UTAH’S ‘CONTRACT’: If you’ve read Page 1, you know what progressive author David Bacon and farm labor groups think of Utah’s new immigration “contract” law. They hate it.

Now, the ultra-reactionary Federation for American Immigration Reform has announced its position. It hates it, too. (That’s the “FAIR” organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center has catalogued as an anti-immigrant hate group.)

The “contract” is what Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed into law March 15 — a series of four immigration bills.

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has been lobbying the U.S. Department of Justice and White House to implement its main “guest worker” provision, HB116, nationally.

Here, in FAIR’s own precious words, are a few of its 15 reasons why it is informing its faithful they must oppose the Utah “contract”:

1. By creating a guest worker program for illegal aliens, HB 116 encourages more illegal immigration and further encourages those illegal aliens to settle in Utah.

2. There is no limit to the number of illegal aliens guest workers businesses may employ.

3. There is no requirement that employers... search for U.S. workers before hiring illegal alien guest workers.

4. There is no requirement that employers...pay those workers the same wage they pay U.S. workers.

5. Big business will hire guest workers at low wages, but bear none of the responsibility for health care for their workers. Taxpayers will be burdened with the health care costs.

7. Illegal alien guest workers can bring in their spouses and minor children under “immediate family permits.”

8. Gang members not barred from participation.

9. Illegal aliens would have access to Utah’s administrative courts.

11. It only requires aliens’ “best efforts” to learn English. There you have it. Peas in a pod. Who says we can’t get along?