Fallon Holds Town Hall Meeting in Des Moines - Focus on Immigration

Friday, March 28, 2008

Des Moines, IA. - Congressional candidate Ed Fallon held a town hall meeting in Des Moines on Friday, March 28th to talk about immigration reform. The event took place this morning at the Fallon for Congress headquarters.

Fallon believes we need comprehensive immigration reform beyond border security, workplace enforcement and fixing an inadequate legal-immigration bureaucracy.

Fallon says, “Whatever we do, it is simply naïve to think that we can effectively address the problem by just doing things on our side of the border –immigration reform invariably necessitates hard work on both sides of a border. “

Fallon says, “First, we need fair trade, not NAFTA and similar so-called ‘free’ trade agreements. We also need development policies that reduce the incentive for people to come here illegally. Finally, we need to pressure Mexico and other countries for policies that better manage population growth and that assure fair wages, good working conditions, and safe environmental laws. “

Fallon notes that when the European Union was being conceptualized, there were many critics in wealthier nations worried that open borders there would result in a flood of immigrant workers from poorer nations. To head off the problem, they made a major investment of funds in the poorer countries in order to stimulate job growth.

Fallon says, “I would support a renegotiation of NAFTA that would provide for a similar fund for Mexico in exchange for changes in Mexican law and institutions that would allow the income of Mexican workers to grow as their economy grows. These would include guarantees for trade unions, enforceable minimum wages, and an increase in education, and other social spending.”

“Big business – in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada – has a stake in maintaining the status quo,“ says Fallon. “But for average workers, the status quo is disastrous. As your congressman I will work for real solutions that will improve the lives of average citizens both here and across our borders. “

“I really appreciate hearing the public's thoughts on immigration reform," says Fallon. "It's critical that we have an open and straightforward dialogue about this and other issues facing our nation," he said.

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