Andrew Friedman

Throwing money at a problem

High-tech expensive solutions to complex problems are in. The high-tech wall along the border with Mexico is estimated to cost 6 billion dollars. Newly mandated REAL-ID cards will include "smart" technology, and will come at a cost of 11 billion dollars, according to a recent report by the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

Down in Washington, there was a lot of talk about fancy sensors and cameras on the wall, or new data storage capacity of "smart" identification cards, but not a lot of circumspection about why immigrants are coming to the United States.

Let's assume that most people come to the US for economic opportunity. It would follow, then, that promoting economic opportunities in the home countries of most immigrants would help stem the tide of immigrants. Or the government could invest in labor law enforcement to take away the incentive to employ and exploit undocumented workers here in the US.

Istead, Congress is busy treating symptoms and ignoring root causes.

It is a recipe for failure, and a maddeningly expense one at that.

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Posted at 8:08 AM, Oct 09, 2006 in Immigration
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