In Paul Westrum’s letter to the editor dated June 4, he questioned where I get my news. He most likely is wondering why I have such good common-sense answers to the problems this country is having. I have gone to meetings where candidates are running for some office and have suggested they do what I do.

I drive by some backwoods bar around 9 a.m. and see which old codgers are standing there waiting for the bar to open. I return to the bar about 2 p.m. and start talking to these elderly gentlemen who have been sitting there all day solving the world problems. You know they have been solving problems their whole life and they are not talking about how to get re-elected instead. You would be surprised how many of their solutions make sense. The only problem is to get these bills through a far-right Republican-run Congress.

Right now the issue they are trying to solve is the immigration problem. This is so simple to solve the far-right Republicans will never go along with it. The reason most of those illegals come here is for work. All you have to do is give every employer six months to check out their workers to see if they are legal. Give all illegals six months to get a work permit. After that when an employer gets caught hiring an illegal worker, they are fined big time.

It makes sense to fine them because you know they have money and can pay their fines. The way it is now they throw the worker in jail where we pay for their housing, meals and medical needs, etc. Put bounty hunting back in practice. Every bounty hunter that turns in someone who is working illegally gets half of the fine. This is a sure way of getting them turned in. Make it so illegals are eligible to collect bounties. They will turn in their own brother for the money. They know better than anyone else who is working illegally and where they are working. This would also help the unemployment problem because it would open up jobs for legal workers who can’t find a job. This solution will never pass because it makes to much sense.

This far-right Congress will never pass it because they or their friends are hiring most of these illegals. So, Paul, let me know the next time you’re going to a bar. I’ll try to meet you there and buy you a beer. Maybe you will learn something.

 

Wayne Thorson
Albert Lea