Bush Immigration Plan Would Allegedly 'Destroy the Middle Class'

(CNSNews.com) - President Bush is moving forward with his plans to create a "Temporary Worker Program" that would allow millions of illegal aliens to remain and work in the U.S. for a minimum of three years with no fear of deportation or other punishment. Advocates of tougher immigration policies believe the president is ignoring the costs and potential dangers posed by illegal immigration.

In his final, scheduled, formal press conference of the year, the president criticized current U.S. immigration policy.

"The system we have today is not a compassionate system. It's not working," Bush said Dec. 20. "And, as a result, the country is less secure than it could be with a rational system."

Any proposed changes to immigration policy must take into account what the president calls "reality.""

\ldblquote There are some jobs in America that Americans won't do and others are willing to do," Bush said. "We ought to have a system that recognizes people are coming here to do jobs that Americans will not do. And there ought to be a legal way for them to do so."

According to a White House fact sheet entitled, "Fair and Secure Immigration Reform," the president's "Temporary Worker Program" would allow new immigrants to the U.S. and those currently here illegally to accept employment "when no American worker is available and willing to take a job.""

Ira Mehlman, media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, told the Cybercast News Service that Bush's proposal is, "a great plan if your objective is to destroy the middle class in the United States.

"If you are going to offer employers the opportunity to bring in unlimited numbers of guest workers then there is never going to be any incentive to increase wages in this country [or] to improve working conditions," Mehlman said. "Upward mobility will become a thing of the past if such a plan is enacted."

The program would last three years, but would be renewable. Bush insists he is not proposing amnesty, or an easier road to citizenship, for illegal aliens.

"Now, one of the important aspects of my vision is that this is not automatic citizenship. The American people must understand that," the president stressed. "If somebody who is here working wants to be a citizen, they can get in line like those who have been here legally and have been working to become a citizen in a legal manner."

"Even he would have to recognize that a program that allows millions of people, who have broken the law, to gain legal status in this country is an amnesty," Mehlman insisted. "Even though he swears it's not an amnesty program, that's exactly what it is; it is rewarding people who have broken the law.""

Supporters of tougher immigration laws also doubt, according to Mehlman, that there will be anything temporary about the "Temporary Worker Program."

"He's talking about a three-year temporary worker visa, renewable for three more," Mehlman observed. "And at the end of the six years, these people will, of course, all say, 'Thank you very much. We really appreciate the opportunity to work here and now we're going home.' Yeah, right."

The Bush proposal also includes provisions to allow participants to cross back and forth from their country of origin to maintain family ties. President Bush said U.S. Border Patrol agents need to focus on more important duties.

"[W]e want our border patrol agents chasing crooks and thieves and drug runners and terrorists, not good-hearted people who are coming here to work," Bush argued.

Mehlman complained that recommendations by the 9/11 Commission to tighten immigration policy were removed from the legislation passed by Congress due to pressure from those lobbying to protect illegal aliens.

"Special interest politics and greed seem to even trump homeland security," Mehlman concluded, "despite the fact that we've seen what the potential consequences are from not enforcing immigration laws."

Mehlman believes security must be the primary concern in immigration policy and that it is lacking in the proposal to allow for millions of "temporary workers."

"The idea that they are going to do thorough, comprehensive background checks on all these people to make sure that we're not letting in criminals or potential terrorists is preposterous," Mehlman said. "They couldn't even do a decent background check on their own nominee for Homeland Security secretary."

Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerrick withdrew his nomination for that post after allegations surfaced that he had ties to companies that have business dealings with the Department of Homeland Security and that he had employed an illegal immigrant as a nanny and did not pay his portion of her payroll taxes.

The president also argued that his plan would "take the pressure off of employers." Mehlman believes that is a mistake, as well.

"What we have to do is create disincentives against illegal immigration," Mehlman said. "Right now, we're creating incentives. We don't enforce the laws against employers."

Mehlman acknowledged that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents cannot arrest every illegal alien or catch every employer who knowingly hires them. He believes effective immigration law enforcement means applying "leverage" to selected companies.

"You go after some of the employers that have been hiring illegal immigrants with impunity, even though it's against the law. You fine them sufficiently to send a message, the same way that the highway patrol enforces the speed limit on the freeway when they want to," Mehlman said. "They don't stop every single speeder. But, if you're driving along at 80 miles an hour and you see somebody else being pulled over, you slow down."

"If you go after enough employers to give the rest of them the idea that we're serious about enforcing the law, they will then refrain from hiring illegal immigrants," Mehlman said. "The word gets back, 'Don't come to the United States illegally because nobody's going to take a chance on hiring you.'"

Mehlman believes such a policy would have a similar effect on illegal aliens currently living and working in the U.S.

"Many who are already here [illegally] would leave and go home," Mehlman continued. "The objective is to encourage more people who are here illegally to go home. If you cannot get access to a job, if you can't get access to anything but emergency social benefits, there's no incentive to remain here."

