LABRADOR: Right about immigration

I read with dismay the letter from Carolyn Cooke in Wednesday’s letters column. I feel she is totally wrong in her views.

Congressman Raul Labrador’s statements as reported in Tuesday’s newspaper does not mention amnesty nor does it make mention of any new “pathways to citizenship” for illegals and states that a new guest worker program is needed so that people who are here illegally may work, be registered and pay taxes. Congressman Labrador advocates a guest worker program that has been shown to work in other countries and would work here also.

The problem is that many millions of people have been allowed to make their way here illegally in the past, the problem exists, and every day it gets worse. Our borders are not secure. This he is agreed needs to be fixed and the flood of illegals needs to be stopped; he is working and representing his constituents by advocating reform. What we have now is not working and as he has proposed the immigration system needs to be modernized and fixed. Citizens should and can vote for whatever they want; legal immigration leads to citizenship. If “new” citizens vote for socialism, grant themselves more taxpayer benefits and are granted access to Social Security and Medicare benefits at least they will be helping to pay for them, which they are not doing now.

JOHN W. REARDON

Coeur d’Alene