Posted on 07/04/2006 11:16:49 PM PDT by Spiff
Despite the consistent failure of all guest worker plans (e.g., France), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) is peddling a new plan to import foreign workers who really are guests and really do go home. Pence has turned his back on the 88 percent of House Republicans who voted that we must achieve border security first, because we'll be cheated on border security if Congress passes a "comprehensive" bill.
The Pence plan tries to avoid the amnesty label by requiring illegal aliens now in the U.S. to make what he calls "a quick trip across the border" to Mexico or Canada to pick up a new W visa. A foreigner could get a W visa only if a U.S. employer certifies that a job awaits him.
Pence's plan calls for setting up privately financed offices outside the U.S., with the cutesy title Ellis Island Centers, to hand out the new W visas, which he claims would be more efficient than government bureaucracy. Business would, indeed, be more efficient than government in importing more foreign workers.
Having private employment agencies distribute the W visas would put the fox in charge of the chicken coop. Private industry has a built-in incentive to import as much cheap labor as possible.
Pence says that the Ellis Island Centers will be able to match workers with jobs, perform health screening, fingerprinting, and convey information to the FBI and Homeland Security for a background check in "a matter of one week, or less." We'll have to see that to believe it.
What about the millions of illegal aliens in the U.S. today who do not have an employer willing to go on record as guaranteeing a job for a foreigner? These would include the relatives of jobholders, the day laborers, and the millions of illegal aliens working in the U.S. underground cash economy (an estimated 40 percent of the total).
Pence's bill is silent on this and his staff predicts that the free market will provide the answers. Pence told Time Magazine his bill "will require the 12 million illegal aliens to leave."
What about the hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens who are not Mexicans? Illegal aliens will not have to return to their home country, but only appear at an Ellis Island Center anywhere outside the U.S. to pick up their papers. Will Mexico and Canada put out the welcome mat for a mass exodus of illegal aliens from the U.S.?
The Pence plan provides that the guest workers, after living here legally for six years under the protection of a W visa, can choose whether to apply for citizenship or to return home. If guest workers don't apply for citizenship, will Pence hire buses to deport them after they have raised a family and established roots?
Six years is ample time to have a U.S.-born anchor baby, or two or three, which starts family chain migration. Any attempt to deal with the racket of birthright citizenship would linger at least six years in the courts.
The Pence promise that employers would have to offer jobs to Americans first is a sick joke. American engineers and computer techies who lost their jobs to foreigners under the H-1B visa guest-worker racket know that a look-for-Americans-first rule is never enforced and easily evaded.
Pence revealed an amazing open-ended part of his plan in his Wall Street Journal article: "My immigration reform plan does not favor illegal immigrants. Anyone may apply for a guest-worker visa at the new Ellis Island Centers; indeed, the plan may actually work to the advantage of applicants who have never violated our immigration laws, since guest-worker visas will be issued only outside the U.S."
Anyone may apply? From anywhere in the world? And without any limits? Pence wrote, "There will initially be no cap on the number of visas that can be issued."
The Pew Hispanic Center surveyed 120 locations in Mexico and concluded that 49 million Mexicans want to live in the United States if they get the opportunity.
If Pence's "guest worker" plan actually worked, and the guests voluntarily go home after six years, it would mean instituting a system that is immoral and un-American. Inviting foreigners to come to America to do jobs that Americans think they are too good to do creates a subordinate underclass of unassimilated foreign workers, like the serf or peasant classes that exist in corrupt foreign countries such as Mexico.
That's not the kind of economy that made America a great nation. As Theodore Roosevelt warned: "Never under any condition should this nation look at an immigrant as primarily a labor unit."
Pence and others who promote "guest worker" plans have a favorite mantra: "Let the free market solve our economic problems." Americans should realize that a global, or even a Western Hemisphere free market, means forcing American workers to compete with people who work for 50 cents an hour.
Letting the free market decide our future also requires loss of sovereignty to some kind of multinational government, as the European Union found out. Is the real push behind guest-worker proposals the Bush goal to expand NAFTA into the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, which he signed at Waco last year and reaffirmed at Cancun this year?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1660494/posts
Then you can read what Pence has to say directly and not this stuff.
As Theodore Roosevelt warned: "Never under any condition should this nation look at an immigrant as primarily a labor unit."
Do these "new arrivals" desire citizenship, fluency in English, assimilation, or to provide Mexico with its major source of income?
Had to call Mike Pence's DC office and send thanks to that fellow Hoosier for coming out of the closet well in advance of 2008.
The Land of Enchantment is not New Mexico; it is Mexico del Norte with the complicity of George Bush, Pete Domenici and Bill Richardson.
To woo a perceived new demographic, existing statute is trampled like so many miles of rusty Glidden.
Border security is already mandated--and neglected.
But pay no attention to the man behind the curtain--comprehensive immigration reform must be rammed through--in the same white-hot heat as campaign finance reform.
I'd hate to think it's all just political pandering for a possible Presidential run.
You don't suppose Congressman Pence would stoop as low as something like that do you?
L
I'd like to try this with you. I will be the first to admit I am not up to speed on either Tancredo or Pence. I am trying to take in as much info as I can.
It seems one spot of irritation with any immigration 'reform' is the establishment of priorities. I think some don't want any guest worker program at all, period. Some are ok with a limited and clearly defined guest worker program AFTER securing the borders and some are ok with guest worker program 'changes' while the border is being secured, but not dependent on it.
If we are to have a guest worker program which I still have concerns about, (yet, I also understand the basic difficulties presented by the mass-deportation alternative), my personal preference is to secure the borders FIRST. I don't know which bill or proposal addresses this, but I'm looking.
How's that?
