In my travels today, I was fortunate to be able to speak with a man named Scott at a cigar store in Conroe, Texas. Scott demonstrated to me a level of wisdom that most political analysts wouldn’t give the average voter credit for. Scott has done a lot of thinking about the issues our country faces and has come to the conclusion that, while he doesn’t want to be President, he could fix a lot of our problems if he was crowned King for two years.
Scott’s first plan dealt with government spending and reducing the deficit. Within the first ninety days of his reign, Scott would call on all of the government’s agencies to cut three percent from their spending budget without a loss in services. Any department head or agency director who told him that it couldn’t be done would be fired on the spot and replaced. It was Scott’s feeling that if a business could determine ways to cut waste without impacting their business, then the government should be able to do the same.
King Scott then took it upon himself to solve the immigration problem. Scott approaches immigration from the mindset that there needs to be a balance between the rule of law and compassion for immigrants’ plight. He relayed to me that if he was in the shoes of many immigrants, he too would cross the border illegally for the good of his family. However, he also realizes that a country can’t allow that to happen, nor can they give illegal immigrants special treatment on the way to citizenship.
Scott’s plan for immigration would entail instituting a system that would require immigrants to buy a residency card from the government. That card would cost $1500 dollars annually and could be bought by the individual or by a company that wanted to hire them. That card wouldn’t make them eligible for any benefits, but it would allow them to live here, work, and pay taxes as they waited in line for citizenship.
Scott’s plan might not be perfect, but it was refreshing and uplifting to talk with an ordinary citizen who has thought so deeply about the issues facing our nation. Scott recognizes the need for immigrants as well as the importance of the rule of law. He realizes that a just immigration policy will balance compassion and understanding with the law and justice. I would welcome our 2016 candidates to abandon the buzzwords and embrace a more thoughtful approach to one of the most complex issues facing our nation.
Frank Cannon is the president of American Principles in Action.
