Would a guest worker program be a good idea for America?
369812
Exactly What Jessica Said\nAMERICA FIRST\nYou Stated\n"the employer was required to hire 1 unemployed American for every 2 guest workers,to fairly compensate the unemployed"\n\nWhy Not Hire 3 Unemployed Americans to fairly compensate the unemployed??? At the same wage as an American union member ??? health insurance and other fringe benefits???\n\nAMERICA FIRST
332054
I'm a future Latino citizen.  I'd be happy to have a good and generous guest-worker program in place for low-wage workers, tight control of the border, and amnesty for illegal immigrants who have taken roots in the US.  I would hate to see sixty year old people who have nothing left in their own countries deported to satisfy the lust for revenge of some.  I am pretty sure that many of the people who rant and rave against illegals have ancestors who came to the US when the US had much laxer immigration policies, policies that allowed the uneducated, the illiterate, the poor, the hard-working, to come to the US and pursue the American dream.
937072
Simple ...we use the guest worker program we already have ... import thousands of people from all over the world who would LOVE to come here and earn a buck or two legally for a specified time, and then go home!!  Since we already have a program that allows for that, why not use it?  No need whatsoever for a comprehensive reform leading to citizenship ...
642772
It is impossible to deport millions of illegal immigrants because you'd need court orders in the millions to facilitate deportation. It would take years and a huge budget. The President's "guest worker program" solution is a fair and balanced decision to an existing problem - this together with increased border security is the best thing for now.
333200
You know I think it would. Especialy in the farming community. No one else wants to work out there, 10-12 hours on the heat. All I hear are people complaing about immigrants taking all our jobs, come on, how many americans do you know that will work out in the feilds for 12 hours for like 5 bucks an hour. Lets get real people, its not like they're jumpin the border and taking all are IT jobs.
384358
I Posted This Answer To A Different Question But I THINK It Appies Here As Well\n\nLEGAL Immigration is a good and healthy thing for a nation, because it is done at a rate and in a way that allows a country to collectively decide what sort of labor/jobs ratios it wants to maintain. Limitless ILLEGAL Immigration, however, leads to the modern-day equivalent of slavery, benefiting only the conservative corporate elites.\n\nTranslation:To The Conservative Corporate Elite In This Nation...The Answer To Your Question Is YES\n\nAlthough These"Indentured Servants"Are Free To Go, They Stay Because Their Lives ARE, No Doubt, Better Than At Home,\nBut ILLEGALs Are Still A HUGE DRAIN To The Taxpayers\n\nHeres Something NOBODY Thought Of Yet\n\nIF We Deport The ILLEGAL Immigrants employers would respond to this new, tighter, labor market in two ways. \n\n1: They would offer HIGHER Wages, INCREASED Benefits, and Improved Working Conditions, so as to recruit and retain people from the remaining pool of workers.\n\n2:At the same time, the same employers would look for ways to eliminate some of the jobs they now are having trouble filling. \n\nThe result would be a NEW Equilibrium, with Blue-Collar Workers making somewhat Better Money, but each one of those workers being more productive. \n\nIn Turn The US unemployment rate would drop close to zero, and wages would begin to rise. The American middle class would begin to return to viability, as would the union movement in this nation.\n\n(Wait A Sec....I Aint Done....Stay With Me Here Folks)\n\nThe NEXT Turn Of Events Would Be For IMMIGRANTS To Come To The US In Search Of A Better Life And Then You Would Not Ask Questions Like THIS Because The IMMIGRANTS Would Be Getting A FAIR And DECENT Wage,(NOT $3.00Per Hour)And Would NOT Have To Shack Up 10-15 Inna Cardboard Box,They WILL Pay TAXES,They Will Have Insurance(HEALTH And OTHERwise) And The REST Of The Nation Would Not Look DOWN On Them As We All Have Shown That We Do Right In These Forums Because They Would Be LEGAL, DOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS In Our Nation\n\nResult:Better For The Immigrants-Better For The Economy\n\nThe ANSWER To Your Question Is \nLimitless ILLEGAL Immigration IS, Without A Doubt, the Modern-Day EQUIVALENT of slavery, benefiting only the Conservative Corporate Elites.\n\nSeems To Me That The Administrations Agenda To Keep Their Foot On The Throats Of The American Middle Class Is Finally Coming To The Surface \n**************************\n\nHeres The PROBLEM--MANY ILLEGALS DO NOT WANT CITIZENSHIP\n\n\nHeres THEIR Hidden Agenda\n\nSent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 7:35 PM \n\nSubject: VIDEO: HISPANICS ADMIT THEY ARE ENGAGED IN "CIVIL WAR" WITHIN THE UNITED STATES\n\nSource: Immigration Watchdog \n\nhttp://www.immigrationwatchdog.com/...\n\nThey openly state they have "The armor, the infantry and the artillery" to wage war here.This video PROVES beyond any doubt, the people marching in our streets under Mexican and other foreign flags, over pending immigration legislation, are engaged in a WAR against our nation.The U.S. Government has failed its duty to protect this land from these invaders; invaders who are openly stating they intend to takeover a portion of this land and carve out their own "Mestizo nation of Aztlan."\n\nClick below to play the video \n\n     http://tinyurl.com/pqzpe \n\nRead The Story-Watch The Video-You Decide
