Op-Ed

How I would handle the America's immigration problem

"Fools rush in"
A non-partisan 9-11 type Commission is what we need
for Americas' Immigration Problem.

By Jeff Beatty

Chain Saw Surgery. What's the rush? All Americans will have to live with the consequences and the price tag of whatever our partisan politicians rush through the Senate and the House so they can go on their summer vacation. How we resolve the problem of illegal aliens will affect our national security and economic welfare for the rest of our lives and for generations to come.

Again, what's the rush? Our illegal immigration problem is chronic, not acute. It does not require emergency chain saw surgery. It took 20 years since the last Amnesty bill to get to this point and most of these same politicians are to blame for that. If we allow the immigration issue to be "in-play" for the 2008 election cycle, then it will be a political football and the interests of the country will likely come behind political interests.

Appoint a non-partisan or bi-partisan commission similar to the 9-11 Commission9-11 type Immigration Planning Commission. I suggest that instead of rushing through a bill that many Americans are suspicious of, let's take the time to get it right. The problem solving process is usually, select a team of experts to study the problem and make recommendations. We did it after 9-11, we did it with an Iraq Study Group but we simply haven't done right with Immigration.

Here is my proposal. First, appoint a non-partisan or bi-partisan commission similar to the 9-11 Commission. Charge the Commission to develop an immigration policy that addresses the needs of the United States - not the needs of any outside entity or alien. Needs like qualified health care professionals, engineers, and all other categories of labor that we need to benefit our citizens and our economy. The Commission should also recommend tools like acceptable "hard to counterfeit" ID cards and the Commission should address needed reorganization like government staffing levels to process the number of visa applications and ID cards we will have to handle.

Make the Commission report back in December 2008 - after the November Presidential, Senate and House electionsThe Commission should also address fees to be charged for the process so the burden is not on the taxpayer but on the applicant. Let's have the Commission hold hearings in every State to let the people be heard. I suggest we make the Commission report back in December 2008 - after the November Presidential, Senate and House elections. That will allow lawmakers and a new President the ability to act on the Commission recommendations with an election right behind them, not right in front of them (interestingly such a commission was appointed in the 1990's, headed by Barbara Jordan ((D - Texas)) but its recommendations have been largely ignored).

Fools rush in. There is an old saying "you want it bad, you get it bad". A well thought out plan proposed by the Immigration Planning Commission will be better than a hastily slapped together, heavily amended, middle of the night, smoke filled room bill, assembled by non-experts that Americans rightly do not want. What's the rush?

A non-partisan 9-11 type Commission is what we need for Americas' Immigration Policy.

Jeff Beatty is a nationally recognized security expert who has formed an exploratory committee to run against John Kerry for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in 2008. Contact Jeff Beatty 774-722-4077