Immigration: A Modest Proposal

- Don't pass a law now. There's no consensus in Congress and any kind of compromise that might emerge from conference would likely be a monstrosity of pieces that don't work together. (The most probably result would be the Cheap Labor Lobby would get what they wanted in terms of more immigration while succeeding in debilitating enforcement provisions, so we get 1986 all over again).

- Instead, fight the November 2006 election over immigration. Then, in 2007, the winners of the election get to do whatever they got a mandate to do.

Now, that's representative government!

Unfortunately, that's not what we have in America today, due to the hyper-sophistication of gerrymandering, so this will never ever happen. Few members of the House want to risk their seats on a single issue, even one with the overwhelming long-term importance of immigration. Today, House districts are crafted so precisely that, unless his mistress winds up dead, as unluckily happened to former Rep. Gary Condit, or he gets carried away taking bribes, as happened to former Rep. Duke Cunningham, a member of the House has a good chance of occupying his seat through retirement. The idea of asking voters to make their decision based on a single crucial issue is anathema to our ruling class.

My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer