Thread: PA: Specter says 20 million IA's ....

Surprisingly, he mentions that maybe a path to citizenship isn't such a good idea.....yeah, no kidding. However, rewarding IA's with the label of "guestworkers" isn't either. Get a clue Senator Specter.

Specter touts Farm Bill
By MICHAEL YODER, Staff
Intelligencer Journal

Published: Jan 09, 2008 1:37 AM EST

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Sen. Arlen Specter is known as a liberal Republican from Philadelphia. But he said his roots are in farming; as a teen, he drove a tractor on a Kansas farm.

Specter held a town-hall meeting at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Tuesday afternoon, touting the 2007 Farm Bill, which could land on President Bush's desk by March.

Specter said he worked closely with fellow Sen. Bob Casey on the bill. Casey, who made an appearance at the Farm Show Complex last week, serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Specter is a member of that committee's appropriations subcommittee.

"I don't believe that you separate the Democrats on one side and Republicans on the other," Specter said. "I believe it's very important to the people in Pennsylvania to have your two United States senators work closely together."

Specter answered questions for a half-hour, talking about issues in the dairy market and some of the measures in the Farm Bill designed to help struggling dairy farmers.

"You have to have the fallback position and supports so that when times get tough, the dairy farmers can stay in business," Specter said. "It's the small dairy farmers that are the backbone of our state."

Specter also talked about measures proposed in the bill for agricultural commodities, including the mushroom and apple growers.

The senator said one important issue that still needs attention is revisions to the laws governing estate taxes so that family farms are not lost.

Gregg Robertson, president of Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association, asked Specter about the outlook on immigration reform this year in the Senate.

Specter said he realizes landscaping is an industry that relies on immigrant labor, but immigration has become the "third rail of politics" that politicians are afraid to touch. He said as many as 20 million undocumented workers are in the country, and there is a need to secure the border.

"But no matter how high you build a fence, if there's a magnet, people are going to come," Specter said.

"So we need to have sanctions on employers who violate the laws and really solve the influx of illegal immigrants, and we need a guest-worker program."

Specter said the elimination of citizenship as a possible outcome of the guest worker program could make reform more feasible, but as long as "amnesty" remains a buzzword, immigration will not be addressed.

A member of the audience asked about land preservation in the Farm Bill.

Specter said billions of dollars have been made available in the Farm Bill for conservation.

"We only have one good Earth — we only have one environment," Specter said.

E-mail: myoder@lnpnews.com


http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/214823

legalatina - Hi there. I think we need the source link if we are to keep this article posted.

I did find the LancasterOnline site but wasn't good enough at navigating it to find the location of this particular article. Oh well.

http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/214823

Sounds like Senator Specter had enough people calling and screaming NO AMNESTY it got his attention.

Specter said the elimination of citizenship as a possible outcome of the guest worker program could make reform more feasible, but as long as "amnesty" remains a buzzword, immigration will not be addressed.

The illegals are not interested in US citizenship, they are here for the $$$$$$$$$ only!

I have had countless "immigrants" tell me they are saving as much money as they can here so they can go back home and live like the rich! They don't care that they are stealing social services paid for by US taxpayers, they don't care that they are destroying our country (as long as they get "their" $$$$), they don't care that they are messing things up for people who want to emigrate here legally!

The ONLY way to stop these bloodsuckers from coming here is to close down the shop! STOP social programs, free medical, free education, NO jobs for illegals. They will stop coming. Those already here will self-deport. Let's try it, hmmmm?

It is not just people coming here to better their lives, it is people coming here, taking the jobs of others and then expecting those others (American citizens) to quietly walk away from their jobs and incomes and to further pay for the FREEBIES that illegal aliens receive from our government and others.

Then there are the criminals and terrorists and other strangers.

Matthew 18:20

Well, at least he isn't touting that 12 million figure the media uses and says 20 million now.

Think about it, 20 million + illegals in this country! I can hardly comprehend such a number. Sometimes I step back and can't believe what the feds have allowed to happen, it's a monumental mess.

legalatina - thanks for the link