Tony Marti,
So just HOW many complaining people have you met? The ones in your own mind? What the heck you talking about? The only yoopers I know are hard working ones. Yoopers that will work harder, work more hours and take a lower wage to stay in the U.P. over elsewhere. Why do they not go elsewhere? Because the U.P. doesn't have the MANY trickle down effect problems from ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION and it's lawbreakers taking jobs that legal residents could have. The U.P doesn't have it's infrastructure and social services overburdened by the millions upon millions of illegals in this country overwhelming the system. As a result of the U.P. not having these very common issues in the rest of the country, the U.P. is a very desirable place to live, and it's people still hold the common values and American culture of a time long gone. Refreshing if you ask me. This is AMERICA. It's jobs should go to AMERICANS, not lawbreaking ILLEGALS. Go on Tony Marti, support illegals and the companies that employ them. You might just one day find your job on the chopping block due to an illegal that wants your job for a fraction of what you earn.

To tony marti.....It's all about supply and demand. The reason people are upset about "ILLEGAL" workers taking jobs in our area, is because if they weren't here working for a dollar, then the employers would have to pay a local worker a fair wage to get that job done. They are here illegally, period. Your liberal approach to immigration contradicts your willingness to help big business screw over the working class U.S. citizens. There are plenty of allmighty white men who would be willing do do the jobs you mentioned, if they were paid a fair wage. The only ones profiting here are Lowes and other businesses that hire or allow the hiring of "ILLEGAL" workers.

Move out of the UP if there are no jobs. I never met as many complaining people. All of you broke people get of the computer and look for work. There are jobs, one's that the almighty white man does not want to do! how many of you pick up the trash on the side of the road? Landscaping? how about will do any type of work for a dollar? Who really wants to go to the UP to work? The thing is they will travel all over the country to work, why don't you?

I am not going to take the time to read ALL the comments, but I did see something about lazy locals. BS buddy. There are some out there, but there are enough and then some hard working people to do these jobs that are local. Get with it. Apparently you haven't been to many places in the country. If you go out west or down south, if the company you applied at finds out you're from the Midwest, you're hired instantly. The midwest people have the best reputation for being hard workers.

Dave Francis,
good info.

Get 'em outa here. Lowes ain't the only place they should be checking. Look around. Open your eyes. Illegal immigrant is just that. Illegal. Our country ain't what it used to be and illegal immigration is eroding the AMERICAN way of life.

Even, if our Federal government continues to keep its head in the sand, its our STATE and LOCAL governments Job to enforce our LAWs and yes INCLUDING every AMERICAN citizen (ALL RACES) to keep out Illegal Aliens from OUR Country.

Tell your Government you are tired and want them out and the business that hire the illegals held accountable.

http://www.numbersusa.com and http://capwiz.com/proenglish/home/ and http://www.capsweb.org

I think that we should take the Lowes corporation up on their challenge, and see who outlasts whom. As a union worker, I believe that they have committed two unforgivable acts and should be held accountable. I don't know how much business they will lose due to me and my picket sign, but I will be glad to join anyone else in proving them wrong. The people that they are alienating by awarding out of state contracts and hiring illegals, are the exact same people who would be their chief consumers.

I highly doubt any of you people could actually obtain land mines ...

the mexican army is carring hits in our streets.
Illegal immigrant smugglers are shooting it out on our freeways here in Phx. AZ. Our Sheriff in Maricopa County is doing the right thing by putting them in jail and sending them back. We have thousands of them a week who broke the law to get here. Arizona has a new law against immigration, any business who hires a illegal, can and will have there license taken from them. Phoenix had two police officers shot and killed a week apart from each by illegal immigrants. Some are not here to work some are criminals, we need to know who we let in our country.

Go ICE you are doing a great job
Build the fence and keep them out
I cut my own grass

Just maybe there wouldn't be so many people needing to get assistance if they got hired to do a job instead of ILLEGAL ALIENS! My husband is a union worker....he and many many others aren't working right now...wanna know why? SCABS and ILLEGALS took the jobs!

