Marietta Daily Journal

Robert W. Henry/Letter to the Editor: Background checks right for business licenses 07/30/2008

Our county officials do not have the option to enforce only those state laws they agree with.

Our county officials do not have the option to enforce only those state laws they agree with.

Every county has a business license division and requirement, and Cobb needs to check the legal status of everyone who decides to do business in our community. The Commission Chairman can call it whatever he wants – business license or occupation tax certificate – but it is permission granted by our county to operate their business. Legal residency is not only the law, but it should have been required from a security standpoint. If someone is operating a business here and a resident is harmed, without proper identification the injured cannot find this person to obtain legal recourse.

In fact, you cannot rent a movie without proper legal ID.

Our state legislators have enacted laws to hamper and discourage illegals from coming to our state, and we thank D.A. King of the Dustin Inman Society for pointing out the sanctuary status granted to illegal business operators in our county. We expect to have these laws enforced fully and do not want a business or occupational tax certificate issued to someone without proper legal identification. This should have been required long before the law was passed.

Robert W. Henry

Marietta