The Bush Proposal (Interesting article by Linda Chavez on the Immigration Proposal)

Town Hall ^ | Jan 8, 2004 | Linda Chavez

[PhiKapMom]

The Bush proposal

Linda Chavez

January 8, 2004

President Bush announced a sweeping new immigration reform proposal this week that could become a hot-button issue in the November election. For months, insiders have hinted that the president would propose a new guest worker program aimed at allowing more foreign workers into the country on a temporary basis. Widely favored by the American business community, a guest worker program would allow employers to fill jobs in industries that routinely experience shortages of workers willing to do the often difficult, dangerous jobs Americans shun -- at least at wages that allow employers to remain in business.

But the guest worker provisions won't be the most controversial part of the administration's new proposal. Although some groups that want to limit immigration altogether -- such as the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) -- oppose guest worker plans, even such staunch restrictionists as Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) are on record supporting the idea of guest workers. The real battle will be over what to do with those millions of illegal aliens who are already here.

Some 8-12 million illegal aliens reside in the United States now -- up three- or four-fold from a decade ago. An estimated 60 percent of these are from Mexico alone, and it is no accident that the Bush plan was announced in anticipation of the president's meeting with his Mexican counterpart, President Vicente Fox, next week. The White House announced less than a week before the Fox meeting that millions of illegal aliens from Mexico and elsewhere will be allowed, over time, to earn legal status in the U.S., so long as they have been working continuously, paid taxes and not broken other laws. The plan will impose some penalties on these workers -- most likely fines similar to those proposed in legislation sponsored by Republican Representatives Jeff Flake and Jim Kolbe and Senator John McCain, all from Arizona.

These proposals may not offer perfect justice -- who can blame those who resent rewarding "line jumpers" with legal status while millions of other would-be immigrants wait patiently to enter the country legally. But "earned legalization" is probably the best solution to a largely intractable problem. There is no way that the United States can find and deport 8-12 million illegal aliens in this country, and even if we could, we would do more harm than good.

The American economy depends on these workers, who, along with legal immigrants, contributed significantly to the economic boon of the 1990s. If FAIR could wave a magic wand and make these illegal aliens disappear overnight, the rest of us would suffer by having to pay more for everything from the food we put on the table to the houses in which we live. Our office buildings wouldn't get cleaned, our crops wouldn't get picked, our meat wouldn't get processed, nor our tables cleaned when we go out to eat.

Sure, we could double wages to attract American-born workers to some of these jobs, but at even twice the salary it would be difficult to fill the nastiest of these tasks, like processing poultry. But why would we want American workers, who we've spent trillions of dollars educating for 13 or 14 years, on average, to perform jobs that require only the most minimal skills? Even if we got rid of all illegal aliens in the U.S., these jobs would likely go to foreign workers, like it or not.

What sense does it make to insist that we get rid of the very people doing these jobs now in order to make way for other foreign workers to take them under a new guest worker plan? It makes a lot more sense to figure out how to get those illegal aliens already employed at these jobs to come in from the shadows and become part of the legal system. They should pay a penalty for having broken the law in the first place by sneaking into the country or overstaying their visas, but it is better for all of us if they earn their way toward legal status than remain in the illegal netherworld where they now hide.

Linda Chavez is President of the Center for Equal Opportunity, a Townhall.com member organization.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Whenever I see Linda I have to remind myself that she is a Republican. she calls herself a Conservative, however, she has demonstrated that she is no Conservative.

The issue , as I see it is that most people who call themselves Republicans ,will not have a problem with President's platform.

It is the Conservatives who do have a problem with this performance, I doubt you will find anything written by any Republican, anywhere, that is going to force this issue to be whitewashed with President Bush's Conservative base. It is just not going to happen.

This was one blow too many, and Karl Rove and company did not estimate how mad we already were to start.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I've read that. There are solutions, and I think Bush's proposal is just a start. Congress will whittle away at it.

The problem is that people don't think of the costs of this. And getting the government to enforce the laws will not be an easy task, unless you get the population in an uproar.

What have you done to let the President and Congress know that you are concerned about this issue? Where are the protests in the streets? Protest today, and they might listen. Taking your toys, going home, pouting, will not change a thing. Your voice is just as powerful as your vote is.

[PhiKapMom]

I bet you are right about most of these families have children born in this Country who are U.S. Citizens. Very good point!

[kellynla]

But of course I know it's against the law...but that doesn't mean it's not part of reality...you asked how illegals were getting welfare and I explained how. I can take you to downtown LA or Santa Ana and you, even you can get a Social Security card...and yes I know it's illegal. That's my whole point. Illegals can get Social Security cards, then they go to the DMV and get drivers licenses and while they are there they register to vote. That is reality. And until GWB decides to do his job nothing will change.

[MJY1288]

Tune in to Rush, he's making sense of it all

[KantianBurke]

Don't doubt I haven't made my views clear to the WH. My rep and Sen. are hardcore rats so I'll save my breath. And in terms of making my voice heard, sure unless of course its 30 to 60 days before an election. We can thank Dubya for that.

[Poohbah]

Fine.

Come up with a proposed plan of action that solves this problem, and present it to us.

Be detailed. "Deport the illegal aliens" is a goal, not a plan of action. How would the illegal aliens be identified? How would they be apprehended?

"Put troops on the border" is meaningless in and of itself. How many troops? How many on post? What ROEs? What CONOPS?

