Posted on 05/24/2006 6:54:50 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
YAKIMA, Wash. - Mexican President Vicente Fox told hundreds of farm workers here Wednesday that his country and the United States can't go it alone in trying to fix immigration problems.
"It's clear the purpose is to reach an agreement that can give security, that can give legality, that can give flow to the migrant people," Fox said in Spanish on his second day of a four-day visit to the western U.S. "I think we are closer to the end of this route. This is a shared responsibility, the immigration reform."
Fox's speech came on the same day the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to limit debate on election-year immigration legislation. That cleared the way for final passage later this week of a bill that calls for tougher border security as well as an eventual chance at citizenship for millions of men and women in this country illegally.
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire specifically pressed Fox to visit the eastern part of her state, where thousands of Hispanic workers — many of them illegal immigrants — labor in agriculture and comprise as much as 90 percent of the population in some communities. Some Washington farmers are worried that a border crackdown could create a shortage of workers.
In Yakima, Fox toured a 700-acre cherry, apple and pear orchard and an apple-packing warehouse owned by Rene and Carmen Garcia. Their operation, G&G Orchards, is believed to be the only Hispanic-owned apple warehouse in Washington state.
"So far, we're looking for a bigger crop this year, and I'm getting nervous," Rene Garcia said. "We're not seeing the people circulating around looking for jobs."
Six busloads of farm workers, farm owners and others welcomed Fox.
Enrique Diaz, 67, a farmworker originally from Colina, Mexico, has lived in the central Washington city of Pasco for about 30 years. He said he came here to make a better living and has been a citizen since 1976.
Diaz said he hopes the main message Fox walks away with is immigrants' need for amnesty.
"There's a lot of pressure. They're both suffering — people who aren't residents and people who are," Diaz said.
Fox flew to Washington state to meet with farmers in the Yakima Valley and Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski after an appearance earlier in the day in Utah.
On Thursday, Fox is to attend a breakfast with business leaders in Seattle, visit a community health center, and have lunch with other business groups. He then heads to California to address lawmakers and meet with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Fox told a special session of the Utah Legislature that the most pressing issue for U.S.-Mexico relations is immigration.
"One cannot underestimate the importance of this moment and how complex this issue is for our two nations," said Fox, speaking in English. "Since the beginning of my administration, the government of Mexico has promoted the establishment of a new system that regulates the movement of people across our border in a manner which is legal, safe and orderly."
Fox said his country does not support undocumented migration and that Mexico must expand economic growth so it is not necessary for people to seek work and benefits elsewhere.
Democracy cannot flourish unless there is economic freedom to support it, he said.
"Until recently, Mexico was trapped in a vicious cycle of economic crisis, recurring crisis. But we have set out to change that," he said. "Today, Mexico has the soundest, safest, most stable economy of our lifetime."
He said that 25 million impoverished Mexicans now have access to health, educational and nutritional support and that his administration has spent more on improving the lives of its residents than any other Mexican administration.
Fox said investing in education is vital to developing a robust Mexican economy that residents don't want to leave, and noted that about 1 million Mexican students are offered scholarships.
"I am absolutely convinced that those 1 million young (people) would have been trying to get to the United States to look for a job," he said.
Several dozen protesters gathered outside the state Capitol, waving American flags and carrying signs attacking proposals to offer illegal immigrants amnesty. The Minuteman Project, which opposes illegal immigration, organized the demonstration.
___
Associated Press Writer Brock Vergakis in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.
That's because doing so would violate the plan. And they sure don't wanna do that!
Please help us, Mr. Third World Despot.
"It's clear the purpose is to reach an agreement that can give security, that can give legality, that can give flow to the migrant people," Fox said
As if these "migrant people" are just nomads who have been traveling the same geographical patterns for eons. Not quite. lol
Like a liberal Fox misdirects adeptly, transforming the problem (Illegal Immigration) into something else (humble migratory peoples), Implications follow that if you oppose these "migratory people" then you are a big old bad racist, or perhaps a xenophobe!
Fox, Bush and the Senate are on the same page. It's all about accommodating the illegal. The illegal's security, legality and flow.
They obviously do not represent the interests of America's sovereignty,its citizens or its laws.
The headline only partially describes the situation. The complete header should read:
"Fox: U.S. can't fix immigration problem alone, and we ain't gonna help."
You got it.
Thanks for the document. I will speak in code as this subject seems off limits to any other than people who don't believe their lying eyes. I read 'The New American" every two weeks, cover to cover, and had done so for 15 years. It is the most informative journalism available. In 1975 when I was in medical school, I became aware of these organizations, TLC, Bilderbergers, and Illuminiti. In those days, even worse than today, to speak of David Rockefeller, Zbignew Zebrinski, et.al., brought chides of derision. When Bill Clinton intoned that his most influential professor at college was the author of a very famous, yet limited in print, book, Professor Quiggley, I don't know a single news outlet who placed any stock in it. Yet there it was for any enterprising journalist to reveal. Not a word was spoken. Yet to have questioned this internationalist and Clintons motive for stating so would have marginalized the questioner from the beginning. Bush is cut from the same cloth. It has come down to the nut-cutting, and Bush has chosen his lot. He will have to live with his choice. Unfortunantly, all of us will have to do so.
It's been raining in my area since he got here. Seems appropriate weather to herald Vicente.
Can someone explain why we let this detestible POS in this country in the first place? (Oh yeh, he is Jorge's buddy)
I couldn't have said it better myself. Your statement follows my line of thinking exactly. The "bosses" comment was meant as more of a joke than anything. Maybe wishing it was the way it used to be. I wholeheartedly agree about taking a stand and voting Constitution Party and/or at least a conservative. We'll be hollered at for putting Hillary in the White House but as you point out...it doesn't seem to matter whose in their anymore... they're all the same. I support your thoughts 100%.
I'm afraid that our "leaders" are showing themselves to be no more than D.C. pointmen for various corporate interests. The "guest worker" program is a gift to employers who would love nothing better than an army of low-paid, non-complaining, no-other-options, indentured servants, who then could be gotten rid of after a few years for a new batch.
No concern for the culture or traditions of this country. No concern for a society of free people. No concern for national security, or the economic well-being of our middle and working classes.
Just the deal.
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