U.S. workers and taxpayers pay heavy price for illegal immigration (Phyllis Schlafly)

Town Hall ^ | 4/24/2006 | Phyllis Schlafly

[HEMICRASHBOX]

Illegal immigrants in this country are threatening a massive boycott on May 1, purportedly to demonstrate they are so essential that the U.S. economy would shut down without their labor. On the contrary, such a boycott will expose the lie expressed by President George W. Bush in Cancun, Mexico, that they are "doing work that Americans will not do."

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, illegal immigrants make up less than 5 percent of the U.S. labor force. If every one of the 20 million illegal aliens in our country plays hooky from his job on May 1, the overwhelming majority of those same types of jobs will be worked by millions of U.S. citizens.

All over America, U.S. citizens will flip hamburgers in fast-food shops, wash dishes in restaurants, change sheets in hotels, mow lawns, trim shrubs, pick produce, drive taxis, replace roofs on houses, and do all kinds of construction work. Americans are quite willing to work unpleasant, menial, tiresome and risky jobs, but not for Third World wages.

An employment service in Mobile, Ala., recently received an "urgent request" to fill 270 job openings from contractors who were hired to rebuild and clear areas of Alabama devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The agency immediately sent 70 laborers and construction workers to three job sites.

After two weeks on the job, the men were fired by employers who told them "the Mexicans had arrived" and were willing to work for lower wages. The U.S. citizens had been promised $10 an hour, but the employers preferred Mexicans who would work for less. Employment agency manager Linda Swope told The Washington Times: "When they told the guys they would not be needed, they actually cried ... and we cried with them. This is a shame."

Swope said that employment agencies throughout Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi all face similar problems because an estimated 30,000 men from Mexico and Central and South America, many in crowded buses and trucks, came into those three states after Hurricane Katrina, willing to work for less than whatever was paid to U.S. citizens.

Meanwhile, President Bush signed the Katrina Emergency Assistance Act extending for 13 weeks the unemployment benefits to U.S. citizens displaced by Katrina. Thus employers get the benefit of cheap foreign labor while you and I provide taxpayer handouts to workers whom the government allowed to be displaced from the jobs they were eager to take.

There is no penalty on employers who replace U.S. citizens with illegal immigrants at lower pay. Homeland Security even announced it has suspended the sanctioning of employers who hire illegal immigrants, and President Bush suspended the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires local contractors to pay "prevailing" wages.

A study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research reported that the surge of immigration in the 1980s and 1990s lowered the wages of our own high school dropouts by 8.2 percent. The surge has accelerated since that report was issued. The Congressional Budget Office reported that 60 percent of Mexican and Central American workers in the United States in 2004 lacked a high school diploma.

The Kennedy-McCain-Bush guest worker plan would import more uneducated, unskilled workers, and thereby deny our own high school dropouts (of whom we have too many) the opportunity to get started in building their lives in the labor force. U.S. citizens are threatened that the cost of lettuce will rise precipitously if we don't continue to import Mexican agricultural workers. But a farm worker gets only 6 or 7 cents out of a $1 head of lettuce, so even if the pay doubles, consumers would hardly notice the difference.

On the other hand, the costs taxpayers are forced to pay for social benefits for low-paid workers are astronomical. The National Research Council reports that an immigrant to the United States without a high-school diploma consumes $89,000 more in government services than he pays in taxes during his lifetime.

Low-paid illegal immigrants obviously pay very little taxes, but they cash in on all sorts of benefits paid by other taxpayers, such as schooling for their children, emergency health care, housing subsidies, Earned Income Tax Credit and law enforcement. If the 20 million illegal immigrants are legalized, they will also become eligible for Medicaid, and that's a real break-the-bank prospect.

These figures don't even count the rapidly growing underground economy, in which millions of illegal immigrants are paid off the books in cash. That enables both employer and employee to avoid paying taxes, and enables employers to avoid paying workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, and assorted other taxes.

If the Internal Revenue Service collected all the taxes that should be paid by the underground economy, our current budget deficit would disappear overnight, according to a Bear Stearns study released in 2005. The Americans who pay taxes are giving a free ride to those who are not paying taxes, and a 7-cent increase in the price of lettuce should not be on our worry list.

[Ben Ficklin]

There is another article at #319, where is yours?

[nicmarlo]

Why are you supporting Marxists?

[Ben Ficklin]

I win again.

[nicmarlo]

Those who support marxists, and groups backed by marxists, do not "win".

[Ben Ficklin]

Instead of dancing around, post a link.

Or admit that you can't.