First I would like to say that not everyone that gets help from the state is lazy and wont work. I work what hours I can get and yes I do get help from the state. I have apps out in almost all places of employment. I take the jobs and hours that I can get. I agree there are alot of people who do use and abuse the system but that should not be enough to call everyone who gets help lazy. That is very closed minded. Illegals are the only ones taking these jobs because they are stupid enough to work for low low wages, and people keep hiring them to save themselves the extra it would cost to employ a LEGAL AMERICAN worker. Pay a illegal 25 cents a hour or a american 10 dollars a hour? If the work force would PAY people a actual wage then MILLIONS of people even here in our area would be happy to do alot of the work illegals do. Its not because people are lazy, its because no one likes to pay their workers a decent wage anymore. People who hire illegal workers should be deported right with them. Then they can hire all the cheap labor they want. It is horrible that a business coming into our area will not hire local workers. I find it VERY hard to belive that they could not find local workers. I know I am one and there are many more. These places want our money but yet wont hire local workers, maybe we should only give our money to the buisness that hire local. I am with the other people, I will bring the land mines.

It's sad to see all the bigotry on here. These people wanted to work, and though I don't commend them for doing this illegally, they are still harder workers than Yoopers that are just living off the government. The talks of using land mines is simply too barbaric, as well. You people make me sick.

Those who are so angry about the "illegal" immigrants; why didn't you go and apply to work for the construction company building Lowe's?

The UK was a world power for only a relatively brief period of time. They stretched themselves too thin over the world. The United States is doing the same. Under the current administration we have borrowed money from China, Mexico and the United Emerates in huge amounts. One day we may be a third world country. WE may be the ones looking for work in other countries because we can't get paid enough in our own country to feed our families.

All this hate-filled talk will lead to nothing but discord and war. How many of you who wave the "Red,White and Blue" and voice "family values" and go to church on Sunday and profess faith in God, are acting out what Jesus taught? Love thy brother as thyself. Peace on Earth~

for all those comments about how locals are lazy and do nothing but sit on our duffs, newsflash, there are some of us out there that go to work more than once a day for more than one company and pay the taxes that help the lazies that dont work.

i dont want an illegal mexican to take up jobs that i could possibly get. its crap.

sorry but the "lazy american" argument might work on a welfare/food stamp recipient but for those of us out there that still have some pride left, the illegals need to go home or get the right papers.

Bid work in Michigan use Michigan Workers!
How much of the money those 7 workers earned was to be spent in Michigan? That is why you don't hire out of state workers to build Michigan. Michigan workers don't take their pay checks to Mexico!

If only all Troopers were as effective!

Michigan workers pay their wages.

Ever wonder where the Third Reich got the impetus and fuel to be allowed to marginalize an entire ethnic group and systematically kill them? Listen to the racial hate, fear, and anger that many of these posts offer. Fascist mindset seems to predominate these posts. Illegals are looking for a better life for their families and most often work jobs Americans don't want. Blame the companies that hire them. Talking about using landmines to segregate people sounds like tactics used by the Nazis. I'd sooner live with hard working "illegals" than the hate mongers who are consumed with fear and malice!

Anyone looked at the unemployment rate here in the UP, and you can't tell me it's all a lack of jobs. I'll take an illegal working Mexican national over the waste of air unemployed not really looking for a job and collecting state aid here in the UP. Do a little research, a large portion of our national economic health relies on these workers.

