Connecting some dots maybe?

Hearing reports this week on the declining birth rates in America and how this portends trouble for various programs – not the least of which is Social Security which depends on current worker’s contributions to fund present and future worker’s retirements.

I get that: #1 Social security is not enough for anyone to retire on and, #2 people will argue, “why should people working today be paying for those who have or will retire?” I guess this is a tough question and one I can’t answer except to say that we’ve always tried to take care of the older generation; it is just getting harder as people live longer.

But back to the declining birth rate and to connect a dot or two.

Immigration. Another huge issue on which there is very little bipartisanship and no easy solution(s).

Without stereotyping, I believe stats will bear out that a larger portion of our immigrant populations have larger families than the typical white American family.

Our borders are extremely porous and no tall fence or specific state laws are going to do much to stem that tide from the south as long as we (thank God!) have a somewhat thriving economy. Even at its worst, the U.S. economy makes those of most Central American countries look pretty pathetic.

Folks are going to come anyway. Why can’t we work out some sort of arrangement where they become a part of the above-ground legal economy, pay all the requisite taxes and the like and start helping with this Social Security issue?

It is not a “fix”; maybe more of a finger-in-the-dike, but it still can’t hurt to take what is happening now, is going to keep on happening, and turn at least some of it into something good.

I’ve heard figures of 10 million illegal immigrants. I don’t know how many of those already pay into the Social Security system but I’ll bet only a small portion.

My 2 cents.