One Reporter's Opinion – JOBS AMERICANS WILL NOT DO?

One Reporter's Opinion – JOBS AMERICANS WILL NOT DO?

George Putnam
Friday, Dec. 24, 2004

It is this reporter's opinion that the president of the United States refuses to change his approach to an open door policy. Oh, he will deny that he favors amnesty or graduating citizenship, but it's all there. It's what he says repeatedly over and over again, as he did in his December 20 news conference proposing allowing workers in other countries to enter or remain in the U.S. legally to FILL JOBS AMERICANS WILL NOT DO.

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When asked a question about his plan to reform U.S. immigration policy, the president responded half a dozen times: FILL JOBS AMERICANS WILL NOT DO.

As a youngster of what Tom Brokaw describes as "the greatest generation" - Depression, WWII, growing up in America - I never, working in the farmlands of the Midwest, ran across a job or participated in a job Americans would not do. We planted, harvested, threshed, milked 10 cows by hand, slopped the hogs, made certain that all the farm animals were cared for, and worked sunup to sundown to put food on the table ... and ended up paid as little as a dollar for a day's work. Not only were these jobs Americans would do, WE did them! We learned the work ethic as part of our day-to-day education.

At White House news conferences, they do not allow follow-up questions. May I now join Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) in asking the president the following:

You speak of jobs that Americans will not do. Mr. President, please provide a comprehensive list of such jobs.

Mr. President, you frequently speak of allowing the free market to work. Why not apply this principle to the jobs you claim Americans will not do and allow the free market to bid up wages for American workers?

In your opinion, is upward mobility still a desirable objective for the American worker?

Mr. President, at your news conference, you spoke of the desire of people in Mexico and other countries to work in this country in order to put food on their families' tables. Would you please address the matter of millions of American families willing to do jobs in construction, meatpacking, janitorial services, restaurant and hotel work, as well as other trades? They, too, would like to put food on their families' tables.

Mr. President, how do you propose to pay for the education of the children and health care for the families and other services that these foreign workers will do (the JOBS AMERICANS WILL NOT DO)?

As conceded in your news conference, the vetting process and background checks of Cabinet appointees failed to uncover problems with your Homeland Security nominee. Can you now assure the American people that the vetting process and background checks on the millions of illegal aliens applying for legal residence will receive a more comprehensive investigation of their backgrounds?

These are just a few of the follow-up questions, Mr. President, which could not be asked at the news conference.

FAIR and your reporter, along with millions of Americans from all walks of life, would appreciate your views on these important issues as you now prepare to make immigration policy and its reform a centerpiece of your second administration.

In the meantime, pardon me, Mr. President, I must now get back to a job I am willing to do.

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