Reader Elmer sends a page image [pdf] from today's Corning Leader, where Eric Massa has a letter to the editor about immigration reform. Massa's position is interesting, because he opposes mass amnesty, yet he supports a guest worker program using visas issued by US embassies in the workers' home country.
Massa's proposal satisfies two constituencies that have been vocal about reform. The first is the anti-amnesty group, which is enraged by the prospect of millions of illegal immigrants "jumping the line" and being granted citizenship. The second is farmers, who need temporary workers to harvest crops. Massa's suggestion provides them with a stream of workers, and it also would do away with holding the farmers responsible for investigating the immigration status of workers they employ.
One of the interesting aspects of the Massa candidacy, which is pretty unique in American politics, is Massa's willingness to strike imaginative, independent positions on tough issues. Today's letter is one example.