By: Russ Friend

The illegal immigration war has been a losing battle for the U.S. economy. Taxpayers are losing tens of millions of dollars annually covering such things as health care and public education. Tens of billions of dollars are leaving the country, and being sent back to the families of our illegal citizens.

At this time, there is a great fury among GOP and Tea Party members to look for a solution, one that requires a larger, more powerful government. If this doesn’t smack of fascistic irony, then I don’t know what does.

While it is true that illegal citizens siphon off taxpayer monies for things like health care and public education, and while it’s equally true that a number of illegal immigrants are taking their income out of the country, either by sending it home, or saving it until they leave, I am 100 percent certain that there is an easy solution: allow temporary citizenship for seasonal workers and slightly increase their taxes to cover a group health insurance plan until they can provide proof that they have adequate coverage.

This way, revenue would be taxable income benefiting city, state and federal coffers. This tax revenue would help pay for the things that are currently used as talking points by the conservative socialists. The problem is that some of the political parties, as well as a portion of the general public, have bought into yet another thinly veiled attempt by the government to increase its own size and power. This is an egregious abuse, and the irony is that it’s being perpetuated by those who are most vocal about controlling the size and power of the government.

Once the government obtains the power it desires, immigration will become a non-issue and they’ll revert back to previous procedures for becoming a citizen. However, when this occurs, government will not decrease in size. Government will never willingly do this, regardless of what the corporate socialists would have us believe.

Immigration reform is an emotional issue that affects many people, either directly or indirectly. The long-term ramifications of illegal immigration may adversely affect the quality of life of an entire nation. For that reason, it is imperative that a fundamentally sound approach is taken, an approach that creates a positive resolution to this complex problem and benefits the citizens as well as immigrants.

Unfortunately, many people are caught up in an emotional storm. They aren’t able to see through the fog that’s obscuring their objectivity. It is essential that we bring clarity to this issue before steps can be taken to ensure that healthy immigration reform is realized. It is possible to find a reform that benefits all of us.