Mayoral hopefuls differ on day laborer ID issue Aufseeser says Buccellato proposal would invite lawsuits, be ineffective BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer Mayor Mary Aufseeser MATAWAN - Mayor Mary Aufseeser has come out against a proposal to offer voluntary background checks on day laborers, contending the issue of illegal immigration is not for Matawan to solve. Two weeks ago, Councilman Paul Buccellato, the Republican candidate running against Aufseeser in next month's mayoral race, proposed offering identification cards to day laborers who wait outside the 7-Eleven on the corner of Route 516 and High Street. The voluntary program would cost a small fee, Buccellato explained, and would involve a criminal background investigation, not an immigration check. Buccellato argued that the ID cards would give some solace to employers looking to hire the day workers because they would prove the worker is looking to become a legal resident. Aufseeser responded on Friday, saying the issue of undocumented workers is a federal concern. "I would think a lot of these people would be too scared to register," she said. "On the other side, I understand the taxpayers' frustrations. Councilman Paul Buccellato "It's just so difficult to deal with," Aufseeser added. "We really need to write to our federal representatives. If somehow [Matawan] would put this program throughwhere's the manpower going to come from? Who's going to pay for the backg round checks? If someone gets an ID card, is [Matawan] liable if they commit a crime? Is [Matawan] approving them to work in our homes?" Lawsuits are also a concern. "I know in Freehold, we're talking hundred of thousands of [dollars in] litigation," Aufseeser said. "They're getting themselves into really hot water. I just don't ever want to do something that will put Matawan in a situation where we're going to get sued." Buccellato responded, "The borough attorney had clearly advised the members of the council who were present at the executive meeting on the night I made this proposal there was no more liability than approving a taxi cab license or any other registration that the borough has the authority to issue, such as a business license or a dog license." Buccellato also accused Aufseeser of being fickle. "She was sitting on the dais and she broke the tie, so obviously she can't make a decision," Buccellato said. "The mayor broke the tie for the borough attorney to research the borough's ability to do business registration of the day laborers and now she's changing her mind." Although the mayor said she does not believe the measure will pass, she does feel responsibility should be distributed deservedly. "If the residents are hiring them, then we have to take some of the blame ourselves," the mayor said. She added, "If the demand for the labor stops, the problem will stop." In addition to the ID cards, Buccellato called for the waiting area to be moved from 7-Eleven to an unused portion of the train tracks, saying the new location would lessen traffic at the busy intersection and be safer all around. Aufseeser agreed with this idea, saying the current location is a traffic hazard and poses a health risk. The mayor noted the local health department recently issued the convenience store a violation for allowing day workers to relieve themselves in the yard behind the store. "These men are standing there all day," the mayor said. "They're buying food and they're digesting the food and standing there all day. I'll leave it to your imagination to what's going on there. It's a very sad situation. What he found was pretty shocking." The mayor said Southland Ice Co., part of 7-Eleven Inc., has already responded to the problem. "Southland is going to clean up the premises and they're going to fence it," Aufseeser reported on Friday. The mayor also said that she had heard rumors of rats at the store, but none were found the day of the inspection. Adding to the issue is the element of cultural division. "I'm absolutely shocked at some of the emails and phone calls," Aufseeser said, referring to messages she's received on the subject. "I can't say my town is going to pot because some people of Spanish or Mexican descent are sitting on the benches on my street," the mayor said. "No one is saying you can't sit on the benches. I really do feel it's very close to racism." Buccellato responded that his proposal does not concern race, but safety. "Nobody wants to address a safety issue down there," he said. "They'd rather just ignore it. I don't know why the mayor would bring in racism or any other subject matter that has nothing to do with safety."