[nicmarlo]

Last time: Concerning my original post, which had pictures, links to articles, evidence of riot(s), and examples of pro-illegal/illegal alien involvement with SOCIALISM, pro-Che, and Aztlan organizations: Post proof to your refutations that what I said is incorrect.

Absent your ability to back up your allegations to the contrary provides a logical reason for the presumption that my statements are correct.

Because my statements are correct, the inference can then be made that you not only are aware that the illegals and pro-illegals are aligned with marxist/socialists, you continue to support the illegal aliens and their positions.

Although the socialists and illegals are aligned, you align yourself with the illegals. This makes your position contrary to conservatives, as socialism is the antethesis of capitalism, which is at the core of what makes America, and what America stands for.

That you think you've won aligning yourself with a group which is aligned with socialism, again, is a "win" in your own reality.

[defenderSD]

I think the truth about what jobs Americans will do lies somewhere between Schaffly's view and Bush's view. If Phyllis thinks she's going to find tens of thousands of people who want to live in dusty Central Valley towns in California for half the year and pick fruit and produce all day, she's simply mistaken. I've read that growers are having trouble finding enough Mexicans to pick fruit and produce because Mexicans would rather do construction and hotel work. The truth is more like this: illegal Mexican immigrants are doing jobs that Americans won't do in sufficient numbers to keep the agriculture, construction, and hotel/motel industries running at the current size of these industries.

If we deported all illegal immigrants in 2-3 years, we would rapidly fall into a severe economic recession because of major labor shortages in construction, hotels, agriculture, and restaurants. Deportation of all those people is out of the question economically. But I do believe it's time to close down the border and stop letting more illegal immigrants into the country. Those who are already here should be required to register for a guest worker program.

The economic analysis that Phyllis quotes is also faulty because in a correct analysis you have to count all the additional taxes paid by the owners and other workers in all the industries supported by illegal immigrant labor: for example, owners of construction companies make more income because of abundant illegal immigrant labor and so do all kinds of workers in construction engineering, real estate sales, building subcontractors, and all kinds of building material supply companies that make lumber, pipes, wiring, drywall, concrete, electrical fixtures, HVAC equipment, etc. The analysis she quotes is a faulty analysis that doesn't look at two cases for the entire US economy. A correct economic analysis looks at the entire economy, not just the taxes paid by illegals and the benefits they recieve. There are also future benefits in the education of illegal immigrant children that are not counted here. Mexicans who are educated here do assimilate into our culture. We had some Mexican immigrants who did yard work for my parents and while the Mexican parents didn't speak English too well (but not too badly), their 11 year-old daughter was competely fluent in English and she served as their translator.

[defenderSD]

Yeah, Phyllis is way off the mark in a couple of areas. Please see post 327.

[Ben Ficklin]

You keep trying to change the subject.

Post a link. Or admit that you can't.

[defenderSD]

Phyllis is out of her area of expertise when she starts talking about economics.

[nicmarlo]

You keep trying to change the subject.

This was the subject: My post #241, posted on 05/04/2006 1:44:29 PM EDT, which, in part, stated:

The illegals, whose banners of protest use the Aztlan shield, words containing "Socialist," and/or images of the Marxist Che, should make any patriotic American concerned about this country's future. Taking a stand against ILLEGALS isn't sending illegals into the Rats' arms. They're already comrades in arms.

I know it's been over 8 hours that I've been repeating myself, but that doesn't mean the subject has changed, just because you continue to refuse to answer the question asked, over and over and over again, and again most recently at my post #326, posted at 9:44 p.m. EST.

Concerning my original post, which had pictures, links to articles, evidence of riot(s), and examples of pro-illegal/illegal alien involvement with SOCIALISM, pro-Che, and Aztlan organizations: Post proof to your refutations that what I said is incorrect.

Your refusal to answer the question, because you continue to go off on tangents, does not, in reality, make me the one who's changing the subject.

[Ben Ficklin]

I can go back up tread also.

I made the statement that the protests were relativly peaceful and was challenged on that statement. I have proved it and can post countless more articles proving it.

If you want to post a link to an article that proves otherwise, have at it.

Now is the time and this is the place.

[Ben Ficklin]

Phyllis is getting old.

[nicmarlo]

Agreed. I've been waiting 8 1/2 hours for you to respond to my original post, refuting my claims.

Your answer is long overdue.

[Ben Ficklin]

Put up or shut up. Or ping someone else to carry your water. Spiff disappeared.

The protests were relatively peaceful. Dispute that. Or call me a name.

