LAUREL Howard Industries found itself at the center of activity again Tuesday.
Hundreds of job applicants lined up, eager to take advantage of the sudden job openings at the plant located in Jones County, where the unemployment rate is 6.3 percent.
ICE agents on Monday seized 595 plant workers suspected of being in the country illegally. Several workers, who did not identify themselves, said Tuesday they were working and trying to keep the plant operational in the wake of the sudden loss of co-workers.
They said it was common knowledge many of their co-workers were suspected to be illegal.
It's an idea that maddens Samantha Stevens, 18, of Heidelberg, who was among those who pulled up to Avenue A across from the plant's entrance throughout the day. She said she has been unable to find a job since she graduated from Heidelberg High School in the spring and blames, in part, the willingness of companies to hire illegal workers.
"We were here first. It's not fair for them to have a job," she explained. Others welcomed the vacancies left by the detained workers.
Gwendolyn Watkins, 40, of Stonewall said she drove 40 miles to Laurel to fill out an application with the electronics maker. She worked at Tower Automotive in Meridian as a production worker for eight months before job cuts in June left her unemployed.
She now hopes to get on at Howard, and said that, while "everyone needs a job," she believes that legal workers should be the priority....
Or is it now because Palin's younger and more attractive than Clinton? I'd be willing to bet the sexism behind this will be showing rather quickly.
Nope. Nothing to do with age/looks but everything to do with her being more than willing to leave her five kids (including a special needs infant) home being raised by nannies so she can go and pursue higher political office -- something even "liberal" Hillary wouldn't do until Chelsey was raised and out on her own.
Face it -- from seeking beauty queen trophies to running for Mayor, Lt. Gov. (which she lost), Governor and now VP pick -- her entire life as been focused on HER, not on what's best for her family. She made a choice to have five children. She has a husband who is able to support them all but she chooses to not want to be at home taking care of them but instead to be in the public limelight.
Anyone who thinks you can have a political career AND raise FIVE (not one, not two, but five!) children and still have enough spare time to give the kind of quality attention needed to raise five children is kidding themselves. This is not something foisted on her. She herself chose do seek public office over raising her children.