Guest Worker Plan and American Traditions

Re “Too Many Immigrants Trapped in the Shadows of American Life,” by Robert Lovato, Commentary, Jan. 9: There is nothing to be gained from granting temporary or permanent status to “undocumented workers,” i.e., illegal aliens. I don’t care about the plight of those who disregarded our immigration laws to come here and steal jobs and wages from American workers.

Lovato is way off about how immigrants “helped build this country and ... still [make] it powerful.” At one time, they did. However, that was before the floodgates were opened and millions of illegal aliens started streaming across the border, taking jobs, depressing wages and taking an endless amount of taxpayer-funded social services.

Brad Cordova

St. Louis Park, Minn.

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The logic of the proposal to create a program allowing illegal aliens to become temporarily legal is obvious: First, President Bush gains votes among Latinos. Second, he furthers the “Wal-Martization” of the U.S.

Rather than raising the minimum wage, making benefits such as health care mandatory and protecting organized labor, Bush is creating a system of peonage, a further step in abolishing the middle (working) class and making the U.S. into a two-tier society -- those with a superabundance and those with barely enough for subsistence.

W.R. Winterowd

Huntington Beach

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Bush has demonstrated great courage. He is addressing the immigration issue in a humane manner that lives up to our American tradition. So many hard-working immigrants are struggling to survive in America. Their undocumented situation is a national disgrace.

We are not afraid of competition ... if you are afraid of losing your job, maybe you should get a better education and a better job and give back to America after receiving a free education and using individual liberties unknown anywhere else in the world. Immigrants value what we have in America, while Americans have become fat and lazy. Accept the challenge and improve yourself instead of whining about immigrants taking your jobs.

J.A. Marty

Fullerton

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Despite what the president has said, the proposed policy is an amnesty -- amnesty for businesses who hire illegal aliens. No surprise there.

Kathryn Hope

Garden Grove

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The Bush proposal is too modest. He should allow anyone in the world to immigrate legally. After all, the world population explosion needs a safety valve, right? If the U.S. gets too overpopulated, there’s always Canada. After that, I’ll be dead and buried, so who cares? Oops, forgot about my kids!

Scott McKenzie

La Canada Flintridge