Denver Post, Bill Owens immigration proposal will make you laugh out loud

From the Denver Post's "Fresh ideas on immigration":

...[Colorado] Gov. Bill Owens... endorsed a plan to authorize private agencies to issue guest-worker visas to foreigners employed in the United States, concepts that will require much more study if they are to overcome skepticism and be considered by Congress.

The plan, drawn up by Helen Krieble, president of the Colorado-based Vernon K. Krieble Foundation, and former Owens administration official Greg Walcher, was unveiled in Washington as a way to get a handle on the millions of illegal immigrants who work in this country. Many work at low-paying jobs and often are exploited because of their illegal status.

The authors say the plan would provide needed labor, make tracking illegal immigrants easier and remove the incentive to sneak into the country. Illegal immigrants would have to return to their home countries, pass a background check, show they have jobs waiting, and get visas from a commercial agency before re-entering...

Owens said choosing reputable corporations such as American Express or First Data to administer the program would preclude fraud...

The whole idea is ludicrous and laughable, but the last bit made me laugh out loud. If you don't know why, click the last link. See also "Colorado unplugs online guide for illegal immigrants", "Tying up the loose ends on Colorado's guide for the illegal alien", "The Denver Post's sloppy journalism", this about Raul Hinojosa of UCLA, and this about Cindy Rodriguez. First Data was even mentioned in Chertoff promotes "Temporary Worker Program" at Senate meeting.

Apparently Bill Owens and the Denver Post think all their readers are really, really stupid.

Immigration · Fri, 12/30/2005 - 10:01 · · Importance: 1