Populists, Beware! [WSJ Pro-Illegal Op Ed has Two Trillion Dollar error]

The Wall Street Journal ^ | April 1, 2006 | EDWARD GILLESPIE

[devolve]

[Redbob]

I think you're wrong also:
That chart shows a positive $80K input for immigrants "overall", but for immigrants having less than a high-school education - i.e., the typical wetback - the figure is a net drain, -$13K.

But this is a good find: the WSJ is lying by omission in lumping in such immigrants as college-educated Europeans, Indians, and Pakistanis, along witht he hundreds of thousands of illegals from just to the south of us.

[Plutarch]

...immigrants having less than a high-school education - i.e., the typical wetback - the figure is a net drain, -$13K.

No, it is a net drain of $89,000. The -$13,000 figure is a sum of the -$89,000 of the original immigrant, and the supposed $76,000 positive contribution of his descendants (an estimate based on the historical performance of pre-1965, mainly European, immigrants, BTW).

Gillespie specifically states that the positive $80,000 figure is of the immigrant himself, not including his descendents.

[dixiechick2000]

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!

[Stultis]

Although... I'm a moderate on the immigration issue, oppposed to the felonizing approach of the House bill which I consider extreme, damaging to conservatism and the Republican party in the long run, and bad policy.

Although... I'm more in line with the WSJ position.

Both (all) sides on the issue need fact checking, and on both (all) sides it's far, far, far too rare. So, good work.

[Paul Ross]

This taxpayer cost in the illegal immigration issue is no small matter, and the author has no means of defending the true $89,000 cost in the source he cites. The Wall Street Journal needs to be held to task for this two trillion dollar mistake and publish a correction without delay.

Bump! The WSJ is at war with Main Street. Must be something in the water in New York City...

[Little Ray]

Dunno. I'd trade illegals for trial lawyers... whatever their issues illegals are far less destructive than trial lawyers.
Tell Mexico we'll give green cards to 10 illegals for every American trial lawyers they'll take off our hands...

[Paul Ross]

I should also comment that I take anything from certain mercentaries on "K-Street", such as the following lobbyists with more than a grain of salt:

Edmund Gillespie, Vin Weber, Charles Black, Grover Norquist and of course Jack Abrammof...

It goes without saying, that money corrupts. And lots and lots of money is flowing to these folks...and their interests are no longer conservative. They have been bought and sold.