Comments on: Pelosi to small businesses: No “English only” rules for employees, or else

By: Hot Air » Blog Archive » Poll: 77% think employers should be able to require English only on the job

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 17:12:24 +0000

[...] may just win this election yet. Keep up the good work, Nancy! The view that employers should be allowed to require English-only speaking while on the job is [...]

By: Mark Jaquith

Mark Jaquith — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 01:14:46 +0000

In other words, it’s just as Fund states: the amendment is to protect employers from federal lawsuits for requiring their workers to speak English.

… for requiring their workers to speak English EXCLUSIVELY. Which is the same as banning other languages.

By: stacman

stacman — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:06:09 +0000

As stupid and as typical as it is, it shouldn’t be a big deal for small businesses. Fire your non-english speakers now before any new laws are in place. All employment interviews are conducted in english. If they can’t speak english, don’t hire them.

Bottom line……….If a business owner is too stupid to figure that out, they shouldn’t be in business.

By: gekkobear

gekkobear — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:55:09 +0000

tlhIngan maH!

Heghlu’meH QaQ jajvam!

…

Yes, sorry, he only speaks Klingon… what do you mean he’s fired? Are you a bigot or something? Why can’t he work the register at Wendy’s?

Can you say lawsuit?

Ok, wait a sec, there’s no word for lawsuit in Klingon? Well that’s just stupid. How about “War by Economic Means”?

Damn, we’ll get back to you, and you’ll hear from our lawyer if my friend doesn’t kill him.

By: Mere Rhetoric

Mere Rhetoric — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:34:47 +0000

Tuesday Link Dump – Liberal Demorcrats Are Politically And Ideologically Retarded, Widespread US Anti-Semitism, Iran, Etc….

* Are the Democrats really stupid enough to blow the easiest electoral layup in the history of political sports analogies? Yes: sometimes Nancy Pelosi seems just straggeringly unintelligent. No: not if Reuters can help it. * Remember the time……

By: right2bright

right2bright — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:13:51 +0000

When Cal voted English only in schools, the Hispanic grade scores soared. Even the union had to back off and say it was a good idea. Then, slowly but surely, they implemented the system back in, and the scores began to drop again. But hey, the libs got their way, it just costs the education and success of a few hundred thousand kids.
They will destroy anything to get their way, kids, companies, the political system, anything but their pocket book.

By: thirteen28

thirteen28 — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:53:10 +0000

Hmmmm. I’m not sure on this one. Not all jobs would require you to have to speak English. There are a lot of legal citizens or naturalized citizens that in the least don’t speak English very well. I mean, do you need to understand English to put boxes on a conveyor belt?

An employer is not bound by the proposed amendment to hire people that are fluent in English. The amendment merely enables an employer to make English a requirement without fear of a federal lawsuit.

If an employer doesn’t believe English proficiency is necessary to do a particular job, they can still hire a non-English speaker. They just can’t be sued if they do make English a requirement on the job. What is the problem with that?

By: thirteen28

thirteen28 — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:48:56 +0000

Exactly. John Fund’s article is inaccurate and misleading. Mark Jaquith on November 20, 2007 at 10:46 AM

Your take doesn't jibe with USA Today either:

WASHINGTON (AP) — A government suit against the Salvation Army has the House and Senate at loggerheads over whether to nullify a law that prohibits employers from firing people who don't speak English on the job. ... "I cannot imagine that the framers of the 1964 Civil Rights Act intended to say that it's discrimination for a shoe shop owner to say to his or her employee, 'I want you to be able to speak America's common language on the job,"' Alexander said Thursday.

It also doesn't jibe with the Chattanooga Paper reports either:

Alexander Pushes Amendment To Protect English In Workplace posted November 15, 2007 Sen. Lamar Alexander said on the Senate floor on Thursday that he wants to “make clear that it is not against federal law for an employer to require employees to speak English on the job.”

Lamar Alexander, who introduced the amendment, might also beg to differ:

ALEXANDER AMENDMENT PROTECTS ENGLISH IN THE WORKPLACE Prevents Use of Taxpayer Money in Lawsuits June 28th, 2007 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) today succeeded in adding an amendment during an Appropriations Committee meeting that protects the rights of employers who require English to be spoken on the job. The amendment to the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill would prevent the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from using any appropriated funds for the purpose of bring lawsuits against a company that requires its employees to speak English. The committee adopted the amendment by a 15 to 14 vote.

