tinyurl.com/7qaz4 -> www.bakersfield.com/24hour/nation/story/2823782p-11469231c.html
Blogs Activist paid homeless people to rally The Associated Press Posted: Thursday October 20th, 2005, 9:08 AM Last Updated: Thursday October 20th, 2005, 10:11 AM ATLANTA (AP) - An activist who opposes illegal immigration acknowledged h e paid more than a dozen homeless people $10 each to hold signs during a rally earlier this week, but said they agreed with his message. DA King, who spoke at the rally, said Wednesday that he paid "14 willin g American workers to let their voices be heard about illegal immigratio n" The people he hired are homeless and regularly congregate near the Capito l, King said. "When the day comes when I cannot pay an American for an hour's worth of work for making their voices hear d, it's a sad day," he said. The rally at the state Capitol was broadcast live on a local radio statio n and was designed to build support for passage next year of legislation that would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants. King Mitchell, 28, said he was paid $10 to hold a placard but also agrees with efforts to curb illegal immigration. Legislation blocking taxpayer-funded benefits to those who are not citize ns is pending in the state Senate and has been designated a top priority of Senate Republican leaders for the 2006 session, which begins in Janu ary. Sam Zamarripa, a Democrat who opposes the legislation, critici zed the use of paid rally participants. We don't need people to pay people to agree with them," Zamarripa said.
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