SIVACRACY.NET: The Max for the Minimum?

One of the many unsettling things Bush said during the last debate was this:

"Many people are coming to this country for economic reasons. They're coming here to work. If you can make 50 cents in the heart of Mexico, for example, or make $5 here in America, $5.15, you're going to come here if you're worth your salt, if you want to put food on the table for your families. And that's what's happening."

"And so in order to take pressure off the border, in order to make the borders more secure, I believe there ought to be a temporary worker card that allows a willing worker and a willing employer to mate up, so long as there's not an American willing to do the job, to join up in order to be able to fulfill the employer's needs."

"That has the benefit of making sure our employers aren't breaking the law as they try to fill their workforce needs. It makes sure that the people coming across the border are humanly treated, that they're not kept in the shadows of our society, that they're able to go back and forth to see their families. See, the card will have a period of time attached to it."
....

"Now, it's very important for our citizens to also know that I don't believe we ought to have amnesty. I don't think we ought to reward illegal behavior. There are plenty of people standing in line to become a citizen, and we ought not to crowd these people ahead of them in line. If they want to become a citizen, they can stand in line, too. And here's where my opponent and I differ. In September 2003, he supported amnesty for illegal aliens."

(Copied from transcript here)

The reasons I found this disturbing are long and complicated and many, but here are a few brief observations:

1. Bush seems to assume that illegal immigrants are paid the minimum wage or close to the minimum wage when they work here. A large body of evidence suggests that they are not. Hiring "undocumented" workers carries risks for employers and one of the reasons they are willing to assume these risks is that doing so is very profitable. In addition to avoiding payroll taxes, such employers can demand long hours at low wages.

2. Employers of illegal immigrants reap other "savings" as well. They can subject "undocumented" workers to uncomfortable and unsafe working conditions, and if a worker is injured, they can usually avoid paying any sort of monetary compensation.

3. If Bush is so concerned about "rewarding illegal behavior" he could make more of an effort to identify and *severely* punish the businesses hiring illegal aliens. Increasing the penalties would likely decrease the practice, and create more "legitimate" jobs as well.

4. The idea of "work cards" for foreign workers is complicated and difficult. On the one hand, it is hard not to admire and want to help people in poorer nations with the ambition and courage and strong work ethics to take advantage of such a program. On the other hand, the idea that there are jobs that American workers are unwilling to do is astonishing, and defies credulity. If we helped unemployed people here relocate as necessary within this large nation, and provided some "start-up" daycare and transportation assistance to folks with economic challenges, I doubt that many jobs would go unfilled by American workers.

5. If I'm wrong, and there are a fair number of jobs that American workers simply will not fill, let's face it, these are likely to feature both low wages and truly miserable working conditions. That being so, are we going to ensure that "work card" employees get the same minimum wage, overtime pay, heath and safety and workers compensation considerations as U.S. workers? Because it seems likely that the employers eager to hire "work card" workers will petition Congress for all kinds of special exemptions, which could have myriad negative effects on the labor markets for all workers in this country.

p.s. How long do you think Jim Carrey had to "wait in line" for U.S. citizenship?