Yeah, Bush makes that good Kool-Aid too! LMAO..nm

• Thanks, Americans who are finally waking up from the Bush kool-aid - gt
  • Yeah, Bush makes that good Kool-Aid too! LMAO..nm - Democrat
  • And we are basing this overwhelming gratitude on an article in the Lonestar Iconoclast! sm - MT
    • I don't think the size of the subscribership is the point.... - Observer
      • There is no point to THAT. SM - MT

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Dec 10, 8:43 PM EST

Administration changes to farm worker hiring afoot

By SUZANNE GAMBOA
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- As it prepares to leave office, the Bush administration is moving to make it easier for U.S. farming companies to hire foreign field workers, which farmworker groups say will worsen wages and working conditions.

Farm groups said that changes to the H2A visa program, used by the agriculture industry to hire temporary farm workers, were posted on the Labor Department's Web site at midnight Tuesday but have since been taken down.

Labor Department spokesman Terry Shawn said whatever was posted wasn't the final version of the new rule, which Shawn said would be released Thursday and published in the Federal Register on Dec. 18.

The Bush administration published a proposed version of the new rule last Feb. 13 and received nearly 12,000 public comments, Shawn added. The next version will be a final rule and can take effect 30 days after publication. Some of its provisions would take effect in mid-January and others later in the year, the farmworker groups said.

Farm worker advocates and the United Farm Workers union said the version that appeared on the Web site would lead to a flood of cheaper workers.

"The government has decided to offer agriculture employers really low wages, low benefits, no government oversight to bring in foreign workers on restricted visas and thereby convince them they should do this instead of hiring undocumented workers," said Bruce Goldstein, executive director of Farmworker Justice, a group that advocates for farmworkers.

The changes in the posted version would drop a requirement that an employer get the Labor Department to certify it faces a worker shortage before it can get visas for foreign workers; instead, employers would be allowed to simply attest in writing to a shortage. That version of the new rule also would change the method for calculating wage minimums for workers and relieve employers of a requirement to recruit in states or communities where other employers already are hiring farm workers, Goldstein said.

But Assistant Labor Secretary Leon Sequeira said Wednesday evening the agency is not dropping the obligation to obtain certification, which is required by law.

Paul Schlegel, American Farm Bureau public policy director, said many of the changes will make the program a little less burdensome for employers. He said existing laws prevent employers from hiring foreign workers if the jobs can be filled by U.S. workers.

"My members want to make sure they have a legal supply of labor," said Schlegel, who added that he had not reviewed all the proposed changes.

The rule changes are a part of a pattern of last-minute regulatory changes being rushed into effect by the Bush administration before President-elect Barack Obama's Jan. 20 inauguration.

The effect is to make it harder for Obama to change course on some policies favored by Republicans and the business community.

"We are hopeful that the Obama administration would recognize the utter mistake and unfairness of this proposal," Goldstein said. Congress has a procedure for reversing the rules, he said.

Many of the last-minute changes by the Bush administration have come in the area of public lands and the environment, including easing regulations on mining waste and allowing handguns in national parks. Another pending rule would grant greater leeway to railroads to transport hazardous materials through densely populated areas.

Lurker had the courage to try to debate you, tried to ignore your rude comments and personal attacks.  Yes, your intelligent debate triggered responses by Lurker, as follow:

Please do not preach at me and tell me I don't understand the concept of working for a living. I try my best not to berate or belittle anyone on this board and I would appreciate the same consideration.

I can see from her above post why you're so happy.  Looks like you succeeded in chasing her away for a while, too.

Regardless of who 'WINS' in November, we ALL win in January when we get to watch that crook leave OUR WhiteHouse...

History will show he was the all time worst, and that Americans, the American media, and the Congress ALLOWED him to trash our Constitution and raid our treasury to pay for fake wars for 8 years. We are all responsible.

I THINK WE NEED A NATIONAL HOLIDAY TO ALL SAY BUH-BYE TO W....

Video at:  http://thinkprogress.org/2006/07/07/bush-lay/

Transcript:

KING: The death of Ken Lay.

G. BUSH: Yes, yes.

KING: I know he was your friend. How do you feel? Were you shocked?

G. BUSH: I was. I was very surprised. You know, just — my hope is that his heart was right with the Lord, and I feel real sorry for his wife. She’s had a rough go, and she’s now here on earth to bear the burdens of losing her husband, a man she loved.

KING: Was that whole thing, the whole Enron story shocking to you?

G. BUSH: Yes, yes.

KING: Because, I mean, you knew him pretty well from Texas, right?

G. BUSH: Pretty well, pretty well. I knew him. I got to know him. This — people don’t believe this, but he actually supported Ann Richards in the ‘94 campaign.

KING: She told me that.

G. BUSH: She did?

KING: She liked him a lot.

G. BUSH: Yes, he’s a good guy. And so what I did — then did was we had a business council, and I kept him on as the chairman of the business council. And, you know, got to know him and got to see him in action.

One of the things I respected him for was he was such a contributor to Houston’s civil society. He was a generous person. I’m disappointed that there was this — he betrayed the trust of shareholders, but…

KING: Did you know him well, Mrs. Bush?

L. BUSH: I knew him. Not really well, but I did know him.

KING: Did you know his wife?

L. BUSH: And I know Linda and I’m sorry for her.

KING: Did you contact her?

L. BUSH: I haven’t.

G. BUSH: I haven’t yet. I’m going to write her a letter at some point in time.

Rah rah ree...kick em in the ass.

rah rah rass......kick em in the other knee!

If Obama is a monkey, Michelle looks more like a gorilla.