My apologies for being out of communication via the blog. I have been back home in Utah this month and am now on my way to address a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Summit in Kazakhstan. I will have more on that when I return. In the meantime, I thought you might like the following:

- Immigration Crackdown Will Answer Questions

Already some business groups that hire lots of workers thought to be in the United States illegally - farmers, restaurants, janitors and construction companies - are claiming this crackdown could put them out of business, and cost legal workers their jobs, too.

During the congressional debate over immigration reform this spring that failed to produce legislation, the forces who wanted to make it easier for illegal immigrants to work here legally and eventually become citizens predicted that the U.S. economy would grind to a halt if federal officials enforced the existing statutes.

Those opposed to the reform plan that President Bush, and most of the Democratic and Republican leaders agreed to, said there were plenty of Americans willing to work, especially if the absence of illegal immigrants meant that wages would increase.

These folks also argued that if the laws were strictly enforced it would remove the incentives for undocumented immigrants to come to the United States, and that would greatly decrease the numbers trying to sneak across the border.

Well, the federal government is calling both sides’ bluff.

And although everyone has an opinion on how best to deal with illegal immigration, facts are in short supply, and anything that separates fact from fiction will, in the long run, help clarify the debate.

However, even though most everyone says they want the current law enforced, doing so will inevitably make some people - and not just the immigrants caught in the sweep - unhappy.

Certainly, those who believe that welcoming newcomers, with or without papers, is the moral thing to do for a nation composed almost entirely of immigrants will not like the laws being actually enforced.

And, if there is indeed a serious crackdown and the economy does not fall apart, then those who said the rules should be changed because the current ones are unenforceable will have to find a new rationale. Of course, if a shortage of workers does tank the economy then it will make a powerful statement about the need for reform.

And, if the strict enforcement results in a decline in the number of folks crossing the border in the dead of night, then that too will inform the debate on the issue.

Illegal immigration is a tough issue for most Americans. There is strong resentment across the country with illegal immigrants who many believe are stealing jobs from American citizens and lowering prevailing wages for all. Yet, in a nation of immigrants, there is latent sympathy for those not fortunate enough to be born in the Unites States, but who come here in search of a better life for themselves and their families.

The result of the crackdown may not be pretty, but hopefully it will generate as much light as heat.

This is true. No matter what, we will find out some answers after this crackdown. And demonstrable facts will be good for all sides of the debate.

- Fiscal Responsibility Becoming En Vogue?

I could not believe I read this in a major newspaper…

Thanks largely to economic growth spurred by the Bush tax cuts, the federal deficit continues to shrink significantly.

Now, if we could only sharply reduce the size of the federal budget, deficits would be a thing of the past and we could start paying down our debt.

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