Being my normal caustic self the other day I tried an experiment. I stopped at a local restaurant and ordered take out because I had my lab waiting in my truck and I frankly didn’t feel like cooking that evening or dealing with the dog wearing out my windows with nose prints. I place my order, paid and then noticed the Hispanic individual cooking my Chicken Pad Thai in the exposed kitchen area along with other cooks. I then asked to see the manager.

 The young girl surprised by my request asked if she could help so I replied, “Do you have illegal aliens working here?” I must have barked this response like calling cadence on the parade grounds because the entire restaurant went silent…so silent you could hear a rat urinating on cotton. She wasn’t prepared for this and she flew to find the manager.

 Needless to say I now had the entire restaurant’s patrons and staff’s undivided attention. The manager appeared and asked if he could help to which I again queried if he was employing illegal aliens in this restaurant? He stated no but then asked what difference would that make?

 Giving me a soap box to stand on I said for one I’d want my money back because I wouldn’t patronize an establishment performing illegal employment practices. I then went through my dissertation on the concerns associated with the health risks that illegal aliens are bringing to this country. I asked this Manager whether he knew if his employees were all immunized against Rubella, TB, polio and the other infectious diseases we take for granted because as citizens we are required to be immunized. He said I don’t know. I told him that illegal immigrants bypass these medical inspections by illegally crossing the border and could be a health risk to the patrons of restaurants. I cited the resurgence of children testing positive for TB in the San Antonio area. This was once a disease eradicated in the United States and now is likely being brought back by illegal immigrants. Maybe you would like to offer a healthy case of hepatitis III to accompany your Kung Pow Chicken. About that time the young lady brought my order of Chicken Pad Thai. I asked the manager again you’re sure no illegal aliens…with a wink to his reply I took my food and left.

 Later last year ATMOS energy shows up at my door explaining they are going through a retrofit program and are going to replace the riser going to my gas meter sometime during the week. On November 16 they showed up while I’m enjoying a cool beverage with my neighbor across the street. One guy is directing the work and sitting at the curb smoking and doing paperwork while the other 2 are digging up my shrubs to replace the riser to my gas meter. Noticing the cigarette and an open gas line I decided to get my lab out of the house before they blew it up. The dog thinks everyone is his toy and has to greet the gas company employees so I go to retrieve him and talk to the employees. Here is where I notice only one can speak English and that is the guy with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth at the curb. To make a long story short after contacting ATMOS, DHS and ICE I finally get to a Mr. Scott Powell, VP of operations for ATMOS energy, and talked to him about this situation. I told Scott that only one of the employees dressed in ATMOS Energy uniforms could speak English and had some semblance of employee identification. The other two could not speak English and had no Identification badges. Furthermore they were driving an unmarked vehicle and the employee that could speak English pointed to ATMOS contractor’s name, S.L. Siebert, on a Xeroxed form and indicated that this was his name. Mr. Powell said he needed time to investigate and I gave him a series of concerns that I wanted to see addressed. He agreed and committed to get back to me with some answers. Having not returned my prior calls to his cell phone after what I thought was sufficient time to investigate and get some answers I contacted him today to get his answers for this article. To summarize the contractors should not have had ATMOS uniforms and he didn’t know where they got them and wasn’t concerned that this was a security risk. He referred the issue of the photoshop identification badges to HR and has no status. He referred the telephone number to verify an employee’s legitimate employment to HR and has no status. He was assured from the contractor that the employees are legally entitled to work in this country but the contractor will not provide this proof because the employees in question cite privacy concerns. He says the employees are certified to work these operations by a third party contractor and does this verbally in Spanish to accommodate the lack of English speaking contractors. He is not concerned that in an emergency the fact the employees cannot speak or read English. Mr. Powell apologized for not getting back to me sooner and I said I expected that I would have to contact him judging by the ridiculous answers given. I thanked him and ended the call.

 If DHS is reading this article and gives a Shiite the report number is 558751. For those wanting to comment to Mr.  Powell before someone blows up a shopping mall or a city block disguised in an ATMOS Energy uniform his phone numbers are 214-316-4686 and 214-206-2805. Mr. Powell feels the previous stated scenario is sensationalized and un-realistic…I beg to differ!

 I bring these two instances to press because we empower this illegal invasion with our pocket book and many times may not even know it. I have never met a citizen that was apprehensive or embarrassed to acknowledge that fact when asked but to the contrary when someone is masquerading as one with forged or illegal documents. Working for the gas company is not a job that Americans won’t do but with our apathy the job is going the same way as a Swift meat cutter. I had an individual soliciting work pruning trees ask if I might have a need for his services. I asked if he ran wetbacks to which he acknowledged he did…I politely told him that this was a extremely sensitive issue with me and thanked him for his honesty but I would never knowingly contribute to this invasion.

 I propose we confront our frustrations with the lack of enforcement with the power of the pocket book. We need to demand that we are being served legally and impress this issue on those soliciting our commerce. Grab a gang of neighbors and schedule a night out policing suspected restaurants for illegal aliens. Order a table for 15 and then when seated ask if there are illegal aliens employed there before ordering. When they say no ask for proof. If they decline then loudly leave voicing your sentiments. When you make a reservation at a hotel and ask for assurance they don’t employ illegal aliens. If they admit it cancel the reservation.

 Ask for proof that there are no illegal employees in an establishment you’re contemplating doing business with and write those businesses asking for assurances their employees are legally entitled to work in this nation. Notify those business caught employing illegal aliens and boycott their products. Swift and Miller should take note of this!

 Make it a matter of pride that you are being served legally and reward those businesses that comply while penalizing those on the pocket book that don’t!