In short, take the problem as seriously as you demand that others take it, and tell us how to solve it.

[futureceo31]

Are there not existing laws that prevent the local offices from giving Social security cards? Why are they not being enforced by local governments???

[futureceo31]

The biggest problem with all of this as you correctly pointed out is identifying illegal immigrants. How does one know if one is an illegal? Birth certificates might work but doubt a lot of american born citizens know where their birth certificate is.

[Texas Federalist]

. . . and don't forget about Canada. We don't need Alan Thicke coming down here anytime he wants to.

[Cyber Liberty]

How does one man deport a few million people?

I'm all ears. Maybe Tom McClintock has an idea or two....

[PhiKapMom]

Here is where there is a real problem. The far right of the base did not show up in 2000! Big mistake IMO. You want a place at the table, you vote. You want to be shut out in decision making, you stay home. The option is up to each and every individual. Threatening to stay home or staying home and not voting makes people not want to listen.

IMO, there are different sectors of the conservatives. There are those of us who wouldn't vote for a Democrat for any office that are conservative and will cut Republicans slack over any Democrat. We ARE the Republican base. There are conservatives who lean towards the Republicans when voting but want everything to be what they want and if they don't get it, they threaten to stay home or vote 3rd party. Then we have the conservatives who are part of a 3rd Party.

That's why when someone says that Pres Bush alientated his base, you may not be correct as I am part of the base and I will vote for Pres Bush for reelection. I may disagree with some of his proposals, but would never abandon my complete support for his reelection. When I disagree, I write my Congressman and Senators with my disagreements.

BTW Do you consider Newt Gingrich a conservative?

[woodyinscc]

Why are illegals getting welfare?

Good question. The people here in Calif. ask Gray Davis the same question, he answered by deep sixing Prop. 187 and lo and behold look what happened!! What Davis did is pandering, what President Bush is doing, is trying to solve a problem. Everyone may have their ideas of what should be done, and they are entitled, at the very least now, the issue is on the table.!!

[futureceo31]

Concentration camps first and then planes, trains and automobiles to Mexico and the rest of the world I guess..:)

[ravingnutter]

FYI, we also need to remind people that Bush merely laid out an outline and is leaving the details to Congress. Tancredo has proposed a version that I think we can all live with. From placing the military on the borders to eliminating the "anchor baby" problem and even up to employer provided health care, he covers all the bases. We need to encourage debate on this bill and backing of it if we agree with it.

[PhiKapMom]

My daughter lost her social security card when her wallet was stolen. Had to get her birth certificate sent that was official, not a copy, in order for her to get her new social security card and had to provide a picture form of identification in addition to that.

At least here in Oklahoma, you cannot just walk into a social security office and walk out with a card. Doesn't work that way. She received hers in the mail about a week later.

[FranklinsTower]

I believe a lot of the objections we are now hearing can be somewhat mitigated as the details flesh out during the legislative process. For the unappeasable purists, no amount of pragmatic compromise will satisfy them. Just deporting 8 million illegals is just not a practical solution. All hell would break loose.

The more pragmatic solution is to give them a choice, pay a fine or be deported. I would set the fine at $1,000 payable over the course of a year or two. Thus, they are punished for being illegal, while not totally disrupting our economy.

The added benefits of making them have legal status are many: they pay taxes; improved national security; increased supply of cheap labor thereby fewer plants being built in foreign counties; as there are more plants being built here, that means more higher paying jobs as well; and finally, more criminals will be getting caught as there are more people willing to report crime without fear of being deported.

Employers who fail to report on illegals after a grace period would have to pay far stiffer penalties. The penalties should be stiff enough to really bite if they get caught. This should help prevent an influx of new illegals. Stronger border enforcement and a beefed up employer enforcement all will help stem the tide. There is nothing that says these items are out of the final bill.

Finally, it should be pointed out that the idea is to tie immigration status to jobs. If a job is available for a guest worker (after offering it to Americans first) then they can legally reside here. No job, back home you go.

Just about everybody agrees that this is a very complicated issue. So before rushing to judgment as many of the unappeasable purists are fond of doing, we should wait and see how the details work out during the legislative process.

[futureceo31]

If I am not mistaken, if you are on a work visa in the US and you are let go of your job, you eitehr find another job or leave the country. You are NOT eligible for welfare but I might be on wrong. On the flipside, work visa holders pay Social security that they are not eligeble for though most if not all of them become citizens eventually.

[PhiKapMom]

We need to encourage debate on this bill and backing of it if we agree with it.

Thanks for reminding everyone. Congress is where the details are going to be hammered out. Would recommend people on here look at what has been proposed by the various people and make their recommendations on how they can be improved. Congress will listen if we make our arguments in a well thought out way and not just call them a bunch of names.

This thread is another example of people disagreeing but doing it without the nastiness of some other threads. You end up getting various ideas and thoughts that you won't see through the viciousness on some threads. I have learned so much in the last 24 hours that I didn't know about immigration because people have made some well thought out posts.

[Alberta's Child]

The information you presented is interesting, but not terribly relevant to any discussion about the amnesty issue. Re-compute all those figures from your post about illegal immigrants (as opposed to all immigrants), then get back to us.

Those contributions to hi-tech industries you mentioned are particularly irrelevant. I'm quite certain the founders of those ten firms you listed did not enter the U.S. from Mexico in a Union Pacific boxcar.