Posted on 09/30/2010 1:39:17 PM PDT by jazusamo
(CNSNews.com) -- News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch said he supports amnesty for “law abiding” illegal immigrants because as legal residents they can help the nation’s economy by adding to “our tax base.” He also said he supports securing the border to prevent more illegal immigrants from entering the United States.
At a hearing on Thursday before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law, Murdoch testified, “I joined Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg in organizing the Partnership for a New American Economy because I believe that all Americans should have a vital interest in fixing our broken immigration system so we can continue to compete in the 21st century global economy.”
“While supporting complete and proper closure of all our borders to future illegal immigrants, our partnership advocates reform that gives a path to citizenship for responsible, law-abiding immigrants who are in the U.S. today without proper authority,” said Murdoch, who was born in Australia and is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
The News Corp. CEO, whose company owns the Fox News Channel, further said it is fiscally unfeasible to deport the illegal immigrants who are already in the United States, which he estimated as totaling about 12 million people.
“It is nonsense to talk of expelling 12 million people,” testified Murdoch. “Not only is it impractical, it is cost prohibitive.”
Murdoch cited a study that gauged “the price of mass deportation at $285 billion over five years,” which amounts to $57 billion per year, adding that “there are better ways to spend our money.”
“A full path to legalization – requiring unauthorized immigrants to register, undergo a security check, pay taxes and learn English – would bring these immigrants out of a shadow economy and add to our tax base,” said Murdoch.
He continued, “According to one study, a path to legalization would contribute an estimated $1.5 trillion to the Gross Domestic Product over 10 years.”
Murdoch did not cite the source for the studies he cited during his testimony.
Regarding border security, Murdoch said “we need to do more” than spend money on resources to secure our borders.
“We can and should add more people, technology and resources to ensure that we have control over who comes into this country,” said the CEO, “but I worry that spending alone will not stop the flow of illegal immigrants.”
He claimed that while the United States has increased border security funding every year since 1992, “the estimated population of illegal immigrants has more than tripled.”
“That number only started to decline when our country hit a recession and there were fewer jobs,” said Murdoch. “So, our border security must also be matched with efforts to make sure employers can’t hire illegal immigrants.”
Both Murdoch and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg testified about the role of immigration in strengthening America’s economy.
“Our system of immigration, I think it fair to say, is broken,” said Bloomberg before the subcommittee. “I think it’s undermining our economy, it is slowing our recovery, and it really is hurting millions of Americans. And we just have to fix it.”
“Creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants will strengthen our economy,” said Bloomberg.
Bloomberg also said that his and Murdoch’s experience with the issue stems from having hired thousands of people over the years.
In contrast to what Murdoch and Bloomberg said before the subcommittee, Steven Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, testified that the economic losses caused by illegal immigrants outweighed the benefits.
He pointed out that the National Academy of Sciences has examined the fiscal impact of immigration.
“They found that the fiscal impact was enough to eat up the entire economic gain,” said Camarota. “So if you put the economic gain with the fiscal impact, you get no benefits at all, it would seem.”
Camarota also testified that illegal immigrants take jobs from Americans while also lowering wages. He said that the wage loss is 12 times bigger than the benefits.
Now that is an amnesty I could agree to.
If we run out of welfare parasites, can send trial lawyers instead?
re: So many different things could be meant by “amnesty”
You are right. When amnesty is given for parking tickets or state or local taxes it sometimes means everything is forgiven and forgotten. And sometimes it means the fines and penalties are waived but the base amount must be paid. And sometimes it means the base amount is discouonted so the delinquent person need only pay pennies on the dollar.
Likewise with immigration. Most amnesty plans have built in penalties that the immigrant must pay in order to receive amnesty. But some amnesty supporters would waive all penalties. And a few amnesty supporters would waive not only penalties, but a share of routine taxes owed that are not penalties.
