Both the Republican party and the city of Bellingham should sit up and realize what our Whatcom County Council has already realized. It's not a continuous fence along the Mexican border that we need. What I believe we need is for all employers in this country, including the city of Bellingham, to verify employment eligibility for all new hires using E-verify online!

Seventeen states are requiring it of all employers, public and private. Nine additional require all state agencies and public contractors to use it. In this state, Clark, Pierce, Yakima, Lewis and Whatcom counties, plus cities such as Lakewood, Centralia, Chehalis, Napaville, Longview, Camas, Yakima and Vancouver are using it.

And, thanks to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, it just might already be having the desired affect. In "Crying wolf" in the Nov. 19 edition, "The Economist" reports the manning and monitoring build-ups along our Mexican border appearing, suddenly, to be getting the job done.

The article mentions our weak economy and Mexico's falling birth rates as potential additional contributors to the reduced incursions. E-verify online, however, could be the major player here. Either-way, Republican candidates and our city and state need to get with E-verify.

Terry Montonye

Bellingham