One good thing about living in the UP is they are easy to spot.But once they start to infiltrate this area and we have a population of them living here legally, then we will have a problem like everywhere else.As it stands now they stick out like a horde of albino RATS.

a parasite is someone on government assistance that keeps on keepin on. i spend the winter months down along our southern border. until you have seen what i have seen for the past 10 years, please dont call people parasites. our government has allowed illegals in our country for 20 plus years and dont really enforce the law. why do you ask? because our government knows that the us citizens will not work for the wages that they receive. i have seen illegals in the states dumpster diving for food for themselves and their children,and then i go into a grocery store and see people buying steaks,ribs,frito lay chips, pepsi, sara lee cream pies, all with the lone star card(food stamps).heck, i cant even afford to buy these brands, only generic. since when does a working person have to watch what they spend on food.? with tomorrow being labor day, will us workers be celebrating, eating steaks and all, or be wondering how we will pay our heat bill in a few months and put food on the table. oh, thats right, most of us working people cant get any help from the government because we work!!!! so when you see someone trying to better themselves, illegal or not, they are trying to live the american dream, i mean the old american dream where everyone worked and there was no hand outs from the government. families took care of families. do you realize that there are no hand out programs in mexico, unlike our country- why work anymore. i told my husband we should get a divorce(been happily married for 20 years) live together, and let the state take care of me and he could live with me( just like we currently are) and the state can give me food stamps, heat,rent etc, then maybe we can live the american dream just like the majority of americans are now doing. oh, by the way, most illegals work twice as hard as most americans and for a fraction of the cost. ive seen it- because they are working for survival, not to pay the cable bill or the payment on the jet ski.adios.

Oh,they were so close, send them to Canada!!!!! Too bad some out of work, whining Uppers couldn't get off their four wheelers to go do some work!

Get rid of the open-borders criminals, including the Governors, Mayors, judges and city administrators and all those who out to appease the illegal immigrant advocates. So where does the potential VP Sarah Palin really stand on the illegal alien pestilence. Will we be aware of the truth and not propaganda before the closing days of the presidential election.

Those who aid and abet illegal immigrants including local government officials should go to prison. Legal African-Americans or any race has a right to working for an employer. People who are in this country illegally are lawbreakers, even though the Congress made it a civil penalty. It's stealing jobs from citizens and legal residents and offers nothing to America, but OVERPOPULATION and chain migration.

The major issue was the loophole that was inserted called the "Family Reunification Act." New immigrant citizens could bring in parents and siblings, who could bring in their spouses. They, in turn, could bring in their family members--a chain migration.

By 1970, there were so many disabled, and elderly parents that the government had to assist them.

The government started Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and even SDI. That also included Medicaid, and some got food stamps and a housing allowances.

It's outcome is family reunion and extra costs for the disabled, mentally sick and elderly that never paid into the system. US.Taxpayers would be forever paying for the extended families and all those they sponsor.

Everybody is crying about the Economy? But do you realize the amount of money taxpayers are contributing to the lifestyles of illegal aliens.Not just 12 million as you hear in America? That number was given 6 years ago? Today it's probably between 20 & 30 million and climbing! You are supporting their free health care, education and more than the unsuspecting taxpayers realizes. Assign to you by the parasite employers all around us. Both Presidential candidates are going to deliver to their corporate donors and special interest groups AMNESTY! That will lead to OVERPOPULATION, because the census estimates we will another 120 million more mouths to feed in just twenty years. A 50% increase in people. But what about the millions, just waiting to scramble across our undermanned border? The SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) is our last chance.

80 percent of the American population are NOT easily going to be swayed, by either Obama, McCain to give the 13 to 20 million illegal aliens any kind of Amnesty.? By any name they want to call it? It has to be voted by house, Senate, and THE PEOPLE and that will have major hurdles, if not impossible?
Everybody who doesn't have the right papers, know they are intentionally breaking the law. Their is no malice by the agents; just a duty to the American people and those who came here legally. The 'Rule of Law" must be observed by every person in the United States. LAUREL, Miss, a manufacturing plant where 600 illegal aliens were arrested this week, shows the astronomical cost of this problem? The federal agents declined how many agents were involved in the raid, but said they acted on a tip provided by a union worker.

