McCain: Migrant-reform deal eluding 'Gang of Eight' - Page 4

This is directed at Happyman0607:

I don't usually bother to post, but your contempt to some of the other users makes me want to vomit. It seems like your goal is not to inform, but to offend and demean.

I'll tell you of a sure fire way to greatly diminish illegal immigration without a guess worker program, it's not feasible, but it does work: have employers, by law, do everything in their power to make sure the people they hire are authorized to work here. A couple of ways of doing this is actually enforcing/raising sanctions and implementing e-verify on a wide scale. Like you said, people come here for work, if they find it incredibly hard to work here, they won't come. This might also increase the amount of unscrupulous and unethical employers who exploit illegal workers who manage to slip through so we need to make sure that human exploitation and dehumanization will not be tolerated.

In terms of adverse economical effects, the fact is we can't know exactly how the economy will react. It will be probably have a net negative impact in the short term, but who knows what it might do in the long term. Not every one wins: guest workers would be displacing American workers, a portion of those wages will go to Mexico instead of being spent here. Produce prices will most certainly go up initially but guess what? there's cheap produce abroad as well and in a globalized economy, if American farmers can't compete, they'll have to adapt by introducing crops that can be picked up by machines or stop all together. Point is, things are not as simple as you put it and economics is not an exact science.

Thank you for showing us how you think though.

Well, let me start off by saying The United States is the world’s largest agricultural exporter. The value of agricultural exports equals nearly one-fourth of farm cash receipts, about twice the level of the overall U.S. economy, and 1 out of 3 acres are planted for export. For many food products, U.S. producers are among the lowest cost producers in the world.

With that being said, you're absolutely right; there is cheap produce abroad, but its very improbable that the United States would start importing food to feed Americans. Especially when this country has a very large amount of land specifically for farming purposes.

I have to say that I disagree with your statement that guest worker visas would displace American workers simply because Americans are not willing to work in fields picking strawberries for $4 an hour.

I strongly believe that a good guest worker program would benefit the U.S. economy mainly because right now as we speak there are undocumented workers in the fields down south getting paid without paying any taxes whatsoever. Having guest workers coming in from different countries, paying taxes and not using any state or federal funds is a HUGE win for the government.

Undocumented workers who come here for work put their kids in schools at the governments expense (I believe the government spends approximately $11,000 per year on a student going through public school) so when you have migrant workers paying taxes, and no kids in public schools, that right there puts revenue directly into the economy

Versus a family who immigrated here, not paying taxes (because they can't get a SS#) and putting their 3-5 kids in school.. Just think about it.. How could that have a negative impact on the economy?

Current situation: agricultur workers not paying taxes and a $30-50 thousand dollar expense per year to put kids through in school.

Or a guest worker program: no kids here and revenue from paid taxes.

I didn't think about all that; good points. I think corporations will be more willing to adapt and increase productivity through mechanization if their pool of cheap labor is removed and I suppose a guest worker program with decent wages is a step in the right direction, anything but the status quo. Ideally, American workers would fill those jobs, but the will isn't there and like you said, it's not be the best economic approach.

A "comprehensive" bill means it covers the entire issue, not just self serving things. Dropping out of college isn't the worst thing in the world.

Lol don't even acknowledge his "needs" we all need financial aid.. Yet we all found a way to support our school.. Kid needs to get a job and he'll be fine.

It reminded me of this gem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiRGRvE_Wqg