Guest worker program is not the same as amnesty Re: “Will immigration cripple Rick Perry’s candidacy,” Sept. 9
Byron York’s column on Rick Perry’s statements on immigration is an example of advocacy posing as analysis. While York is right that the GOP has a significant anti-immigration element, he cites no evidence that immigration will be a determining factor in voters’ presidential choices, especially considering the public’s overwhelming worry about jobs.
York erroneously states that E-Verify “has been very effective in stopping the hiring of illegals.” However, a major 2009 audit of E-Verify by Westat revealed that 4.1 percent of E-Verify’s initial responses were inaccurate.Furthermore, it approved 54 percent of unauthorized workers.
In reference to a guest worker program, York says that, “[t]o critics, that’s just amnesty with a different label” — without naming who those “critics” might be. He even gets the concept wrong. Merriam Webster
defines amnesty as “the act of an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals.” A guest worker program, by contrast, would allow more workers to enter the country legally in the first place.
Alex Nowraste & Ivan Osorio
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Washington
Obama delivers another shovel-ready campaign speech
Re: “Obama lays out $450b jobs plan in address to Congress,” Sept. 9
Abruptly ending his Magical Misery Tour, the Fake Communicator returned from the Long and Whining Road to announce a new jobs plan. But it was just another shovel-ready campaign speech.
The American people aren’t stupid.Even some on the Left have awakened to the consequences of electing a man without footprints to the highest office in the land.
The Democrats controlled both houses of Congress and the White House in 2009, but they failed to seriously address the high unemployment rate. They were too busy spending trillions of dollars to socialize our health care system.The palpable desperation of a dispirited would-be work force demands real action.Inciting class warfare, painting opponents as racists, and rewarding unionized parasites won’t cut it any more.
The country is hurting, and our only hope now is that enough of us see the need for change, and elect a president worthy of the office.
Eric DeVant Sims
Washington
Media bias in favor of Democrats is obvious
I did the poll on your website and was saddened that 44 percent do not believe that the media influences the elections. On Sept. 8, ABC News anchor Brian Williams opened his show with “Republicans attack Social Security.” Meanwhile, National Public Radio news stories always feature President Obama in a positive light.
These media outlets should run a disclaimer and admit that they are wholly owned by the Democratic Party, and promote it by using terms and phrases designed to subdue, hypnotize and confuse the public.
Since the mainstream media fails to offer any substantive debate and demonizes those who stray from the status quo nostrums of the left, real reform is very hard to accomplish, But without reform, the ship of state will sink.
John Morrison
Bethesda