You cannot tell me for one minute, that the CEO, Directors on mahogany row didn't know about the illegal workers? Ice has a Tipline: 1-866-DHS-2ICE for intelligence to locate illegal aliens, or predatory businesses that employ them. If we can only pass the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) that Democrats are trying to keep away from the public eye. Its funding will build a massive force of interior ICE agents, including 20.000 border patrol enforcement to root out the culprits and the E-verify data base that is 90.5 percent effective. NUMBERSUSA, CAPSWEB

If you can't play by the rules and regulations and especially CANNOT HIRE PEOPLE IN THE UPPER PENINSULA stay out of the U.P!

Lowes should fire the roofing company at once and have a local company do the job!

Great job by your state police, I only wish that law enforcement here in South Florida would protect Americans. We are INFESTED with illegals and the damage to our local environment is unbelievable! Of course our hospitals are at the breaking point, wages are near all time lows, if you can find a job...most common positions are filled by illegal aliens and I mean that you don't see an American working...no matter where you go. If this is disturbing to you...support you local law enforcement efforts to stop this invasion. Before its too late.

No comments that Lowe's didn't use local contractors. Now I'm shocked at that one.....

Remember, those illegal Aliens are not working, here in this country because life is good in Mexico. I have seen the border towns and I too would jump the border to find work if it meant that I would be supporting my family. Instead of laying land mines and killing people who are just trying to find a better life go after the people who hiring the illegal aliens.

If you two bring the mines I can furnish the alligators!

Seriously:
We need the big fence and our immigration laws already on the books enforced.

And no more AMNESTIES.
http://www.numbersusa.com (free faxes to your Reps)

What ever happened to the American dream? Our ancestors did it right and legal. Learned ENGLISH and was legally documented to be here. If we go to another country to live we have to do it their way. I don't mind people from other countries living the American dream, but don't steal it from those who are already here.

Our leaders need to focus on their own people and stop spending millions rebuilding Irac. Help us first and then help with what we have left!

You now have three people to help set land mines on the borders. They can come here the same way our ancesters came, with OUR permission!! If its so wonderful here, then the illegal immigrants won't mind doing it OUR way, legally!

I'm packing my bags to go set the mines!

It is about time that they start to check on these new construction sits hear in marquette county. As well as some of the local marquette business. there is way to maney local jobs being done and taken away from the local work force! and there needs to be more tighter penalty's for these companys that are hiring these people. And these company's should have there business name and how owns it put on the local tv stations as well as the news papers. This will show and let the residents and people of the local community's why they need to hire local company's and not the out siders! This is why the U.P.s jobless rate is so high do to these people taking the jobs a way fromthe people of the U.S.A. We the people of the united states and the local countysas well as the people of marquette county need to start calling the local law inforcement. When we see these typs of people working on jobs so that they can be checked on and i beat that if we started doing that that they would find a lot more off them that are stillling work from use.

Had ALL THE WORK been given to LOCAL UNION CONTRACTORS this would have never been a concern. It looks as though Lowe's should be added to the BOYCOTT LIST next to Walmart.
I also question the business practices of the General Contractor, don't you? They're sitting on the fence trying to please everyone...except the local union workers who should have been the priority.

This is just another slap in the face by lowes to the local community. Of course in lowes eyes they are not responsible for who gets hired to build their store, or are they?
The sub contractor doing the roof is hired by the general contractor who in turn has been employed by lowes to build their store for X amount of dollars. In lowes words they are "too big to worry about such things".
Case in point, in the recent bidding process to build their store in Marquette a local electrical contractor, J&N Electric, was the apparent low bidder for the project. It took days to find out that the general contractor took that price and shopped around for someone to do the job instead of J&N Electric. The general gave the job to town and country electric from Green Bay. The general didn't ask J&N Electric if they could adjust their price, which is often done in this bidding process, they just gave the job to an out of state contractor without any regard for the local electricians who are more than qualified to build their store.
When lowes management was contacted with regards to this and told that there would be boycotts and informational pickets in place if they didn't reconsider, lowes managements opinion was "they were too big to care","those practices may hurt that store for a little while but lowes can hold out longer than any local population can". This type of opinion doesn't sound like a very friendly one to take especially in these days of record unemployment.

