H-4 Visa on O'Reilly Factor

Date: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 12:12 PM

JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER

www.ZaZona.com

Rep. Tancredo will be debating Arizona politicians on the O-Reilly show
tonight on the subject of the H-4 visa and amnesty bill proposed by
Flake, Kolbe, and McCain.
If you missed the "The Three Stooges, go to this page:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V2B122085

The article in the Arizona Republic is quite interesting because they
interview many people that are unhappy with the H-4 visa bill. Here are
some highlights:

* National Council of La Raza doesn't like the H-4 visa because they
think it takes too long for illegal aliens to get amnesty. They gripe
that it takes 6 years to get amnesty but it actually only takes 3 years
- and the illegals can work in the US the entire time. Let's don't tell
La Raza or they might start supporting this perverse amnesty bill.

* Derechos Humanos says that the legislation still would allow
employers to exploit foreign workers. This may be the first time in
history that an Arizona newspaper actually printed the fact that
allowing more workers into the US by using guest-worker visas depresses
wages. I could get the editor into real trouble for this one!

* Immigration control groups yawned according to this reporter. It
would be more correct to say we are mortified.

* CIS executive director Mark Krikorian said that, "It would be the
biggest guest-worker plan this country has ever had." Krikorian is
underplaying this one because it would actually be the biggest
guest-worker plan in the history of mankind.

An editorial by Rep. Flake is included below. His justification for the
H-4 visa boggles the mind. He is claiming that there is a national
shortage of men that don't have college degrees! McCain, his Senate
co-sponsor claims that H-1B is needed because there is a shortage of
skilled workers with degrees. These Arizona bozos are stepping on each
others feet.

------- From Tancredo's Newsletter ---------

Congressman Tancredo will also be on Fox News, Tuesday, August 5, 2003
on the O-Reilly Show. He will be debating Congressman Kolbe (AZ)
concerning Senator John McCain's Guest Worker Bill. It will be
interesting to watch the witless fool from Arizona in the same ring
with Tancredo and O-Reilly.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0804guestworker04.html

Hispanics cool to guest-worker bill

Groups troubled by some aspects of plan

Sergio Bustos
Gannett News Service
Aug. 4, 2003 12:00 AM

??Special report: Border security >>
??Message board: Do you support a guestworker program?

WASHINGTON - The National Council of La Raza, the nation's top Hispanic
civil rights organization, typically would applaud legislation to help
undocumented immigrants in the United States become legal residents.

So would Derechos Humanos, a humanitarian group in southern Arizona
that advocates for the rights of undocumented and legal immigrants.

But both groups are disappointed with several provisions of a bill
being championed by Arizona lawmakers that would allow foreigners,
including millions of undocumented immigrants, to obtain temporary U.S.
work visas.

The lack of support among such groups illustrates the many hurdles
awaiting Sen. John McCain and Reps. Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake in trying
to win passage of their guest-worker bill.

The three Republicans introduced separate versions of the same bill
recently in the House and Senate.

McCain and the other lawmakers need the support of grass-roots
organizations to make their case before Congress, where the bill will
meet stiff opposition, especially in the House. There, measures to
loosen immigration policy in recent years rarely have reached the floor
for a vote.

So far, such grass-roots groups are skeptical and worry that the
proposal might do foreign workers more harm than good.

Cecilia Munoz, the National Council of La Raza's vice president, finds
it unacceptable that undocumented immigrants must wait at least six
years before they can apply for legal residency and that families of
foreign workers would be kept apart for years at a time.

"We have serious concerns with the specifics of this legislation, which
could seriously undermine the position of immigrants and other U.S.
workers," Mu?oz said.

Other leading pro-immigration groups are less critical but not
enthusiastic.

"We hope the introduction of the first comprehensive immigration reform
bill . . . will help push the debate forward," said John Gay,
co-chairman of the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, a group that
includes scores of service-related businesses nationwide.

Kat Rodriguez, of Derechos Humanos, said she believes the legislation
still would allow employers to exploit foreign workers.

"It's a government-to-business negotiation, so you see how it's
factoring out people," she said.

She was among about 100 residents who turned out for a town hall
meeting recently in Tucson with Kolbe to talk about the guest-worker
bill. Reactions were mixed.

The bill has drawn a big yawn from groups that advocate tighter
immigration controls. These groups, which are especially influential
among House lawmakers, find the proposal laughable and are predicting
an early death on Capitol Hill.

"It would be the biggest guest-worker plan this country has ever had,"
said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration
Studies, a Washington-based think tank that wants fewer immigrants
admitted into the United States. "Who would run this thing?" he asked.
"The Homeland Security Department? They've got their hands full."

McCain and the other lawmakers fully expected a cacophony of opposition
to their legislation and don't expect swift passage.

"I hold no illusions," McCain said. "Reforming our nation's immigration
laws will not be an easy task. However, we must not let the difficulty
dissuade us from trying."

http://svherald.com/display/inn_features/Columnist/columnist1.txt

Monday, August 04, 2003

Why temporary foreign workers are needed

By Jeff Flake

Guest columnist for the Herald/Review

THE FOLLOWING is a statement made by U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., on
the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on July 21. The
statement is on meeting labor demands with temporary foreign workers.
Flake, along with U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., and U.S. Sen. John
McCain, R-Ariz., have proposed a bill that would establish a new
guest-worker program in the United States. This statement was provided
by the congressman's office.

