Conference brings national perspective to regional issues
The Border Legislators Conference came to the Sun City today, and state and national officials tackled some of the serious economic and social issues that affect our region and beyond.
While economic development in the region was the main focus of the conference, Congressmen from across the border and country also talked about social issues that impact the economy.
Rep. Beto o’rourke, one of the organizers of the conference, was joined by fellow democrat Reps. Henry Cuellar of Laredo and Bill Owens of north east New York. They addressed the issues of jobs affected by trade, and also the important aspects of immigration that affect them in turn.
No Republican congress-persons were listed on the program for the conference.
Owens brought a different perspective from the opposite side of the country, where he says immigrants, legal or otherwise, are crucial to the dairy farm industry that dominates his district.
A recent ABC News poll shows a slight majority of Americans opposing the idea of letting illegal immigrants stay and work here legally. But Owens said that without them, the dairy industry might cease to exist where he’s from.
“You have people who frequently have been in the United States for 10, 15, 20, 30 years,” Owens said. “They’ve clearly been here. They’ve been a part of the economy. They’re very important because they also spend dollars that support the economy in my communities. I want to keep them here and doing that.”
Owens said that he supports the ideas from a recent Senate bill allowing a path to legal status and even citizenship for illegal immigrants, and that dairy farmers need to be able to hire without violating the law.
