1 Good link, but read the comments as well. AND While there are estimates of how many are here (11M), the people here today are not the same people as were here six months ago. Many work a season or two, return home to Mexico, come back again the next year. Every time the U S has tightened up the border, The illegals here have stayed instead of cycling home. They've been too afraid they wouldn't get back in the next year. Border control, in earlier attempts, didn't reduce the number here, just the rate of turnover. Those promoting tighter control address the economic impact: excluding the low wage pool will drive pay rates up until America's unemployed take the jobs (To be reflected in higher food costs, but accept that change as a correction), or until capital investment makes the work less labor intensive (Why mechanize while labor's cheap?). I think these analyses correct but incomplete. While wages and prices would reach a new equilibrium, the higher wages would be a greater incentive still, to break in to America. A year after reaching a new equilibrium in the economy, we'd reach a new equilibrium in the influx/outflux of illegal migrants. Look at the amounts they already pay to coyotes and DMV clerks. The price is commensurate with the risk. We can try to tighten up, but we won't shut it off. Illegal immigration will just have higher margins on lower volumes. And not much smaller of a pool here. Don't focus on the borders. Let people who believe the solution lays there do what they want. Spend no effort or emotion supporting or opposing. We need, more immediately, to control employment in the U S. We need, more importantly, for Mexico to develop. Economically, Industrially, Culturally. Reform of their power structures. Government, political parties, machismo raza. Vicente Fox is better than those before, and better than today's alternatives. But there's much more to do. America could face this next century with less anxiety and more security if we had a strong, healthy, respectable neighbor to the south.

2 Geez, AG, you make me blush! Ed, the problem is that right now there is no incentive for Mexico to change. Vicente Fox has even traveled to Canada with a "guest worker" proposal. We have to tighten the border. Yes, it won't stop everyone, but if we at the same time invest in making our immigration system more streamlined and responsive, then there might be an incentive to go that route to citizenship than to cross back and forth for work alone.

3 OT: We're not ignoring you, the archive and comment links in the post just above are broken.

4 Your "comment" link to Wednesday's post isn't working. Or did you already know that? Don't you know that it is cruel to taunt? Of course 'we' "miss" you. But therein lies the dilemma...'we' want you to succeed in your current endeavor and there is nothing 'we' can do about your light posting. I don't know if methadone would cover that. I figured you would get your wind in about a week or two and find enough time for three short posts a day...About the same as before. And maybe add a few replies to the comments.

5 Let me guess you are busy working for Ms. Rice, making a power point presentation for the UN, showing some mobile labs in Iran? A picture is a thousand words. That would be the only excuse you are allowed, for being behind in your blog.

6 Yes! and we are forced to scold you as best we can, just to contain our jazzed up giddy happiness for you. Because we wouldn't, you know, want you to figure that bit out. Blow our cool cover, and all. Eeek.