responsibility of the employer to make sure his workers are legal demonstrates the problem exactly. The employer should be held accountable for breaking the law. It is against the law to hire illegals.
The Social Security administration offers a FREE on line service through which an employer can verify up to 250,000 SS numbers at one time. So, what is the excuse for hiring illegals? An employer can find out within 24 hours if the SS numbers are valid. The fact is those employing illegals don’t want to know.
https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/penalties-for-employers-hiring-illegal-immigrants.html
https://www.ssa.gov/employer/ssnv.htm
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Comrade Gary, even the spam checker recognizes your spam for what it is. Have you no ability to express your opinions succinctly yourself.
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Ryn..Gary… You state that (and I quote)..”.It is not the responsibility of the employer to verify the authenticity of the documents. The employer’s responsibility is photo copy and submit teh documents…”
FALSE. The employer is required by law to verify the accuracy of the documentation. Submitting the SS numbers for accuracy is required.
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Ryn..Gary..You state (and I quote)…”True Free Market Capitalism fails in the US because of so much government intervention while they have left our southern border open for decades….”
OK. I’ll bite.
State 3 federal laws that you think are not needed in regard to the marketplace. Be specific. And use your own words, not some video you saw.
(By the way, nothing in the Constitution says the US is a free market/capitalist economy).
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Reed “pointed out that her (a complaining constituent’s) tax dollars were being used to buy shrimp and lobster.” I think it should be at a beneficiaries’ discretion as to how to use food stamps. Reportedly, SNAP benefits can’t be used to buy:
Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco.
pet foods.
soaps, paper products.
household supplies.
Vitamins and medicines.
Food that will be eaten in the store.
Hot foods.
None of these restrictions, other than “liquor, cigarettes or tobacco,” seem reasonable to me.
The idea that food stamps are funded by an individual’s “tax dollars” is flat wrong. Tax money paid to the treasury belongs to the treasury and not to any individual.
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What is wrong with buying shrimp or lobster? I think they are high quality food products. Is Reed suggesting that US citizens should only be allowed to buy low quality food if they are being paid such a low wage that they need to supplement their income with SNAP? Don’t lobster fishermen have the same right to make a living as wheat producers? Why does Reed hate crustaceans?
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The idea that the poor live “high on the hog” at the expense of those with higher incomes is a myth that won’t die. See “Myth of the Welfare Queen” by David Zucchino (1997).
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Joseph, can you save me some time and provide me with the specific link stating that it is the employers responsibility to verify the validity of Social Security numbers?
And of course employees do not want to take the time & expense to verify SS numbers and also do not want to “know the truth” that they are hiring illegal immigrants. They want to keep employee wages depressed and know they will not end up with Workman Comps claims if there is an injury.
https://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/employment-law-and-human-resources/employment-eligibility-verification.html
I did not say that Free Market Capitalism is in the US Constitution.
However, the Preamble to the Constitution does clearly mention “promoting the general welfare.”
“We the People of the United States in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
The United States Constitution’s Fifth Amendment ensuring private property rights to citizens can be viewed as a mainstay of capitalism. Private property ownership allows individuals to do what they want with their goods. That ownership allows and enables a citizen to use his property to start a business or provide a service.
Does this imply a pure capitalist economic model? Not necessarily, or at least, I do not think so. Many of our country’s allies respect private property ownership, while simultaneously providing many social programs promoting the general welfare of their citizenry.
I personally do believe that a capitalist, or a free market model, is the best economic model for the United States, but I do not believe that this model is dictated by the Constitution. Unconstrained capitalism acting contrary the general welfare of our citizenry is a violation of one our constitution’s most fundamental principles. Monopolies which diminish competition are a detriment to the free market. Collusion between bankers to fix interest rates, and the exportation of American jobs simply do NOT promote the general welfare.
