Home of Today's Common Sense

Published Brownsville Herald Jan 3, 2010

With but few exceptions since I started writing this column, the first commentary of each new year has related to our public officials being seen as doing something — anything — to solve immigration, improve jobs and improve the economy, though mostly fixing immigration and improving the economy were mostly the main issues.
With all those promises, why are the messes worse than in that first column on Jan. 5, 2003, which related to immigrants being an undeniable and indispensable factor in the nation’s economic growth over the past decade.
At the time BISD was discussing the idea of recruiting teachers from the Philippines. There was concern that they would displace local teachers and that they would not communicate well because of their accents, etc.
However, the community received 20 plus excellent teachers, who communicate well and understand bilingual and bicultural needs better than most. Filipinos have been living bilingualism at least since the Spanish American War when the Philippines became a possession of the United States.
In 2004 we began the election year with discussion related to a path to follow for more and better employment and a better economy. Again.
We were seeing the economy get a little better but not the job market. The aspirants to political office were trying to blame the opposition; others said that many workers do not really want to work because the potential loss of public benefits is more than the gain achieved by working. The rhetoric seems to have changed little.
How the administration deals with the issue of fixing immigration is so important that it trumps all others and has such far-reaching impact on everything from our basic concept of the rule of law to Social Security. Immigration is indeed broke and needs fixing, and it has the potential to damage the nation as no other issue.
Current laws are so unrealistic and confused that their purpose is even obscure. The laws are not being enforced as they should be and when they are, the public doesn’t support them. This is resulting in the belief that we only need to obey laws that we agree with.
While a Customs officer at a number of places in the U.S., I repeatedly heard from my colleagues in immigration that frequently when officers took alleged violators before a magistrate new interpretations of the law left them confused or a new law or administrative practice made the difficult nearly impossible.
This was all made worse by perpetual staff shortages. Add the political risks that motivate all but the brave or foolish to avoid dealing with the issue, and you have an agency whose duties were nearly as unpopular as those of the IRS.
There is serious need for overall reform that will allow the new border management agency to do its job effectively.
“Ideas for a new immigration system,” published several Decembers past, was very similar to the plan that President Bush subsequently announced. No, they did not consult me nor did I have advance knowledge, it just seemed that it was an orderly way to approach the issue.
My plan differed in that an individual could retain a temporary resident status so long as he was employed. No three-year limit! This is because many resident aliens I have known planned to work for a period of time, save some money, then return home to start a business or retire.
However, as a carrot, after three years one should be able to apply for permanent residency and once approved must apply for citizenship or return to temporary residence status.
There should be no new bureaucracy to find jobs for temporary workers; that would be very susceptible to corruption. Past experience has demonstrated clearly that foreign workers and employers find each other quite efficiently, even in stealthy circumstances.
Now the folks in the vastly disparaged Mexico have little opportunity other than to work for the crime organizations when reasonable action taken several years ago would have provided opportunity for some to get real jobs in the U.S. and provide new financial opportunities, starting new entry level businesses in both places. Now they have little more than the criminal world to live with.
The important thing is that the existing laws for employers must be vigorously enforced; if legal workers are available and effective enforcement of clearly understood requirements is accomplished (severe financial costs and periods of operation stoppages), employers will be motivated to stay legal rather than risk the hassle.
We are now in the eighth year of “Today’s Common Sense.” Immigration is still broke and relationships with our southern neighbors gets worse by the day and moves closer to our homes daily.
The economy is still a mess and shows little evidence of improvement. We now have a new troop of public officials. More than ever before we need to hold them to the job that needs to be done, not necessarily the one they are asking for. We must limit the authority the government has seized, as in the health system, the auto industry and the banking system. Write to your public representative and local newspaper to let them know you are sick and tired and won’t stand it anymore.