In other words, it's just as Fund states: the amendment is to protect employers from federal lawsuits for requiring their workers to speak English.

By: Seixon

Seixon — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:56:34 +0000

Hmmmm. I’m not sure on this one. Not all jobs would require you to have to speak English. There are a lot of legal citizens or naturalized citizens that in the least don’t speak English very well. I mean, do you need to understand English to put boxes on a conveyor belt?

As a societal issue, though, clearly it would be better to require everyone to at least have one common language.

So I’m a bit on the fence here. Anyone want to help me off it?

By: Mark Jaquith

Mark Jaquith — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:46:52 +0000

That doesn’t jibe with what John Fund writes

Exactly. John Fund’s article is inaccurate and misleading.

By: leanright

leanright — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:10:53 +0000

My God I hate liberals.
It seems the only possible explanation for their twisted a$$ backward take on things is that they must suck their head down between their shoulders and stick it out their butt before they begin talking.

By: MRegine

MRegine — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:50:05 +0000

Maybe people should show up at Pelosi’s events and ask questions in, oh say Hungarian or Ugandan and see how she responds. It will expose the ridiculous nature of her proposal.

By: xler8bmw

xler8bmw — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:17:00 +0000

I don’t mean this to sound racist but, it’s always the hispanics that this is an issue with. Never any other race.

By: MSGTAS

MSGTAS — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:02:59 +0000

Let Ms. Pelosi go to another country and try to get a job and demand that they speak English because she cannot understand what they are saying. She would be fired immediately without remorse, you do not demand anything from the boss in an Asian business our country.

She must remember, as an employee or a guest in a foreign country you are a guest and it is your responsibility to fit in.

Conversely, not requiring those being hired in the U.S. to speak English is irresponsible to the other workers and the business customers.

If Ms. Pelosi would read the immigration laws it requires those seeking citizenship to speak and write English proficiently enough to be able to understand and perform the simplest tasks such as riding public transit, going to a store and to buy something, or communicate with appropriate authorities charged with protecting them.and

By: trailortrash

trailortrash — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:38:05 +0000

i swear i never thought this would be an issue?
if you come to america you learn atleast a small amount of english, if you want to assimilate at least…. it seems that people want to come here not so much to be americans but to take advantage of us.

arent there more important issues to push then this idiocy?

By: ctmom

ctmom — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:18:38 +0000

How can Pelosi kill a bill that has been voting on and overwhelmingly passed?

By: ctmom

ctmom — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:17:31 +0000

They are teaching English to school children in Iraq. Even they understand the importance of the English languagee. We need to stop catering to the spanish speakers – learn English if you want to work in the U.S.!

By: Valiant

Valiant — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:57:17 +0000

Pelosi is a nightmare, but what branch of government is the EEOC under?

By: BadBrad

BadBrad — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:27:00 +0000

Thank you Comrade Pelosi. You do wonderful job. Keep up work good. Your Pal, V.Putin

By: Pilgrim

Pilgrim — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:23:29 +0000

TheSitRep on November 20, 2007 at 1:59 AM

Not sure that language helps. HA isn’t the place for that…take it elsewhere please.

As for my small business…we suddenly went English only. Ms. Pelosi can bring on her hate and jackboots.

By: aengus

aengus — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:28:15 +0000

“Am I the enemy if I do this?”

Yes.

By: Egfrow

Egfrow — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:03:27 +0000

OK, Everyone write or call Senator Pelosi’s office in a foreign language complaining about this asinine idea.

By: TheSitRep

TheSitRep — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:59:34 +0000

In that case all I have to say is:
ﻃﺿﺽﺼ ﺺ ﺹﺸ ﺶ ێۍی شڄځٻز كئم ډڅځٹ جڮګ ڞڀ
Translation :
You make our jobs easy you dumb fu_king C_nt

By: tdau1997

tdau1997 — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:23:14 +0000

If the applicant’s skillset does not match those required for the job, how can the applicant even be considered?

By: ronsfi

ronsfi — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:01:12 +0000

Forget the border fence. I think we should start a collection to build a moat around California and then widen it until it floats away.