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Chance for immigration reform even after election

If you believe all the tough campaign talk about securing the border, including Gov. Rick Perry's latest ad, you'd think the immigration debate will conclude with a fence on the U.S.-Mexico border and nothing more.

But that may not be the case when you get beyond the sound bites of these congressional and state races.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, for example, told us last week Washington can't afford to stop at securing the border. Lawmakers, she said, need to work on a comprehensive plan after the elections.

It would include a guest worker program allowing more foreign workers to earn work visas.

Ms. Hutchison and Republican Rep. Mike Pence have crafted such a plan, which some believe can bring together those who want only to batten down the border with those who say security alone won't stop illegal immigration.

Ms. Hutchison is not alone. Dallas Rep. Jeb Hensarling, a conservative's conservative, told us that he remains open to some kind of guest worker program.

Even Mr. Perry says he would "advocate a guest worker program, but would want to look at the details first."

Texas is not the only place where voters can see and hear interesting wrinkles in the immigration debate.

In key races, some of the security-only talkers trail their opponents, according to recent polls.

That includes Indiana, where GOP Rep. John Hostetler, one of Congress' toughest, is sharply behind.

Tamar Jacoby of the Manhattan Institute explains the phenomenon this way: "Tough talk may be popular, but it doesn't mean voters are against comprehensive reform or are against candidates who want comprehensive reform."

In other words, there's a chance for a real solution to our immigration crisis, once you get past all the barking on the campaign trail.

Wal-Mart might be right catalyst

We're seeing an example, maybe it's a rare example (you decide), of an American "big business" helping out the little guy.

At a time when our federal and state governments aren't doing much to help control the ever-increasing costs of prescription medicine, or health care in general, one of the nation's biggest companies has stepped up and dramatically lowered its prices.

Last week, Wal-Mart announced it will expand its program of $4 prescriptions for generic drugs throughout 15 states. Texas is among them. El Paso is included.

The program was initiated in Florida and covers a month's supply of 143 generic drugs, in a variety of dosages, for $4 apiece.

Critics say this is just a stunt to get customers into their stores.

Perhaps. Actually, probably. But a $4 prescription is a great deal when one can figure the same drug is likely to cost $40, or $140, somewhere else.

Wal-Mart's Web site shows the company has 3,900 stores in the U.S. and another 2,700 in more than a dozen other countries. It purchases the goods it sells in such large lots that, as some critics may exaggerate, it can almost name the price it will pay its suppliers per lot of product. In any case, it's a lower price than smaller companies, who buy in smaller lots, generally must pay.

Thus, companies that buy in tremendous bulk can sell cheaper.

Thus, they can likely come out ahead in the long run, such as Wal-Mart selling its prescription drugs for $4 a monthly dosage.

What might happen here, and we hope it does, is other large companies following suit. Already Target Corp., the country's No. 2 discounter behind Wal-Mart, has said it would match the Florida prescription prices.

In some cases, it's not good for a local economy when one large retailer can sell products at such low prices that the smaller retailers, including the mom and pops, go out of business because they cannot compete. It means consumers have fewer choices of where to shop.

In this case, though, such a great deal on prescription medicine helps everyone.

We hope this move proves to be a catalyst in forcing private business, including the large prescription-drug companies, to bring down what are now outrageously high prices in the health care and prescription medicine fields.

-- El Paso Times