Real-Life Hypocrisy

**Lemur** · 09-30-2006, 15:47

A quick story from the Lemur, live from the Lemur Estate:

We've engaged a local painting co. to help us with putting a new coat of color on our house. We're painting the first floor, and they're coming in to do the second and attic floors. We were assured that this guy was good, and that it was worth it to pay him a little extra.

So I told the gent that I didn't want him to use any illegal labor, and I expected that the premium we were paying would help toward workers with legit papers. He tells us of course.

First couple of days it's just him and his buddy, doing some of the fine detail work. They listen to nothing but Rush, all day long. They must have tapes of Rush or something, 'cause I'm pretty sure the fat man only broadcasts four hours a day. My wife finds this mildly upsetting, since she's a moderate like the Lemur, and she despises extremists. I tell her it's perfectly all right for the guys to listen to whatever they like. Admittedly, they're on our property, and I could probably make a case by asking them to not blast political invective while working for us, but it really doesn't seem worth it.

This morning the regular crew shows up. Guess what? They're all illegals. Every single one of them. Lovely guys, nice guys, but if they're citizens of the U.S.A. then I'm the Queen of Norway.

This Republican right-wing blowhard took our money, assured us that he wouldn't employ illegals, blasted his fat man propoganda all over our property, and now he's gone back on his word, made good on a lie, and compromised both his business integrity and his (supposed) Conservative views.

What a jerk. I'm going to have to look into the properr way to report him to I.N.S. I mean, seriously. What is it with these so-called "conservatives"? They talk a great game, and they can do the demagogue dance better than anyone, but once reality comes a-knockin' their principles go flying out the window.

If you can't tell, I'm really angry about this. Another frickin' Republican blowhard who talks the talk and can't walk the walk. And this scumbag thinks it's fine to pocket my money on one set of terms, then change the deal in mid-course. I hope he winds up as a Halliburton trucker in Iraq, the frickin' hypocrite.

Suggestions? Should I go straight to the I.N.S. or talk to local authorities first?

**Reenk Roink** · 09-30-2006, 16:00

Originally Posted by Lemur

This morning the regular crew shows up. Guess what? They're all illegals. Every single one of them. Lovely guys, nice guys, but if they're citizens of the U.S.A. then I'm the Queen of Norway.

It's quite hypocritical all right, but are you sure they are illegal immigrants. I mean absolutely sure.

**The Black Ship** · 09-30-2006, 16:08

They do listen to Rush afterall...surely that alone makes them Republican illegal blowhards.

**Strike For The South** · 09-30-2006, 16:14

Anyone who uses illegal labor should be shot.

**Scurvy** · 09-30-2006, 17:54

Originally Posted by Strike For The South

Anyone who uses illegal labor should be shot.

why? they're damn cheap, and dont do a bad job - they need the work, and i dont blame them for trying to get it (we had some illegals paint our flat 6 years ago now - this was in UK, and not really anything as important as painting a whole house)

I do agree that if you agree that the company wouldnt use illegals then its horrible of them to do otherwise,

**Ser Clegane** · 09-30-2006, 18:01

Originally Posted by Scurvy

why? they're damn cheap

Uhm ... of course they are - as by employing illegals you avoid e.g. paying taxes.

And of course they need the work - as do the people who work legally.

Being against employing illegals does not necessarily mean that you are blaming them for trying to get work, however, people who employ them can certainly be blamed for actually stealing from the society they live in.

**Kanamori** · 09-30-2006, 16:27

The man wants some money... that seems natural to me. He just seems to be an idiot w/ how he goes about it. If you were serious about hurting his bidness over this, then MRD's I would guess to be the best solution.

This morning the regular crew shows up. Guess what? They're all illegals. Every single one of them. Lovely guys, nice guys, but if they're citizens of the U.S.A. then I'm the Queen of Norway.

Are you the Queen of Norway? Because if you are, then they could be legals.

**Strike For The South** · 09-30-2006, 16:31

IIRC Lemur lives in Wisconsion. Im pretty sure you can pick out the illegals there. Its not like here where they can hop the border and squat in Lardeo, Brownsvile, Harlingen, Del Rio ,McAllen, El Paso, Eagle Pass, Starr. These are the most poverty ridden crime infested parts of Texas and you wonder why? The crime rate goes up once you get closer to the border

**Kanamori** · 09-30-2006, 16:41

How do you pick out the illegals?

**whyidie** · 09-30-2006, 17:41

Originally Posted by The Black Ship

They do listen to Rush afterall...surely that alone makes them Republican illegal blowhards.

Yep, pretty much. I gave the guy a shot in college, but there was too much hard blowing.

**Major Robert Dump** · 09-30-2006, 16:05

Theres hypocrites on the left, too. Really, all it boils down to is greed, and a "rules don't apply to me" attitude. It's like throwing a cup out of your car window on the interstate with the attitude that its only a cup. Well, those cups add up if a lot of people do it, eh?

I would go one step further if you are that mad. Go find some of his competitors who don't use illegal labor, and rat him out to them. Their desire to compete in the business world my contribute more change than just you calling the INS. They may get the chamber of commerce involved, or any guilds or unions.

Just out of curiousity, how are you so sure they were illegal?

**Redleg** · 09-30-2006, 17:20

Originally Posted by Lemur

Suggestions? Should I go straight to the I.N.S. or talk to local authorities first?

Call the Employment Standards Agency for your state - especially if there is an income tax department. Report his name and his company name and state that his work force consists of undocumented workers.

Then call the IRS and report him for tax fraud - this one is the most difficult because you will have to report the name of the company primarily. Hopefully he has a EIN that the IRS can use to prosecute him for tax fraud.

You can also report him as an individual for tax fraud to the IRS.

The INS is also a good choice.

If it was me I would do all three, plus the one the MRD suggested

**Major Robert Dump** · 09-30-2006, 17:51

The fact that they are latino in wiscnsin and speak little English does not, in and of itself, make them illegal. Just because you don't hear them speaking English doesn't mean they don't know how. They may also have temporary work visas.

With the housing boom this situation has really gotten out of hand. From firsthand info I have gotten from my friends who do/have worked construction crews, the typical immigrant crew charges the contractor roughly 1/4of what the low end resident crews do. Note, that based on low end. My friend Joey stopped framing houses for $1.25 per square foot (thats low end, it goes anywhere from 1.00-2.50 depending on the home) and instead moved over to concrete framing. Why? A
latino crew of 20 men were offering the local home building contractors .30 cents per square foot. 30 cents, man. It took 8 ppl a week to do a 4 bedroom 2 bath, so it takes these guys 3 days or so. there is no possible way you can charge 30 cents per square foot and be paying everyone, at minimum, the minimum wage and be paying taxes on them. It's simply not possible.

The demand for this shoots all the way up the food chain, from the building contractor, to the real estate company, to the homebuilder.

The blame lies with more than the illegals.