Comments about ‘Guest worker program proposed’

So the Chamber of Commerce and some legislators are proposing the State of Utah officially certify illegal aliens to be eligible to work in the state?!?! Perhaps these legislators should check in with the Department of Homeland Security first!!!

P.S. How do they propose doing a background check on a person who has probably used multiple aliases and has no fixed address. I suppose the prospect of cheap labor trumps all ethics in Utah.

"I suppose the prospect of cheap labor trumps all ethics in Utah."

Can't have those out-of-work middle-class people cluttering up the place, can we?

Yea, imagine that. The chamber is actually looking for a solution rather than reverting to xenophobia and an unjustified sense of entitlement.

This sounds like a positive step. Kudos to the legislature for working to solve a problem, rather than just point fingers. I also gotta hand it to the business community for leading rather than just complaining all the time. This is a positive step for our economy and another case of Utah taking the lead in place of an incompetent federal government.

I used to be staunchly against any sort of worker program for people who came here illegally. I've now realized that we have to move on, work with what we have, and productively solve this problem. This sounds like a huge first step. My thanks to the chamber of commerce and legislators for working on this tough issue. I'm sure there will need to be some refinements. But this is a start. Keep up the good work.

Wrong move! With Americans experiencing mass layoffs, we have a patriotic obligation to offer those jobs to Americans first.

Unfortunately, the Chamber of Commerce appears more patriotic to the dollar than to the country.

For one thing Utah can not write laws concerning the federal immigration policies. We cannot call them guest workers as they are not guests and to become guest workers they must have a green card. Utah can't write its own green cards for illegal foreign nationals and declare them as legal in the U.S. Another thing is Utah can't divert Medicare/Medicaid and SSA funds from the federal departments. I do go along with forcing employers paying an illegal alien employee fee but more important, we need jobs for tax paying americans. For Utah to try and set its own immigration laws are illegal as this is federal law. What Utah can do is force the federal government to incarcerate any and all illegal foreign nationals in our jails, clogging our courts, hiding on american soil. If Utah had american workers employed instead of allowing businesses to employ illegals, there wouldn't be any need for such a plan. We cannot create laws to protect illegals or interfer with federal regulations and federally funded programs. We cannot act on and create a guest worker program and the american people should be appauled at the turncoats and traitors to america running Utah's government.

Bad recommendation. Does not address the high cost of educating children from illegal parents. Highest birth rate in Utah. American/Utah children are suffering from poor education which partly has been caused by the confusion and over-crowding in the class rooms from children who do not speak English. Why not just follow the LAW. Illegal means they are here in violation of the law. Talk to teachers which I have and it is bad. How do you control the high birth rate which is creating major problems. I find this a major issue through-out the USA. I travel to many states each year and hear the same issues. We need one national law not every state creating their own. Close the borders and and obey our law not Utah's trying to create their own. Utah is a sanctuary for illegal immigrants and the homeless which is why we have the issues we do. We need to start caring about our children and our elderly which receive less attention than the illegal immigrants, but of course they are a burden and not cheap labor.

The Chamber says it wants to eliminate poverty, but it insists on importing poverty by having large numbers of third world immigrants from poor countries come into the U.S.

This is a good thing and a move in the right direction. Anyone that really understands the issue knows that this will help improve the local economy as well as the lives of citizens and undocumented workers alike. Those who say we should just enforce the laws we have don't understand how broken, unworkable and unjust those laws are. Reform is desperately needed for all of oursakes.

I see a problem with the term "Guest Worker". Guest implies they were invited, will leave, and will have to do nothing they don't want to do and we'll be happy to foot the bill. Sounds like a good gig to me.

Good for the Chamber!

I hope others look for answers as well.

Seeking solutions is surely better than separating parents from children by deporting 20 million people who are willing to work hard. Hopefully this approach will help Utah's economy rebound.

Talk about being out of touch with working people, this group takes the cake. Deport these law breakers and put some effort into employing our own people.

Great move chamber. The auto insurance and medical insurance companies make money...the "Guests" get a savings account and the citizens get to compete with cheap labor.

May I make a suggestion. How about rent a boat and import Chinese "Guests". Those guys work cheaper than our southern neighbors.....heck the Vietnamese are even cheaper than the Chinese. I hear that the Cubans are real bargain this year and then lets not forget about all those starving Africans.

Cheap labor will do the trick, especially as we start to see AMERICANS hit the unemployment lines.

I would accept a guest worker program, IF the following was true:

1) They come here legally

2) The job was legitimately offered to citizens first with no takers.

3) The pay for the work they do was AT LEAST as much as a citizen would get paid.

4) The employer was willing to responsible for ALL costs for them being here, like educating their kids for example.

5) ALL taxes were being paid, JUST LIKE is done for citizens.

In that the reason for the hiring of illegals is to avoid doing these things, I don't see that we need guest workers - nor does the employer if they should have to be responsible to existing laws like workman's comp, SS, etc.

After all, we now have climbing unemployment, so there should be plenty of citizens to take these jobs. The real purpose is to pass along the costs of their employees to the U.S. taxpaying citizen. That is the real purpose. Don't let the Chamber fool you, that is what it is all about.

This is the right idea. Aside from an obvious conflict with Fed laws, the qualifications go too far, nobody would qualify.

sounds like prison...

Great Ideas Watchdog

I like the idea of the employer paying for educating their kids but we can add a few more cost equlizers.

Pay the expenses for bilingual teachers, cops, court employees. I know the ever thoughtful chamber has an insurance mandate but we need bilingual agents and nurses. Ant American citizen that has to interact with our new "guests" must have their added expenses compensated. Manufacturers must be compensated for bilingual packaging, all employees will be compensated for the time and effort to learn a new language.
Thgink of all the overtime that will be paid to english speakers while they master a new language.
We can't have all those street sins in english so replace them with bilingual directions.

I think you hit on something Watchdog. Have the employers cover EVERY expense incured by their minimum wage guests.
BTW......don't forget to require a ged or HS diploma from the "guest"......we have to have equal education.

the economy gets even tougher the weeping liberals are the first to apply for a job as taco maker.

Bracero stated that this system "sounds like prison." When you break laws to get what you want, there are consequences.

While I think the plan on the table will lead us to an increase in fraud and corruption, I do like that there is at least talk of a very high bar that "undocumenteds" have to make it over to participate. I think that the high bar, though, will ultimately deter "undocumenteds" from using the system all together.