Social Security Card Verification
The issue: Checking Social Security numbers
The city said:
"The city of Elgin verifies Social Security information for its employees, per federal law. The city of
Elgin had used the system 'E-Verify' until the General Assembly barred such use due to its patent
unreliability. The city of Elgin could not legally require any other businesses to verify Social Security
information."
~Councilman John Walters
AFLA says:
The role of government is to represent and protect the citizens. We give them money (taxes) and
authority (surrender our personal rights to them) in exchange for their services.
Presumably, they speak for us before the state legislature, saying, “The people of Elgin need you to
do something about this law.”
We believe the city, out of fear of reprisal from advocacy groups we suppose, has not been
proactive on the issue of Social Security number verification.
First of all, the use of Basic Pilot in the City of Elgin came about because Doug Heaton, spoke at a
city council meeting on September 27, 2006 and shamed them into doing something about it.
Actually, it took a few follow-up e-mails and intervention by the Daily Herald to get them to adopt
the program.
And what they adopted was half-a-loaf. They should have had the guts to enroll in the Homeland
Security IMAGE program which allows them to check CURRENT employees as well as new hires. But
they chickened out and went for Basic Pilot only.
And they did it quietly so no one would get offended. Again, my point on September 27, 2006 was
to make the program public and announce to area businesses that the City of Elgin is an example of
best practices. In other words, be a leader in the community!
Worse yet, the City couldn’t wait to STOP doing Basic Pilot. As soon as they heard about the state
law back in August, they stopped checking Social Security numbers, even though the law doesn’t
take effect until January 1, 2008.
Well, we shouldn’t complain about this state law banning Social Security number checks unless we’
ve done something about it ourselves. Well, here’s what AFLA has done about it:
1) Alerted the press about it before the Governor signed it.
2) Sat down with Ruth Munson in her office on September 22nd to find out why she voted for
it. She said she hadn’t read it and didn’t realize what was in it. She said they were trying to figure
out a way to rescind it (almost impossible if you can’t get past Mike Madigan). Of course, a few reps
could go public and try to shame Madigan, Jones, and Blagojevich into doing something, but that
would take some courage. Our only hope at this point is to wait for the feds to win the lawsuit
against the state.
3) Sent various follow-up e-mails to Noland and Munson. Munson called the other day and
indicated she would support a new piece of legislation rescinding the ban, but it wouldn’t happen
until 2008.
Are we wrong to think that an official protest and request from the City of Elgin has a better chance
of getting some attention in the matter than private citizens alone?
We wouldn’t feel so bad if we knew the city never got involved in such matters, but they do. They
are just selective regarding the things they care about.
For example, did you know there is an entire section of the Elgin Municipal Code devoted to temp
agencies and day laborers? There is. Chapter 6.18. But it isn’t focused on screening and
enforcement. It isn’t focused on protecting us and improving the image of the city.
It covers things like a warm place for the temps to wait, use of the bathrooms, rights of the temps
regarding clothing and equipment, anti-discrimination, no cost for transportation…and there must be
a sign explaining those rights in both English and Spanish.
So you see, the city is capable of delving quite deeply into the local enforcement of federal issues;
they are just selective about the issues that are politically correct.
The vision we had regarding Social Security number verification would include the city taking the
dual roles of example and educator. What if every business in town received a packet of
information with their business license explaining the federal laws about hiring illegal aliens? What
if that packet spelled out the laws and the penalties for violators? What if our Community
Development Department went around to business groups and gave a presentation about the law
and the verification programs available?
What if Elgin were able to tell potential new area businesses that we are doing things in this town
to make sure we have a clean, eligible workforce?
What if the city got involved with the IRS, Immigration, and the Inspector General of the Social
Security Administration and invited them to investigate suspicious activity? Lima Ohio is doing just
that through their Sheriff’s Office. Are these activities legal? Sure they are, but it takes a proactive
city leadership.
Do we have a problem with ID theft in Elgin. Yes we do! Ask the police. Just last week a mortgage
broker was caught using the IDs of legitimate borrowers to push through mortgages of illegal
aliens, using the same papers FOUR times on different loan applications. So much for Mr. Steffen’s
comments of strict oversight of real estate transactions!
And there was another article last week about two Hanover Park men using an Elgin man’s ID to
get jobs and run up debt.
