Bush, Fox, promote plan to ease immigration laws

Knight Ridder Newspapers ^ | 6 March 2004 | Ron Hutcheson

[JackelopeBreeder]

Crawford, Texas - President Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox joined forces Saturday to promote Bush's plan for easing immigration laws, as Bush acknowledged that the proposal faces a tough time in Congress.

Standing side-by-side in bright sunshine at Bush's Texas ranch, the two leaders said Bush's plan for a new temporary worker program would help both countries by eliminating the underground market for Mexican workers. The proposal would let an estimated 8 million workers who are in the United States illegally gain legal status as guest workers.

"The people who come to this country make a significant contribution to the American economy," Fox told reporters.

Bush's plan, announced in January, has raised expectations in Mexico and among illegal workers in this country, but it has little chance of passing Congress this year. Republican critics say the proposal would reward illegal immigrants; Democrats complain that it does not do enough to help foreign workers become U.S. citizens.

[janetgreen]

You're forgetting a whole range of other LEGAL citizens, Porterville. It was officially announced last year that whites are now the minority in California. My stats are the state's stats. Where have you been?

[navyblue]

Sure it is -- but only if we get to deport them as fast as we identify them.

What I don't understand is why does anyone who lives in Porterville CA(?) have any trouble identifying illegal aliens!

Open your eyes man! They're everywhere!

[lowbridge]

President honors fallen Yuma agent (Border Patrol)

"He risked his life to save a life," Bush said. "And on behalf of our nation, Monica and Seth and Shaine and Sean and James, and his loving parents, Ken and Amy, thank you for raising such a good son and thank you for having such a good husband; boys, you need to be proud of your daddy." Epling drowned in the Colorado River on Dec. 16 while attempting to chase down four suspected illegal aliens. He had already helped save the life of an illegal alien from China.

[Joe Hadenuf]

What Bush means is they are just going to make them all legal, and just incrementally dismantle our sovereignty. They have been doing for years now. Plain and simple.

[navyblue]

In 20 years time, when these immigrants' children grow up, they will be "infected" by our lazy culture and not be willing to pick the lettuce their fathers picked.

Lettuce pickers? I'm in Los Angeles county. There's no lettuce for 150 miles and there's illegals everywhere around here!

[Joe Hadenuf]

They use to say the same about the Irish.

Oh, jezzz, your bringing up the Irish again? Good Gawd.....

[TomasUSMC]

Some folks ask if You disagree with Bush? Your not willing to give him a chance on illegal immigration? Lets see, a republican house, a republican senate, a republican White House, and the biggest reason of all any executive can have to secure the border, A WAR! And what does El Presidente do? Keeps the borders open and rewards 12 million criminals for invading our country.

deeeeepoooorrrrrtation the D word. Say it. Embrace it.

But hey, lets give him another chance - to do what? The same thing again - another 12 million in 2008?

Start learning spanish amigos.
Watch President Bush's numbers go down again. Every time he cozies up with Generalissimo Fox, he loses more votes. Why is W. throwing the election away?
No Border - No Voto, Si Border - Si Voto

[janetgreen]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/03/30/national/main282687.shtml

Read all about it.

[Porterville]

Illegal aliens make great scape goats; instead of trying to find a solution to a problem that is minor compared to what the democrats constantly do with taxing business, insane regulations and laws, hostile business climates, appropriation of large tracks of land, environmental totalitarianism, and judicial feudalism... you focus on the source of least destructive power... where is the slight of hand?? Republicans are focusing a ton of resources on an issue that can be properly managed because it is easily visible and easily defined. When the real issues are much more devastating, and cause crap like same sex marriage and the unfastening of the basic foundations of our democracy... damn wake up.

[CoolGuyVic]

"What are you talking about?"

I'm one of those oft-maligned anti-Iraqi War freepers, but I don't want to sidetrack this thread.

[JackelopeBreeder]

We don't need easier immigration laws ... we need easier deportation laws.