So let’s move forward with an emphasis on what the Constitution does require. And let’s start with the five points listed in the Preamble:
Establish Justice
Insure Domestic Tranquility
Provide for the Common Defense
Promote the General Welfare (Not create a welfare state and fund it by redistributing wealth)
Secure the Blessings of Liberty to Ourselves and Our Posterity
As long as the capitalist free market model implemented in the U.S. does not contradict or interfere with these and other fundamental principles of our constitution then it is a viable model. If that economic model violates those principles, it is simply UNAMERICAN.
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Gary, “Promote the General Welfare” is written in the Preamble, your parenthetical qualification isn’t.
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Ryn…You wrote…”Joseph, can you save me some time and provide me with the specific link stating that it is the employers responsibility to verify the validity of Social Security numbers?”
“…What If the Illegal Immigrant Is Using a False or Stolen Identity?
Illegal immigrants who seek employment often engage in identity theft in order to work in the United States. Employers are required to make a good faith effort to make sure that their employees are legally permitted to work in the country. Good faith efforts include checking social security numbers and making sure the numbers are valid….”
https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/penalties-for-employers-hiring-illegal-immigrants.html
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Social Security numbers weren’t intended to be “national ID numbers,” and are ill-suited to that purpose. Americans have long resisted “national ID numbers,” but the Federal requirement for “Real ID” drivers licences makes that position passé. Gary, Joseph, should every citizen be assigned a unique and secure ID at birth? Consider this:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/12/18/estonia-the-digital-republic
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Ryn…You wrote…”I personally do believe that a capitalist, or a free market model, is the best economic model for the United States, but I do not believe that this model is dictated by the Constitution. Unconstrained capitalism acting contrary the general welfare of our citizenry is a violation of one our constitution’s most fundamental principles. Monopolies which diminish competition are a detriment to the free market. Collusion between bankers to fix interest rates, and the exportation of American jobs simply do NOT promote the general welfare….”
“Unrestrained capitalism”, which we both think is unwise, is exactly what the GOP has tried to do. They have pushed back at EPA regs, and banking and lending regs. They have consistently opposed ALL government regulation of the fossil fuel industry.
It was this unrestrained capitalism that led to the great recession in the final 2 years of GW Bush. The bad loans made with money that was supposed to be invested in safer investments. The bankruptcy of AIG because it was overextended. All if this happened not because of socialism, but because the GOP Congress and POTUS eviscerated consumer protection laws. And they are at it again today.
10 years from now the government will be SHOCKED at the water and air pollution and the TERRIBLE financial corruption…they will cry crocodile tears and wonder how it could have happened?…and once again the working class will bail out the “capitalists” who are really pirates.
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Interestingly, corporations in Colonial times were granted licences limited in duration and for specific purposes. Today, corporations are given licences unlimited in duration and for any legal purpose. Is that progress?
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Having an assigned identity number would solve a lot of problems. As would having a DNA databank.
A citizen would not have to register to vote. Just go to the polls, show your unique ID # and be automatically granted the vote. It could eliminate voter suppression laws so dear to the GOP.
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Comrades,
That was a point of view by the blog Democracy in Action
You guys would never consider agreeing with me on this.
As for pollution, no way, you guys are wrong. The US Government and military have polluted much worse than private ind. did. It took sevreal generations to deal with less pollution and cleaning up the water and air.
http://democracyinactionblog.com/2012/09/20/capitalism-and-the-constitution/
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Ryn…. I did agree with you on part of your answer. Do you ever read other folks’ responses?
Regarding pollution. No matter who pollutes it is a bad thing. As I said, the GOP has rolled back environmental protections. Our children and grandkids will pay.
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I am not a fan of everyone having a secure personal ID. I see the utility, but this is supposed to be a “free country.” It should be possible to live here without documentation as a hobo, a farm worker, a sex worker, or even a burglar. A person should be able to ride the bus, go to a movie, or shop anywhere without showing identification.
The first time I was asked to show my drivers license by an airline ticket agent, I was indignant–I didn’t propose to fly the plane, I only planned to ride. I don’t have a “real ID,” and don’t plan to get one.
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