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Taxpayers get chance to speak on immigration

Bluffton Today

August 15, 2006

Sometimes, the system works.

It worked Friday night in Bluffton, where U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson hosted a town hall meeting to discuss illegal immigration.

There has been much hand-wringing in Washington, D.C., concerning illegal immigration. The House passed a bill, then the Senate did likewise. But it seems clear at this point that no one has a solution to a problem that is discussed at every water cooler in the nation.

So Wilson- as did many other members of the U.S. House of Representatives- scheduled a meeting to hear how his constituents feel about the issue.

Imagine, a politician who sits in what the Founding Fathers called the "house of the people," actually listening to the people.  Of course, it doesn't hurt that Wilson is up for re-election.  (We'll know the system really works when politicians work hard to hear your opinion when their election isn't looming.)

It's not enough for Wilson to call a meeting, however.  The other side of the equation is public participation.  That what made Friday's meeting so meaningful; more than 250 people turned out to learn and to make their feelings known.  This, despite the fact that a storm was raging and it was Friday night.

People are passionate about illegal immigration.  A lot of folks feel very strongly that illegal immigrants have too many privileges in this country.  They say that being an American citizen and lifelong taxpayer must count for something.

There are complicated issues that must be worked out, things like amnesty, "anchor babies" and proper documentation.  There are no obvious answers.

But there are answers.  And the best way to find them is to ask the people who are supposed to run this country: the taxpayers.  Wilson took a step in that direction Friday night.