Illegal Immigration in Florida: Conservative Solutions to a Growing Problem

RCPB Immigration Invitation Oct 2011

As Republicans, we believe that the state of Florida, like our nation, is in desperate need of immediate and drastic improvements in in our immigration enforcement policies. At the same time, we are cognizant of the potential and often-unintended impact that government regulation of Florida businesses can have on economic growth, job creation, and prosperity for all Floridians. We hope to offer and informed and engaging discussing of the various conservative perspectives on this ever-evolving issue, to promote the sort of effective and functional immigration policies that will serve as a conservative model for other states.

We hope that this forum will not function as a debate.  Instead, we hope to foster an intelligent discussion about the different conservative perspectives on the interests at stake in our ongoing immigration discussions.  We recognize that not all conservatives will agree on all subjects.  Nonetheless, we hope to embrace differing conservative viewpoints, so that we as an audience, and as a Party, can come to more fully appreciate this complex issue which affects us all.  Won’t you please join us

Thursday, October 27, 2011

5:30 Meet & Greet

6:30 Program Begins

$20 Members and Guests

 

Bear Lakes Country Club

1901 Village Blvd

West Palm Beach, FL  33401

RSVP info@gopclubpb.org

REC Update June 8, 2011

Last Wednesday, the Republican Executive Committee held its bi-monthly meeting at the Palm Beach County Governmental Center.  The agenda for the June meeting was exciting and substantive.  The REC welcomed Colonel Mike McCallister, who is running in the Republican primary and hopes to ultimately join Marco Rubio as a United States Senator from the great state of Florida.  McCallister spoke of his deep concern over the expansion of Islamic fundamentalism and Sharia law, and the threats that they pose to both the United States and its allies abroad.  He also expressed great passion about our nation’s fiscal status, calling for an end to the era of ever-increasing government spending.  This election season is shaping up to be exciting and important, as McCalister challenges formidable Senate hopefuls, Mike Haridopolos, George LeMieux and Adam Hasner, for the chance to go to Washington and usher in a new age of robust economic growth and increased prosperity for all Americans.

The REC also took up a discussion over the issue of illegal immigration and the proposed e-verify procedures considered during the last legislative session in Tallahassee.  The topic proved for a lively debate, as members expressed competing perspectives on the proposed legislation.  While some touted the law as a viable and necessary means of combating illegal immigration and the associated dangers, others observed that the new law will impose upon Florida businesses an added and substantial cost of doing business which, like most government regulation over private industry, will limit the ability of Florida businesses to compete, create jobs, and grow our local economy.  The debate served as a reminder of the great importance of public discourse, so that we can fully appreciate the complexity of the issues facing our society and ensure that our state and nation can move forward instead of backward in the coming election cycle.

FH83 Representative Pat Rooney Highlights Award Lunch

On May 25th, the Republican Club of the Palm Beaches was pleased to welcome state representative Pat Rooney at its monthly luncheon.  Representative Rooney provided a summary of the 2011 legislative session, including its highs and lows and some of the initiatives most directly affecting South Florida.  Most notably, Representative Rooney discussed the Republicans’ successful efforts to trim burdensome government spending in order to promote the creation of private sector jobs, offset the ever-increasing federal tax burdens on Floridians, and propel Florida’s economy out of the ongoing recession.  He also discussed the passage of a bill designed to help balance Florida’s long term budget by requiring state employees to fund a small portion of their own pensions.  He expressed great optimism about the opportunities to solve the challenges of illegal immigration while also recognizing the complex impact that any such solution will have on Florida’s agricultural industry and the overall economy.

As a businessman, Pat described the frustrations of being a freshman legislator working through the considerably different world of lawmaking, and some thoughts of how to improve the process, including his proposal for using video conferencing to connect the lawmakers from the southern part of the state during committee time, to make more efficient use of everyone’s time.

Although the session was somewhat contentious, and much was sandwiched into the last few weeks, there were some good things to emerge. In Pat’s view these included saving some funding for libraries and the disabled, FRS reform, and the bill to curb pill mill abuses.

Representative Rooney also took part in the Club’s ceremony awarding the 2011 Anne Roberts Memorial Scholarship.  This year, the scholarship was awarded to four deserving candidates who are in the process of pursuing their college degrees.  Representative Rooney and the entire Club were pleased to recognize all four candidates for their academic accomplishments and their embodiment of Republican values.   

There were four scholarship winners this year, each receiving a check for $500, and the awards were announced by surprise guest (via video recording) Congressman Allen West.

Receiving the scholarships were John Clark, Shirley Schaff, Kimberly Twoey, and Jason Ferrara.  Click here for the Press Release – ARM Scholarship 2011

Pictures courtesey of Delia Garcia-Menocal.