LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor:

This letter is in response to statements made by speakers at the Texas Employers for Immigration Reform meeting held in Tyler on Nov. 27, 2007.

Until the United States Congress and the administration admit the true extent of the problems caused by millions of illegal aliens in the United States, these problems cannot be resolved. Former presidential advisor Karl Rove said there are an estimated 8-12 million illegal immigrants in the United States now. According to the Wall Street financial giant, Bear Stearns, in a report entitled, "The Underground Labor Force Is Rising to the Surface," there are more than 20 million illegal aliens in the United States. Other estimates raise that number to over 30 million.

If a guest worker program is legislated by the U.S. Congress, it will include up to 10 million illegal aliens. What will happen to the remaining 10-20 million illegal aliens, those who stand on street corners in almost every city of the United States, waiting for day jobs, who are paid in cash and pay no income of FICA taxes?

I have middle income constituents who have fewer benefits than illegal aliens. Many earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to purchase their own health insurance. They cannot obtain free medical care through hospital emergency rooms as illegal aliens can.

When I am told by Washingtonites who admit the numbers, that you can't round up and arrest 10-30 million illegal aliens, I offer them a simple solution. Stop the free health and education benefits and they will return to Mexico on their own.

Once again, I remind all elected officials of their oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States. You cannot overlook immigration laws. They must be enforced.

Leo Berman State Representative District 6

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(This letter was addressed to Cherokee County Judge Chris Davis and sent by Mrs. Juanece Smith to the Tri County Leader for publication)

I would like to take time out of my busy schedule to extend my thanks to you and the other Cherokee County employees for your cooperation in assisting myself and my colleague, Mr. Jerry Bright in expediting the project worksheet formulation process for your county. It is only through the combined efforts of the FEMA Project Specialist and the county's em- ployees that the project worksheets can be formulated and written in a timely, accurate, and thorough manner. I want to especially thank the ladies in the County Treasurer's office for all of their hard work.

That brings me to another reason of why I am writing to you. I was brought in to assist Mr. Bright and worked with Precincts #2 and #4. I would like to commend the efforts of the two County Commissioners I had the privilege of working with, Mr. Kevin Pierce of Precinct #2 and Mr. Byron Underwood of Pct. #4. As a "veteran" commissioner, Commissioner Pierce impressed me, my Public Assistance Coordinator, Mr. Robert Chapman, and our FEMA Mitigation Lead, Mr. Don Andrews with his handling of this disaster. Kevin and his foreman had documented all of the labor, equipment, and materials used at each of the individual job sites. This kind of thorough documentation is a Project Specialist's "dream come true" as it makes the project worksheet process easier and much more expedient. Mr. Pierce's foreman, Tommy Grogan, was also instrumental in the development of the project worksheets. Mr. Grogan was ver y familiar with the precinct's damages and repairs that had been made, and I was able to inspect in upwards of twenty damage sites in a less than a day's time. We were especially impressed with the bridge repair on Hobson Bridge road as Mr. Pierce repaired the bridge using concrete in lieu of wood timbers, saving the taxpayer's money and having a much stronger and longer lasting bridge deck. Precinct #2 home and landowner's should be proud to have such a conscientious Commissioner as Mr. Pierce serving them.

Mr. Underwood, although a newly elected Commissioner, also duly impressed us with his documentation of his precinct's damages. My FEMA Public Assistance Coordinator, Mr. Robert Chapman and the State of Texas Public Assistance Coordinator, Bill Jackson, had told me that at the kick-off meeting in August of this year that Commissioner Underwood already had a binder complete with photos of his precinct's damages prior to repair, as well as documentation of labor, equipment, and materials used at each individual damage site. Commissioner Underwood also had a friendly and knowledgeable foreman by the name of Gregg Gregory.

Mr. Gregory was very familiar with the precinct's damages and repairs and was able to help me inspect over forty damaged roads and culverts in his precinct in just over a day's time. I was especially impressed with the expediency of the repairs to the damaged roads in Commissioner Underwood's precinct and the inventory of culverts and materials which aided in his precinct's repairs back to pre-disaster condition. I believe that Precinct #4 is, and will be, well served by Commissioner Byron Underwood and his staff.

I have been involved in numerous other major disaster declarations, and Mr. Pierce and Mr. Underwood are by far some of the most knowledgeable, professional, and helpful applicant representatives that I have had the pleasure to work with during a disaster. It is not often that I run into applicant's representatives that take so much pride in their job, their place of work, and their precinct as the Commissioners and employees of Precincts #2 and #4. I would like to personally extend my heartfelt thanks for their courteous and professional service exhibited during this disaster.

John DeLeon III

FEMA Project Specialist/Insurance Specialist, Region VI, Response and Recovery Division