Letters to the Editor – Weekly Issue of March 8, 2010

Love or hate illegal aliens?

Regarding the editorial, “Guest workers at a time like this?”: Our nation has a love/hate relationship with immigration.

We pride ourselves in being a nation of immigrants until periodic economic downturns occur, and then we reverse course and look to blame immigrants for stealing American jobs.

Those guest workers you are so quick to dismiss include foreign-born professionals, such as engineers who also lost their legal employment in this economic downturn.

They worked in the office down the hall from you, and fueled the economic growth of this nation before greedy financiers (more politically palatable US citizens, no doubt) brought this nation to its economic knees.

Does anyone consider the positive economic effect on depleted government coffers by taxes and Social Security payments being made if the undocumented were mainstreamed?

We do have to control our borders and protect our workforce, but that does not mean we have to stop thinking and resort to labels as a substitute for informed analysis.
Craig T. Trebilcock
Glen Rock, Pa.

Afghans need jobs

In response to the opinion piece, “What Afghanistan needs most: job creation”:

Research shows rising prosperity strongly correlates to a decrease in violent deaths. US experience as highlighted in Mark Trumbull’s “The Innovation Economy,” also shows that entrepreneurial activity drives the economic growth leading to this prosperity.

Entrepreneurs find sensible answers within the constructs of their local economies and populations, produce needed goods and services, and provide jobs in doing so, thus creating stability and prospects for prosperity.

Many service members with experience in Iraq and/or Afghanistan can attest to the power of fledgling businesses in stabilizing local economies over there.

In addition to the fundamental needs of basic security and rule of law, Afghan entrepreneurs need basic enablers such as infrastructure and a legal foundation for contract enforcement.

They also need our patience. An Afghan solution might not look like our American one.
We should remember that the entrepreneurial landscape of America’s early experiences does not resemble today’s.

Additionally, there must be access to credit. Small lines of credit in the thousands of dollars, extended to local entrepreneurs, will go much further than millions of dollars targeted at more centrally managed solutions.
Maj. Jesse Sjoberg
US Marine Corps student,
US Army Command and General Staff College
Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

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