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Swamped with illegal immigrants at home, governors pushing for action in Washington Lynne Sladky / The Associated Press U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks at a town hall meeting at Miami Dade College in Miami on Thursday. McCain spoke in support of an immigration bill he and Sen. Ted Kennedy are sponsoring in Congress. Several hundred supporters of immigration reform attended the meeting. Robert Tanner THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — A growing number of governors, along the border and beyond, are sharpening their complaints about the flood of immigrants pouring into their states, pushing the Bush administration and Congress for action. Republicans and Democrats alike on Sunday said they planned to bring the concerns to President Bush and his Cabinet in private meetings this week, bringing a front-line security worry of a different order than the latest Washington obsessions on . ports and eavesdropping. i ms is a national issue,” said Democrat Janet Napolitano of Arizona, where 500,000 attempts to illegally cross the border were turned back last year — and an untold number got through. Nationally there are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants draining government resources. “We’re absorbing through taxpayer dollars the incarceration costs, health care costs, education costs,” Napolitano said. Immigration was one contentious issue among many as more than 40 top state leaders gathered for the winter meeting of the National Governors Association. Governors also hope to get attention on the National Guard, where they fear cuts, and on Medicaid and welfare. In states as far from the southern border as Utah, Missouri, Tennessee and Vermont, governors said immigrants are costing states dollars and spurring state legislation. All agree the answer lies in Washington and hope to provide a push as Congress weighs several competing bills. its important to come together as governors with a single voice to give some direction,” said Republican Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah. “We deal with these issues day in and day out.” Western governors have put together a multipoint plan that asks for tougher border enforcement that makes better use of technology, improvements in the visa system, adoption of a guest worker program and working with Mexico and other Latin America countries to tackle the root economic causes that send millions north looking for work. “The notion of being opposed to it, but turning a blind eye to it, doesn’t make sense,” said Democrat Phil Bredesen of Tennessee. The pressure has been rising in recent months. In Texas, there was an armed standoff last month between state authorities and apparent drug smugglers wearing Mexican jnilitary style uniforms. in Minnesota, KepuDiican Tim Pawlenty wants the State to track immigrants and fine employers who knowingly hire immigrants. Last year, illegal immigration spurred Napolitano and Democrat Bill Richardson of New Mexico to declare states of emergency in border counties in each state. At the same time, governors warn that harsh measures alone would cause severe damage to many states, especially where agriculture depends on immigrant labor. “Our industry really relies on foreign workers to be successful,” said Republican Jim Douglas of Vermont, where low unemployment and an aging population makes it hard to find workers for the state’s dairy farms. Two years ago, Bush laid out guidelines for a temporary worker program, but the 2004 elections made the administration and some in Congress reluctant to address it. That year, frustrated members of a Senate committee openly criticized Bush for failing to fight for his own proposal. The House passed an immigration enforcement bill last year that called for building fences on the U.S. Mexican border, allowing local law officials to enforce immigration laws, and tequiring employers to verify the legal status of their employees. Majority Leader Bill rrist, R-Tenn., has told lawmakers the Senate will begin considering immigration legislation March 27, but Sen. John McCain, R Ariz., has predicted the Senate would not consider immigration reform until April or possibly later. Governors also spoke as one on their worries about a Pentagon plan to restructure the Army National Guard that many warn will leave the states with ability to respond to homegrown disaster and emergencies, whether they are floods in the Midwest, forest fires out West or hurricanes along the Gulf Coast. DEMURE • COMinUEDFROIDI in several companies with young founders. “They are able to put together a product or service that speaks better to that generation — and do it without enormous amounts of capital.” It’s not nearly as frothy as the dot-com era. But it’s also a distinct comeback from the post-bubble era of 2002 and 2003, when few twentysomething entrepreneurs got venture backing. After the bubble burst, many venture capitalists felt the need to return to maturity and experience, seeking to avoid what they saw as the excesses of youth. No precise data exists on the number of twentysomething entrepreneurs backed by venture capitalists, but anecdotal evidence suggests it’s rising. They’re “popping up left and right,” said Sean Parker, 26, who had been chief executive of Plaxo, a company that lets users update their contact information online. “Being a young entrepreneur post-bubble quickly became one of the loneliest jobs in America,” he recalled. “The young entrepreneur went from being an exotic to an endangered species.” So Parker decided to create a support network in Silicon Valley for young entrepreneurs. The group’s members, meeting at each other’s homes, faced similar challenges, such as managing executives older than themselves, and being so busy that having a normal social life is difficult, Parker said. Lately, he’s considering calling the group “Valley Brats.” “We plan to systematically invade the toniest and crustiest of the old hangouts where VCs meet to talk and do deals. Our first target: the Village Pub in Woodside,” Parker said. It’s a watering hole not far from the VC epicenter on Sand Hill Road. There’s even a Stanford University group, called Entrepreneur 7, launched by Stanford students to help them network while building their own companies. 