I need to read this through, it may be there, but for what it's worth, Jon...we need to address border security. Fixing the problem with illegal workers is moot if you can't control how and where they enter the country.
Posted on 12/29/2004 1:12:19 PM PST by borderhack
© 2004 Jon E. Dougherty December 29, 2004
Well, it's the end of another year—time to take account of what our country has gained, what it has lost, and what's in store for its future.
In 2004 the United States continued to battle oppression, aggression and evil around the world by spreading democracy and the ideals of freedom, despite being fought tooth and nail nearly every step in the way by the Appeasement Party, otherwise known as the Democrats.
Our economy has continued to grow, most Americans are paying less taxes, and the "dream" is still alive for most of us.
As long as America continues to battle evil and oppression and spread freedom around the globe, not only will our own interests be served, but so too will the interests of billions of our fellow human beings.
Yes, it's great to be an American, no question about it.
But a lingering problem has only gotten worse in the past year and that's the problem of illegal immigration. Part of that is Mexico's fault; part of it is ours.
For its part, the Mexican government under President Vicente Fox continues to do all it can to export its poverty northward. Rather than take serious steps to battle drug-related corruption, unemployment and crumbling infrastructure at home, Fox and Co. have done what most previous Mexican leaders have done: They have taken the low, easy road. They have continued to encourage their impoverished citizens to make dangerous, costly journeys north to the U.S.—then blame Washington and the American people when Mexican citizens die penniless in our deserts trying to find a lousy-paying job here.
For Fox it's much better to let the American political, economic and welfare systems take care of his people. For him it's much easier to blame President Bush and Republican leaders in Congress for not disassembling our international borders than it is to find honest, qualified people to help him bring his nation into the 20th century (no, that's not a typo).
But the U.S. is to blame for the problem as well.
For one thing, our leaders – Democrats and Republicans – have never been serious about immigration reform. We provide more money overseas than we do to our own border enforcement and immigration services. We have the popular, but not political, will to seal off our borders, a necessary step in this age of terrorism. And we don't seem willing to require Mexico to do anything substantial in terms of curbing the desire of its citizens to seek a better life elsewhere.
Now, President Bush has proposed yet another program that rewards Mexico and Mexicans while penalizing U.S. citizens, the U.S. labor market, and the U.S. standard of living. Under the auspices of his "guest worker" proposal, illegal immigrants will be able to remain in the United States legally to find jobs "Americans don't want" (and for the record, I agree with talk radio legend George Putnam: It'd be awful nice if someone would identify which jobs specifically Americans "don't want").
Trouble is, Mr. Bush's plan is not that bad. It just needs some fine-tuning. Here goes.
First of all, for any Mexican citizen or citizen of any other nation to take any job in the U.S., under this guest-worker program, they must be proficient in basic English.
Businesses, corporations and companies participating in the program must pay standard rates and wages, and not be permitted to artificially lower those wages just to save money and attract cheaper immigrant labor.
Guest-worker participants must submit to documentation and tracking by our government.
Companies hiring them must insure them so they don't overload local health facilities.
They cannot bring their families with them, thus alleviating a major burden on taxpayers who must now pay to provide them with health care, education and other benefits.
They can get driver's licenses, but only after proving they are proficient in English and provide proof of automobile insurance.
Migrant workers must still pay taxes on their wages—consider it the cost of doing business in the U.S.—and cannot be eligible for Social Security and other retirement benefits unless they become American citizens.
Liberals will hate these mandates because even though they don't want illegal migrants camped out on their land and raiding their homes and property, they will use them to claim conservatives are mean, racist s.o.b's who don't care about anyone but themselves.
Truth is, conservatives who back these requirements are actually doing the migrant workers a favor, even though they're doing the right thing by caring more about how this program will (and more importantly, will not) affect Americans.
By demanding companies pay prevailing wages for any work they hire out—regardless who does it—yes, it serves American workers' interests first, but it also ensures migrants aren't being taken advantage of by U.S. employers who will exploit them to save labor costs.
By providing them with health insurance, yes, they are making certain American taxpayers aren't picking up the tab for their care. But they are also making sure migrant workers are being taken care of.
By requiring migrants to speak some English, yes, it helps Americans communicate better with them. But it also helps the migrants get around and adapt to life in a foreign country must faster.
In short, these provisions essentially require migrant workers to put forth the same effort, meet the same requirements, and possess the same qualifications as their American counterparts. And so far this is what has been lacking in President Bush's guest worker program, as well as every other so-called "immigration reform" effort Washington has made in the past three decades.
It is not harsh or unfair to require foreign workers to meet American standards set by American lawmakers elected by the American people. By comparison, it is harsh and unfair to allow legal and illegal aliens into the U.S. to take American jobs and live off the American taxpayer without being required to earn their keep.
The president's guest worker program isn't all a bad idea. But it needs some improvement before it is implemented. These steps are long-overdue steps in the right direction.
Jon E. Dougherty is author of "Illegals: The Imminent Threat Posed by Our Unsecured U.S.-Mexico Border," and a correspondent for NewsMax.com.
I need to read this through, it may be there, but for what it's worth, Jon...we need to address border security. Fixing the problem with illegal workers is moot if you can't control how and where they enter the country.