We need the border slammed shut. Traffic is up 34% over this time last year for Arizona. Locally, here in the Naco Corridor, it's up 114%. Officially released Border Patrol figures.

I don't have to drive anymore to hunt illegals. I can walk five minutes from my front door and find them. Same with Spiff, AZHSer, Hijinx, idratherbepainting, and SandRat.

Hell, they're everywhere.

Yeah, I'm a little testy tonight. One of my friends who lives right on the border found all four of his dogs dead this morning -- poisoned. They had a bad habit of barking at uninvited guests.

[Brimack34]

Enough already!!! It ain't going to happen. Unless he signs an order. Let the Pres. play around with his friend, but get a hold of your congress person and let them know how you feel. I give up on the senate they are to busy hiding under their desks.

[Jorge]

Think harder.

Let me see. I just posted a long list of *my thoughts* about Bush's first term conservative accomplishments that have convinced me to vote for him again.

It seems you couldn't "think" of a response or challenge to anything I posted.

Here's something to think about. Why does somebody with a screen-name "MissouriForBush" only argue against re-electing Bush?

[bluefish]

BS - I've hit the abuse button on comments that were clearly racist on other threads. Little smears like "gee, I wonder if they were illegal" when the subject of an article sported an Hispanic surname. I've called them to task.

Yet, I have a problem with encouraging full-blown immigration. Nothing racist about it.

I don't fear that they will take my job either, by any stretch. What I fear is paying for the $8 head of lettuce you pro-illegals always challenge us with.

We already get the $8 head of lettuce. It just comes by way of taxes to support bi-lingual education, social programs, a burening prison system and also by way of increased healthcare costs, etc.

The problem is, the money I have to pay is filtered through an inefficient bureaucracy, so it ends up costing me MORE than the $8 head of lettuce.

Take away the costs of cheap labor, and I am more than happy to pay $8 for the head of lettuce. That, or implement Prop 187 and deny services to illegals AND legals (and even U.S. born citizens as far as I'm concerned), and then I won't have a problem with any immigration. At that point, those who come here would be the ones I welcome with open arms.

[navyblue]

How convenient of you to make this solely into a "racist," anti-Mexican issue.

Who's making it a Mexican issue? Can't you handle facts? Today, in Sierra Vista AZ, the Border Patrol arrested 67 illega aliens. 66 of them were Mexicans.

Just like ole Tommy Cruise said: "You can't handle the truth!"

[txdoda]

I think your stats are a little goofy.>>>>>>>

Wasn't janetgreen talking about the stats from CA??? (& I doubt ALL ilegals were counted)

According to the US Census of CA......."White persons, not of Hispanic/Latino origin," percent, 2000....46.7%

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06000.html

[janetgreen]

(Reason #3235 to stop illegal immigration: Accordion music gives me a headache.)

As Clinton would say, I feel your pain... but, Mariachi music at 2 AM is worse!

[Joe Hadenuf]

Lettuce pickers? I'm in Los Angeles county. There's no lettuce for 150 miles and there's illegals everywhere around here!

Oh, they all just sleep in LA. When the sun comes up, they all drive 150 miles to that 2-acre lettuce field, where millions upon millions of illegals converge on that 2-acre patch and start picking lettuce.

[Missouri]

What Bush means is they are just going to make them all legal, and just incrementally dismantle our sovereignty.

That why I'm uneasy. All this is going to do is to encourage more lawbreaking invaders to jump the border hoping to get in on this legalized guest worker scam. From what I hear, its already happening.

It will be alot harder deporting around 20 million illegals versus 12 million illegals. If we ever get around to it.

[CoolGuyVic]

"Lettuce pickers? I'm in Los Angeles county. There's no lettuce for 150 miles and there's illegals everywhere around here!"

I was just trying to use pro-illegal criminals' logic against them. Insert "gardening", "roofing", or any other job they tell us Americans won't do.