Bush to push for amnesty

Washington Times ^ | Saturday, November 23, 2002 | By Jerry Seper

[JohnHuang2]

The Bush administration wants to grant amnesty to hundreds of thousands of Mexican illegal aliens now in the United States, according to the new U.S. ambassador to Mexico.

Tony Garza, sworn in this week at the White House, told reporters in Mexico City that reaching an accord legalizing the status of Mexican immigrants

[Dog Gone]

I would like to have some facts on the percentage of Mexican workers actually doing farm work (that no one else will do) and those doing other work that has displaced American workers.

That should be part of any reformed plan, as well. Mexican workers should only take jobs that American employers can't fill with Americans. In order for there to be a rational program in place, there would have to be some sort of showing by the employer that this is the case, although I suppose there could be some blanket exemptions given in agriculture and motel maid services, for example.

This can be done in a way that doesn't threaten American jobs, and protects us from much of the costs of social benefits to illegal aliens and their families.

[AngryOne]

"There is a demand for Mexican labor in this country. It is silly to deny it."

With that line of reasoning, do we then legalize drugs since there is a demand for it? After all, immigration without permission is still illegal is it not? And to be sure, there is a profit to be made from it, just as McD's and motel chains are making money off of aliens (legal or not). Additionally, I would offer that immigrant labor (legal or not) from Mexico and other 3rd world countries will end up having just as much of a bad effect upon our nation as all the drugs have.

"The construction business would stop entirely without it, along with much of the argircultural, and even the service industry."

My father was in the construction biz for SoCal throughout the 1960's and through today. He has seen the growths and the spurts, as well as the huge booms that SoCal has had in construction. He can tell you how absolutely, the illegal aliens were a huge factor in the busting up of the trade unions in construction. Subsequently, quality has suffered tremendously. Houses used to be built much better in the 1960's and 70's. And, a white kid coming out of high school in the 1960's and 1970's could make a decent living, and even afford a house in those days by working in construction. Not likely the norm anymore. The illegals will bid outrageously low, and how can you compete with that?

"Mexican labor not only helps our economy, it's essential."

The average mexican immigrant sends more than $300 back home to Mexico. The average 3rd world immigrant produces 6.6 children per family. California spent $14 billion on welfare, medical, and "other" hand-out expenditures in 1993. Immigrants (legal or not) comprise the vast majority. Of 44,000 births to L.A. County (not the city, just the county hospitals) in 1992, over 66% were to illegal immigrants, courtesy the taxpayer of California. The total costs for those births exceeded $28 million. In 1991, Los Angeles County spent $276 million, with an additional $140 million kicked in by the feds for illegal immigrants and the services that they require.

Need more?

In the State of California for the year 1990, there were 6.21 taxpayers per welfare recipient. After the amnesty act in the early 90's, that figure dropped to 1.2, as the newly "legalized" immigrants sponsered entire families to re-locate. It is estimated that by 2010, that number will be at 0.8 taxpayers per welfare recipient, but with California facing a $21 billion dollar budgetary shortfall, we may already be there. If the current birthrates that all of these immigrants bring with them hold, California will have to build a new school, for 650 students, every day forever.

Ongoing costs add up to.

California spent in 1996 over $677 million to implement affirmative action policies.

Diversity is a hobby for those who do not have to endure it's benefits. Same holds true for immigration. The 1965 immigration act that was foisted upon us by Johnson and Kennedy was a travesty of unimaginable proportions.

[Joe Hadenuf]

I read your post. Outstanding!

Either we deal with this issue in a way that respects majority opinion and restores confidence in the principles of democratic self-governance and simple self preservation or we sit by and wait for the completion of the destruction of our political heritage of liberty.

[AAABEST]

The fact is that we don't have the Americans to fill those jobs anymore. Just where do you plan to hire people to pick strawberries, for example?

You know you're right. Here I was thinking that the insane and dangerous immigration policy this administration is forging was a total disaster for this country, then you caused me to see the light.

For God's sake, we need our strawberries picked dammit. Thanks for straightening me out on that one.

[nanny]

[Where I am we have tons of strawberry fields and apple orchards with very little cheap foreign labor working them. It's being done by the locals for a livable wage, not to mention the farmers have automated machinery to assist them.]

Well, I can't say that as illegals are doing most of the work here. But I do remember when Americans were doing it and providing for their families at the same time.

