Thread: The Menendez Method

The Menendez Method

May 29, 2008; Page A16



Republicans in Congress are usually to blame for blocking immigration reform. So it’s worth noting that last week’s effort to fix a broken guest-worker program for migrant farm workers died at the hands of a Democrat.

Earlier this month, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Emergency Agricultural Relief Act with a bipartisan vote of 17 to 12. Introduced by California Democrat Dianne Feinstein, the measure would have modified the broken H-2A visa program for migrant farmhands by, among other things, streamlining the application process to encourage participation.

The amendment also would have given temporary legal status to the illegal farm workers already here if they passed a background check and met other requirements. No one wants to reward lawbreaking. But the reality is that an estimated three-quarters of the agriculture labor force is here illegally. Congress is kidding itself if it thinks Americans in an economy with 5% unemployment and better job opportunities would do this work if only these Mexicans would return home. The far more likely scenario is that growers will continue to move operations south of the border if they can’t find labor in the U.S. at a price that allows growers to stay competitive. (See this letter from Tom Nassif.)

In any case, we’re now stuck with the status quo thanks to Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who objected on the Senate floor and thus had the reform struck from a larger spending bill. His office says he thwarted the reform because the “provisions were tilted in favor of businesses while doing too little to help immigrant workers.â€

last week’s effort to fix a broken guest-worker program

This is the WSJ spinning out this half-azz written piece of trash. It was and is "Amnesty". Next, they'll be coming for your job with their cheap college loans etc etc

This is hard to believe, because the amendment had been negotiated
with both growers and farm workers

Uh.... Don't you think the American people should be included in this little 'negotiation' as well? These things DO impact other people's lives too you know...

Congress is kidding itself if it thinks Americans in an economy with 5% unemployment and better job opportunities would do this work if only these Mexicans would return home. The far more likely scenario is that growers will continue to move operations south of the border if they can’t find labor in the U.S. at a price that allows growers to stay competitive.

1. The 5% unemployment is no doubt boilerplate stats. produced by the DoL; and that estimate is always biased toward underestimating the true magnitude of unemployment (ie. it highly downplays underemployment, and those called 'discouraged' workers, etc; the true scope of unemployment in the US is approximately double what is officially estimated or reported).

2. It probably is a better scenario to move operations south rather than allowing in continue flow of illegal workers here. It allows some economic develop to occur in Mexico (and elsewhere), and also helps restores integrity and lawfulness to our immigration policies. The begging question here is: "Where is mechanization????" Of course, any job, no matter how hard or dirty, can be filled if you're willing to just increase the wage level(s). What they are really saying here is: "We've always had our IA slaves, and we expect to continue using them too".

3. How about the farms that have already mechanized or don't use slave IA labor? How do they play into this debate??? (I bet they would have some choice words for the slavemasters here)

The good people of New Jersey need to find another senator.

He is an abject failure (at least on immigration-related matters):

ABI Score: Solid 'F's on every major aspect of the policy.
http://grades.betterimmigration.com/tes ... &VIPID=547

The good people of New Jersey need to find another senator.

You got that right Phrede..and quickly

This NJ bum , I'm sorry the Honorable Senator Menendez , is worst than my 2 in Fl now that will make you go Hmmmm !