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Earlier this month, I testified in an Annapolis hearing in support of Senate Bill 390. The proposed legislation would deter "unauthorized workers" (illegal immigrants) from being employed through public contracts and grants by the Maryland government. Sponsored by 11 senators, SB 390 relies on the accurate federal E-Verify program to carefully screen and determine work status of new workers at no cost to the business owner. E-Verify was implemented by President Obama for all new contracts with the federal government and has been adopted in numerous states. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano actively promotes E-Verify around the nation and stresses the need for companies to join the ever-improving E-Verify program.

With the large number of Maryland citizens unemployed and underemployed, I assumed that our elected officials in Annapolis would be looking for any credible program to secure jobs for citizens.

I gave my testimony, but the real story was the conduct of several Democratic senators on the committee. They treated average citizens who voiced their grievances against Maryland's open-door policy to illegal immigrant workers with contempt and disdain. Instead of compassion for the pain and suffering of citizens or their family members who lost jobs, the senators flung false and outdated arguments about E-Verify while striving to entrap witnesses as if they were weak opponents in litigation rather than constituents to be taken seriously.

After the hearing, I am completely convinced that the Maryland Democratic Machine is willfully attracting illegal aliens into Maryland in hopes of growing loyal, straight-voting Democratic voters.

There seems to be little interest in helping Maryland citizens who have lost jobs, businesses, livelihoods and homes. I was a progressive Democrat up till now. I'm still progressive, but I'm not a Democrat anymore; at least not as long as I'm a Maryland resident.

Robert Fireovid, Greenbelt