Illegals and coffee
Illegals and coffee
Two recent articles in the Tribune-Herald regarding Kona coffee farmers’ concerns about enforcement of U.S. immigration laws is of grave concern to me.
First of all, are the farmers worried about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents enforcing our laws, which is what they are supposed to do? It seems their concern is about the illegal aliens they employ, rather than immigrants here legally.
Why would legal immigrant laborers or their employers be afraid of ICE enforcing the law? Besides, isn’t it against the law to employ undocumented immigrants?
Additionally, how are these illegal immigrants getting to Hawaii in the first place? Do they not have to produce a picture identification to get past any TSA screening at the airports? If I tried to fly, even interisland, and the name on my plane ticket is not exactly as my name is on my picture ID, I am not allowed on the plane. How would illegals get such valid IDs that allow them through the TSA screening?
Moreover, how would these prospective farm workers know who to contact for employment once they get here? Do they check Craigslist? When they are employed, how do their employers know how to identify them to the IRS or Social Security Administration to pay their Social Security taxes, if they have no valid Social Security number? And, if they have a valid Social Security number, how did they get it?
If we are saying the farmers hire these illegal workers through an employment agency, is the employment agency paying the appropriate taxes to include workers’ compensation taxes to the state? How about medical screening? If these workers are coming from foreign countries, is any screening performed for tuberculosis, leprosy, ringworm or many other communicable diseases?
As a lifelong resident of Hawaii and an American citizen, I am concerned.
Rick Toledo Jr.
Hilo
‘Political pornography’
Dear Ms. Kathleen Parker,
I read your syndicated column in the Tribune-Herald (Their View, April 1). I almost always admire your thoughtful commentary, but not this time. Your snarky, sexist attack on Melania Trump was without any redeeming feature, the very definition of political pornography.
Attacking Mrs. Trump as you did was totally uncalled for. No responsible journalist attacked Michelle Obama, Laura Bush or any other recent first lady that I am aware of.
You criticized Mrs. Trump for staying in New York, at considerable cost to the taxpayers. As a casual reader of the daily newspaper, I am aware that Mrs. Trump is staying in New York until her 10-year old son finishes his school year, at which time they will move into the White House.
As a professional journalist who comments on political matters, you should know this, too.
Yours very truly,
David Hudson
Hilo