Re: Bush calls migrant policy the right thing to do, Jan. 8.
So now President Bush is trying to convince us that it is in our best interest to grant illegal aliens the right to work in our country. Every day we lose good-paying U.S. jobs to countries such as India, the Philippines, Ireland, Canada and South America. The U.S. based corporations that send these jobs overseas continue to spit in the taxpayers' faces while they collect large subsidies and tax breaks from our government. They use politically correct terms like "eliminating," "restructuring" or "business decision" in explaining away why they put their dedicated U.S. employees out of work. Now we aren't even safe within our own borders.
President Bush wants to bring cheap labor from across the border for two reasons: 1) to eventually deflate wages as a payback for his wealthy corporate contributors and 2) to hopefully score more Hispanic votes in his re-election bid.
If the general public would pay more attention to this important issue and not be so concerned about such shallow subjects as Britney Spears' escapades in Las Vegas, President Bush and his cronies might not be able to get away with this outrage.
-- Michael Cote, Holiday
A slap in the face
Re: Illegal immigrants.
Do I have this straight? We have 9-million people out of work due to 911 and outsourcing offshore, but now President Bush wants to import foreigners to take the jobs that do not pay a living wage? As I read through the paper, I see reports that factory orders are "down" again, Sykes closes another call center, and Earthlink downsizes by 1,300 jobs.
President Bush has brought "offshore" to the United States. It's cheaper not to move offshore if we can import and promote more poverty right here in the United States.
This was a very bad move. This is a slap in the face to all Americans. Pay us a living wage; illegal immigrants can't vote. Maybe he has finally awoken those who have stood by for too long without getting involved. As they say, if you are not outraged, you are not paying attention. I have heard Bush say that he does not read the papers but relies on his staff to keep him informed of only what he "needs" to know. I "need to know" what planet Mr. Bush is living on.
-- Karen Frioli, St. Petersburg
U.S. workers will lose
Yes, indeed, if we can't export the jobs to low-wage countries, then just import the workers (George W. Bush's "guest worker" program). Either way, U.S. workers lose.
Of course, industries such as restaurants and agriculture interests, which can't move their jobs overseas, love the idea: a pool of workers willing to work for starvation wages and endure a miserable and many times unsafe working environment, conditions to which U.S. workers are not willing to subject themselves and their families.
There are probably plenty of U.S. workers for these jobs if they offered decent wages and working conditions, but that won't happen so long as the Bush administration permits and encourages the influx of noncitizens who will work for less.
Some of us believe that the welfare of U.S. workers might be a bit more important than providing a pool of cheap labor for some industries by making illegal aliens legal and improving Bush's relations with Mexican President Vicente Fox, however much it might help him with Hispanic voters in November.
-- Sydney K. Potter, St. Petersburg
Illegal immigration will be made worse
Re: Bush to offer Mexican worker law, Jan. 6.
President Bush, being the "compassionate" person that he is, is proposing to grant amnesty (disguised as a "guest worker program") to approximately 10- to 12-million illegal aliens in this country. In 1986 President Reagan did exactly the same thing, only he gave amnesty to the 3-million illegals in the country at that time. Well, we see how that worked out. Instead of deterring illegal immigration as President Reagan promised, we now have 10- to 12-million illegals in America. I suppose in 10 more years we can expect to have up to 25-million, because like his predecessor, President Bush has no plan to keep future illegals from crossing our porous borders.
While government statistics show our unemployment rate to be around 6 percent, some experts estimate that it is really between 10 and 11 percent if all the Americans who have exhausted unemployment benefits and just given up looking for work were counted. Many polls have clearly shown that as much as 80 percent of the American public want illegal immigration stopped and legal immigration scaled back until those already here have had a chance to assimilate. Bush completely ignores this because it's more important to him to get re-elected, thinking that this new "guest worker program" will swing the Hispanic vote his way.
I could go on and on about the problems illegal immigration has caused in America, but I have to go take my Spanish lesson. At the rate we are going, in the next 10 to 15 years, Spanish will probably be the official language and I will need it to get my minimum wage job at Wal-Mart.
-- Sharon Lam, Hudson
Let those on welfare do the work
President Bush's new immigration proposal will grant "legal" status to people who broke the law by "illegally" entering our country and working all this time while paying no taxes. The proposition states that employers must be able to prove that no Americans want to work the jobs. The new proposal further states that these new "legal" immigrants may bring their dependents into our country as long as they can prove they can support their families.