Mehlman also dismissed the common argument that reducing the available pool of illegal immigrant labor would drive up food prices.

"The labor cost in agriculture is about 10 percent. So, a dollar's worth of produce today would cost you about $1.10 tomorrow if they doubled everybody's wages," Mehlman said.

What little savings consumers reap from lower labor costs are multiplied in other areas, Mehlman argued.

"Maybe you do save a few pennies here and there because there are low-wage illegal immigrant workers doing jobs in this country that Americans would demand a higher wage for," Mehlman explained, "but in return you are providing education for the children of these illegal immigrants, you're providing the health care because these employers are not providing a Blue Cross/Blue Shield (health insurance) program for them. All sorts of social costs are being added on."

But President Bush described his proposal as a more \ldblquote compassionate way to treat people who come to our country." Mehlman wondered about the president's compassion for unemployed and underemployed U.S. citizens.

"What we're wrestling with here is the impact that it has on this country, the impact that it has on people struggling to make a living and make a decent life for themselves and their families, the impact on schools and social services," Mehlman said. "The president didn't tell us who's going to pay to educate all the kids of these 'guest workers' he wants to bring here. Who's going to pay for all the health care needs that they're going to have when they get here?"

I see your point. But, you see you are listing various groups of people each with their own customs, beliefs, etc. we are importing the Mexican way of life. I personally do not want to live in a watered down version of Mexico. I can drive three hours from my house and see Mexico in all it's glory and it aint pretty.

Huh, what about a watered up Mexico proper. Sorry but I don't agree with your fatalist position on Mexico. President Bush himself has said that the immigration problem will not be solved until Mexico reforms itself. Is it going to be easy, no, but he is going to try and leave a legacy for his successors to do the same, damn the knee jerk political hyperbole from a small but very vocal and megaphoned rhtetoric(thank you wedge looking liberla media) in his own party.

Change the legal environment to provide a legal path for hiring immigrants, and juries will be far more likely to generate convictions.

Give employers a way of verifying employment eligibility, which they haven't had until just recently, and juries will be far more likely to generate convictions. In 2003 President Bush signed the legislation establishing a voluntary workplace verification program that's now available to employers in all 50 states. House Rules Chairman David Dreier will be introcucing legislation next year to make the program mandatory, along with a quadrupling of fines for employers of illegal aliens.

"We've never had such a large and homogeneous, non-English speaking population, including ..."

So? How does that hurt you? If you don't like Mexican food don't go to Mexican restaurants.

The Mexican immigrants I have known love America and have no desire to overthrow our government and subject themselves to Mexican rule. That's just kook talk.

Or did you fall for Buchanan's "fear commercial" that you could choke on a meatball if the 911 operator is bilingual?

I don't understand why we need to be compassionate to criminals over hardworking Americans trying to make ends meet.

If Bush doesn't consider illegal immigration illegal any more, then he should push to enact a law stating that any form of immigration is lawful, no matter whether it's your family in the trunk of a coyote or your band of hardworking terrorists in a container.

All in all, this sets a terrible precedent. Do we really want our President (no matter who is in the WH) singlehandedly encouraging disobedience to our laws? I find this unconstitutional.

Is it going to take seeing one of your loved one's being raped, robbed or murdered by some cretin who should've never been allowed here in the first place to get your head out of that rectal/cranial inverted state it's in? I've been reading your inane, half$$ed repsonses to people trying to reason with you for weeks over this issue and you just don't get it do you? Quit being another friggin' useful idiot for these politicians and groups that want to destroy this country!

"....the fact that Bush is the first President in trying to deal with a problem that has been festering for 40 years."

Bull malarkey up to the knees. Ask any CBP agent about the INCREASED numbers of border jumpers since Bush first mentioned his asinine amnesty plan. He's not only made CBP agents' jobs harder due to increased volume and stupid restrictions but more dangerous as they (illegals) are more agressive in their attempts.

GW is blind to this because in his heart he believes that inside every illegal who struggled to get into this country is a hardworking, loyal American ready to be born.

And if there is?

We have immigrants from all over the world who get here by applying, by entering legally. These "unborn Americans" are the kind we want: they play by the rules. And Bush is taking the kind that refuse to play by the rules OVER the good guys. Why can't he see how wrong he is?

All in all, this sets a terrible precedent. Do we really want our President (no matter who is in the WH) singlehandedly encouraging disobedience to our laws? I find this unconstitutional

And you as a Jew are all for a porgorom of a toilet cleaner and/or dishwasher to be deported.

If the rhetoric that you are now proclaiming now were taken when the rehtoric was at a same low level fever pitch a century ago, you may not have been able to post on FR, now. Your ancestors could have been sent back to Germany, Poland, or Russia.

Yes speculative on my part, but your rhetoric is also speculative, IMO, on your opinions of modern hispanic people doing work and trying to carve a part of the American dream.

