Mexican lemonade

Everyone wins
We have the very distressing situation where our neighbors to the South are in need of work with an improved wage and are tempted to sneak across our borders to help improve the lives of their families. The desire of many of our residents is to slow the influx but this is like trying to hold back a huge river. You can build a dam but you can never stop the river. However, we can control much of it by allowing an outlet or weir to relieve the pressure and in turn control a portion of the flow.In the case of the flow of so many across our border from the South efforts to construct a dam would require huge numbers of troops to block the border. We have other tools available to us and the first tool is to define the problem. The problem involves the desire for income so our solution involves satisfying that desire in a way that is advantages to our nation and results in a team effort with our neighbors to develop an income producing program that controls the immigration. In the process we might build a system that competes with exporting countries who have an advantage of cheaper labor.I believe the government should endorse and encourage "Free Work Zones" along the border. These Free Work zones would be something like the Free Trade Zones established throughout the US that give industries tax breaks related to imports.A free work zone would be an agricultural or industrial park near the border where companies that can use low wage labor could establish farms and manufacturing plants to hire nonresidents. The area would be fenced and guarded so that the workers could enter from the Mexico side, register and be assigned work or work into steady employment with an established business. They would work short weeks with longer shifts or as a product might require which gives them time to go back home and visit their families.Such a project would accomplish several things.Mexidans could work and not have to try to sneak into the USA for employment.Mexicans could earn a higher rate of income and still be near the border of Mexico with time to go home to their families and take money to them.These two advantages would reduce the pressure of illegal immigration and give the Mexican what he wants with more convenience.Minimum wage laws must be adhered to.Time is required to set up the project and get companies to participate. The Free Trade Zones took a little time but they were successful.Housing must be set up for the workers but it can be rented to them and will pay for itself.A special tax rate could be established for workers going there because they would be saving the USA money in enforcement.They would not participate in SSI.Good workers who take courses and desire to become citizens could be worked into our system with controlled arrangements.States that are not adjacent to borders would not be in favor of such a project because it might reduce the numbers of cheap laborers going to their states illegally so it must be proposed to and supported by the Governors and congresspeople of adjacent states.We are dealing with a problem of hundreds of thousands of poor people struggling to survive and they want to sneak into our country for income.The problem is their need for income so the solution is to provide a source of income that will benefit our country. With a Free Labor Zone everyone wins.The President has tried to get support for registering illegals and providing temporary work permits and this approach would also reduce the huge numbers of illegals so our immigration service can concentrate on fewer illegals who want to enter the country for other purposes. I do not oppose the Presidents plan and it might be helpful in addition to the Free Work Zone and both would accomplish the same goal of reducing the numbers of illegals so our agents can be more effective.

A Divine Bullet for New Orleans

I heard a talk show this morning where the question was raised about the aid offered to rebuild New Orleans and the show host offered the comment that it would be better to give everyone a pile of money to move on rather than rebuild New Orleans. (The infrastructure).
I do not see that happening. However, there is a problem developing that is not being explained to the folks who are returning to their homes.
We are told that most of the flooded homes must be destroyed and rebuilt because of mildew, fungus and other damage. Many of these homes are older and of a reasonable value and housed many low income families. When these houses are rebuilt they must meet the current standards of constuction, current codes and will be constructed at current costs of labor.
The good folks who moved out of the old houses will now be found unable to qualify for the mortgages required to build the new houses. This is a major problem that will effect the people long after the press has gone and there will be heartache and shock. Rentals will also be much more expensive.
Giving these folks money to move on to areas where they can purchase more moderate housing might be the fairest offer yet suggested.
What will happen to New Orleans? The mayor has a plan for a Las Vegas style community and that might happen by default.