President Bush Proposes New Temporary Worker Program [Transcript]

The White House ^ | Jan 7, 2004 | President George W. Bush

[Owen]

> I don't think most voters equated a guest worker program with granting amnesty to the millions of illegal aliens already here. This isn't amnesty for the millions of illegal aliens already here. Amnesty would be permanent resident status or citizenship, neither of which are being offered. >

Note how carefully this is all crafted. There is nothing wrong with immigration. There is something wrong with illegal immigration. Those who have committed the illegality are offered a chance to plead guilty, pay their debt to society and become temporary workers in the US. Many will become citizens. Many will serve in the military.

What's going on here is a lot of folks got ready to oppose the policy based on DU planted stories. The reality is pure, Bush Americanism.

[MattAMiller]

I suspect many illegals from Mexico would go back temporarily if the fee is high enough. Many of them bounce back and forth quite a bit anyway. And it's not like it's a huge journey for most of them. People with further to go may stick around.

[PhiKapMom]

Since you just registered last fall, I would guess you were not here to have a discourse on what is going on but to try and split Conservataives and Republicans with your 3rd party rhetoric.

Amazing how many posters that have been here for years are not calling for a 3rd party candidate but a fairly new poster is -- do I believe in coincidence -- no way!

[PhiKapMom]

The amnesty given by President Reagan lead to million of new US citizens.

And may I add new voters!

[Owen]

The price tag for them going home to avoid pleading guilty and paying the fine is that their jobs may not be there for them to return to. Employers will find someone else. So . . . we'll collect a lot of fines. It's a fine policy and well crafted. This president cares about doing the right thing.

[KantianBurke]

"Employers will find someone else"

Yeah. An illegal who he can pay next to nothing off the books. Good plan.

[PhiKapMom]

Since the two of you just came to FR recently, maybe you should read what the President is saying before going after other Freepers. It is obvious from both of your posts that you want to start something because you obviously haven't read what the President is proposing to Congress.

That doesn't even include the fact that the President does not make the laws, Congress does. Why aren't you advocating contacting your Congressional Reps? Attacking the President or calling for a 3rd party candidate like another fairly new poster just did, makes no sense.

[AmericaUnited]

Those who make this choice will be allowed to apply in the normal way. They will not be given unfair advantage over people who have followed legal procedures from the start. I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship. Granting amnesty encourages the violation of our laws, and perpetuates illegal immigration.

This is NOT what I have been hearing on the threads. Thanks for posting the transcript.

Why do we need liberals and the left to make up blatant lies about Bush when there seems to be so many self-designated "pure" conservatives who will do the dirty work for them. Just pathetic!

[Southack]

If you lose your job, you must go home.

"Why? Because they'd be breaking the law? These are the same people currently breaking the law, but I suppose they'll do as President Bush says out of the goodness of their heart."

Why? Because they will be *registered*.

Imagine the uproar if President Bush called for registering all gun owners in America in exchange for a 3 year "amnesty." We'd be furious. We'd know that the government's registration list would be used against us. Without that list, we aren't on the government's radar.

Well, it's the same thing for illegal immigrants. Our government doesn't know where all 8 million of them are located and/or employed.

But we're about to know, because all of them are about to go get registered under the President's new plan.

[KantianBurke]

And if they don't register? They going to be on DOUBLE secret probation?

[SunStar]

What's going on here is a lot of folks got ready to oppose the policy based on DU planted stories. The reality is pure, Bush Americanism.

I couldn't agree more. This President said he would do exactly this during the 2000 campaign. I believed him then, and I believe him now. He is a plain spoken man who means and does what he says. It's a foreign concept these days.

[McGavin999]

Federal responsibility. Who do you think would have to pick up the freight if the current laws were able to be enforced?

[SunStar]

And all this is so only if they have a job. If they do not have an employer, they may not apply. This policy is excellent.

Yes, and the illegals who apply for the blue card end up exposing their employer. What a concept!

[Southack]

"Regardless, this is amnesty by another name. Next time around will be the last last chance. Then the last last LAST chance."

No, not amnesty...more like a plea bargain.

8 million violators are being offered a plea bargain in which they can pay a fine, register, and enter into a 3 year visa program on probation. If they lose their job, break a law, or misbehave, then they get deported and lose their eligibility to ever be in the U.S. again...and we will know where and how to deport them because they have *registered*.

In contrast, there would be no fee or registration for a true "amnesty." Amnesty is a very different beast, a beast that doesn't send you back to your home country after 3 years.

[MattAMiller]

Most of the illegals are employed under the table.

Maybe, maybe not. It's hard to know how much is going on under the table. But even if an employer doesn't want to hire illegals it's pretty easy to get around the checks.

[King Black Robe]

before going after other Freepers.

I haven't a clue what you are talking about.

[KantianBurke]

And if they don't leave at the end of three years?? Something tells me Bush ain't go to send any folks back. But there are plenty more where they came from on their way now!

[CalKat]

Amnesty has nothing to do with permanent resident status or citizenship. Why does everyone keep equating amnesty with citizenship or residency? Because Ronald Reagan granted an amnesty that included citizenship? Amnesty is merely forgiving a crime, which is being done here.

[JerseyHighlander]

Is the fee to be:
1. Punitive in nature
2. Set at a level to sustain the new bureaucracy
3. Subsidized by federal state local and/or private charities
4. Set at some $ amount, then not increased to account for inflation for a decade or longer

Those illegal aliens who are already here, who want their blue card, will just work until they can pay the fee, and then pay the fee.

Do you have any idea how crazy the rush was for the now internet-only application for green cards this year? How many blue cards should be given, enough for 1 in 10 illegals, 1 in 50, 1 in 250, 1 in 1000, 1 in 2500? How about the help wanted advertisements... Creating false jobs for immigrant centers to promise illegals...

If punitive, why will anyone but the financially best off apply, especially since employers will have to pay workers comp/ SS/ payroll taxes for those with bluecards, while undocumented illegals will still be plentiful. Stratisfying the exploited working class is a disgusting "solution" to the problem, considering that the inflow of illegals will naturally increase barring a market correction/dollar devaluation during the initial 3 year program.

[King Black Robe]

I would say amnesty is not a "very different beast" but only a minutely different beast. In every way that really matters, it's identical. This is just symantics.