Poor Immigrants End Up Being Expensive($2.5 Trillion Over 30 Yrs)

newsday.com ^ | James P. Pinkerton

[kellynla]

'Those who are looking to find fault with this bill will always be able to find something." That was George W. Bush at his press conference Thursday, defending his proposed immigration legislation. He didn't quite say to critics, "Bring 'em on" - but was close enough to get this critic going.

Of course, the president immediately went on to laud the "comprehensive" virtues of his bill, urging its congressional enactment. But if we examine the legislation, we will indeed see plenty of faults - such that "comprehensive" becomes a catalog of costly flaws. As the old business joke goes, "We lose money on each sale - but that's OK, because we make it up on volume!"

Specifically, Uncle Sam is losing money, on balance, with new immigrants. It's one thing to import high-spending European playboys or Hong Kong billionaires, but it's another to bring in poor Third Worlders.

The Harvard economist George Borjas has been arguing for decades that hungry immigrants undercut the wages of lower-income Americans. That's sort of an obvious point - that markets work - but only recently has Borjas' careful scholarship been accepted by the broader political culture. Greg Anrig of the liberal-leaning The Century Foundation, for example, recently blasted the "moral bankruptcy" of the "guest workers" program, deriding it as "a modern form of serfdom."

Of course it's a modern form of serfdom - serfs are cheap. As Borjas asks in his own blog, "Why would employers spend so much lobbying for guest workers if the program didn't benefit them?"

But even those Americans who like the idea of low-wage labor - as a way of keeping prices down, not to mention busting unions - should think again.

[kellynla]

The chart above clearly shows, among other things, that in those industries that employ illegals the MAJORITY of the jobs are held by....GASP!...AMERICANS. That puts a HUGE HOLE in Bush's claim that illegals are doing jobs Americans won't do.

It also shows, as Bush has claimed, that more than a million illegals a year have been deported since Bush took office.

Well if they can deport 6 million, they can double their efforts and deport 12 million.

Lastly, after BOTH borders have been secured, all illegals should be deported including the incarcerated. Why should Americans pay to incarcerate other countries' criminals. It's not like we're short on American criminals and long on prison cells. And by deporting the foreign incarcerated in American prisons we not only lower our prison costs but we open up slots for AMERICAN criminals who are now roaming about the country unabated.

The 2008 Conservative Revolution has started! Now all we need is a CONSERVATIVE to lead the revolution. Because we are in danger of not only losing our two party system but our sovereignty. It is time for CONSERVATIVES to take back the GOP and the time is NOW

[kellynla]

Immigration real time counter:
http://www.immigrationcounters.com/

[mewzilla]

Thanks for posting this. Bump for later.

[goldstategop]

America's future would look a lot like California: a thin wealthy elite lording it over a mass of impoverished brown subjects - ruling by extortion and backing it up with lethal force. Our middle class democracy would be a thing of the past.

Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Earthdweller]

It numbers will be even worse if you all kill this thing. Without a compromise, you are NEVER going to get those cheap laborers out of the hands of the border states and get that fence built unless you arrest every American southwest of Georgia.

[Travis McGee]

"Of course it's a modern form of serfdom - serfs are cheap."

Racist master, 1860: "But Rhett, without my African slaves, whoever shall pick our cotton cheaply?"

Racist master, 2007: "But Muffy, without my Mexican illegals, whover shall cut our lawn cheaply?"

[PBRSTREETGANG]

“$2.5 trillion here, $2.5 trillion there...

...pretty soon you’re talking about serious money.”

[AliVeritas]

ping

[drpix]

"...Bush has claimed, that more than a million illegals a year have been deported since Bush took office."

This is a meaningless number. It includes removals of Mexican apprehended at the border - who as soon as they are tossed back across the border turn around and reenter illegally again. Border Patrol agents will tell you they often catch the same ILLEGAL 3 to 4 times in as many days. Such inflated & meaningless "enforcement" numbers is another reason why Bush and/or his administration don't want to build a fence.

They can "deport" many million a year and without a fence most of those who are Mexican can still get in to supply the slave labor of Bush's business "supporters."

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Without a compromise, you are NEVER going to get those cheap laborers out of the hands of the border states and get that fence built unless you arrest every American southwest of Georgia.

Why do we need a one-sided compromise with the swimmer to get the fence built? That was already authorized last year but in this latest "deal" it actually cuts it in half. Before passing more legislation lets enforce the laws we have on the books.

[Earthdweller]

Because the only way you are going to get rid of all the cheap workers is if we have another civil war...that’s why.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

What does that have to do with the fence? We have to stop the bleeding before doing anything more and additional legislation is not needed for that.

[Earthdweller]

You are not going to get a fence without giving the border states their cash cows... unless of course you have enough money to overhaul the economies of Texas, California, Arizona and NM.

[TomGuy]

Sen. Reid said in a floor speech regarding the most recent immigration bill that only 5% of those crossing the borders are apprehended.

That means we have no idea who the other 95% are, why they are crossing the border, or what they may be bringing in with them — including diseases and weaponry.

Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

Hoover presided over The Great Depression.

Bush2 presided over The Great Invasion.

I would suggest that, historically, the invasion of illegals under Bush2 represents the largest unabated invasion of illegals into any nation in history.

The House Homeland Security report of 2006 indicated that, in year 2005, up to 10 million entered the US illegally and unregistered.

Bush2 fiddled in Iraq while he let the horde invade the homeland.

Up to 10 million illegals per year under Bush2? We sure use a damn lot of lettuce. But I have my doubts that they are all coming in to pick lettuce. Those are the ones I am concerned about — those slipping in for other reasons.

[Wolverine]

[cweese]

I doubt the Texas economy would collapse if the fence were to be built.

[Earthdweller]

I’d like to see someone build a fence without giving the southerners their cheap workers....you will have every man woman and child on both sides of it trying to bomb it.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

You are not going to get a fence without giving the border states their cash cows...

The fence is currently the law, unless Bush has been given a Nixonian right to pick and choose which ones he's going to obey then it's his duty to get it built. Once that's done and illegal immigration is dramatically cut then we can start talking about guest worker programs.

[Aria]

America's future would look a lot like California: a thin wealthy elite lording it over a mass of impoverished brown subjects - ruling by extortion and backing it up with lethal force. Our middle class democracy would be a thing of the past.

How ironic. Sounds a lot like the Mexico they're fleeing.

[Earthdweller]

"I doubt the Texas economy would collapse if the fence were to be built."

Half of Houston and LA are already Hispanic and the WASPs are leaving in record numbers..think again.