Jun. 04, 2006 - 21:41 MDT

PLACE TO START

Sometimes editorial writers are actually thinking a bit. In today's Denver Post is an editorial that discusses ins and outs of a current situation. Herein quoted in full:

VERIFIABLE IDs FOR GUEST WORK

"Before any immigration reform will be viable, there needs to be some fraud-proof way to determine who is eligible to work in this country and receive public benefits. Then employers can be held accountable for their hiring practices."

"Congress will soon negotiate terms of a bill to grapple with the nation's 11 million illegal immigrants and those who want to come here. A secure identifier, or ID card, for all non-citizens should be a top priority."

"Workers would need to show the card to employers when they're hired, or when they receive public benefits."

"Without that, you have nothing," says former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson, the father of the last major immigration overhaul in 1986. That law failed because it relied heavily on cracking down on the businesses that hired illegals. There was lilttle political will to do that, and in any event, it simplly provoked rampant document fraud and a lucrative black market for Social Security numbers and many other IDs."

"Both the House and the Senate versions of immigration reform call for a stepped-up "employer verification plan" that would make the now-voluntary Basic Pilot Program mandatory. Employers would enter a worker's name, date of birth, citizenshilp status, Social Security number and other indentifying information into the Web-based program, which would then check the information against Social Security data."

" It's not full proof, but it's a step in the right direction," said Will Adams, spokesman for Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo."

"The Senate bill includes a "biometrics card" as part of its guest-worker program. The House version doesn't include a card, since it doesn't have a guest-worker provision."

"President Bush on Friday called for development of a new identification card for every legal foreign worker. "It ought to use biometric technology, such as digital fingerprints," he said. "A tamper proof card is going to be a vital tool to enforce the law. It has got to be a part of a comprehensive immigration reform package."

"But what about non-workers who need services ?"

"Politicians generally steer clear of talk of a national ID card. That bogeyman rears its ugly head whenever Congress debates immigration and it often derails any meaningful reform. Some worry an ID card for non-citizens will lead to a national ID card for everyone, with government intrusiveness sure to follow."

"A national ID isn't necessary, but some type of fraud-proof card for non-citizens is needed if immigration reform is to work."

+++++++++++++

At least someone is thinking about things in a somewhat sensible way.

Interesting is the paragraph, quote: "Without that you have nothing," says former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson, the father of the last major immigration overhaul in 1986. That law failed because it relied heavily on cracking down on the businesses that hired illegals. There was little political will to do that, and in any event, it simply provoked rampant document fraud and a lucrative black market for Social Security numbers and many other IDs." Unquote.

I think that is it in a nutshell - - - employers willing to accept any old phony ID in order to have cheap labor. So what is to stop the counterfeiters from coming up with phony "biometric" IDs ?

Doesn't any country in our world use passports ? Why can't the incoming person allow his or her passport to be copied, verified and the papers relating to employment in this country be turned in to a prospective employer ?

Thing that bugs me is that Bush says we need guest workers. And unfortunately he has a part of a point there. We are rapidly reaching the point that reproduction here is lagging and retirees are multiplying, so muscle workers are needed. Then too my generation is guilty of pushing our kids into college to get enough of an education that they will never have to do manual labor or work with their hands at all. Trade schools are given the blow-off by parents.

But, just thinking, I doubt if any of us could go to work in any other country in our world as illlegal aliens, and for that matter even a visitor is forbidden to get a job in a foreign country.

So, if Congress would just get totally real, stop the inflow from south of our border and then deal sensibly with those who are here, it would help. Amnesty - schmanesty -- didn't work before, doubt it will work again.

We are in the spot we allowed ourselves to be in, here is a good PLACE TO START . . . . . . . . . .

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