Monday, June 19, 2006
Immigration dominates Cannon and Jacob debate

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The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY -- U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon advocated a guest worker program as one solution to illegal immigration while challenger John Jacob said illegal immigrants should be sent back to their home countries and then some of them allowed to return to the U.S. on a "fast-pass" program.

Immigration dominated the hour-long debate Monday between the two Republican candidates for the 3rd Congressional District seat. The primary election is June 27.

The debate was broadcast on KCPW, a public radio station, and available on its Web site.

Cannon said he favors a three-year guest worker program for immigrants that could be extended to encourage more movement back-and-forth across the border instead of immigrants moving here permanently.

"We need a system where people aren't hiding, but they come and go," Cannon said.

But Jacob likened a guest worker program to giving a car to someone after it's been stolen. Instead, Jacob said he favors offering a fast pass to return to the United States for certain immigrants who leave the country.

However, Jacob didn't outline exactly who would qualify for a fast-pass program.

He said immigrants who can prove they've been here for 10 or 20 years should qualify for a fast-pass program but was short on details. It was also unclear whether he would extend the fast-pass program to immigrants whose families would be split up after anyone who was in the country illegally was forced to leave.

"I don't have all the answers whether fast pass will work. I don't know yet, but it looks like a better idea than keeping everyone here," Jacob said.

Cannon attempted to steer the debate toward other issues, but Jacob continually brought it back toward immigration.

Cannon, who has served five terms in Congress, said Jacob is too inexperienced to be effective in Washington, D.C., on other issues of importance to Utah residents, such as collecting money from federal ownership of land to pay for education. Utah spends less money per student than any other state in the country.

"We'll have a freshman in Congress who doesn't know the name of the majority leader or the state he's from," Cannon said. "We won't have someone working on the judiciary committee pushing patents. Patent reform is vital to technology companies in Utah. These are all things that will change and change in a very bad way."

Jacob said everyone has to be a freshman Congressman at some point.

"We need more businessman in Congress and less professional politicians," Jacob said.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.

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