The cheap labor lobby wants an easy way out. I think it's time we stopped giving it to them.]

Thank you

[rintense]

I saw Powell's remarks around 3 weeks ago when the Homeland Security bill was being discussed. He alluded to a plan that he had in place but never gave specifics.

[Joe Hadenuf]

For God's sake, we need our strawberries picked dammit. Thanks for straightening me out on that one.

Go to places like LA, Houston, etc, not a damn strawberry field in sight, yet millions have invaded. LOL! The argument, "who's going to pick the strawberries" is so weak!

[Libertina]

If true, disgusting. Tried by Ronald Reagan to "end all" illegal immigration. The opposite happened. If conservatives have to win by encouraging and supporting an invasion of illegals, what will our end "prize" be? More "legalized" illegals who then vote for a further round of amnesty for chain relatives.

[carenot]

If the problem is that their wages aren't being taxed enough, then change the law as part of this program so that they are.

Heck, just get HR2525 passed. No matter where they get the money, they will have to pay taxes. So will everyone. No matter if they get money from illegal means or not.

Also gets rid of the IRS.

[Sabertooth]

I saw Powell's remarks around 3 weeks ago when the Homeland Security bill was being discussed. He alluded to a plan that he had in place but never gave specifics.

That's close to my recollection. I'd be curious, though, to compare those comments to Garza's here.

[Dog Gone]

Child labor laws vary by state. In California, where I grew up, you couldn't get any meaningful job until you were 16, and even then it required a work permit.

Even so, it's kind of silly to expect commercial farms to employ young kids after school to do the manual labor for three hours or so.

[txdoda]

The even stickier problem is what to do with Mexican women who get pregnant in America. Any child born here is a US citizen, and it would take a constitutional amendment to change that. We could require that any pregnant woman leave, although strict enforcement would be difficult.>>>>>

"Auto-citizenship" is just ANOTHER reward for illegals..
often leading to "auto" AFDC payments for 18 years, all
paid for by U.S. Tax-payers.

Amend the constitution. Save the pregnant illegals a trip,
save the TAXPAYERS lots of money.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Some people only see what they want, they never answer the questions you give them that completely obliterates the argument they're making. Meanwhile, the country gets destroyed so their friends can get rich.

[nanny]

[That should be part of any reformed plan, as well. Mexican workers should only take jobs that American employers can't fill with Americans. In order for there to be a rational program in place, there would have to be some sort of showing by the employer that this is the case, although I suppose there could be some blanket exemptions given in agriculture and motel maid services, for example]

Of course, who is going to decide what jobs can't be filled by Americans? From what I have read on here about the H1B visa programmers, this program is not being enforced as designed or as sold to the American people.

Now I don't think there should be any blanket exceptions. You see agriculture covers a large industry. I remember, believe it or not, when Bo Pilgrim did not have any Mexicans working in his chicken plants. Will he say he must have these workers? How about meat packers? To give blanket exceptions is just too broad.

Now why all this emphasis on motel maids. Someone was cleaning those toilets before the illegals - where there are no illegals they are doing it now. No I don't see an blanket exceptions.

But in the discussion of having employers enforce immigration laws - if the government checked on employers to see if they are complying with tax laws, fine them for past misdeeds, and force them to comply, it would go a long way. I would volunteer my time to do this, wouldn't cost them a dime. Of course, I can just see them imposing fines on big contributors.

Some of the things proposed by people are good. But we have laws that worked fine for many years, so let's used the tried and true. WE have the laws - we just don't have an administration that wants them enforced.

[Dog Gone]

I specifically used strawberries as an example. If you want to pretend that the whole discussion about immigration turns on strawberries, either you are being dishonest or you can't read.

[carenot]

Question: How much are these American employers paying their employees to clean toilets, make beds in hotels and stoop to pick lettuce? Pay enough money and those employers would have no problem finding Americans to do these jobs.

'Scuse me, about 4 or 5 years ago I was glad to get a minimun wage job at at motel doing that very thing.

I never stooped to pick lettuce, except my own.

[madfly]

Still looking, but I found this interesting article written 4 days before 911. And that's what the conversation always seems to get back to, picking up where they left off before 911.

The Vicente Fox Show Delegating White House policy to Mexico. By Mark Krikorian, executive director, Center for Immigration Studies. September 7, 2001 1:20 p.m.