03/17/07 Email exchange
Dear Hal,
I am a California lettuce grower who employs about 50 illegal aliens. That's because I can't find Americans to do the work. If you were in my shoes, wouldn't you be for a guest worker program?
Dear lettuce grower,
The government already has an agricultural guest worker program. It's called the H2a Visa program. Under the program, there is no limit to how many foreign agricultural workers can come the U.S. to pick lettuce.
Yes, I know about that program, but the problem with that is that I would have to pay much more than I am paying now, provide housing, and provide heath insurance.
Well, if you participate in Bush's guest worker program, you will be faced with the same problem.
Gee, I never thought about that. If that's the case, I might as well hire Americans.
No, you won't have to do that. There will be a flood of new illegal border crossers who will work for less than any guest worker who played by the rules.