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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
National trumps local laws in regard to immigration
Dear Readers,
Immigration is a
“hot button” issue
in the current political cam
paign. Nationally, Congress
has been
tied up
in knots,
seemingly
unable to
reach a
consensus
on what
to do to
resolve
the crisis
of the mil-
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Jim Rockefeller
The “Law” man
lions of undocumented immi
grants, who appear to be per
manently embedded in our
economy and workforce. Our
elected officials cannot even
seem to agree on what to do
(and how much it will cost)
to protect our borders.
This paralysis has left local
Why are there so few mentoring relationships?
The past two weeks
of articles on men
toring have evoked
some interesting responses.
One reader sent this e-mail:
“I have
been
unable to
find a busi
ness men
tor, even
though
I tried.
One of
the hard
est things
about find
ing a men-
Dennis Hooper
Leaders Building
Leaders *
tor is the rejection. It’s hard
not to take it personally.”
At least this reader has
tried. I speculate that many
readers have never even
sought a mentor, merely
because of the fear of rejec
tion. “Why would someone
with experience be interest
ed in spending some of his
or her valuable time helping
me?”
Let’s face it - somebody
has to initiate every relation
ship, right? Are you going to
just wait around and hope
individuals with more expe
rience invite you to be the
beneficiary of their under
standing?
LETTER
From page 4A
season make a difference
with your donations. Visit our
Letters to the editor
Forget digital, think one-liter engine
President George W.
Bush just tried to man
date that all vehicles should
get 35 mpg by 2025. To put it
mildly, this is a bunch of crap!
Since 1996 they have had
vehicles that get 150 mph but
the U.S. has banned these
cars. Why? Are they a terrorist
threat? In 2004 these one-liter
engine cars got 234 mpg but
their average high speed was
only 140 kph (75 mph) but the
U.S. has banned this technol
ogy from its shores, so that
Exxon/Mobile and the oil/gas
After 57 years of business in downtown Perry,
I have decided to retire and enjoy the future
years. Through these many years I have met
many wonderful people - not only in Perry but
tourists as well. To all my loyal customers who |
have supported me in the past, as well as those
just passing through, I would like to extend my
deepest appreciation!!!
Naturally I will miss seeing everyone, but / am
also looking forward to possibly some travel and
time with close friends. Once again, thank you
. for your business, and remember -1 still will be
in Perry and hope to see you on occasion.
~Barbara Jones
communities struggling for
solutions. In our larger cit
ies, like New York, Chicago,
and LA, local officials seem
to have embraced a policy
of toleration of immigrants;
other, smaller, communities
have decided to take a dif
ferent approach. They have
decided to pass laws designed
to root out undocumented
aliens and to punish those
that provide them with shel
ter and jobs.
Hazleton, Penn., is one of
those communities. A city in
Pennsylvania’s coal country,
population roughly 25,000,
Hazleton has been a defined
community since 1857. Its
total population has changed
little in the past century. But
now it finds itself at the fore
front of local attempts to do
what the national govern
ment has refused to do to put
Oh, it can happen, but
it’s pretty rare. The prob
ability is that anyone you
might want as a mentor is
already overcommitted. You
may be of the opinion that
this individual would never
be willing to focus his or
her attention on helping you
uniquely.
Maybe that’s so. I’ve
worked with many lead
ers, most of whom didn’t
have a strong initial inter
est in developing others.
Competent leaders have a
lot on their minds - like solv
ing operational problems,
balancing cash flows, and
figuring how to attract com
petent staff to handle future
growth. Time is clearly a
limitation, but many strong
leaders have never even con
sidered being a mentor.
Still, as the Bible suggests
(Matthew 7:7), I encourage
any individual who wants
help in building skills to ask!
And keep on asking! Just
because one individual turns
you down is no reason to
avoid asking someone else.
Or even asking that same
person again three months
later!
Okay, failure of the mentor
or potential mentee to ask
website at www.goodwill
works.org to find a convenient
Goodwill donation center and
our extended holiday hours
of operation. Thank you for
your support to help Goodwill
tycoons can get rich by charg
ing us $3 a gallon.
When they start produc
ing more gas, they start run
ning ships aground, or they
start catching fire. They can
afford the $75 million fine and
cleanup when they have been
making record profit in the last
three years. Exxon/Mobil’s
CEO retired with a record
unheard of $440 million retire
ment package and use of the
company jet anytime he needs
it. Really? Get a $440 million
compensation package and
JONES
•JEWELERS, INC.
904 Carroll Street • Perry, GA 31069
Phone: (478)987-1531
in place an aggressive local
immigration policy.
In 2006, mirroring maybe
as many as 35 other local
ordinances from around
the country, Hazleton, Pa.,
attempted to force employ
ers and landlords to verify
the immigration status of
their employees and tenants.
These attempts, though, are
likely to run afoul of our
Constitution ... which is the
reason for this column.
