Bizzy’s AM Coffee Biz-Econ-Life Links (071106)

Free Links:

• The Home Depot wants to own a bank, and the same tired arguments that are being used against Wal-Mart owning one are being repeated. There’s no love lost between me and Home Depot, which unbeknownst to many is the second largest retailer in the country, but I see no reason the company should be prevented from having its own bank. Unfortunately, many in Congress do, as legislation is pending to close what many of them think is a “loophole.”
• USA Today had a story yesterday on state law enforcement efforts against illegal immigrants, and catalogs what 30 states are doing. Ohio didn’t make the list, though there are noteworthy efforts taking place in Butler County, north of Cincinnati.
• The speech police in Belgium lost a round, but (of course) they’re appealing.
• The Atlanta chapter of The Minuteman Project is on the lookout — Look at what they’re alleging:
  

  Employers of illegal immigrants, take heed. The Minutemen are watching.

  Launched May 12, the Atlanta chapter of the Minuteman Project civilian border patrol group has reported more than 100 businesses to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly keeping illegals on their Georgia payrolls.

  The list of alleged offenders features some of metro Atlanta’s top corporations, including poultry processor Gold Kist Inc. (Nasdaq: GKIS), The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), home builder John Wieland Homes & Neighborhoods Inc., and No. 1 U.S. carpet manufacturer Shaw Industries Inc.

  More of this would be welcome elsewhere.

• On the other hand, Georgia is the latest state that appears to be using legislative sleight of hand to allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates.