Bush pushes for guest worker program in radio address (GOP concerned)

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.
President George W. Bush said on Saturday that his proposed guest worker program was an essential component of a plan to stem the flow of illegal immigration into the United States. Bush this week signed a Homeland Security Department spending bill that included funds to toughen border security and increase enforcement of immigration laws.

"As we improve and expand our efforts to secure our borders, we must also recognize that enforcement cannot work unless it's part of a comprehensive immigration reform that includes a temporary worker program," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "If an employer has a job that no American is willing to take, we need to find a way to fill that demand by matching willing employers with willing workers from foreign countries on a temporary and legal basis," he said. Bush said he would work with Congress to create a program that would address U.S. labor needs without granting amnesty to illegal immigrants.

Bush's proposal has raised concerns among some of his fellow Republicans in Congress who worry that the plan would reward undocumented workers already in the country by allowing them to qualify for the program. Immigration has also been a sore spot in U.S.-Mexican relations. Easing U.S. immigration restrictions for Mexican workers has been a top priority for Mexican President Vicente Fox since he took office in 2000.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051022/pl_nm/bush_dc

[Trajan]

1. "If an employer has a job that no American is willing to take, ..."

How about instead : "If an employer has a job AT A WAGE that no American is willing to take, ..."

Yeah ... NOW it reflects reality ....

[catnhatnh]

2. Funny how they always stress "free market" values...

...until some corporation balks at paying a wage that would entice an american worker to take a job "no american is willing to take"...Surprise-here in New Hampshire that means jobs in hotels and restaurants during tourist season, and yes it's hard trying to get workers seriously interested in seasonal work with no benifits.But in a free market, wages and benifits would rise until the compensation would allow a living wage and commeasurate benefits. Workers here would kill for a job that gave year long benefits and paid highly enough that an 8 month season allowed a year of living (which is pretty much what the owners and corporations demand).
In short, "We want peons and we want them now!"

[orwell]

6. Except...

...there is no "free market." There never has been and there never will be. It is just another hallowed American myth like "rugged individualism."

All markets are structured, usually by those who are in a position to rig the "game" to their advantage. It is time we recognized this and called it like it is.

[MichiganVote]

3. Guests, pests and immigration

So American corp's and the Bush cabal want this, but not that. They want what they want for this kind of job but not that kind of job. And, more importantly, they want taxpayers to foot the bill.

Americans have swept floors, cleared shit from barns and other places, worked below ground, hauled steele, built railroads, butchered animals,...you name it, we've done it. So exactly where are these jobs Americans purportedly don't want to do anymore?

Another scam.

[California Griz]

4. Don't let them frame the arguement and be tricked

into thinking this is just about low paying jobs.

[randomelement]

5. Well, there's the rebuilding of New Orleans

allowing "guest" workers into the area came along with the dropping prevailing wages aspect - just check with any hotels in the area to discover how many Mexican - Central American immigrants are in the area - yep, no Americans would want that kind of work (sarcasm)

Oh and there's the Asian population building those permanent bases over in Iraq (check with Halliburton on this one) .... Nice touch Bush!

And let's not forget the possibility of "guest" workers flushing out the military ranks in our military since Bush can't convince many of our kids to donate a limb or two to the cause - should make things VERY interesting when Der Fuhrer declares martial law.

I'm still waiting for the outcry from our representatives in Congress regarding the ever expanding war (Syria, Iran, etc) what with Rice stating that Congress has no say in what this (mis)administration wants to do regarding the Bush war machine.

[truthisfreedom]

7. just imagine how much the sound of bush's idiotic slurry voice grates on

the nerves of almost all Americans now... already frazzled and worried about the state of the economy, the Iraq war, gasoline prices, natural gas prices, electricity... and then this schmuck gets on the radio and reminds them just how bad it really is with the simple sound of his ignorant, illiterate, mushmouthed voice.

[butterfly77]

8. He's doing this

to try to please his base. He helps the employers who want to hire illegals ,by saying he is starting a guest worker program when we know they will stay and all of the terroist that are already her,(illegal means against the law dosen't it? He trying to appease the minute men by saying he's controlling the borders.He claim he will enforce immigration laws. Its a little late for that, he says we will fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here. Hell, they are already over here, and planning their attacks and everytime he does a phony alert they sit back and watch laughing at the keystone cops.

[cantstandbush]

9. All those minimum-wage freepers will love this. n/t

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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