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Last modified Sunday, July 31, 2005 9:15 PM PDT

Wyland, Contreras debate immigration issues
By: - North County Times

NORTH COUNTY ---- Illegal immigration will be the focus of a debate between Assemblyman Mark Wyland and businessman and author Raoul Lowery Contreras to be aired by local television station KOCT during the week of Aug. 8.

Titled "A Community Conversation on Immigration," the hour-long debate was moderated by North County Times Editor Kent Davy during a taping at Cal State San Marcos in July.

The at-times heated debate followed an earlier exchange between Contreras and Wyland on the newspaper's editorial pages in which Contreras challenged the constitutionality of the Border Police Initiative proposed by state legislator Ray Haynes (R-Murrieta), and Wyland's position on immigration issues.

Wyland suggested the debate in a rebuttal letter.

During the taped discussion, Contreras and Wyland elaborate on their positions on illegal immigration and talk about issues such as border security, the costs to state health and educational systems of illegal immigration, and its effect on wages, especially at the lower end of the wage scale.

As a solution Contreras proposed a guest-worker program similar to the Bracero program, which was in place from the early 1940s to the mid-1960s.

The program allowed for temporary farm workers to legally be in the United States if they had a job. They were to be paid the prevailing wage for the type of work they were to do and the Mexican government had to grant their authorization to come here.

The program, however, was heavily criticized by labor unions and civil rights organizations for turning workers into virtual "indentured servants."

Saying illegal immigration was almost "zilch" during those years, Contreras suggested those employers who want to participate pay for a work permit and "everybody would be happy."

Said Wyland, "I think when you do something legally I have no problem with that."

Wyland stressed, however, as he did through most of the discussion, that a guest-worker program cannot come at the expense of controlling the border.

He cited a bill in Congress that will help employers verify workers' legal status.

Contreras countered that the bill falls short. He suggested instead that "everyone" in the United States get a tamper-proof social security card and that everyone who gets a job be required to show the card. Additionally, they would need either a United States passport or a federally issued guest worker permit.

Said Wyland, "first thing we have to do is control the border. Then you could make a good argument for a guest worker program."

For further information or for specific times that the debate between Wyland and Contreras will aired during the week, go to the television station's website at www.koct.org.