If these people only work jobs that "no Americans want," then why the heck aren't some of those jobs being worked by Americans who are now sitting on their behinds collecting welfare? I know the welfare safety net has turned into a hammock - but this is ridiculous (and outrageous)!
-- Jim Mullen, Tampa
Making progress at Juvenile Justice
Re: Not very helpful, editorial, Dec. 25.
I appreciate the Times editorial support of the Department of Juvenile Justice's proposals to further strengthen safety at Florida's juvenile detention centers and to continue to raise the bar on professionalism for our juvenile detention officers. These substantive proposals continue this progress, ensuring that officers employed are capable of the challenges presented by youth who have broken the law, while protecting public safety.
In 1999, I asked the Legislature to strengthen hiring requirements. As a result, today no one can be considered for employment for seven years following adjudication on a disqualifying offense, an increase of four years. Also, at my request, the Legislature added crimes to the list of disqualifying offenses.
The proposals I submitted to the House Select Committee on Juvenile Detention continue the strengthening of professional requirements. In addition, the proposals call for additional resources for mental health and medical care; for facility life-safety and security repairs and maintenance; the creation of a team to respond to emergencies; and an annual climate review conducted by citizen advisory boards for each center. The proposals also strengthen the background screening and hiring process and propose psychological screening of job candidates. The Department of Juvenile Justice provides a wide spectrum of treatment and services to juveniles detained and committed to the department to help them become law-abiding citizens. From school to vocational education, counseling to specialized treatment for issues like substance abuse, mental health and sexual offenses, the department works to restore these young people.
The department diverts less serious offenders through innovative programs like Intensive Delinquency Diversion Services, civil citation and neighborhood accountability boards. These investments to divert youth from the juvenile justice system coupled with the delinquency prevention grants the department awards to local communities have shown great results.
This year I am proposing to the Legislature a re-direction program that directs less serious offenders and the offenders' families into a research-based therapy program following short-term residential stabilization.
These types of strategies have allowed the department to reduce the numbers of maximum and high-risk residential treatment beds since 1999. The overall results of the department's balanced approach to juvenile justice are clear. The public is safer, there is less juvenile crime and more youth are staying crime-free.
-- W.G. "Bill" Bankhead, secretary, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Tallahassee
Religion and government don't mix
Re: Robertson: God says Bush to be re-elected, Jan. 3.
This country has no history of the dominance of religion in politics and culture. Other countries are so aware of the injustices and controlling influences of religion through the ages that they have declared separation of church and state and have rewritten their constitutions to ensure they remain secular.
The history of religion in government has always been one of war and bloodshed. Europeans are aware of this, but America's religious majority have never experienced the atrocities and seem to think that they are God's newly chosen. If God wants us to believe this, he will write it across the sky for everyone to see.
-- Gloria Julius, St. Petersburg
The faith of the right
Re: Bible offers Democrats a political opening, letter, Jan. 3.
The letter writer inadvertently summed up the basic difference between liberals and conservatives, and Democrats and Republicans. He spoke of the Democrats having an opportunity to "reclaim the high ground in this debate." Essentially, there is no "debate" here. That's not to say there are no political aspects. Of course there are. But to many on the right, the Bible, God, religion, however you want to classify it, is not something to be used for political advantage.
It's just a natural part, and often a big part, of their lives. It's not that the right is "stealing Jesus," but that they have always had Jesus, and are trying to fend off concerted liberal and Democratic efforts to take Jesus out of everything except inside one's own home and inside a church.
-- Ernest Lane, Trinity
Is that the FCOW?
Re: The sooner the better, editorial, Jan. 2.
The Bush administration has responded to the outbreak of mad cow disease with the speed and attention it deserves, including a new, four-stage testing policy:
Stage 1: All cattle are tested.
Stage 2: Cattle that fail the test are re-tested.
Stage 3: Cattle that fail the second test are given a voucher.
Stage 4: Cattle with vouchers may elect to join a different herd.
This plan has worked so well to improve public schools, why not give it a try on the range?
Coming soon: A plan to rebuild Iraq by reducing taxes for the wealthiest 1 percent of all Iraqi families!
-- Meyer Baron, Gulfport
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