Taxes are an important part of the immigration debate

 

Taxes are an important part of the immigration debate, but overlooked by the media commentators to date.

Assessing and collecting taxes on illegal immigrants can help reconcile the immigration debate in a number of ways.

Illegal immigrants will emerge from the underground economy and become taxpayers like legal Americans and contribute their fair share towards government services which they surely use like schools, hospitals and more.

The U.S. and state governments will raise needed revenues to help reduce budget deficits. Governments are not winning voters in the short-term, as you must be a citizen to vote. 

Unfortunately, companies will incur higher wage costs by adding payroll and income tax withholding to the mix. Immigrants will still probably accept lower wages and companies will be happy to have these needed workers. 

U.S. resident and citizen employees will enjoy a more level playing field, as they are burdened with payroll and income tax withholding too.  Now illegal immigrant workers will also pay payroll and income taxes.

Taxes can certainly level the playing field on many accounts. 

Not addressing a solution for the ever growing illegal worker pool in the U.S. hurts everyone; the government, employees and employers.

Consumers must share some responsibility here. If you demand low prices with an emerging market purchase dividend, then understand why companies outsource and import from emerging markets. If you engage an illegal worker and pay cash to get a better deal, you are directly involved.

Can you deport 11 million illegal immigrant workers without great cost and disruption? Immigrants built this country and you should thank them for your savings on purchases attributable to their low costs; it’s a tax refund of sorts.

Illegal immigration is a tough issue to solve and bringing taxes into the mix should help deal with the issue.

Comments

[Thomas]

“It seems to me that policies which are content to create an ‘image’ of a benevolent and peace-loving America are valueless, because they lack the depth and the seriousness of motivation which are absolutely necessary for constructive action in a world crisis. Confronted with the difficult task of ‘assuming world leadership’ in a world from which it has remained traditionally and by preference isolated, America seems to have reacted with adolescent panic and truculence. Hostility, unpopularity and totally unsympathetic criticism have proved to be a serious test of the American political ideology.

Faced by the supercilious contempt of friends as well as the hatred of our avowed enemies, and wondering what there is in us to hate, we have considered ourselves and found ourselves quite decent, harmless and easygoing people who only ask to be left alone to make money and have a good time. The keystone of our admittedly nebulous optimism is that if everyone is left alone to take care of his own interests, the laws of economics will benignly take care of the needs of all, and anyone who is not a slacker can get rich. But this philosophy of life is questioned, and when it is questioned we also are forced to examine our beliefs. And when we examine them we find we are not too sure just what they are. We tend to operate on sentiments of good will or civilization rather than on deeply based convictions.“

From Peace in the Post-Christian Era by Thomas Merton

(Orbis Books: Maryknoll, New York, 2004) Page18.

[Bob]

It is remarkable how "beyond reasonable" we have been with the illegal immigrants. Don’t think so? Find someone who supports this issue and ask them for their address and a key. (Actually the key isn’t necessary, just their address will do.) Tell them you'll be over to hang out, stay for dinner and sleep on the couch. Tell them that if you really like their place you’ll invite your kids to stay, and who knows, you might just stay indefinitely. Offer to do some housework, or cut the lawn (jobs you they don't really like to do). Don’t forget to offer to put some change into their cookie jar every so often to defray expenses. And assure them you will work very hard to earn an ownership interest in their home!

If they support the illegal immigration they shouldn't mind you as an unannounced house guest! Don’t think you’ll find any takers? Add in a part about being out of work, and down on your luck, and desperate. That should do the trick.

This analogy brings illegal immigration out of the sympathy/charity framing given in the media, into the real issue of private property rights, which most people understand all too well. The supporters would like you to think (and maybe they believe) these two camps are mutually exclusive, which of course they are not. If they were the rule of law would cease to exist: any law could be trumped by a bigger problem.

At a deeper level illegal immigration is a new twist on an old theme. At its core is someone else trying to tell you how they would like (you) to spend your money? The argument goes: people who have it can't be trusted to spend it in the most socially responsible manner (we can imagine), so we (the illuminated) will ordain the best use of (your) property.

Unfortunately, in the absence of leadership, the illegal immigration issue is really just another act in the boring play between the more socialistic members of the society and the more self-reliant. The poor Mexicans are just a foil for the scene to be played out. America has much more to offer Mexico and the world than this.

[quepebype]

hello administrators of site greentrader.typepad.com I not so a long ago settled in Newport News
and so, that I divided with valuable a man, Corona- Simonon, and now try to find him, last that I know so it that he lives in citi, and often vi
sits the resources of type your greentrader.typepad.com, in a network has the name Daviesson
, if suddenly will see this nik write that this man knocked in my icq . I very much I strongly test a boredom without socializing with this man.To reason wanted to say thank you and to wish successes to the command your resource. So to hold boys. Only little request of,sdelayte that your resource was accessible more pochasche

[Beelcobejok]

I am sorry, that has interfered... At me a similar situation. I invite to discussion.