Under Feinstein's idea, which hasn't yet been finalized, longtime undocumented agricultural workers would get a "blue card," allowing them to continue to work in agriculture. After a period of years of continued agricultural work, they would be entitled to trade in their blue card for a "green card."
There is nothing new here, the SAW program in the mid 80s did the same thing. The result was as soon as the illegal aliens in agg received their valid immigration cards they left agg for better jobs in construction or the service industry. (I am sure all of us would do the same)
This created a labor shortage in agg into which an entire new generation of illegal aliens rushed into fill the vacuum. Proposals like this always result in more illegal immigration. IMHO the only program that will help is a non-immigrant guest worker program with no link to formal immigration. Guest workers could apply for permanent residence status while working as a guest worker, but they would have to wait in line like everyone else.
This created a labor shortage in agg into which an entire new generation of illegal aliens rushed into fill the vacuum. Proposals like this always result in more illegal immigration.
I agree with you. People can't (and don't want to) do that kind of work indefinitely.
I think the following (from Victor Davis Hanson) needs to get more attention.
(Not directed towards you, usurper. You already get it.)
"Let us also accept that there is something morally wrong in inviting thousands of youths from central Mexico — without legality, English or education — to work cheaply in permanently unskilled jobs until they age and tire, only to be cast by employers onto the near bankrupt entitlement industry, while we invite a new cohort of healthier and younger workers in to replace them."
Source: A Quick Fix — Do Your Own Dishes
By Victor Davis Hanson
May 16, 2005
http://jewishworldreview.com/0505/hanson051605.php3
FR thread at
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1404057/posts
"In 1917 and again in 1942, the US initiated guest labor programs, commonly known as the Bracero programs, that brought Mexican workers into the Southwest to work as non-citizen farm workers and fill an alleged labor shortage. Up to half a million workers were enrolled in the program at its height.
The flow of undocumented Mexicans grew during this time, prompting a government effort to stem the tide by "drying out the wetbacks"--an effort to convert undocumented immigrants into Braceros. When that failed, "Operation Wetback" was launched with the deployment of a military style border patrol. The Bracero programs effectively exposed thousands of poor Mexicans to the wealth of the United States and contributed to immigration pressure. It also displaced Chicanos from rural agricultural jobs, fueling their exodus to urban centers".
Other articles point out that poor black and white citizens were totally shut out of these jobs as well because the agriculture industry couldn't resist dropping wages for profit when they had a workforce powerless to object.
It's time to put an end to this corruption cycle and force mechanization.- NRT