An initiative requiring large employers to comply with the law in Novato
I received the following email, which I pass on to you directly:
Hello CLEC and friends,
I am the leader of a group that is gathering signatures to get a petition on the November 2010 ballot in Novato [California]. We have over 50% of the signatures we need. The group is called “Citizens for Legal Employment and Contracting,” CLEC, and the website is http://clecnovato.com.
CLEC’s initiative protects American jobs and Novato tax payer money. The goal of the initiative is to ensure that the people whose salaries are paid with Novato taxpayer money are citizens or legal immigrants. More specifically, our initiative requires that big contractors with the city of Novato use E-Verify to confirm that their new hires are citizens or legal immigrants. The initiative does not apply to small businesses.
Supporting workplace enforcement is popular not just with most Republicans but with independents and moderate Democrats. In March 2009, the Rasmussen polling company surveyed the support for workplace enforcement. Not only did more than three quarters of Republicans express support for that sentiment, but over seventy percent of independents did, and over half of Democrats as well.
Although our initiative applies only to Novato, it will be popular with non-liberals across Marin County and it can be easily franchised to other cities or the county. Further, it sends a message that Marin County believes in enforcing immigration laws.
As I said, we have over 50% of the required number of signatures. We need to gather 1,500 valid signatures from Novato voters before April to be on the November 2010 ballot in Novato. Here is what CLEC needs to get on the ballot:
1. Opportunities to gather signatures. See our website.
2. Volunteers to help in signature gathering. Volunteers do not need to live in Novato.
3. Donations to pay for professional signature gatherers. $6,000 buys the signatures we need.Thank you,