628600
I don't think anyone wants to see 'guest worker' ANYTHING until about 1/2 million mexicans go HOME. After that starts to happen,then we can start talking about work permits and all that jazz....but right now, Mexico's got a problem, they forgot they LOST the war of 1848 and that americans are just going to stand idly by while they walk back in en masse. The border patrol says Bush's plan is horse%%%%,so we'll have to wait and see what's really going on with this issue, and whether or not this administration's going to carry off the kind of reforms that will make Mexico sit up and take notice...Mexico doesn't just want 2 bites, they want the WHOLE enchilada. They use their people as tools for their policy goals...hold the baby CLOSER to the camera LOLOL
314961
It´s a lovely idea, but doesn´t sound like anything the current US administration would go for.  After all, while hyping the immigration issue in the media and, frankly, whipping up racism, they are also quite happy to turn a blind eye to US businesses using cheap illegal labour. It´s happening in all western countries at the moment.  The media, backed by the government, incites its citizens to be worried about illegal immigration, while the economy actually benefits from the black market economy working with it. I´m in Mexico now on holiday, but staying with family.  It´s a hard place, with a bad atmosphere.  It definitely needs some help, but everyone here says the corruption is so far reaching, there is no hope.  Your idea is nice but too socialist for anyone in today´s political arena and, like Iraq, would require serious investment, commitment and integrity..... never forget it´s all about the money.
1079325
Oh, better than 'minimum wage'.  'Prevailing wage' applies.  It doesn't apply to Americans except at government sites.  However, this is to keep guest workers from being brought in just to depress wages, so that part I am OK with.\n\nI just think the whole idea that we will keep track of them once they get here, when we have never kept track of visa holders before is ludicrous.
1108324
I agree, particularly when you look at the fact that Che  and Cesar Chavez were against illegal immigration for driving down a 'living wage'.\n\nHowever, while I would support an appropriate immigration program (to my mind) if you say you support a work visa program you are being taken as supporting the Senate Bill, which is really terrible.  I don't think immigration should flood our schools legally OR illegally.\n\nHowever, if it really could be temporary, and for the workers only (or else putting a quota limit on family as well, not making that 'above the limit') I'd think that is ok.  However, you have to look at total numbers, and on top of the illegal immigrants already here, I think right now increasing immigration rates would be a bad idea.  I think since the illegals are already here we should look at screening them, and scrap the guest worker program for now.  \n\nWe need border security and employer enforcement, and need to dismantle the huge web of benefits to illegals that serves as a magnet to bring them across the border. Until that is done, any increase in legal immigration will be on top of continuing illegal immigration.
898034
No.  People have differing priorities, and differing work ethics.  Some work very hard to become educated, and then work very hard at their jobs.  They earn their higher standard of living.  Others choose not to pursue education at all,  but work extremely hard to compensate, and still do well.  Others choose to focus on having children, whether or not they can support them.  Some don't work at all.\n\nIn the USA, lifestyle is very much about choices people make in their lives.  Not everyone has the same range of choices, but it is still very possible to go from rags to riches, or at least comfort and security, purely because one works hard.  \n\nThere are far too many people ready and willing to simply exist, and let others do all the work.  They are already an unfair burden to society; your proposal would guarantee their numbers would increase dramatically.  Additionally, with no hope of reward, the inventive, pioneering, adventurous spirit of so many Americans, encouraged by our current society, would be suppressed, and oppressed, in yours.\n\nI'm not advocating money as God, or capitalism over democracy.  Socialism does have it's place, in certain applications.  A equal-for-everyone health care system, for instance, or a flat tax for all Americans over the poverty level, no exceptions, would do much to solve some of the problems we face today.  Extending it to an entire social system is doomed to failure, however, for the very simple reason that all people are not created equal when it comes to their willingness to work.  Those who won't do not merit the rewards of those who will.
630249
The shape of the guest worker program would need to be worked out in negotiation of whatever the Senate passes to combine it with what the House passed.\n\nThe President's plan would give a 'path to citizenship' for qualified illegal immigrants. (Terrorists need not apply). It is something like apply, work for 6 years (unknown if that starts now or at a historical date) and learn English.\n\nOpponents are saying that it is essentially amnesty, since there is no real punishment, and there is citizenship opportunity.  The President calls it 'earned citizenship'.  Maybe he figures having to learn English is punishment enough. Clearly the illegal immigrants will think so!