A big distinction is between capitalist amnesty supporters like me who oppose any welfare (by whatever name) to immigrants, legal or illegal. No immigrant should come here to be a parasite.
Another big distinction is between those who would base policy on
- the number of immigrants or
- the skill level/education/income of immigrants or
- the character of immigrants.
There are many illegals from the old soviet bloc who have low moral character. They run internet scams, ID theft, prostitution and abortion mills. Then there are the drug traffickers of course. Then there are the common criminals, murderers, rapists, DUI drivers, etc.
The capitalist who favors amnesty (like me) opposes amnesty for those of low moral character, which includes parasites.
The same is true on the anti-illegal side. Some people who are anti-illegal only focus on those who enter illegally. But most illegals (eg Rupert Murdoch) enter legally and then become illegal. A few who are anti-illegal are racist, which gives a bad image to the majority of anti-illegal voices who are not racist.
One reason nothing much happens on the issue is that most voices on the issue want to lie and say there are only two positions when in fact there are dozens of positions on the issue.
True, and it should be made by our government they can't work without being here legally, and no welfare.
No.
“Creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants will strengthen our economy,” said Bloomberg."
I'll do you one better Nimrod, deport that Illegal whose contributing soo much and give that job to an American citizen. Win, Win. The citizen is off unemployment/welfare and doing his part to "strengthen our economy".
"...Steven Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, testified that the economic losses caused by illegal immigrants outweighed the benefits."
He's also testified that same effect is felt by legal immigration. It illustrates why legal immigration needs to be limited to sustainable numbers.
There are no “law-abiding illegals” in this country, dumbass Rupert!!
Otherwise he'd been behind 1.4 billion Hindus and others from the British Commonwealth.
He favors just taking stuff. The Mexican government would see through him in a second.
Go put a shrimp on the “BarBie” Murdoch and STFU.
“Murdoch cited a study . . .” but did not identify the study.
I am citing a “study” that shows each illegal alien cost $1,745,500 per year and the cost of repatriating them is only $453 each. This study also has accurately calculated the number of illegal aliens at 37,776,943, including 23,233,638 Mexicans, 2,887,564 El Salvadorans, $1,292,333 Irish (go to any bar in Boston or New York), and 2 Andorrans.
The 240,515 busses that brought them here in a convoy 1821 miles long are ready to take them back. There must be such a convoy because the amnestybots all use these numbers to ridicule anyone who wants to send them back, thereby implying that a like number must have brought them here.
Also, Murdoch and Bloomberg are quite welcoming as neighbors to the overcrowded illegal alien dorm homes with the 12 ladder trucks in front of their houses and the salsa music blaring at 3 AM and the MS13 graffitti on their fences that neighbor on these two morons’ mansions.
If anyone needed an example of the “ruling class” and the “country people”, it’s these two.
Mind Australia’s business, Rupert, and we’ll mind our own. O.K.?
Shows us once against what a great country we live in, even a drooling half wit can become a bilionaire in America.
Yeah, because “lets grant amnesty then seal the borders” worked so well when Reagan tried it.
Well... Okay.
I don’t have to watch Fox News either.
I am done with all the network news.
If it ain’t on the internet then I just don’t care anymore.
Too bad, I was kinda liking Beck’s program.
I will just take it off series recording and be done with it.
Idiotic One Worlder.
Sure you do.
If you are here illegally you cannot be "law abiding". WTbleep is this dude smoking?
Law abiding illegals are an oxymoron, they are all criminals.
Exactly - how does someone who has broken numerous laws to come into, live and work in this country consider themselves to be law-abiding?
Amnesty for for “law abiding” illegal immigrants?
No problemo! Grant amnesty to all you can find.
Because by definition there is no such animal.
You might say that “law abiding” illegal immigrant is an oxymoron for morons.
How can you be law abiding while breaking the law at the same time?
“Oxymoron, anyone?”
From a bunch of really “bright” morons.
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