I was so happy to have another store like Menards coming to town, I spend alot of money at Menards. But now that happiness has been dashed. When you see our informational pickets in place at lowes at the grand opening you will know why they are there.
lowes can play dumb with regards to hiring illegal aliens or unfair bidding processes because they have a scape goat in place, the general contractor who in turn blames the sub contractor for hiring illegals and doesn't answer any questions having to do with the bidding process and hiring out of state workers to take local jobs.
So in the end the little "crooked" roofing contractor takes the blame for the illegals working on the roof without much reprisals from the court system and lowes turns a blind eye to everything. A good follow up report by TV 6 would be to see if the "crooked" roofing contractor is still there or if they have been fired and replaced by a law abiding roofer.
In the end lowes doesn't care. They don't care about this countries problem with illegals and they don't care about our local unemployment problem. This is not an establishment where I will be spending my money.
Menards, keep up the good work, keep hiring local contractors. I'll be there this afternoon to pick up 37 sheets of plywood for my garage roof.

Political correctness is killing this nation and this is just another example of how it contributes to our downfall. There are legal ways for these people to enter our country, but they choose to circumvent this route and enter illegally.

For every illegal WORKER we find (not illegal criminal), we should round up 10 residents who havent worked in the last 10 years or ever and deport them! I'm sick of idiots talking about illegals taking good jobs from hard working americans. A vast majority of these so called hard working americans without jobs are the ones on welfare, going to casinos, drinking, smoking cant take care of their kids. If the government truly wanted to fix the border problem it would be fixed! Neither party (rep. or dem.) want to fix the problem because it may cost them votes.

We have a right to know what companies are employing illegals! Why is it always kept a BIG SECRET?

They should have dropped those guys off to work for the Ishpeming School District and its school board.
How do you think the forefathers of most every U.P.resident came to this country? They were let in by the people who stole the land from the Native Americans.

Wow Buster,
Tell us how you really feel! I do completely agree with you though and most other people do but are afraid to say it in this pansy, liberal, granola munching, politically correct, crybaby society we live in. I'll help you lay out the land mines.

Again, improperly documented workers employed locally.

This incident occurs even as Immigrations & Customs Enforcement (ICE) has yet to conclude their investigation of the 5/8/8 arrest of dozens of improperly documented workers retained by, an as yet unknown, contractor of the US Forest Service in the Hiawatha National Forest.

Our US tax dollars bankrolled that crime!

When will the employers be identified, investigated & prosecuted? Who cares if this roofing contractor has an out-of-state mailing address?

I'd appreciate better investigation on the part of the media; after all, we are dealing with national, and NOT local, statutes in these allegations.

It is the employers who are the "attractive nuisance" in this national outrage.

On Friday, August 29, 2008, the Associated Press (AP) reported that a second supervisor at the huge raid on the Iowa kosher meatpacking plant where hundreds of improperly documented workers were arrested earlier, a second supervisor pleaded guilty to federal charges of aiding a& abetting the harboring of illegal workers; that supervisor's sentence may be five (5) years in a federal prison as well as a fine of $250,000.00.

Earlier, another supervisor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hire illegal workers!

It is only the enforcement of the existing laws that will put an end to this wholesale assault on citizens who aspire to attain or retain middle class status through safe working conditions and living wage negotiations, most often obtained through the collective bargaining efforts of organized labor.

If, through default, the mythic "immigration reform," is left to the hands of the politicians, campaigns will be financed by the highest donations & the US middle class be truly become history.

Until the national and local political will is summoned to enforce these laws, the most effective of clearing a work site of improperly documented workers is simply yelling, "yo vienes los immigres!" Translation = "Here comes Immigration!."

It remains an hollow threat as long as our politicians shackle the hands of ICE to adequately perform their lawfully described jobs!

These Mexican border-jumping parasites are infesting the entire country. They need to be ferreted out, rounded up like cattle, and promptly ejected from this country, The border should be land mined.