Wizer looks at the SoTU #5

Item #5: Immigration

I've long thought that one difference between republicans and democrats was actually a similarity. Both wanted to open up immigration without changing immigration laws. The difference is that the dems wanted the immigrants so they could fill the rolls of the dependent class, while the republicans wanted immigrants to fill the rolls of the productive class. Either way, both really wanted the same thing, so only one outcome was guaranteed. Both parties would continue non-enforcement until one eventuality or the other was met.

I see we have a winner.

By bringing new residents in, and making it easy for them to live here without working or learning the language, the democrats got what they wanted.

From here the only win-win is to turn these residents into productive citizens. That means teaching them the language, and upgrading their productive skills. And, to make sure they pay their taxes like everyone else (which has a way of making them more intelligent voters, by the way).

You have to stop with the "citizenship gauntlet" talk. If the people are here, get them into society, and make that productive society, pronto.

In the SoTU, Obama talked about "skilled immigrants", as if those were the only ones we were interested in. A hypothetical good president would talk about increasing the skills of the immigrants who are already here.