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Candidates disagree about guest workers
By The Associated Press

CASPER, Wyo. - Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo., says she believes raising caps on temporary foreign workers will help ease labor shortages in Wyoming. But Gary Trauner, her Democratic opponent, says he is not convinced.

While many people say there are enough workers in the United States to fill the need, Cubin said the experience of business people in Wyoming indicates otherwise.

Noting that unemployment rates in Wyoming are at record lows and that the state is facing worker shortages, Cubin said this would be a reasonable time to increase the number of foreign workers allowed in the country.

"I think we should have as many workers as makes our economy flourish," Cubin said. She said it should be the responsibility of employers to make sure that workers comply with the provisions of their temporary visas.

"Compliance by the employer has to be a huge part of any immigration program that we have," Cubin said. She said she does not support amnesty for people who are in the United States illegally.

Trauner expressed concern about the prospect of raising the caps on temporary foreign workers. He said he is concerned that millions of people enter the United States with legal visas and then do not leave.

"That's why, I think, I'm not a huge fan of guest-worker programs generally," Trauner said. He said such programs do not give participants a vested interest in the United States.

"There are a lot of folks who clearly are against the immigration wave, and yet they are looking to bring in more immigrants to do cheap labor," Trauner said. "And I think we need to look at a broader context than just looking for cheap labor."

Given that the United States has an unemployment rate of nearly 5 percent, Trauner said, he believes there are Americans who are unemployed or underemployed and could fill job vacancies in Wyoming.

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Published on Monday, August 07, 2006.
Last modified on 8/7/2006 at 12:13 am

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