Congress in Tiff Over English-Only Rules

[Terri]

By ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press
November 16, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A government suit against the Salvation Army has the House and Senate at loggerheads over whether to nullify a law that prohibits employers from firing people who don't speak English on the job.

The fight illustrates the explosiveness of immigration as an issue in the 2008 elections.

Republicans on Capitol Hill are pushing hard to protect employers who require their workers to speak English, but Democratic leaders have blocked the move despite narrow vote tallies in the GOP's favor.

For more than 30 years, federal rules have generally barred employers from establishing English-only requirements for their workers. But Senate Republicans have won passage of legislation preventing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from enforcing the rules.

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[tgclark]

This is a English speaking society and all immigrants should be required to speak English that is the only they can assimilate into our culture. I am so tired of going into a place and hearing nothing but foreighn languages.

[84rules]

If immigrants come from 20 different countries, then they should all learn our language, English. We should not have to learn 20 different languages to accomodate them.

[Irember911]

Just a case in point about the Polish man in Canada yesterday. Came here, didn't speak english and now he is dead, English is our language and just because our government will not define that doesn't change it. We need a new congress, one that wants what is best for us.

[Charie]

Welcome to Irember911. Tell me about the Polish man. I didn't hear it.

''These women had worked at the location for five years sorting donations without any complaints about their conversing in Spanish,'' EEOC Commissioner Stuart Ishimaru said at a commission meeting earlier this year.

First: Has the Salvation Army been hiring illegal aliens?

Second: These women have lived in this country for at least 5 years and don't know how to speak English?

Something is very rotten about this whole situation!!

[studebaker51]

Second: These women have lived in this country for at least 5 years and don't know how to speak English?

When the Alamodome was going to be built in San Antonio, a lot of houses were being bought up to make way for it. The local TV news went to interview the homeowners. Among them were several elderly Hispanic people. The interviews required interpretation, as few spoke any English at all.

The only problem was: ALL of the interviewees said they have lived in San Antonio for years...one claimed over 50 years!

At the time, I voiced my puzzlement as to why they didn't speak English. I was told " Two reasons...#1 is LULAC...the "Latin Lobby"..#2 was...they don't HAVE to...people make special accommodation because there are so many of them".

There is even preferential treatment in hiring English/Spanish speakers, because of this. Experience & education often takes a back seat to a "Bi-lingual" candidate.

It's like a sick joke: Spanish speaking workers are needed because there are so many people in this country that speak Spanish because they don't have to learn English.