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Authorities Must End These Sexual Assaults

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

Lawmakers, Step Up

Regarding "The Terrible Secret Of Women In The Fields" (front page, April 27):

I read your front-page piece on female workers in the fields here in Florida and am still amazed that our governor and Legislature let this situation continue to exist. The Legislature is fully aware of the number of illegal immigrant workers living in Florida and is stalling in passing any immigration bills to force employers to verify legal status. Our governor remains silent as if someone taped his mouth.

We have both state and federal laws that can be enforced. Our state law is Statue 448.09 Unauthorized aliens; employment prohibited: "It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to employ, hire, recruit, or refer, either for herself or himself or on behalf of another, for private or public employment within the state, an alien who is not duly authorized to work by the immigration laws or the attorney general of the United States."

We all know how worthless our federal laws have become. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fully knows that these immigrant workers are here in Florida and ignores them. Our attorney general and Gov. Crist are ignoring this problem as well.

BETTY DOBSON

Brooksville

Hope Of Brighter Future
A heartbreaking story indeed covering the exploitation of female farm workers! I can imagine with great sadness how this situation also impacts the families of these women.

On April 25, I spent the day with the children of some of these workers when my children's school hosted children from the RCMA Academy for an Olympic Field Day. The children from RCMA were well behaved, beautiful children with dreams of a better future.

Earlier in the week, a $125,000 gift from Palmetto-based tomato-packers Taylor& Fulton was presented to the RCMA Academy to support the expansion of this charter school that focuses on the unique needs of rural, working poor families.

I hope this will shed a ray of positive light on such a sad story. I hope others will consider helping to make a better life for the children attending RCMA Academy. The Olympic theme is "One World, One Dream," and we all dream for a bright future for our children.

L. ADAMS

Tampa

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