Gov. Bush touts overhaul of immigration, student visa rules
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12773544.htm
Posted on Thu, Sep. 29, 2005
Gov. Bush touts overhaul of immigration, student visa rules
BY CHRISTINA HOAG
choag@herald.com
Gov. Jeb Bush on Thursday called for a loosening of foreign student visa rules and an overhaul of immigration policy in order not to ''choke off'' international ties.
Bush, the opening speaker at The Miami Herald's 9th Annual Americas Conference, said that if he had two ''fairy godmother'' wishes, one would be to create more scholarships for foreign students in order to generate ''a strong cadre of leaders'' overseas with an intimate understanding of the United States and to make the immigration service more efficient.
Bush noted that the tightening of immigration rules was necessary after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but said enough time has now passed for ``a systemic review of policies and procedures.''
''Immigration is vital to our prosperity,'' he said. ``I get a lot of e-mails from people frustrated going through Miami International Airport. It's not as user-friendly as it used to be.''
Bush said he' particularly troubled by the crackdown on foreign student visas as that limits the number of well-educated professionals who go back to their countries with close ties to the United States.
''It's important to go beyond the links of commerce,'' he said. ``We have pulled back on student visas. I think we should go in the opposite direction.''
On other topics, Bush pushed free trade as an engine of economic growth, but noted it's a slow process.
''Trade issues are quite emotional,'' he said. ``They bring debates about lost jobs and lost opportunities. But in a dynamic world, there is going to be turbulence and, something that I've noticed being in office, with each passing year, the turbulence gets more heightened. It's important for us to embrace change.''
On emergency management, Bush said the state does not have a mass evacuation strategy for South Florida, nor did he believe it is necessary to have one with current building codes and the network of emergency shelters that are established in the event of small-scale evacuations.
The region's highways simply could not handle a mass exodus, he said. ''We couldn't do it physically,'' Bush said. ''It's more important for people to prepare their own homes. It's not a skill set that I thought we'd be bragging about, but we've gotten pretty good'' at dealing with hurricanes.
