There have been rallys and protests to the proposed Immigration laws. Kids in Dallas/Ft Worth walked out of school 3 days in a row in "protest". One girl, when asked by the media why she was protesting, her response was to turn to her friend and ask her why. Ummmm okay....why are you walking out of school and you don't even know why. What is wrong with her? Oh wait, it was a "free" day from school...let me just follow the dayum crowd.
I have to say illegal immigrants are NOT just Mexicans or even Latino. There are illegal Irish, Brits, Australians, French, and Italians. They don't walk or even risk their lives to get here- they fly and never use their return ticket. So stop blaming Latinos for the immigration problems in this country.
One of the things the Bush Administration is pushing is the Guest Worker program. Is it too much to hope that maybe this will go through? Canada has had a guest worker program for the past 15 years. It has been very successful. Guest workers can come and go to and from their "home country" to Canada, up to 6 months at a time. Most immigrants don't want to leave their families, but they do because they need "more" for their families than what their country can offer. The Canadian guest worker gets a permit that is like a "green card" here. It depends on their profession for the amount of time they get to work in Canada. They work in Canada for 6 months then go back home for 6 months. How perfect is that? There aren't just construction workes or fruit pickers, there are nurses/doctors, computer workers, etc. They come from all over the world to work in Canada. The guest workers pay Canadian taxes, pay housing, etc, but it isn't done in secret, using false documents or in fear. They make the money they need for home and Canada gets the goods and services they need. What is the big deal? Guest workers get health care while they are there because Canada has a socialist health care system...meaning government funded health care. Guest workers who bring their children pay a small fee for school for the children. Why can't the U.S do the same? Canada's economy has not been hurt in any way. In fact, they have a very low unemployment rate and have very generous labor laws. We can learn a few things from our neighbors to the north. But we are to selfish and egocentric to try new things.
Americans think we are the center of the world, the example for the world to follow, but we AREN'T!!! We can learn from other countries and try some of their successful programs. I truly believe if we institute a program like this, it would alleviate some of the problems we are having with illegal immigrants. It just all seems too simple to me. It wouldn't take away jobs from anyone. It helps with "professional shortages", like nursing and doctors.
WAKE UP AMERICA!! WE ARE FALLING BEHIND THE WORLD!!! WE ARE NO LONGER THE EXAMPLE, BUT THE JOKE!!!!
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2 comments:
I agree with you that Canada has a better system regarding immigration than the U.S. But, as you pointed out, that's also because they have a better health care system, TAX system, etc.
Unfortunatly, the US is a capitalist society. And, with the way we run things in this country, there is no way that the US should have a guest worker program. As I said on my blog, it would amount to two things: corportate welfare and indentured servitude.
We are not going to provide guest workers with healthcare. We are not going to provide guest workers with safe work environments. We are not going to pay guest workers a living wage. Heck, we don't do such things for Americans!
In the end, the guest workers would just become indentured servants here in the U.S. People who have no rights, can't vote, and are forced into a lower class for a required 5 year stint. That's pretty much indentured servitude right there.
I understand that people want immigrants to succeed. I agree with that. But, I don't trust our government or big business to do this in a way that doesn't hurt the guest workers.
The only way I would agree with a guest worker program is if it had a solid and sure path to citzenship (for example, you have to become a citizen at the end of your 5 year stint and give up citzenship to your country of national origin). I think this is the ONLY way immigrants are going to be treated fairly in the US under such a program. With citzenship they can vote, are protected under the constitution, receive social services, etc.
Sorry for taking up so much space. I just see so much danger with the guest worker program. I just know it's going to be a bad deal for immigrants and, in turn, for this country.
PS: As far as professional shortages, we already have visas that allow for temporary workers and those visas have been working pretty well (for example, the H1-B technology visa).
Reese,
Yes you can get H1-B visas but they are EXTREMELY hard to get! I know because I run my companies Immigration program. The government only gives out 250 visas per profession per year. And the profession has to be EXTREMELY specialized, so doctors, nurses and IT people don't usually qualify for those visas.
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