The million dollar question is if this bill will be designed as a labor subsidy - or as a program that will make our country stronger.  We need future citizens as immigrants, not exploitable sources labor.

On the H-1b front I may luck out and get an amendment in that will drastically reform the program - addressing abuses.  I certainly hope that is the case.  I hope that Senator Webb will co-sponsor Senator Dorgan and Grassly's bill/amendment.

However, I can't in good conscience support a bill that greatly expands a temporary worker program with ties to employers.  I believe strongly that guest worker programs are designed as a form of servitude.  Expanding this to include millions of workers would be shameful.  It is a small step towards slavery, and a giant leap in favor of exploiting poor people.

Workers in this country need to be free to change jobs without any ties to the employer or any negative impacts on pending immigration requests.  That is how free labor markets work - and punishing people for seeking a better job or working conditions is just wrong.

Hopefully the final bill reflects those values.

Unfortunately I don't believe that many of the pro-immigrant groups realize just how harmful an employer sponsored guest worker program would be for immigrants.  They will be in for a terrible shock if they get what many of them are asking for.  They should heed the warnings of labor groups.

Labor advocates like myself have had the luxury of studying programs like this for years.  It takes experience and close study of existing programs for one to realize what needs to change.  The corporations know exactly what changes would benefit them - and the more they embrace the bill the more nervous I will be about it.

I was just watching clips of Senator Dorgan on trade issues.  Although I really like Senator Dorgan, it is Senator Durbin who is pushing this bill.  Don't bother supporting the Durbin Grassley bill because it doesn't exist.

I must be getting old.

the current version of he guest worker programs. The Southern Poverty Law Center recently published a report about the current migrant work programs. They called it 'Close to Slavery', quoting Charles Rangel commenting on this program.

http://www.splcenter...

From what I understand, Bush's plan would expand the current program, which is not good. I am not familiar with the bill though. Is it supporting Bush's plan?

We should bring in a million Africans not already here, and settle them in Utah.

And rescue a million displaced Iraqis and put them in Texas.

And bring in Palestinians by the planeload and put them in New York State.

Etc. and etc. 

We're a very rich country, and one of the least densely populated places on the planet.  Not only would we rescue people from poverty, but we would diversify our country.  And maybe we would make up a bit for the thousands of people this country has wantonly killed over the years.

What, are you worried that you won't be able to afford the 108 inch HDTV you want?

 

I think you are being sarcastic - if so ignore this. 

If not, it would make more sense to end the sources of poverty than to simply bring poverty here.

There are many more than a million people in poverty.  In fact, most of India lives in poverty.  There's a billion people right there.  Can they come also?

What about China?  We could probably find another billion impoverished people in that country.

Immigration is not the solution to poverty.  I'm not sure what the best way to solve poverty is - considering that it is probably different in each country, but even if we tripled immigration numbers it wouldn't make a dent into global poverty.

Pictures of starving children should not be introduced into the immigration debate.  It really trivializes another important issue.

I'm tempted to delete that comment, frankly.  Why is that photo necessary in this context? 

All you are worried is your soft middle class existence

Your concern is always job protection -- while people are starving

The liberals on this site cried and cried over the kids killed at Virginia Tech.  But one picture of a dying kid . . . who is off in some foreign land.

The fact is that immigration won't do anything for poverty.  In many ways it will make things worse.

If you think critically about the issues, you will quickly discover that they are not related.  Senator Edwards is very focused on global poverty.  He has devoted much of his life towards addressing that problem.  I have never heard him, or anyone serious about addressing global poverty, claim that immigration can in any meaningful way solve it.

Please, if you have anyone who can demonstrate otherwise by all means now is your chance.

Your comments about me not worried "about brown people" and so forth is not worth responding to or dignifying so I won't.