W's Live Speech Thread

Fox News | 1-7-04 | my favorite headache

[My Favorite Headache]

Press conference starts at 2:45 EST....get the prilosec out...we are going to need it.

[rintense]

But that is my point. How is the government going to monitor and enforce this? *SHOULD* the government be enforcing this?

[TomServo]

Suuuure, and I bet you've never exceeded the speed limit.

That'll make a great argument the next time I get a ticket. "B-B-B-B-But Off-f-f-f-f-icer - what about illegal immigration?"

As was the case with the Double Nickel, the law doesn't reflect reality.

Ahhh. You're a "Progressive".

Noted.

[SONbrad]

So you despise Reagan as well??? Yes or no?

[sarcasm]

[King Black Robe]

"Guest workers" as a low wage concept is just slavery-lite anyway, especially with the current illegal situation. I do not see this amnesty for lawbreakers plan as an improvement. The root problem is companies who do not want to pay fair wages or obey labor laws (and perhaps consumers who do not want to pay the costs either). Look for our children to be called on to pay reparations for the unfair wages and unfair conditions these people are working under today. Their legal status will be a non-issue by then. It's going to keep coming back and biting us in the butt.

Additionally, why doesn't anyone acknowledge that the taxes these workers pay come nowhere near covering their gov't services, even temporary ones. (At $8,000 to $12,000 a kid for education alone, one worker with three kids adds up to $36,000 in education costs alone.) We the taxpayers are subsidizing these businesses anyway. We might as well do it on the up and up by paying higher prices where applicable.

Maybe I am missing something but this sounds like a rip-off the American taxpayer scheme to me.

[Scenic Sounds]

Pay for jobs should NOT be set based on a reasonable or living wage. They should be based on market competition. Anything other than that is pure socialism.

Wages and prices should of course be set by competition and by market principles, but don't you think that a problem arises when some of the "competitors" choose to violate the law? The problem here is that some employers are hiring people who aren't legally in the country. Their presence in the country increases the supply of labor and depresses wages for the workers legally here.

How is hiring counterfeit workers (illegal immigrants) any more legitimate a competitive practice than selling counterfeit Gucci bags?

[Peach]

Thanks for the text; I listened live.

Tried to read the live thread; found it impossible.

It's an emotional issue. I have my own feelings about the matter and will remain silent about them at this time.

I will say this, I think the president should have done more to educate the public about this matter.

Those who won't vote for him will only help elect a Rat, all of whom will do great harm to the country in many ways.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

We are past the first generation of "illegals" and I can tell you firsthand that the dropout rate of hispanics in my area schools is astronomical. However break-ins and social service handouts are on the way up. Sorry, I don't buy your theory.

Then try this one on for size - bi-lingual education. It's destroying English cohesion in this country. GO after the Democrats and the NEA on this one.

[Sloth]

C'mon yourself. There is absolutely no reason that you cannot find work...unless you are not willing to get paid what they are offering or you are not willing to move or you are...etc. etc.

Spoken like someone who has no clue.

[Flyer]

But what is the plan to go after the illegals who choose NOT to register? How are they going to round them up?

That will still be tough. Unless we all want to submit to citizenship checkpoints.

[tubavil]

How about some other suggestions such as:

Enforcing existing law.

[SONbrad]

Gee... look into your crystal ball and tell me who is going to win the palyoff games this weekend.

The correct answer is...they will pay taxes, state, federal, and local. Unlike many do now because they are forced to take their pay under the table.

[woodyinscc]

The hyperbole on this thread is neck-deep.

You have this right, a lot of it is beyond the pale.

[Jennikins]

"THERE IS NO JOB AMERICANS WON'T DO!"

Absolutely the truth. Not only that, but we work damn hard. Who built this country anyway?

[HolgerDansk]

Immigration enforcement is a resposiblity of the federal government spelled out in the constitution.

A law is a law; whether it's a state law or a federal one is irrelevant when considering legality. And while the Consititution spells out responsibility for immigration policy, it doens't spell out the policy per se.

Nice exercise in should/would, but a red herring.

[AmericanInTokyo]

It wasn't my thought, but Rush Limbaugh's today (by the way, he was LIVID about this!), and he said:

OK, so the MASSIVE majority of Californians say NO DRIVERS LICENSES for ILLEGAL ALIENS, and the legislature rescinds said legislation.

Then Bush comes along and says "Illegal Aliens can stay if they prove they have work."

OK. So, how do they get to work?

a) They have to DRIVE. (In most cases).

b) And to DRIVE, they have to have licenses.

c) However, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN THE VARIOUS STATES WILL NOT STAND FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS GETTING DRIVERS LICENSES.

Bingo! So help me, this is the achilles heel. On the state level EVERYWHERE across the USA, people have to get behind laws to forbid Illegal Aliens Driver's Licenses. What's Bush going to do, override it on the Federal level, or seek to have it declared "unconstitutional" under the "equal protection clause"?

These stupid people in the White House never thought about that part, I suppose.

I heard Bushfox talking this skank today, with the reference..."this system will allow them to then go on and get the documentation that the rest of us have but take for granted daily." He is talking "Drivers Licenses!" I say we force his hand on this and force it good and hard.

[RightWhale]

"Guest workers" as a low wage concept is just slavery-lite anyway

More dark thoughts. This is in no way slavery: regular, super-sized, or lite.

[heleny]

Did he say anything about blanket amnesty?

The President claimed that his proposal isn't "amnesty," although illegal aliens would be able to legalize their presence (with no penalty for breaking the law) by applying to be a temporary worker.

There were also many people who claimed 245(i) wasn't an "amnesty," so I guess it all depends on word definitions again.

[MattAMiller]

Most Americans have much better options available to them than picking fruit. So they don't pick fruit. But somebody has to pick fruit so a guest worker program makes sense. This is actually the way we used to do it.