In past columns, I have
commented on the concept
of “preemption.” This con
stitutional principle carves
out areas of national poli
cy where, once the federal
government acts, states and
local governments are unable
to pass laws in conflict with
those enacted by Congress.
This is true for immigra
tion policy. Congress has
is one reason. A mentoring
relationship won’t generate
itself! What are some other
reasons mentoring relation
ships either fail or are not
started?
■ Chemistry isn’t right.
■ Potential allegations of
favoritism.
■ Risks associated with
poor performance of the
mentor or mentee.
■ Pride (“I’m too good to
ask for help.”)
■ Pride (“I’m too valuable
to use my time helping just
one person.”)
■ The organization never
legitimized mentoring rela
tionships.
■ The organization has
forced mentoring rela
tionships, and they’ve not
worked.
■ The relationship out
lived its usefulness.
I’m sure a book could
be written on each reason.
There are probably many
more explanations. This is
just the list I’ve catalogued
from my experience. I’m sure
somebody somewhere has
done some research on this
subject. I’ve just not looked
hard enough for it!
But I did find this resource
after a lot of looking: The
build lives, families, and com
munities - one job at a time.
- James K. Stiff
President/CEO Goodwill
Industries of Middle
Georgia and the CSRA
he cannot afford to purchase
a plane ticket. These 1 liter
engine cars exists, American
Motors has verified that these
cars get over 230 mph but
they are banned in the U.S.
But yet, the U.S. has decid
ed that we need digital TV
broadcast so that we can play
catch up with Japan. Instead
of cars that get over 150 mpg
to help out the average citizen
of the U.S. that is forced to
pay high gas prices.
- Mark Silver, Cochran
OPINION
passed a number of laws
regulating immigration and
sfetting a national agenda.
This power flows from the
Constitution and Congress’
Article I responsibility to
establish the rules for “natu
ralization.” Because of this
action, national law trumps
local law by what is called
the “supremacy clause”
of the Constitution. When
Congress passes a law, it
cannot be contradicted by
local action. Thus, local gov
ernments are powerless to
regulate employers’ use of
undocumented immigrants.
Or so the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce argued in its
“friendly” Brief in support
of the named and unnamed
individual plaintiffs.
Sitting in a trial on whether
or not to issue a permanent
injunction against Hazleton
Mentor Handbook by Bobby
and Richard Clinton (1991).
A pastor friend introduced
me to the “The Constellation
Model” they describe:
■ upward mentors - those
who have gone before and
can share their experience
with you
■ inside lateral mentors -
peers who provide confiden
tial perspective and account
ability
■ outside lateral mentors
- trusted colleagues with no
explicit role on your team,
yet they provide trusted
objective perspective and
external accountability
■ downward mentors
(mentees) - those who are
just learning what you’ve
already experienced
With all these possibilities
for helping or being helped,
the real question shouldn’t
be “Why are there so few
mentoring relationships?”
The more appropriate ques
tion is “Why are you not in a
mentoring relationship with
someone, as either mentor or
* Houston
2323 Highway 127
j Perry, GA • 218-5254
www.houstonlake.com
Proud to support the
from
Chris & Beth Murman
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2007 ♦
enforcement of its ordi
nance, Judge James M.
Munley, of the Middle
District of Pennsylvania,
sided with the Chamber and
the Plaintiffs in a verdict
issued a few months ago.
He found that Hazleton’s
regulations treaded in areas
where Congress had seized
the exclusive right to act.
It could not take away an
employer’s business license
for employing undocument
ed immigrants; the same for
fining landlords SI,OOO per
day for renting to one.
So, yet another legal rock
has been thrown in the
ocean of our frustrating
immigration policy conun
drum. Those smarter than
me can debate the wisdom
of Hazleton’s reaction (some
might say overreaction) to
the perceived threat of shad
mentee?”
Dennis Hooper guides
leaders as they build orga
nizations of excellence. He
Assessing Your
Leadership Skills
-SBS/person
Where Framing
Is An Art
918 Carroll Street • Perry, GA
478-987-4079
owy undocumented immi
grants; but Hazleton is clearly
powerless to reflect the will of
its citizens. Our Constitution
says our solutions must come
from Congress, not Hazleton,
Pa., or Houston County.
Hopefully, Congress will stop
playing political games soon
and deal with the problem
- we cannot afford inaction
any longer.
Local attorney Jim
Rockefeller owns the
Rockefeller Law Center and
is a former Houston County
Chief Assistant District
Attorney, and a former
Miami Prosecutor. E-mail
confidential legal questions
to ajr@rockefellerlawcenter.
com. Visit www.rockefeller
lawcenter.com for Frequently
Asked Questions and
Jim’s blog, The Rockefeller
Report.
was certified as a personal
coach five years ago. Contact
Dennis at 478-988-0237 or
dhooper2@juno.com.
F. Dennis Hooper
Certified
Leadership Development Coach
Building leaders and
organizations of excellence
(478) 988-0237 dhooper2(fi>juno.com'
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