Letters: 08/21/2006
Close the Border to Illegal Immigrants
[Editor's note: This letter is in response to The NEWS' special report on the immigration issue that appeared in the June 19 issue.]The illegal immigration issue impacts more than the labor market for the HVAC industry. Illegal immigration is a threat to United States sovereignty. Illegal immigrants are not assimilating into the United States culture, most have allegiance to their nations of origin and will not learn the English language.
Illegal immigrants work as cheap laborers, many times accepting payment under the table from businesses and forwarding this money back to their families and thereby not paying U.S. taxes. Illegal immigration is a serious problem impacting schools and medical care; American taxpayers foot the bill. An increase is noticeable in the criminal activities of these immigrants with the impact of gangs and illegal aliens accounting for 29 percent of the federal prison population.
Senate bill S.2611 does not stop illegal immigration. The bill allows amnesty for illegal immigrants and provides a gap to allow an increase of more illegals who are family related, around 650,000. The Senate bill will restrict local law enforcement to arrest for alien smuggling crimes. The Senate recently reneged on the funding of a border fence called for in the bill.
Cheap labor and lower wages for businesses does not trump the security of this nation. Illegal immigration must be stopped and the border closed! Only then can a resolution to hire foreign laborers in a controlled and legal method be brought to the table. It is not a matter of workers for hire, these folks are breaking the law and the law requires enforcement. So must it be for businesses that break the law; they must be held accountable.
We, as Americans, can show compassion by supporting changes to the Hispanic countries. A free market society must be made available in these countries. We either deal with this issue of illegal immigration in our country now or face a nation divided even more by culture and language in the coming generations.
The battle does not rest in Congress or with corporations, but with the American people; they will decide and force this issue to the forefront with their representatives in Congress.
Gordon Hallock
Beaverdam, Va.
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Selling IAQ to Consumers
I am responding to Mike Murphy's editorial ["IAQ - An Unfulfilled Dream," July 31]. Mostly I am curious as to whom your source was for the data on Lennox dealers and Air Advice. I was, at first read of the article, angry. Upon a reread, I calmed down a bit and thought about why I was angered in the first place.It is my belief that your info came from Air Advice. I also believe, until you tell me different, that the Air Advice marketing team provided the fuel for your fire. The world of HVAC and IAQ manufacturing has achieved a whole new low in creating markets.
They have relied upon "guru" marketing people and their lip service to find a place for products that may have no place at all. All of the marketing people have chimed in on IAQ products. The assumption is that these products are "silver bullets" for health care in our homes. The other assumption is that "profit dollars" will rain down when these products are sold.
It is my bet that any dealer that averaged a $2,600 IAQ sale either oversold or overpriced products to get to that dollar level. I wouldn't be a bit surprised that some scare tactics were used as well. Just what agenda does this serve? Certainly the customer is well down the list when it comes to why do IAQ.
The manufacturers and the marketing people would do well to get out in the field, grab onto a technician or installer, and see where the customer stands on IAQ.
You would be welcome to come along as well. I think that your tenure in the editor world needs a reality check. Are you working for manufacturing first and then HVAC dealers second? If so, you are doing a stand up job.
Dick Marshall
Owner of Strang Heating and Electric
Richland Center, Wis.
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Publication date: 08/21/2006