Fox’s Proposal to Open Borders

* Re “Breathing Room for Mexico Victor,” editorial, July 23: I agree that Vicente Fox needs breathing room to air his new programs. However, his “open borders” concept is not in American interests. The United States cannot be a sponge for Mexico’s poor. The evidence is overwhelming that if the U.S. continues to tolerate large-scale illegal immigration and even larger-scale chain (family) migration from Mexico, these masses of uneducated and unskilled migrants will capsize us. An increase of 10% in new immigrants can reduce the wages of earlier immigrants by 10%, says a report from the Urban Institute in Washington.

U.S. work-force efficiency has been steadily rising in recent years and is the linchpin in today’s unprecedented growth. The surging American economy is fueled by investments in computers, information technology, telecommunications, e-commerce, bioscience, robotics, mechanized factories and other technologies that require a labor force composed of highly educated people with marketable skills. We need to end illegal immigration and abolish chain migration, a practice that allows approximately a half-million mostly uneducated and unskilled immigrants annually into this country. We should replace this newcomer segment with a Canadian-style point system that gives credit according to education and marketable skills.

MICHAEL A. SCOTT

Glendora

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Fox is calling for open borders because he apparently is displeased with the pace of the current, ongoing Mexican invasion into the U.S. The Times says, “Fox can expect opposition in some U.S. quarters.” No kidding.

While The Times may think the idea of a Greater Mexico or Mexican reconquista “is worth discussing,” loyal Americans do not. Those who treasure the independence and sovereignty of the U.S. find his offensive proposal a dangerous declaration of hostile intent against their country.

Forget about giving breathing room to Fox. It is Americans who need breathing room from the army of Mexican nationals streaming across our weakly defended southern border each and every day.

GLADYS BROWN

Riverside