Madam Speaker, for the past few weeks, I have come to the floor of the
House of Representatives to address an issue that I believe has to be
addressed with a comprehensive legislative solution. The issue is
illegal migration and our current immigration policies.

This is certainly a very complex issue. Unfortunately, it involves a
historical policy of turning a blind eye to the reality of the demand
for workers for certain jobs in this country. Our migration policy has
also not done a very good job of recognizing the way that people
organize and lead their lives.

We must recognize that the U.S. economy and standard of living are
better than that of Mexico. Mexicans migrate to the United States not
simply because wages are higher, but because Americans are willing to
hire them. The demand for these workers will not diminish for the
foreseeable future. In a recent report published by Dan Griswold of the
Cato Institute, we know that the Labor Department has reported that the
largest growth in absolute numbers of jobs will be in those categories
that require "short-term on-the-job training" of one month or less.

In fact, of the top 30 categories with the largest expected job growth
between 2000 and 2010, more than half fall into that least-skilled
category. These are all occupations where low-skilled immigrants can be
expected to help meet the rising demand for workers. Across the U.S.
economy, the Labor Department estimates that the total number of jobs
requiring only short-term training will increase from 531 million in
2000 to 61 million in 2010. That is a net increase of 7.7 million jobs.
Meanwhile, the supply of American workers suitable for such work
continues to fall because of an aging workforce and rising education
levels.

The median age of U.S. workers continues to increase as baby boomers
approach retirement age. From 1990 to 2010, the median age for the
American worker is expected to rise from 37 years to 41 years. Further,
younger and older American workers alike are now more educated. The
share of adult native-born men without a high school diploma has
plunged from 54 percent in 1960 to just 9 percent in 1998. During the
same period, the share of workers with college degrees has gone up from
11 percent to 30 percent.

Certainly, we recognize the fastest growing occupations in the next
decade in percentage terms will require high degrees of skill and
education. But as the economy continues to pick up steam, we have to
recognize the realities of labor market demands. The demand for
lower-skilled workers is growing while the American workforce is aging
and increasingly well-educated.

Madam Speaker, I would argue that it is no coincidence that the number
of low-skilled jobs in this country is expected to grow by more than
700,000 a year. That is precisely the number of new illegal immigrants
that the federal government now estimates are entering the U.S. job
market every year. If this is not an affirmation of theis power of the
market, and simple supply and demand, I do not know what is. We have to
consider that for an illegal worker, the prospect of unemployment in
the United States is far more expensive than a similar situation in his
or her home country. If jobs are not available, the treacherous journey
across the border is simply not worth the risk.

To conclude, permitting immigrants to enter the country as part of a
temporary worker program will eliminate a huge segment of the illegal
traffic coming across and within our borders. At the same time, such a
strategy will recognize that our economy continues to expand, and, as
such, the expansion will require new workers.

http://www.azstarnet.com/star/wed/30730editimmigration.html

Pass this immigration bill
Kolbe, Flake and McCain have introduced a practical, humane border
bill.

Arizona Reps. Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake along with Sen. John McCain have
introduced legislation that addresses the realities of illegal
immigration. Perhaps most important, it's a humanitarian bill that we
hope passes before another summer claims the lives of border crossers.

The bill, introduced as the Border Security and Immigration Improvement
Act, permits any number of immigrants to obtain permits to work in the
United States. It would deny work visas to those who have been found
guilty of crimes, including misdemeanors.

The visa allows immigrants to work three years and can be renewed once.
After that, immigrants could apply to become permanent residents. They
could become legal residents after six years. Anyone working in the
United States before Aug. 1, 2003, could apply for a similar visa. How
they entered the country - legally or illegally - would not matter.
Immigrants would have to pay a $1,500 fee for this second visa.

The bill establishes a registry in which employers would post jobs only
for Americans for two weeks. If no citizen takes the job, the employer
is free to hire an immigrant. The registry would be maintained by the
Department of Homeland Security.

Businesses could import labor for a fee. In seeking residency,
immigrants would have to wait their turn, starting at the end of the
line. Those seeking legal immigration would be given higher priority.

The bill protects American jobs and also recognizes and accommodates
the economic realilties surrounding immigration. It decriminalizes an
act that as a rule did not involve criminal intent.

This legislation would release the Border Patrol to concentrate on drug
smugglers and terrorists. Seven years ago, the Congress authorized an
enormous increase of Border Patrol agents. Thousands of officers were
added. But the buildup did not stem the tide. It sealed previously
popular crossing areas like Tijuana and El Paso so that immigrants
switched to dangerous crossing points such as Agua Prieta and Sasabe.

McCain, Kolbe and Flake have a bill that offers a practical solution.
It is a rational compromise.

For Kolbe, it is sharp reversal of his previous stance, which was in
opposition to decriminalizing illegal immigration because it was unfair
to legal immigrants.

The bill, as Kolbe notes, will not satisfying the extremists - those
who advocate unfettered immigration and those who would erect stringent
barriers. It is a sensible compromise. And with 107 dead attempting to
cross the border this summer, its passage could not come too soon.

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Rob Sanchez is board member of NAEA - www.NAEA.US

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