President Bush Proposes New Temporary Worker Program [Transcript]

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

[null and void]

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

Bingo! So if congress doesn't fund it, and they won't, then everything's just A-OK, right?

[Age of Reason]

Sounds to me like they'll have to pay this new breed of documented temporary worker more money than your everyday illegal immigrant.

Which may mean that it will be more profitable for American employers to continue to hire illegals who sneak across the border without participating in this temporary worker scheme.

So, what's this all about?

Well, it makes Bush look good to liberal-leaning Americans (he's soooo compassionate) and to Hispanics, so he gains their votes.

Then again, the purpose of this may be the opposite from what we assume:

Maybe this guest worker program, by costing employers more, makes American labor more cost competitive, and so will result in more jobs, at higher wages, to real Americans.

And as for illegals who would sneak across the border without registering for this program, Bush can now say something like hey, I gave Mexicans a humane way to do this, now give me freedom to enforce our borders, after all, we need secure borders now more than ever.

[Southack]

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

Then they are in their same boat as today; ineligible for government benefits, amnesty, blue cards, green cards, social security, as well as representing increased penalties to any employer who would hire them over one of their fellow illegals who did register.

It is a carrot and stick approach. Both punishment and rewards are being offered to compel registration.

You would see a similar approach if our government was ever taken over by tyrants who wanted to outlaw firearms. They would offer carrots and threaten us with sticks to first get us to register.

The registration is the key to the government's power. In this case, over illegal immigrants. Their advocates, such as la raza, will be fighting President Bush's plan tooth and nail because they know that Registration leads to Confiscation...to put an anti-gun control message to work in this immigration case.

[SunStar]

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.

No forgiving is happening here. The illegal aliens must pay a fine to become a guest worker, or go home.

Below are the definitions from Dictionary.com.

This plan by President Bush does not meet these definitions of amnesty, IMHO. ------------------------

AMNESTY:
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=amnesty

A general pardon granted by a government, especially for political offenses.

An act of the sovereign power granting oblivion, or a general pardon, for a past offense, as to subjects concerned in an insurrection.

a period during which offenders are exempt from punishment 2: a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense [syn: pardon] 3: the formal act of liberating someone [syn: pardon, free pardon] v : grant a pardon to (a group of people)

[ikka]

Those here illegally can apply for the temp. worker license, then apply for legal citizenship.

BUT under current INS laws once you apply you MAY NOT BE DEPORTED except in unusual circumstances - you are "prucol" (person residing under color of law).

I believe that this DOES reward illegals; unless the fine is pretty hefty, l.ike say $2500. Right now those getting in under 245i only pay a small amount more.

[FITZ]

Maybe he's just very naive then, or way to eager to please Mr. Fox for whatever reason. What makes him think that an illegal who doesn't feel like filling out forms, or having a background check or waiting for the government to move fast enough just isn't going to come on over, find employers who won't want to obey whatever new labor law Bush is suggesting for the guest workers? They'll still be able to justify doing everything illegally for the very same reasons they're doing them now. Also --- without stopping anchor babies from qualifying the family for many kinds of welfare programs ---- that's what's going to happen.

Also --- since these people are penniless, uneducated, and unskilled --- who pays for the costs of educating their kids and providing the family with all kinds of health care?

[KantianBurke]

"Then they are in their same boat as today; ineligible for government benefits, amnesty, blue cards, green cards, social security"

Sarcasm would you be so kind as to post those charts of yours to enlighten Southhack please.

[Owen]

> 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! >

Did you listen to the president? Did you read the transcript? Does it say that application for blue cards will be used to prosecute employers? Is this not the sort of obvious thing that perhaps one guy in meetings of 30 over probably 10 months of development might just have mentioned? Why would you presume it is a ploy to prosecute employers?

[Luis Gonzalez]

"When his Daddy broke his no new tax pledge, it was a punch in the gut to those who elected him."