When the president proposes a general amnesty for all Americans currently engaged in federal felonies or misdemeanors then perhaps I might consider an amnesty for illegal aliens fair. Not until then. Why would the citizens of another country somehow qualify for special privileges, such as being able to commit federal crimes without fear of prosecution, with a reasonable expectation of being amnestied? To say it's extra-Constitutional is to put it mildly.
And here's something Jon forgot: we already have "guest worker" programs. The alphabet soup of visas for "temporary workers", such as the H and L visas, and a bunch of others that I don't want to waste time looking up. Those visa compartments could simply be expanded. The problem for the politicos is this - they don't include amnesty, which is what they are really after.
The whole "guest worker" babble is a fraud. It's an amnesty; we already have temporary worker programs; and the country isn't in "need" of unskilled to marginally skilled workers; Mexico merely "needs" to export it's problems, as Dougherty admits.
One last. Would these "workers" be included in the census? Would their ethnicity be included in deciding "communities of interest", which could be used to gerry mander political districts so as to "elect one of their own" to represent them? Or to apportion Affirmative Action slots to people who share their ethnicity in government and education?
A million problems with all of it. The real answer: enforce the existing laws, and, as HiJinx said, control the borders.
Bump to read later.
There's no mention of how long these temps are going to be allowed to stay.
There's no mention of fines for employers who hire anyone not documented.
There's no mention of how we're going to shut down the border traffic.
I think it's a given some form of amnesty is going to pass.
When GW gets his teeth into something, he doesn't let go.
I just hope he's not so bullheaded he won't listen to reasonable changes in his plan.
"There's nothing so permanent as a temporary worker" -- old proverb
All good points.
Someone made the comment recently that the President proposes and Congress disposes...
I believe we will definitely see some action on immigration reform in the Congress this session. We need to get the ear of our Reps now if we want to see the right things in any kind of reform legislation.
"Companies hiring them must insure them so they don't overload local health facilities."
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Wrong answer.
How about they cover their own asses...like most Americans.
Why put this BS off on small business owners (again).
No guest worker program without first sealing (and I mean SEALING 100%) the borders, deporting ALL the illegals here right now, and showing a demonstrable way of keeping track of those they let in under a guest worker program (good luck HA!).
And like other visas, employers should first demonstrate that they have tried and failed to fill the empty position(s) with an American citizen.
I understand where you're coming from. I've been a small business owner myself.
The difference here is that the small business owner has a choice. He doesn't have to hire the temps.
Article sent to all my local Congress people, and to the Guv.
You think this is gonna stop at just Mexicans? Every turd bowl country in the world will want a piece of this "amnesty." Mexican neo-slaves remit 150 billion dollars back to Mexico, and what corrupt turd world cleptocracy doesn't want that kind of action?
Very very important. As is leaving the family back home. The guest worker should be allowed to stay 3 or 4 months max --- enough time for harvest season or a short-term project --- then back home.
Or else the whole family shows up anyway as illegals, which is the case now for both illegals and legal "temporary" workers.
The whole damn thing is an unworkable pipe dream, dependent on non-existent enforcement. Remember when employer sanctions were going to solve the whole problem?
Good suggestions. I am in favor of a guest worker program, but I think there have got to be demands made on the workers and Mexico, too. So far, the details aren't very clear, and I think this is the time to make suggestions. It hasn't even been formally proposed or gone to Congress yet, so this is the time to do get in there.
Well after all those qualifications employers should just go hire an American citizen! Why waste time hiring a "guest worker", if there is no financial incentive?
We all know that's the reason companies hire illegals, so they can skirt around mimimum wage, FICA, and workmens comp.
A guest worker program will solve nothing. It's just another feel good liberal idea. Companies will still hire illegals to avoid all of the above.
Why? Read post 51. FBD has it right, in rather blunt terms.
There is no "labor shortage". We have 5-6% unemployment, which is most likely higher. We have people on welfare.
There's only one reason people hire illegals. To break the rules and profit from it.
That's it. Nothing else.
Sorry. Thinking of another thread. Post 16.
5-6% is a statistic; an average. They lie. 99-1 and 49-51 have the same average but tell quite different stories. The unemployment rate is based on people who apply for unemployment compensation. Most unemployed people do not apply for compensation. They get another job... any job. It's a matter or pride.
I've never held a job longer than 2 years in my 50 years of working....and never appeared in unemployment statistics.
Unemployment is made up 1) unskilled youth, especially unskilled Black and Puerto Rican youth.
2) People who collect compensation but are not looking for work. Some people purposely work the minimum number of weeks to collect Compensation. Then they go on compensation and pick up odd jobs in the underground economy. When their eligibility runs out, they get a real job and build up credits until they can again collect compensation. Some families have made a career of this for generations, especially in the building trades.
The Unemployment compensation system is part of the problem. Not part of the solution. The statistics are based on this cancer in our society.
The solution? A Rainy Day Savings account. Take all the money from Unemployment taxes, health insurance and employee "benefits". Force the employee to have it deducted from his paycheck and put in his Rainy Day Savings Account. It is his money. If he does not spend it, it is his to keep. But it is available for his Rainy Day. This will rationalize what is now an irrational system that makes us uncompetitive.
Read later, thanks.
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