Almiranta,
To me the issue is much bigger and more complex than establishing a guest worker program. I can see it as a huge multi-billion dollar tax burden and welfare system that we don't need. If the illegals are here to do low paid jobs, courts will put them in our welfare system, require Spanish speaking programs, Spanish oriented local and state government programs, etc.
Here some rough draft comments of just a few issues that I think must be addressed before any guest worker program is approved by Congress. They need to be rewritten and cleaned up, but will server for talking purposes. I have others too.
First, approve a constitutional amendment to make English our official language.
Fix our borders and stop illegal immigrants from entering the U.S.
Guest workers must return to their country when their guest worker permit expires. Courts will be prohibited from intervening and extending the permits for any reason other than provided for in the guest worker law.
Family members of guest workers will not be permitted to accompany the guest worker to the U.S. unless all of their living, medical, and other expenses can be and are paid for by the guest worker or by other than taxpayer dollars.
Guest workers, illegal immigrants, and their family members will not qualify for or receive welfare or any other taxpayer funded support or subsidy. If the guest worker and their families are unable to live in the U.S. without taxpayer funded welfare, they must immediately return to their own country.
Taxpayer dollars will not be used to build non-English speaking schools, pay for any non-English classes or instruction, or to hire teachers to conduct classes in any language other than English. Courts are prohibited from overruling this provision of the law.
Guest workers, illegal immigrants, and their family members will not receive free medical care at taxpayer's expense. Mexico can use their oil to subsidize medical insurance for all workers permitted into the U.S. to work. Any medical bills not paid for by the guest worker or illegal immigrant will be billed to and paid by the Mexican government.
Any guest worker or illegal immigrant who marries an American citizen will not be granted automatic citizenship nor will their marriage be used as a basis to extend their guest worker permit, or to permit them to remain in the U.S.. Courts will have no jurisdiction in this matter. The guest worker must return to their country when their guest worker permit expires, whether married to an American citizen or not.
Any child born in America to a guest worker, illegal immigrant, or one of their family members will not automatically become a U.S. citizen. Courts will not have jurisdiction to intervene and grant citizenship nor use the fact that the child was born in the U.S. as a basis for the parent to remain in the U.S.
Any children or family of a guest worker or illegal immigrant must return to their country when their guest worker permit expires or when they return to their own country.
Federal, State, and Local government will not be required to provide duplicate programs in Spanish or any other language. Guest workers or illegal immigrants who cannot speak English must provide their own interpreter. Courts will not have the jurisdiction to overrule this.
Amnesty will not be given to guest workers or illegal immigrants if they or their families must rely on taxpayer funded welfare or support once they become citizens.
Congress will review and update all welfare and taxpayer funded subsidy and support programs to insure that benefits are not paid to those who are capable of working but who refuse to work. Individuals who are on welfare and who are able to work but have not found jobs will perform community service to earn their welfare payments.
The guest worker program will be terminated and all provisions will be null and void in any jurisdictions in which a court rules against any provisions, restrictions, and requirements of the guest worker law.
AAR
Mark,
I thought this topic would have as least generated a couple of comments! I guess all of our liberal friends have been too busy expressing their "concern" for Rush!
As I have indicated in other posts, I am getting more than just a little irritated at Republicans. After they became the majority party, they seem to have forgotten their roots. They have lost their voice. They don't stand up and fight for issues. They only give lip service and won't fight for conservative values the way they did while they were in the minority. They don't mount a strong defense for the President, conservative issues, and conservative values.
Republicans are too busy with a defensive strategy to hold their jobs than in doing what those who elected them want them to do. Where is there offense? They have become complacent and try to hard to accommodate liberals. They will never please the liberal left no matter what they do, so why try. Why alienate their supporters by even trying to gain the support of liberals. Liberals will never support them in an election no matter what they do, but if Republicans keep headed the way they are going... conservatives won't either. It seems like every day Republicans do something else to alienate one or more groups in their base.
Republicans act more and more like Democrats every day. If they are going to act like Democrats, we might just as well have Democrats in office taking their own heat and blame for failures in their agenda rather than Republicans taking the blame for Republican actions that their base does not agree with or support. Then perhaps we would see Republicans start to fight again!
Perhaps it is time for a good Republican "house cleaning". There are too many RINOs that should be removed from the Republican roles. If that means losing majority control for a period of time, may be that's what we should do; although, I would rather not have to take that approach to the Republican's problems.
I am to the point that I would vote for some strong independent Conservatives. I would even donate to their campaigns in other states just to get some "conservative voices" in Congress again! Besides, they would side with Republicans most of the time, but by not actually being in the Republican party, they could and hopefully would speak out on the issues that many Republicans no longer will because they are afraid of offending the left!!!
Republican have squandered opportunity after opportunity. They better get their act together before they are replaced!
AAR
Who's with me on May 1st?
As some other bloggers suggested, I am saving my purchases so I can make as many as possible on May 1st.
Maybe we should be out on the streets with our camcorders taking pictures of the marchers for a follow on "round up".
