The Milwaukee Post

September 18, 2015 • Milwaukee County Post • 9 OPINION By JOHN TORINUS When the rhetoric on immigration dies down after the presidential campaigns in late 2016, the nation will need to get serious about resolving the issue. It is untenable to have 11 million people floating in political no-man's land. (The 2017 dialogue will not include a wall on the Canadian border as a "legitimate issue," per Gov. Scott Walker. That non-issue was DOA.) We, as a nation, will have to temper the heated ideology on immigration with a com- promise up the middle. The polarization that divides us will have to give way to prob- lem-solving. Is there a middle ground that would work? Let's work through it. On the far right with Walker, Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Ann Coulter, the primal political fear is that 11 or 12 million illegal immigrants (both numbers are thrown around) would vote Democratic if given citi- zenship and would become burdens on our society. Neither of those propo- sitions is a sure thing, but let's deal with the political imperative to deal with those con- cerns. Ditto for the chorus from the right that wants a more secure southern border. The left-wing candi- dates like Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders want a quick route to citizenship. They want the Hispanic vote in 2016 and they want to build the Democratic base for future elections. In the middle are business managers, many of whom say they need the immigrant workers, both legal and illegal. Walker, who wants to throttle back even legal immigra- tion, isn't listening to them. His tin ear does- n't hear the state's dairy farmers, who depend heavily on immigrant labor. Businesses want both low-skill workers and high-skill workers who come to the states on H-B1 visas. Those guest workers are critical to growth in some companies. It is beyond debate that smart, hardwork- ing immigrants have propelled the economy since the country's founding. Today, their ranks include dynamic entrepreneurs and top executives, particularly in the high-tech sector. With that wide-ranging political frame- work, a pragmatic middle ground to a mid- dle ground presents itself: ■ Provide work permits (green cards) to existing illegal immigrants who are employed and law-abiding. (Mass deporta- tion would be a disaster in human and finan- cial terms.) Stop short of full citizenship that would legitimatize illegal entry and give illegals the vote. ■ Put up the funds to seal the border to avoid increases in illegal entry. Use technol- ogy to make that happen. ■ Continue the long-standing practice of granting citizenship to children of illegal immigrants. Their birthright status is pro- tected by the 14th Amendment. There is no certainty that those offspring will attach to one party or the other. The two parties will have to make their cases to win them as they mature. ■ Reset the rules to give priority to smart, well-educated foreigners who can stimulate our economy. Expand H-B1 quotas from the current 85,000 total. Give green cards and a path to citizenship to foreign graduates in STEM disciplines from U.S. colleges and universities. ■ Keep the flow of legal immigrants at current levels, partly to offset declining birth rates here, party to alleviate the mas- sive refugee flood in war-torn parts of the world. As with any compromise, such a middle- ground plan will make no one completely happy. But it offers a pragmatic answer to a problem that demands a solution. (John Torinus is chairman of the board of Serigraph Inc. in West Bend and blogs regu- larly at www.johntorinus.com.) Up the middle when it comes to immigration Torinus Last week's question It's near the time municipal and other governmental bodies hold public budget hearings.Which sacred budget cow should not be touched or which should get the ax? The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation should get the ax. Gov. Scott Walker and the Republicans don't know how to oper- ate a loan company. They are costing the taxpayers millions in bad loans, which have not been repaid. The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program and the EPA should be rein- stated with full control and funding.We need to keep our wetlands, recreation areas, lakes and streams. Also, our counties should have the right to force the oil companies to have insurance when they run pipelines through the state. — Marilyn Faucett Franklin *** All budgets, especially government budgets, can be cut by at least 10 per- cent. I say cut them by 5 percent, except for two departments: the city of Milwaukee Police Department, give them an additional 5 percent or 10 per- cent to try to get this crime under con- trol, and the county Sheriff 's Department, give them an additional 5 or 10 percent to help the Police Department. Make government act like private. — Noah Borkenhagen Franklin *** I say cut that trolley car or cable car or whatever they're calling it, going from downtown to Brady Street. It's just going nowhere. Since you can't change it or move it around or alter its route, I say get rid of that. That sounds really good to me. — Michael Bordo Milwaukee *** I would like to nominate our Milwaukee County Parks for "sacred cow" status. They were created during the time of Socialist leadership by peo- ple who valued quality of life and the common good.Those ideas seem to be forgotten today, especially at budget time when parks monies are perennial- ly slashed and partially restored only after much public outcry. It has come to be an annual ritual. We all need to connect with Earth and its beauty. It is how we grow our souls. Not everyone can afford to visit the national parks or travel abroad, but everyone can enjoy the green legacy of our nearby parks. Instead of their cur- rent stepchild status, let's elevate them to sacred cows! — Sandy Sue Szanderek Bay View This week's question What do you think of Gov. Scott Walker's suggestion to abolish federal unions? OR On the lighter side, what did you enjoy at this weekend's Doors Open Milwaukee? Editor's note: When responding to the Question of the Week, please include your full name with spelling, phone number and city where you live. Phone numbers will not be published. Anonymous responses are no longer accepted by the publication. Call 744- 6370, Ext. 15 and leave a brief answer. Readers may also send an email with a brief answer to: dmuck@conleynet.com. Question of the week Send your letters to: The Milwaukee Post, c/o Dan Muckelbauer, 3397 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53207, or by email to: dmuck@conleynet.com. We reserve the right to edit letters for style, length and clarity. Letters should be typewritten or printed and include full name, phone number and address. Please keep your letters to no more than 400 words. Letters policy After almost all the rhetoric fades, nation will be left with a question

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