Lake Oswego
OReview
LETTERS
Letters – Dec. 29, 2011
, Dec 29, 2011, Updated Dec 29, 2011
Clackamas county should use the E-Verify system
To the Editor:
Clackamas County Commissioners Lehan, Damon, Bernard, Lininger, and Savas should require Clackamas County government use the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Citizen and Immigration Services E-Verify system.
The importance of Oregon employers using U.S. DHS CIS E-Verify system really becomes apparent when looking at Oregon’s unemployment rate in October 2011 being at 9.5 percent, 177,350 Oregonians were unemployed. The October unemployment numbers for Oregonians in Clackamas County were at 8.8 percent; 17,113 of the county’s residents were unemployed.
Unemployed Oregonians who are U.S. citizens or foreign citizens legally present with authorization to work in the country should not have to compete for jobs with a purported 97,000 undocumented foreign national workers illegally in the state.
If all Oregon government and business entities not currently using U.S. DHS CIS E-Verify system were required to use it, Oregon’s unemployment rate would drop dramatically because all new jobs created in the state would go to U.S. citizens or those legally present to work in the country.
Currently more than 2,227 Oregon businesses and government entities are successfully using the 98.6 percent accurate U.S. DHS CIS E-Verify system. Twelve of 36 Oregon county governments are now using E-Verify system (Clatsop, Deschutes, Harney, Jefferson, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook and Washington counties). At least 189 Clackamas County businesses and government entities (city of West Linn, Clackamas Community College, Estacada School District, Gladstone School District No. 115 and Molalla River School District) presently use the E-Verify system.
Clackamas County residents should contact Commissioners Lehan, Damon, Bernard, Lininger, and Savas and ask them to require Clackamas County government use the U.S. DHS CIS E-Verify system so if a job opening becomes available to work for the county a qualified U.S. citizen or foreign citizen legally present with authorization to work in the country can be first in line for that job.
David Olen Cross
Salem
http://lakeoswegoreview.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=132510923293127000
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