Undocumented migrants pay “billions” in taxes
April 16, 2008
It appears the stereotype of the “free-ride” may need to be rethought. Some undocumented migrants may even be paying more taxes than they should. Click here for the story.
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This is NOT new, but thanks for the reminder anyway. Some people just don’t want to hear the truth.
“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” (Mk 4:9)
I often bring this up also. To be fair though it is a mixed bag. THough some parts of the Govt might be getting taxes the local govt and especially some health care agencies are overwhelmed and have true hard fianancial burdens.
It is indeed one of the complexties that has to be delat with
Good points, jh. I think it’s notable that undocumented migrants also pay the sales tax on particular goods (this varies, of course, state to state).
The sales tax issue is important. Which is one reason I think states with a more sales tax base rather than income fare a tad better. Even though many of these workers are saving a good bit and it is not exactly being spent.
I think part of the solution is that we are going to have to return to a a supervised circular migration. I am not sure how this will work but I think for this to get through some low cost temp Health Insurance that the employer , perhaps various employers could be in a pool.
It is going to be tough to make the legislative sasuage by it were to get it out of congress but I expect this will be a part of it
If you search, you can find on the net, various articles that aim at a complete picture
of contributions versus drains on the economy through social services by illegal immigrants. Your article only addressed contributions…not drains. And thus we have no idea of a net figure after contributions and drains. I link to no article because who can vouch for accuracy in an area wherein partisanship is strong on both sides. But the concept of articles that address the complete picture is an important one reagardless of who does it best. PEW would garner trust from both sides if they approached this topic.
Any estimate of how much $$$$ they sent to Teguchigalpa, etc. as compared to 4% sales taxes paid to the county/state on whatever they buy?
I need to know: Do undocumented migrants, in their abject bitterness, also cling to god and guns like rural citizens that vote against their interests? And, now that they are in America, is it also for them the first time they have felt any pride in America?
Glad you covered this, P. I was going to post on it and saw you did. Great!
This certainly jives with what I see around me from people I know.
Any estimate of how much $$$$ they sent to Teguchigalpa, etc. as compared to 4% sales taxes paid to the county/state on whatever they buy?
They cannot use their earned wages in the manner in which they choose? And why Honduras?
Do undocumented migrants, in their abject bitterness, also cling to god and guns like rural citizens that vote against their interests?
I have never met an undocumented migrant in “abject bitterness.” When Katerina and I dropped off three hundred pounds of rice at Casa Juan Diego, a number of men came to assist us to move their food. They were joyful and appreciative.
And, now that they are in America, is it also for them the first time they have felt any pride in America?
You would have to ask them. I suppose your desire to know the answer will prompt you to speak with them.
P., It’s that I believe, and don’t have verification, that ‘they’ send more money home than they pay in taxes.
I like the sound of the name of that town. But, thanks for the geography lesson.
The rest of it referred to molochite idols.
From what I’ve heard here in California, the main problem is when the illegal immigrant population becomes ghettoized into smaller towns, as has happened in some places in Southern California. Because less is collected for local taxes, it leads to a breakdown in local infrastructure. This isn’t so much a problem in cities, where illegal immigrants are just part of a much larger population, and where there are more businesses that pay local taxes. That’s just one of the many reasons I think an expanded guest worker program is badly needed, as well as an amnesty, so people don’t resort so often to the quite dangerous illegal crossings.
At least we’re much better off than the situation in France, for example, where they do not have citizenship by birth right automatically (instead, there’s a series of often confusing guidelines) leading to inflammatory situations like the recent riots.
T. Since when are all illegal immigrants Hispanic or from Honduras? Would you have less of a problem with ‘them’ if they were, let’s say, Irish (because there are many as well)?
Most Americans are in dire need of geography lessons.
Your third comment… well, you understand.