Quite correct. I'm WILLING to be convinced, but I haven't been, because I have yet to see any facts showing that. So far all I've seen are competing opinions and insults. That proposal looks a lot like amnesty to me. I'm very surprised that he's offered it.
I am truly sorry to find that Schafly is a protectionist.
I agree with her about illegal immigration and the pathetic amnesty proposals - Amnesty is just another way for America to continue to ignore its own laws. But subsidising American workers just to keep them in a job they're used to is an appallingly bad idea. Far better to get your widgets made at 50c/hour and watch new jobs sprout all over your economy.
I live in Georgia. I am so sick of having to pay for illegals schooling, medical, and food stamps. These people are not cheap when you consider the costs born by the American people. Why would you want to see such a bill passed? There will be no enforcement. Reagan (so I hae heard) considered amnesty a huge mistake. This will be worse.
"If only he'd stuck with the conservative game plan in the House."
Totally agree. Out of the blue Pence went self serving and Rino. Reminds me of Frists metamorphosis.
If you loses enough jobs from this country-you won't be able to afford widgets or possibly food or shelter. All other countries protect their jobs; thus, there is no such thing as the free market in terms of jobs. Also, in a true free market wages would rise and fall due to market fluctuations. What we have here is bascially going back to slave labor. Slavery never benefitted anyone in the end. America is a great country because of the middle class. We could afford to buy products we made. If you lose that, America will become a third world country in short order-the very rich and the peon workers and nothing in between. Basically, America is allowing its manufacturing base to be destroyed-dangerous in my opinion. Also, can you imagine what millions of foreign workers - who have no love our understanding of our traditions- will do to our political system once they become voters. They will vote in their self interest which will destroy this country.
"Isn't that the goal? To convince more people to agree with you then the other side? Not that I wish to help them, but I figure they won't take the advice anyway."
No. Their goal seems simply to be to silence any poster who disagrees with the amnesty plan by filling the thread with vitriolic comments. The m.o. seems be that they also take a step further, outright lying about past history in an attempt to mislead the folks who are against the amnesty that there is some sort of groundswell for it. It is a disgusting, disgraceful performance, and looks to me intended to depress enthusiasm of those conservatives flush with victory after having derailed Miers, Dubai, and the amnesty trains.
It will fail, though they will likely attempt the sellout once more before the fall elections, maybe even press that as their 'mandate' afterward. They will of course lose miserably again if it's brought to a vote, but these folks are nothing if not loyal to their paychecks.
Please tell me, who will be responsible for the healthcare of the "guest workers"? Since they will be taking all of the low wage jobs americans refuse to do. If the employer doesn't offer a health plan, how will they afford the 300-600.00 per month for private health insurance? Hospitals will not turn away people who are sick, pregnant etc. what about immunizations etc., for the children of these guest workers? Will the children of guest workers who will be making so little money still get free breakfast and lunch at school? Will they get a refund at the end of their 5 years for the SS they paid while working here? Since they will legally be filing taxes, do they qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit? How does the Pence plan change the fact that they will still have to live 5 families to a single residence to be able to afford housing, thus impacting the neighborhoods of citizens? Does the Pence plan address anchor babies? Five years, 5 kids. How can these companies verify so much information in such a short period of time, 2 weeks? If the technology is there why not use it here and enforce the laws already on the books? If a construction company needs a roofer, does the roofer get to bring his entire family here as well, including parents and inlaws if he can prove he is their sole provider? How will the Pence plan improve wages? If we import all of these unskilled laborers for so little money how will they survive our cost of living? To me, it seems everything remains the status quo only some private company will be taking the place of the coyotes.
Do you mean Newt Gingrich the disgraced ex Speaker Of The House. The one that was having an affair with a democrat staffer that through pillow talk from Mr. can't keep it in his pants Newt kept the democrat leadership informed of all the Republican plans?
I don't listen to the likes of him anymore.
The truth is, Pence's plan is indistinguishable from Bush's shamnesty plan in all important respects. In both plans illegal aliens get a free trip around the bases to score a home run. The only difference is, Pence would require them to go back and touch first base.
Pence says existing laws targeting illegals for deportation and employers for sanctions simply don't work. They never have and never will. What Pence proposes is getting illegals freely and legally into the US for six years. After six years they supposedly have to apply for citizenship if they want to stay. And if they don't apply for citizenship? "Why, then they'll be here illegally," says Pence. And if they refuse to leave or simply go underground and continue to work? "We'll round them up and deport them, and impose sanctions on the employers," says Pence. Like we do now under existing laws that Pence says don't work and never will? "Stop asking embarrassing questions," says Pence.
Well, forget the Pence plan, it will not bode well for America.
Pence's bill will do the following
1 Pass HR 4437
2 The border will be secured
3 Interior laws will be enforced
4 NO path to citizenship will be granted
5 Anchor baby citizenship will end
6 Removes all 10 to 12 million illegal aliens for United States
7 There will no longer be “undocumented workers”
8 Private Sector
9 Secures the border first.
10 We will control our border
Pence's bill only gives guest worker status after they have returned home and he gives them no path to citizenship.
Read speech and bill here
http://mikepence.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=45134
"The only difference is, Pence would require them to go back and touch first base."
Well put. That describes the this important part of the Pence plan; "tagging up". Ridiculous.
You say there will be no more anchor babies, how will that work? Will the guest workers sign a contract forgoing rights to citizenship for their children born here? I don't understand how this plan will change the healthcare crisis. Hospitals will not refuse patients. Who will pay for the healthcare? And what about the Earned Income Tax Credit? And extended family? Free breakfast and lunch at schools? The extra teachers and classrooms that are already stressing the system? If the average american can't survive on $10.00 and hour without goverment assistance, how will the guest worker and his family survive?
maybe it is all a trick to put them on the other side of the border...
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