BTW, I remember your posting on FR about your pride that Gore had picked Lieberman(the first Jew on a Presidential ticket).

I didn't criticize you on your postings. I'd rather criticize a person on their politcal positions, than their creed or ethinicty.

McDonalds contributes to MALDEF, the lawyer advocacy group for illegal rights. They shot down Calif. 187 and are trying their best to destroy Az. prop. 200.

Taken from pages 15 and 16 of MALDEF's annual report
[OUR CORPORATE AND
FOUNDATION PARTNERS
PLATINUM PARTNERS: $100,000+
Anheuser-Busch Companies
The Ford Foundation
The James Irvine Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation
The Sandler Family Supporting
Foundation
Soros Foundation
Washington Mutual

GOLD PARTNERS: $50,000 ú $99,999
America's Charities
California Community Foundation
Center for Law in the Public Interest
The Gerber Foundation
Kaiser Permanente
Levi Strauss Foundation
Marguerite Casey Foundation
The Rosenberg Foundation
The State Bar of California
The State Bar of California
snip......
SILVER PARTNERS: $10,000 ú $49,000
AT&T
Bank of America
BELO Corporation
BP
Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P
The Bravo Foundation
The California Endowment
The Coca-Cola Company
Fannie Mae Foundation
Ford Motor Company
McDonald's Corp.
snip.....

BRONZE PARTNERS: $1,000 ú $9,999
AARP
Abbott Laboratories Fund
The Abernathy/McGregor Group
AFL-CIO
The Ahmanson Foundation
AIG Invesment LLC
American Federation of Teachers
Amigas de MALDEF
AOL Time Warner, Inc
Walgreens Company
Wal-Mart Foundation
snip.......

http://ccir.net/REFERENCE/MALDEF-2002-2003.html

It's not an attitude problem. I have heard small business owners here in So CA say that they prefer to work with English-speaking guys on their teams, guys with some education and math, guys who want to move up, yet they are prohibited from hiring those types of people because those types know their worth and command a bit more $$ and benefits than the illegals.

Thus a crew of Americans (of all stripes) with a bit of education and experience have to bid higher on jobs and don't get them. Illegals with no language (could prove dangerous on the job), no background (could be a murderer on your crew), no education (no quick geometrical calculations) crowd out young apprentices who would be better qualified to do a better job.

I happen to think that AgJobs or Senator McCain's proposals work far better with much less red tape for businesses in this country.

Other than not including illegal aliens, what is the difference in red tape between AgJobs, McCain's plan, and Tancredo's plan?

I'd much rather not give Tancredo any credit at all, particualrly given his decision to work with the likes of Buchanan.

Sounds like a personal issue. I've seen where a former webmaster for Buchanan now works for a Tancredo site, and I've also seen that there are some connections with Angela Bay Buchanan, who was Treasury Secretary under Richard Nixon and has been a Beltway insider for decades. Is that what you mean when you say Tancredo works "with the likes of Buchanan" or is there something else?

All of that notwithstanding, Tancredo has a viable and generous guest worker program on the table, whether you want to give him credit for it or not.

Somebody wanna explain wny the law of supply and demand should not apply to employers? If Americans don't want those jobs, pay more until they do.

Amen. Funny how the laws of supply and demand are touted to justify $18 million NBA salaries, but the same free marketeers go brain-dead on aalaries for jobs "Americans won't do", or "can't be found" to do (read H-1B).

If you want to come here, work hard, become an American and do it through legal means--I am all for it.

Good luck with that. Current immigration law and practice is a complete disaster. It's very difficult to do it legally, and so easy to cheat. Reputable firms and honest would-be immigrants lose out. I lost my best employee because we couldn't get her resident status despite an advanced degree, enormous potential, a great work record and many thousands spent on immigration lawyers.

My issue is--I don't think it is wise to take in some many immigrants from one single country or even ethnic group. I would not care if it was Sweden that they were coming from. It is about preserving our way of life and system of governement or what is left of it.

150 years ago people voiced similar fears about the Irish and Germans. Today it's mostly Mexicans and Russians. They aren't coming in enough numbers to completely change the demographics. The Republic is not in danger because of this.

"...anyone who uses the term "cesspool" to describe immigrants has no right to whine about the image he creates of himself."

You continually and purposely refuse to see any distinction between legal immigrants and illegal aliens while trying to get others to share your disregard for the law, or basic right versus wrong for that matter. Are you a Clinton-appointed judge?

"If they opened their eyes...they might discover that we aren't in the midst of a great depression, but instead are enjoying unprecedented prosperity."

If that prosperity requires slow bankruptcy of the middle class it is not prosperity, merely short-term profit in a suicide pact. Those that enrich themselves from such imposed socialism can only be viewed as traitors to America's ideals and those who gave all to build and protect this nation. Your continuous cheerleading for corruption makes me wonder if you even have a soul to pray for.

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