Basic Pilot was to be the beginning of cleaning up ID theft in town, not just one more thing to check
of the list as “done”. Once again the city’s efforts and answers miss the mark.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE SERIES INDEX PAGE
The city said:
"The city of Elgin verifies Social Security information for its employees, per federal law. The city of
Elgin had used the system 'E-Verify' until the General Assembly barred such use due to its patent
unreliability. The city of Elgin could not legally require any other businesses to verify Social Security
information."
~Councilman John Walters
AFLA says:
The role of government is to represent and protect the citizens. We give them money (taxes) and
authority (surrender our personal rights to them) in exchange for their services.
Presumably, they speak for us before the state legislature, saying, “The people of Elgin need you to
do something about this law.”
We believe the city, out of fear of reprisal from advocacy groups we suppose, has not been
proactive on the issue of Social Security number verification.
First of all, the use of Basic Pilot in the City of Elgin came about because Doug Heaton, spoke at a
city council meeting on September 27, 2006 and shamed them into doing something about it.
Actually, it took a few follow-up e-mails and intervention by the Daily Herald to get them to adopt
the program.
And what they adopted was half-a-loaf. They should have had the guts to enroll in the Homeland
Security IMAGE program which allows them to check CURRENT employees as well as new hires. But
they chickened out and went for Basic Pilot only.
And they did it quietly so no one would get offended. Again, my point on September 27, 2006 was
to make the program public and announce to area businesses that the City of Elgin is an example of
best practices. In other words, be a leader in the community!
Worse yet, the City couldn’t wait to STOP doing Basic Pilot. As soon as they heard about the state
law back in August, they stopped checking Social Security numbers, even though the law doesn’t
take effect until January 1, 2008.
Well, we shouldn’t complain about this state law banning Social Security number checks unless we’
ve done something about it ourselves. Well, here’s what AFLA has done about it:
1) Alerted the press about it before the Governor signed it.
2) Sat down with Ruth Munson in her office on September 22nd to find out why she voted for
it. She said she hadn’t read it and didn’t realize what was in it. She said they were trying to figure
out a way to rescind it (almost impossible if you can’t get past Mike Madigan). Of course, a few reps
could go public and try to shame Madigan, Jones, and Blagojevich into doing something, but that
would take some courage. Our only hope at this point is to wait for the feds to win the lawsuit
against the state.
3) Sent various follow-up e-mails to Noland and Munson. Munson called the other day and
indicated she would support a new piece of legislation rescinding the ban, but it wouldn’t happen
until 2008.
Are we wrong to think that an official protest and request from the City of Elgin has a better chance
of getting some attention in the matter than private citizens alone?
We wouldn’t feel so bad if we knew the city never got involved in such matters, but they do. They
are just selective regarding the things they care about.
For example, did you know there is an entire section of the Elgin Municipal Code devoted to temp
agencies and day laborers? There is. Chapter 6.18. But it isn’t focused on screening and
enforcement. It isn’t focused on protecting us and improving the image of the city.
It covers things like a warm place for the temps to wait, use of the bathrooms, rights of the temps
regarding clothing and equipment, anti-discrimination, no cost for transportation…and there must be
a sign explaining those rights in both English and Spanish.
So you see, the city is capable of delving quite deeply into the local enforcement of federal issues;
they are just selective about the issues that are politically correct.
The vision we had regarding Social Security number verification would include the city taking the
dual roles of example and educator. What if every business in town received a packet of
information with their business license explaining the federal laws about hiring illegal aliens? What
if that packet spelled out the laws and the penalties for violators? What if our Community
Development Department went around to business groups and gave a presentation about the law
and the verification programs available?
What if Elgin were able to tell potential new area businesses that we are doing things in this town
to make sure we have a clean, eligible workforce?
What if the city got involved with the IRS, Immigration, and the Inspector General of the Social
Security Administration and invited them to investigate suspicious activity? Lima Ohio is doing just
that through their Sheriff’s Office. Are these activities legal? Sure they are, but it takes a proactive
city leadership.
Do we have a problem with ID theft in Elgin. Yes we do! Ask the police. Just last week a mortgage
broker was caught using the IDs of legitimate borrowers to push through mortgages of illegal
aliens, using the same papers FOUR times on different loan applications. So much for Mr. Steffen’s
comments of strict oversight of real estate transactions!
And there was another article last week about two Hanover Park men using an Elgin man’s ID to
get jobs and run up debt.
Basic Pilot was to be the beginning of cleaning up ID theft in town, not just one more thing to check
of the list as “done”. Once again the city’s efforts and answers miss the mark.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE SERIES INDEX PAGE