5 up the pUH ;»o“os*'« / $g$ safe* - palooza spRlHG BREAK rOOAH' zqHES smoKinG • conTinucDFRomi Some local bar and restaurant owners are worried about the effect a smoking ban will have on business. “It would have a huge negative impact,” said Ryan Gleason, manager at Delaney’s Speakeasy. “I am from New York, and I know it affected bar business quite a bit. Many people who hang out in bars smoke. I absolutely oppose it.” Karen Martin, manager of Yesterdays in Five Points, also opposes the smoking ban. “I don’t want it to pass. I think it will badly affect business,” she said. First-year business student Bob Dunleavy said that although he doesn’t smoke, he thinks the ban could affect local bar business. “A lot of my friends probably wouldn’t go to bars as much if there was a ban,” Dunleavy said. Mac Leaphart, assistant manager at the Salty Nut Cafe, isn’t as worried about business as Gleason and Martin. “I don’t smoke and secondhand smoke doesn’t bother me personally, but I can understand why some people wouldn’t want it,” Leaphart said. “I don’t think it will affect business that much because all bars will have to do it. People will still come out and have beers, they will just have to smoke outside.” Lindsey Miller, a second year business student, said she does not smoke and a ban would not have a great impact on how often she goes out. “I guess I would initially like the ban, but it probably wouldn’t change the amount I went out. I can understand the argument against it,” Miller said. Although (jleason and Martin oppose the bill on economic grounds, Sharky’s and Knock Knock Club owner Scott Linaberry objects to the bill from a political viewpoint. “I run at Riverfront Park and can smell smoke while I’m running. Why make me choose what to do in my own business when they don’t enforce it in a public park? I think they need to enforce it in public parks before they try it in the private sector,” Linaberry said. Tobacco company Phillip Morris USA states its position on the company Web site, www.pmusa. com. The policies section of the site says that “in many indoor public places, reasonable ways exist to respect the comfort and choices of both non-smoking and smoking adults. We believe that business owners — particularly owners of restaurants and bars — are most familiar with how to accommodate the needs of their patrons and should be awarded the opportunity and flexibility to determine the smoking policy for their establishment. The public can then choose whether or not to frequent places where smoking is permitted.” Kutherrord said his bill is solely for the purpose of eliminating secondhand smoke, and economic and other smoking initiatives are not the focus of his bill. “It’s not a bill aimed at reducing teen smoking or anything else. It is simply aimed at eliminating secondhand smoke dangers from public areas,” Rutherford said. The bill also faces some opposition from other - democratic representatives, such as Walton McLeod of Newberry County. “I am generally supportive of outlawing smoking in restaurants. I want to craft a bill to see if we can put the burden on the restaurant to ask a smoker to leave if they wish to smoke. If a smoker refuses to leave, then the law everywhere says that that is trespassing and can be enforced by law enforcement,” McLeod said. McLeod objects to imposing criminal charges against people for smoking a legal product. Although he doesn’t have a plan to fix the issues he objects to, he plans to look at similar legislation in other states for guidance. “I don’t have a plan, but I have proposals from other states, and I will endeavor to craft some provision that will delete the criminal aspects of the bill,” McLeod said. “I object to the heavy handedness of issuing a criminal summons against someone who smokes. Tobacco is legal; marijuana is illegal. I don’t think we should place smoking of legal cigarettes into the same category as marijuana.” wnatever tne outcome of the legal battle, Leaphart said he believes the tobacco legislation will some day become standard. “It seems like it’s only a matter of time until it happens. It’s happening everywhere else, so I think that it’s inevitable that it will happen here eventually,” Leaphart said. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknews@gwm.sc. edu RAFFLE • COnTinUED FROR1I Carolina’s anti-raffle laws, students and members of the community are welcome to enter the drawing with a suggested donation of $5. “If they enter and win it is fine, as long as that is their intention,” Davis said. “If they exploit the archaic anti-lottery laws then they are a fraud and enemies of the Constitution.” Davis said The Observer will publicize any contention from faculty and students. “We have national media contacts that would love to hear that Clemson faculty are enemies of the Constitution,” Davis said. “They are taking away from free speech, democracy in Iran, and from the students who are wanting to participate in this celebration of the Second Amendment.” Proceeds will go toward The Observer and an advocacy group for democracy in Iran. The drawing begins today and is open to students and members of the Clemson community. Those entering must be at least 18 years of age, have no criminal record, and must be eligible to own a firearm. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknews@gwm.sc. edu FLU • COnTinUCDFROflll were erecting a protective zone around the area where the duck was found. Hans Wyss, director of the Switzerland’s veterinary office, said officials have been prepared for the possibility of bird flu reaching Geneva after Germany and France both reported their first cases of the disease in wild fowl earlier this month. My internship experience ;;»g| with Michael J. Oana landed ’ ^ me a job as a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch right out of college.” Bryan Webber Cultural Awareness Commission Brings you: Who made her fortune developing a MW* -ml successful line of cosmetics for African H Vi I Ctl Americans in the early 190§^? _ » H XT"** r.l