Posted on 12/29/2004 6:21:51 AM PST by Ginifer
(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."
Bush says program would not provide 'automatic citizenship'
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."
Mehlman disagreed.
"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.
'Preposterous' plan fails to address security concerns
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."
Such an enforcement strategy would have a ripple effect, according to Mehlman.
"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."
FAIR disputes economic argument for illegal immigration
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?"
For someone so quick to squeal racism ---- you are certainly quick to bash Americans. Look at who is doing the most dying in Iraq.... Americans --- giving up their lives for the freedom of people in a foreign country. You don't see Mexico's army over there doing a damn thing. Americans --- not good enough for jobs --- just lazy sloths --- but they can be killed in foreign lands.
And who will do the temporary guest worker's job when they return to Mexico in 3 years? .... or are you of the belief Bush is just lying about them going back in 3 years?
And that is exactly one of the big problems with Mexico itself. They didn't need to import tractors --- they had plenty of peasants with machetes and hoes and shovels. They had cheap labor galour --- they felt no need to invent or even to bring in the inventions of countries like the USA.
Now --- in the country where corn and beans were developed, the farmer cannot come close to competing with the American farmer because they still lack technology and the cheap labor does them no good at all --- now Mexico imports it's corn and beans and the farms have gone bankrupt.
Yeah, they won't pick lettuce or nail roofs together but they'll be walking targets for suicide bombers. Doesn't compute.
That makes no sense. The house my father bought in the 50's for $14,000 --- all American labor, now sells for over $120,000 --- same exact house, same wood, same lot of land. The labor was paid off long ago, in fact most of the laborers are probaby dead --- yet the price of the house just keeps going up.
And what do you think the government of Mexico is doing? Many of the millions of illegals now in the USA were substinence farmers back in their homeland not long ago. Today less land in Mexico is being irrigated --- the campesinos are being run off their lands, the oligarchy has decided they must go.
It would take a fool, an idiot, or both to believe "guest workers" would return to their home country after three years.
Big bump to that.
Did you ever hear of the bracero program?
I guess if you're just a good-for nothing lazy arrogant American the only job for you is to be sent to Iraq. That's a job Vicente Fox obviously doesn't want his citizens doing --- and doesn't pay enough to send the big bucks back to Mexico.
Correct me if you will, that was before the dozens of other organizations infesting American soil were formed that advise illegals not to adhere to US law, right?
Yep, and thousands never left.
It's the result of replacement costs rising.
What about those still in Mexico who weren't willing to break our laws but would like a chance at being "guest workers" --- should those who broke the law have the only opportunity? Those who were reluctant to break our laws be denied any chance?
On Christmas Day I visited my local Veteran's cemetery. There is a special section near the entrance for KIAs from Iraq and Afghanistan. There were three new headstones, bringing the total to 16.
I didn't get out of my car to pay respect to the three new soldiers because there were families around two graves. Both families looked obviously Hispanic.
Maybe not a majority, but quite a few of the headstones bear Hispanic names.
I'm sure even you would agree that they have assimilated, but some would complain that they are destroying the culture of America by being buried in a cemetery of "Americans."
Looking hispanic doesn't mean you're a foreigner here.
True, you can have the look of a Mexican citizen who is here illegally though.
I can spot most of them, I am sure immigration and most every one else can also.
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