[nicmarlo]

See Post #331

Get back to me when you've decided to answer my original post #241, posted this afternoon at 1:44:29 PM EDT.

[Ben Ficklin]

I did respond to your # 241. I shot you down. I'll shoot you down again.

You offered up that reply in a feeble attempt to contradict my statement that the protests were relatively peaceful.

The only thing in, or linked to, your #241 are three pics that you are using to say that this particular event was violent and thus, the numerous protests all over the nation were violent.

I acknowledged that that event took place. I stated that my knowledge of that event was solely from browsing thru FR threads. On these threads, numerous freepers said that the protestors began drinking and became belligerant. Not violent, belligerant. And that they dispersed. It was also mentioned that there was no arrests and no property damage associated with this incident.

Perhaps what I read on the FR threads was inaccurate. That is why I asked you to post some supporting evidence to show that this particular incident was violent. That way we could add it to the handful of other isolated events in a protest that involved millions of protestors..

So, I am asking you again, show me how many arrests were made and show me the extent of the property damage.

I am also going to ask you again, provide me with links that show that public opinion, the media, law enforcement, or anybody else considers the numerous protests to be of a violent nature.

I have shown you links that describe the protests as peaceful. And I can show thousands more. I am willing to match each and every one of your links.

You won't, because you are wrong and not man enough to admit it.

Lets return to my reply #221 from yesterday which precipitated all the replies. That posting is accurate in regard to the hows and whys, the significance, and the implications of the protests.

[Spiff]

Ben Ficklin None shall pass.

ARTHUR What?

Ben Ficklin None shall pass.

ARTHUR I have no quarrel with you, brave Sir knight, but I must cross this bridge.

Ben Ficklin Then you shall die.

ARTHUR I command you, as King of the Britons to stand aside.

Ben Ficklin I move for no man.

ARTHUR So be it!

ARTHUR draws his sword and approaches the Ben Ficklin. A furious fight now starts lasting about fifteen seconds at which point ARTHUR delivers a mighty blow which completely severs the Ben Ficklin's left arm at the shoulder. ARTHUR steps back triumphantly.

ARTHUR Now stand aside worthy adversary.

Ben Ficklin (Glancing at his shoulder) 'Tis but a scratch.

ARTHUR A scratch? Your arm's off.

Ben Ficklin No, it isn't.

ARTHUR (Pointing to the arm on ground) Well, what's that then?

Ben Ficklin I've had worse.

ARTHUR You're a liar.

Ben Ficklin Come on you pansy!

Another ten seconds furious fighting till ARTHUR chops the Ben FicklinS's other arm off, also at the shoulder. The arm plus sword, lies on the ground.

ARTHUR Victory is mine. (sinking to his knees) I thank thee O Lord that in thy ...

Ben Ficklin Come on then.

ARTHUR What?

He kicks ARTHUR hard on the side of the helmet. ARTHUR gets up still holding his sword. The Ben Ficklin comes after him kicking.

ARTHUR You are indeed brave Sir knight, but the fight is mine.

Ben Ficklin Had enough?

ARTHUR You stupid bastard. You havn't got any arms left.

Ben Ficklin Course I have.

ARTHUR Look!

Ben Ficklin What! Just a flesh wound. (kicks ARTHUR)

ARTHUR Stop that.

Ben Ficklin (kicking him) Had enough ... ?

ARTHUR I'll have your leg.

He is kicked.

Right!

The Ben Ficklin kicks him again and ARTHUR chops his leg off.

The Ben Ficklin keeps his balance with difficulty.

Ben Ficklin I'll do you for that.

ARTHUR You'll what ... ?

Ben Ficklin Come Here.

ARTHUR What are you going to do. bleed on me?

Ben Ficklin I'm invincible!

ARTHUR You're a looney.

Ben Ficklin The Ben Ficklin always triumphs. Have at you!

ARTHUR takes his last leg off. The Ben Ficklin's body lands upright.

Ben Ficklin All right, we'll call it a draw.

ARTHUR Come, Patsy.

ARTHUR and PATSY start to cross the bridge.

Ben Ficklin Running away eh? You yellow bastard, Come back here and take what's coming to you. I'll bite your legs off!

[nicmarlo]

That scene is one of my most favorites from any comedy. I never imagined when I watched it that that scene could have ever, in reality, been representative of an actual person. That scene is now all the more hysterical because seen it's been played out in real life!

FOFLOL!!!

[Ben Ficklin]

Just think, in the amount of time and effort it took to post that, you could have posted 3 links.

What you say? You have no links?