531621
There is no job that americans, or anyone, would not do for the right price.  The markets would adjust, and the price of cheap labor would rise until people would do it.  Realize that there is not a single industry where the majority of manual labor is done by illegal immagants.  Not agriculture (where they are 24% of workers), not construction (14%), cleaning (17%) or any other recognized field.  Note that the statistics I quoted above are from the Pew Hispanic Center, not very conservative.
568772
I think we should break down the question into three parts, and address the overarching themes (since we do not know what the final shape of the immigration bill will be).\n\nFIRST PART:\nShould there be immigration? The answer is a resounding yes. America is a nation of immigrants, and unless you're the great grandson of Sitting Bull, you are of immigrant origin. Immigration is what gives strength to this country: where do you think George Washington and Lincoln came from, spontaneous combustion? What about Einstein? \n\nFurthermore, while many sit around and complain about immigrants, the US is the country with the most transnational corporations in the world, which means we derive a great portion of our wealth from doing business abroad--so I think we can take a few immigants from those countries in which we do business. Mexico happens to be our fourth largest trading partner which means a lot of Americans have jobs because Mexicans are buying our products. \n\nAlso note that a lot of Americans are staffing the branches of US transnational corporations in other countries. For instance, Japan is the country with the second largest population of Americans (after the US, evidently, and excluding Iraq and Afghanistan were American populations are in theory temporary) and Mexico is the country with the third largest population of Americans (besides businessmen and women, note that a lot of Americans retire in Mexico, upwards of 1 million retirees, which is about 1% of the Mexico's population).\n\nIt's true that it would be good if Mexico could provide enough work for its own citizens, but the fact is that it cannot do that yet; as neighbors the US and Mexico need to sit down and work together to find a solution. Building a fence will not even help; we'll probably have to hire immigrants to help us build it! \n\nSeparately, someone claimed that immigrants come here to take advantage of Social Security and our welfare state. In fact, statistically speaking, it has been proved again and again that immigrants work hard enough to earn their Social Security, just like any other worker in America. In addition, it's also a statistical fact that there are more Americans on welfare than immigrants; illegal immigrants do not really have access to it, since they are not US citizens and cannot receive it.\n\nHaving said that, you might say, "OK, but there ought to be a legal process to allow immigrants". Fair enough. Which leads me to the second part of my answer.\n\nSECOND PART: \nShould there be a temporary guest workers program (which President Bush has proposed) that will eventually allow immigrants to become citizens?\nBy all means. Immigration is actually good to oil the global economy and the American economy. As economies develop, such as the US economy has, the citizens become more wealthy and better educated, which leads them to look for better paying jobs. If you are well educated, you are not going to apply for a fruit-picking job, you'll try to become a lawyer, businessman or a college professor, for example. Immigrants are the ones who help us do the jobs in sectors that suffer from labor deficits.\n\nThere are those who argue that if immigrants didn't come to the US, the minimum wage would be higher and therefore US citizens would be more willing to do those jobs. That's nonsense, because of what I just explained: a better educated population does not want to work in agriculture, work as house maids or delivery boys! If Mexico and the rest of Latin America fell of the face of the Earth, other immigrants would come from other countries to take up the jobs that nobody else is doing. In fact, that's what happened when most people came from Europe over the last 200 years. Do you think my or your great-great grandaddy was the Duke of Earl? He was likely as uneducated as any immigrant you meet on the Texas border!\n\nHaving said that, I understand the frustration that many people feel wh
604309
It practically is already. The existence of an underground labor force insures an underclass of victims and is contradictory to the doctrine of assimilation designed to integrate them into the workforce. See today's Washington Post Link.
785055
Yes I would support it. If they become legal then people can't use them as scab labor while they take jobs away from American citizens. They'd pay taxes just like we do.
648852
It is not a case of tougher laws, but a more comprehensive system that can realistically be implemented. Migration of workers to areas where there is a demand for labor is not a NEW phenomenon. Why are we surprised when the forces of demand and supply are at work? What we need to do is ensure that we have programs that allow for those forces to come into play without causing too much strain on the system as a whole. a guest worker program allows for the govt to collect taxes owed to it and fund its projects while faciliating the demand for low skilled labor in certain industries. The flow is monitored and documented and every beneficiary in tha chain pays its dues.....that makes sense to me than mass deportation. Who pays for 12MM bus fares or plane tickets? I also don't wish to see the already strained police resources and homeland security running around catching illegals when there are some serious bad guys on the loose. Who pays for the addt'l forces needed? Doesn't make one iota of sense to me........