Paul Krugman was in top form in the Fleishman Commons last night, and it was refreshing to hear some of his ideas in person; Q & A with him provided much more nuance than I’ve found in some of his columns.

Of special interest to me was his commentary (strong opposition) to the proposed Guest Worker program. Krugman made the argument that the short term rights granted to ‘guest workers’ would ultimately create a permanent second class in America. Dealing constructively with immigration is a progressively important topic for American cities, higher ed and other institutions.
Community colleges in North Carolina currently face a legal challenge against their policy of not allowing illegal immigrants to attend (see http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/814224.html ). Richard Florida (the Rise of the Creative Class / http://creativeclass.com/ ) points out that tolerance for immigration is a vital element for new growth in cities.