When his "Daddy" broke his "read my lips" pledge, he did it as a trade out to Congress for some much-needed budget cuts.

The end result was the realization of the Reagan economic plan, and the greatest period of economic prowess in U.S. history.

Those of us who actually understand government, understood his sacrifice, those of you who have no clue, reacted by handing this period of economic boom to a Democrat, and your legacy will be forever known as the Clinton administration.

Now, after constant bitching about the Federal government not taking any action to get the issue of illegal immigration under control, you will likewise reward Bush's courage in actually taking some steps, with rancor.

[Southack]

"Hmmm...these workers have broken the law, right? And they're now off the hook for those violations, are they not? No pardon, huh?"

You don't pay a fine for a pardon. You pay a fine as part of a plea bargain.

Lets not confuse a plea bargain with a pardon.

[SunStar]

Bush can now say something like hey, I gave Mexicans a humane way to do this, now give me freedom to enforce our borders, after all, we need secure borders now more than ever.

This is exactly what Tom Ridge is saying...

[CalKat]

I did read the President's speech, as posted above. That is where I got my argument that there will be no fine for illegal aliens, there will be a fee. There is a legal difference. A fine would be a penalty for a law being broken. A fee is a charge of money for services, which implies that the broken law is being forgiven, and therefore, the amnesty.

I wasn't questioning the fact that the President does not make the laws, I was advocating the enforcement of laws. Nor was I attacking the President, or other freepers.

[Beck_isright]

"Born in other countries, yet believing you could be happy in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your right to join us in society, conforming, as I doubt not you will do, to our established rules."

-Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

[Southack]

"Why do you keep insisting this is not amnesty? Amnesty has nothing to do with citizenship. This program offered by Bush is amnesty, no matter what you or he call it."

You don't pay a fine for an amnesty. You do pay a fine in a plea bargain.

Can you understand that there is a difference between a plea bargain and an amnesty?

[FITZ]

If you are standing in a parking lot awaiting a day labor job, the first truck that pulls up will probably have INS on the side. You won't have a thing to say about it if you don't have your citizenship. If you have a blue card, it means you are in violation and will be shipped home. If you have neither a blue card or citizenship, you will be shipped home.

They've been telling us the whole reason they don't stop felony document fraud, identity theft and all this you mentioned is because the job is just impossible to do. Now we see them turn around and claim they will suddenly figure out a way to get it right this time. They did enforce nothing at all after the last blanket amnesty --- but they lied that they would.

[Owen]

Folks,

This is well thought out. It is NOT amnesty. It is pleading guilty to illegality and paying a fine. Those that don't remain illegal with now new money available to pursue and prosecute them. But that is of no moment because they have no reason not to step forward into the light of legality. Pay their fine, their debt to society, and become members of that society.

[Beck_isright]

" I will not vote Democrat, but I will simply stay at home and not vote in November."

Agreed. W is on his way to becoming a ONE TERMER just like his daddy.

[judgeandjury]

I appreciate the members of citizen groups who have joined us today. Chairman of the Hispanic Alliance for Progress, Manny Lujan. Gil Moreno, the President and CEO of the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans. Roberto De Posada, the President of the Latino Coalition. And Hector Flores, the President of LULAC.

Wow, this is quite a gathering of representatives from several racist Latino/Hispanic/Mexican organizations.

[Beck_isright]

"Many temporary workers just want to save enough money to start their own business back in their motherlands, or buy some land to build a farm."

Is that why the village of Parrish, Florida has gone from a rural Mayberry RFD type setting into a mini version of Nuevo Laredo? Your theory is bunk.

[Southack]

"Huh? Under the current law if you don't have a green card you can be deported. How is this blue card going to cure all the problems? I don't see how any of the examples you are giving to show how the new laws will be enforced are any different than what could be done now to enforce the current laws..."

Well, for one thing: to get the blue card you have to be Registered with the federal government, something that 8 million illegals are currently NOT...