It would have been nice too if hundreds of thousands of American citizens had marched on the White House and Capital to tell the President and Congress we have had enough! Wishful thinking.
AAR
First, we have to avoid the liberal approach, which is to yell like hell when we don't like something but fail to offer a reasonable alternative. I think a massive letter-writing campaign to our Republican officials telling them what we DO want would be more effective than just hollering about being mad.
My suggestion: Anyone here illegally before January 1, 2006,is ELIGIBLE for a TEMPORARY work visa, if that person has a job and has not committed a crime since arriving here. All illegals have 60 days to register for this plan. After 60 days, anyone unregistered is out, never to return. During the term of the temporary work visa, an investigation is held---if the applicant has been arrested while here, he or she goes to jail till the trial---and if found guilty, goes back home, never to return.
Anyone passing the background check can pay a fine and get a new work visa---maybe for five years. At the end of that time, he or she, if not a lawbreaker, can apply for permanent residency---and, upon learning to speak English and remaining a law-abiding and working person, can recieve it.
But NO ONE WHO HAS ENTERED THIS COUNTRY ILLEGALLY AS AN ADULT CAN EVER BECOME A CITIZEN. Yes, it does create two classes of immigrants, but we already have that---the legal and the illegal. This would just extend that. Anyone who wanted to become a citizen could go back home, get in line, and apply to come here legally. But anyone who just wants to stay, after entering illegally, can never achieve citizenship. I think that over the years, the value of citizenship, the status of citizenship, would prove to be an inducement to follow our laws.
I prefer a rational protest, in the form of civil pressure put on our government, rather than adopting the tactics of the Left, used around the world. When I see a mob of people PROTESTING, all I can see is a mob. And mob rule does not float my boat.
I've saved up my purchases and am actually taking a trailer into town tomorrow to do some major buying. (We Agro-Americans have a different way of doing things.) Some should have been done last week, some could wait a month or two. But May Day/Pay Day sounds like a good time to get it out of the way. I like the idea of voicing my opinion with dollars, and stamps.
Almiranta,
To me the issue is much bigger and more complex than establishing a guest worker program. I can see it as a huge multi-billion dollar tax burden and welfare system that we don't need. If the illegals are here to do low paid jobs, courts will put them in our welfare system, require Spanish speaking programs, Spanish oriented local and state government programs, etc.
Here some rough draft comments of just a few issues that I think must be addressed before any guest worker program is approved by Congress. They need to be rewritten and cleaned up, but will server for talking purposes. I have others too.
First, approve a constitutional amendment to make English our official language.
Fix our borders and stop illegal immigrants from entering the U.S.
Guest workers must return to their country when their guest worker permit expires. Courts will be prohibited from intervening and extending the permits for any reason other than provided for in the guest worker law.
Family members of guest workers will not be permitted to accompany the guest worker to the U.S. unless all of their living, medical, and other expenses can be and are paid for by the guest worker or by other than taxpayer dollars.
Guest workers, illegal immigrants, and their family members will not qualify for or receive welfare or any other taxpayer funded support or subsidy. If the guest worker and their families are unable to live in the U.S. without taxpayer funded welfare, they must immediately return to their own country.
Taxpayer dollars will not be used to build non-English speaking schools, pay for any non-English classes or instruction, or to hire teachers to conduct classes in any language other than English. Courts are prohibited from overruling this provision of the law.
Guest workers, illegal immigrants, and their family members will not receive free medical care at taxpayer's expense. Mexico can use their oil to subsidize medical insurance for all workers permitted into the U.S. to work. Any medical bills not paid for by the guest worker or illegal immigrant will be billed to and paid by the Mexican government.
Any guest worker or illegal immigrant who marries an American citizen will not be granted automatic citizenship nor will their marriage be used as a basis to extend their guest worker permit, or to permit them to remain in the U.S.. Courts will have no jurisdiction in this matter. The guest worker must return to their country when their guest worker permit expires, whether married to an American citizen or not.
Any child born in America to a guest worker, illegal immigrant, or one of their family members will not automatically become a U.S. citizen. Courts will not have jurisdiction to intervene and grant citizenship nor use the fact that the child was born in the U.S. as a basis for the parent to remain in the U.S.
Any children or family of a guest worker or illegal immigrant must return to their country when their guest worker permit expires or when they return to their own country.
Federal, State, and Local government will not be required to provide duplicate programs in Spanish or any other language. Guest workers or illegal immigrants who cannot speak English must provide their own interpreter. Courts will not have the jurisdiction to overrule this.
Amnesty will not be given to guest workers or illegal immigrants if they or their families must rely on taxpayer funded welfare or support once they become citizens.
Congress will review and update all welfare and taxpayer funded subsidy and support programs to insure that benefits are not paid to those who are capable of working but who refuse to work. Individuals who are on welfare and who are able to work but have not found jobs will perform community service to earn their welfare payments.
The guest worker program will be terminated and all provisions will be null and void in any jurisdictions in which a court rules against any provisions, restrictions, and requirements of the guest worker law.
AAR