Mike Thompson with the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy has a few thoughts on a grand solution for immigration:
One creative solution to consider comes from the Vernon Krieble Foundation in Colorado. Recognizing that both high tech and agricultural companies are unable to find enough workers, Krieble proposes a simple way for non-citizen workers and their families to legally come to the U.S. for specific jobs and for a specific period of time – for temporary workers filling jobs that are needed to filled right now. A Red Card that would allow workers to enter the country for a specific job and keep track of them. A new non-citizen work permit would be issued for a specific job waiting for this person. These non-citizen workers would go through a background check and return home at the end of their employment.
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Here is another idea. After the borders are secure, give those who are here illegally two options. Option one: go back to their home country, get in line, secure a visa, pay a fine for being here illegally, and come back into the US legally. Option two: after a background check give this person legal status, they pay a fine over a period of time, but U.S. citizenship is never allowed. This takes the political issue of voting off the table, brings these folks out of the shadows, and they become taxpaying members of our society.
Of course, one has to worry more about the possible creation of a permanent helot class in America that is suited to work, but never to participate in our government. Suffrage is universal in America, excepting felons and others (children, for instance) — and even in the case of the latter, exemptions have been made.
The post is worth reading in its entirety, as there are some decent policy recommendations worth kicking around that have implications, both good and bad.
