Bush "guest worker" plan includes nurses

[anon943]

In January, president Bush unveiled his "guest worker" proposal. While most people might assume it only covers agricultural and other low-wage workers, Bush's plan could be open to any type of employee, including nurses.

According to Margaret Spellings, Bush's assistant for domestic policy:

"We do envision that [bush's guest worker program] would be open to any type of employee and any type of employer, such as nurses, teachers, high-tech workers, low-skilled workers. This is a concept that can apply broadly"

In effect, American nursing jobs would be auctioned off, with bidding open to the world.

You can see the video where she says this here: http://www.cato.org/events/040116pf.html

That video is also discussed in Enforcement Blues: http://nationalreview.com/comment/krikorian200401260938.asp

And, from http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040109-105925-2373r

Neither Bush nor the two senior administration officials who briefed the media Tuesday, however, made any suggestion that employers wishing to bring in workers from overseas would be required to first offer wages high enough to attract American workers. The only specific requirement that the senior officials mentioned was that the job offer meet the minimum wage. At the federal minimum of $5.15 per hour, a full-time worker earns $10,712 per year, well under the official poverty line for a family of three of $15,260.

There's an overview of Bush's plan here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3887721/

Please spread the word about this plan to other forums for nurses, teachers, and any other type of employee who would be affected.

[Tony35NYC]

This was another of Bush's ideas that will never fly. Back in January when Bush made this annoucement, it caught a lot of people by surprise because it was the Bush White House that stirred up the strong anti-immigrant sentiment in Congress and the Senate after the September 11 incident in the first place. But, lets not forget that this is an election year, and it appears that Bush was simply trying to capture the attention and interest of hispanic immigrants who are now US citizens. Congress, not Bush, determines immigration quotas and laws, and our goodly congressmen are not in any hurry to open up the borders to every potential immigrant when there are so many qualified US citizens looking for work.

It isn't true that the BCIS will allow just anyone to come here as a "guest worker". The process for non-citizens to get work visas is still lengthy and complicated, and if anything has changed about it its probably that its even more complicated now than it was before. I'm willing to bet everything I own that after the 2004 presidential elections you'll never hear another word about increasing the number of immigrant workers to the US.

[anon943]

Can you provide any sort of quote in which Bush or someone else in his administration has backed off the guest worker plan?

After the plan was announced, almost every conservative pundit came out against it. If this were just a trial balloon or a political ploy, you might expect some kind of a smoke signal being sent out to respond to all that criticism.

Instead, from February, you get http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040205-115100-7758r.htm

(At a congressional retreat) the president delivered a passionate defense of his immigration plan, telling the Republican caucus that his policy is not a political ploy.

"He said he didn't do it for politics [but] because that's what he believes is good for the country," (a Bush spokesman) said, adding that Mr. Bush drove his point home by saying, "I'm from Texas and I know this issue."

Bush has less support from Hispanics than he did last time around. If he didn't believe in this you might expect him to change his plan.

Instead, he's just been quiet about it. Except, he mentions it in front of Hispanic groups, and it's featured on the front page of the Spanish version of his web site.

And, you could look at the other things he does. The SSA wants to give social security to illegal aliens. Any mention of illegal immigration was forbidden from the Repub. convention ( http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/carney200409010040.asp ). He supports congressmen who support amnesty plans, and drops support from those who oppose amnesty. He wants banks to take Mexican identification cards. Legal Mexican immigrants don't need those cards, only illegal immigrants. The list could go on for a long time.

And, whether this is really about Hispanic votes is an open question:

'Hutchinson's Remarks Indicate Cheap Labor Bias of Administration'

http://www.fairus.org/Media/Media.cfm?ID=2512&c=34

The very fact that a president could come up with a plan that could cost so many so much indicates a very serious problem.

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

Bush is such an unbelievably bad person. I just cannot comprehend how anyone can think he is good for our country.

[arkansas_girl]