Who's misleading Bush?

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Sunday, January 18, 2004 | Dateline D.C.

[Willie Green]

Some of those who live along the Potomac River have grown sleek in the belief that they know many of Washington's secrets. Maybe they do. But if so, no one is sharing reports or even rumors on who is keeping President George Bush away from the facts on immigration, the problems of Mexico and guest-worker programs.

[F16Fighter]

"Bush's immmigration plan is a stroke of genius."

Only for the Wile E. Coyote Cheerleaders Club.

[TheDon]

You still haven't answered my questions, although I expect most people here already know the answers.

To be more explicit for you, English as the official language of Mexico, and Cinco de Mayo is already celebrated in the US. It is not a holiday where you get a day off from work and I can't imagine why it ever would. Mexicans don't celebrate it as heartily as Anglos in the US. Perhaps it wasn't the best example of a Mexican holiday that might be adopted by the US. Of course, we do have St. Patrick's Day. Not exactly an American holiday. I don't understand why you are upset that we might adopt a holiday celebrated by immigrants from another nation.

Actually, Hispanic immigrants are holding onto Spanish far longer than earlier immigrants held on to their languages.

That would seem natural as Mexico shares a long border with the US, and connections to their native country are much easier to maintain than with other immigrants. The repudiation of ESL programs in California in favor of English immersion programs by Mexican immigrants should calm your fears that your grandchildren might have to learn Spanish as their primary language.

A prime offender in this, of course, is Bush, who insists on addressing Americans in Spanish. One could only imagine what Teddy Roosevelt would have thought of one of his successors addressing Americans in a foreign language.

Teddy would no doubt have been envious. A little political pandering never hurt anyone.

[american spirit]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'handle it well'. I see rising crime by illegals and if you've caught most of the local news lately, it's been a menagerie of shootings, a mother leaving her baby to burn in a house, a teenager stabbed and killed by another, etc. A friend of mine who works for the Dallas police said in all the cases they were illegals. The problem as I see it is due to low interest rates many illegals are staying employed, working in construction (geez I don't see any lowering of housing prices) but what happens when the inevitable occurs and interest rates rise so much that construction slows down dramatically. We'll be left with hundreds of thousands of these people just in N. Texas who have no way to earn a living and if social services can't meet the demand to help them then we'll truly have a good barometer of "how we're handling it". These folks are not going to be in a good mood and I think they'll have no problem showing their displeasure.

[BlkConserv]

Only for the Wile E. Coyote Cheerleaders Club.

Whatever. I'm a realist; I trust the President on this issue. Unlike his predecessor, he won't send America down the river.

First of all, we don't know where the majority of illegals are. What is Bush going to do? Deploy Border Units around day-labor centers? Do sweeps in East L.A.?

I know illegals are illegals and in no way I'm defending them. But now that they're here, we need to contain their numbers and make sure new ones go through the proper legal channels, or better yet, stay home.

[swarthyguy]

Here's the why of this amnesty.
-SS contributions to keep SS solvent via FICA payroll tax.

-US Employers.

-Mexican Oil - Privatization of PEMEX etal.

[cyborg]

I agree with you, my grandmother spoke only italian then my dad was bilingual... I can speak a little italian, a little creole, and cuss in afrikaans. Unlike some folks, I don't mind knowing more than one language to expand my mind. Spanish is a wonderful language. I'm quite fluent in it myself.

[F16Fighter]

"Now that they're [illegal invaders] here, we need to contain their numbers and make sure new ones go through the proper legal channels, or better yet, stay home."

We DO that by making a REAL committment to a systematic plan which will require ALL undocumented aliens to register OR face immediate deportation when caught without proper validation. AND we impose severe penalties upon employers who hire indocumented aliens.

We can drop a remote machine on Mars, some 70,000,000 miles away from Earth but we can't devise a sytem to do this?? Come now...

[american spirit]

What's your opinion on what effect this united hemisphere will have on our rights under the Constitution and BOR? Will our legal system slowly turn into some type of international administrative process where our US laws will be subjugated under some new supranational constitution? I'm also curious as to just who will get handed the (tax) bill to pay for the party?...hmmm I wonder.

[keri]

I'm one of those taking my ball back. Educate me.

It is logistically impossible to round up 10 million illegals and deport them. The manpower, the costs, and the infrastructure just isn't there.

The manpower, the costs, and infrastructure isn't there to register and process them into a new "guest worker" program, either.

Illegals may be serfs, but they aren't stupid serfs and they won't enroll voluntarily.

[TheDon]

I'm quite impressed with any American who can speak another language other than English. It is very difficult to use any other language here. In other parts of the world, such as Europe, knowing and using multiple languages, is quite common. I think Spanish is probably the only second language that would be of actual use to an American.

[txdoda]

It is logistically impossible to round up 10 million illegals and deport them. The manpower, the costs, and the infrastructure involved just isn't there.>>>>>>>


LOL......So WHERE are we supposed to get the *manpower, money & infrastructure*, to REGISTER 10 million illegals, PLUS 10 million employers & then *track* their want ads ??

What makes you think 'illegal employers' are going to now obey our laws & pay taxes, just because GWB *proposes* it ???

[cyborg]

I was in Europe for only a week but I picked up french/italian very quickly. I studied spanish in class because as you point out, it's worth knowing. Spanish is not awful to know, it supports modern innovation. There are some languages that can't support technical words,etc.
I don't think anyone is misleading Bush. He's a leader. I may disagree with him (which I do) but I'm not going to let HOWARD DEAN become president.

[jpsb]

Nice post, right on target.

[XHogPilot]

BUMP

Outstanding editorial!

[KDD]

I never expected this President to lend credence to your assertion that illegal immigrants bastardize the concept of an open labor market in this country. Fixing an American labor shortage by importing cheap labor to "take jobs no American wants" is not free enterprise. It is not capitalism unless one sees this world as a global village. The United States stands to lose more then any other country in the world under this kind of global vision.

While I'm bitching...

Bush stated flat out that he believed that CFR was unconstitutional. He then signed the Bill.

What are we to think of a President who willingly signs laws he believes to be unlawful.

Character my a**. Bush has become a big Panderbear.

[BlkConserv]

Illegals may be serfs, but they aren't stupid serfs and they won't enroll voluntarily.

Nonsense. The vast majority of illegals that come here aren't criminals (in the sense that they come here illegally just to commit heinous crimes).

Most of them will fall for Bush's bait and switch because they want to work. Once they're registered, the government can track them until their 3-year work permit expires, and then they would have no choice but to go home.

It's too bad most conservatives are resorting to knee-jerk emotionalism and anger instead of understanding the nuts and bolts of Bush's excellent plan.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

It is logistically impossible to round up 10 million illegals and deport them. The manpower, the costs, and the infrastructure involved just isn't there.

Apparently, you haven't heard of Eisenhower's successful Operation Wetback.

[keri]

You're missing something. Illegals come here to work and that they can do without signing up for a worker's program. They fear the government knowing where they are and what they are doing and that is precisely why this proposal won't do a thing.

All Bush's proposal will do is create more illegals.

[Willie Green]

Thorin: "One could only imagine what Teddy Roosevelt would have thought of one of his successors addressing Americans in a foreign language."

sinkspur: " Exactly. You can only imagine because you don't know."

Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.

-- Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), Kansas City Star (April 27, 1918).

[longrider]

How about a $5000.00 fine for each illegal employed. Take the profit out regardless if it's illegals, drugs or whatever and you wouldn't have the mess we've got now.