[The Other Harry]

Explain to me exactly how an illegal immigrant who is paid in cash and has no social security number can pay taxes. They buy everything at yard sales, so they don't even pay their fair share of sales tax.

You don't know what you're talking about.

Every time they buy something at a store, they pay sales tax. Part of the rent they pay goes to property tax. Most likely they *do* have income (etc) taxes withheld from their pay. It goes on from there.

These are not bad people. They work hard. Harder than most of the rest of "us" do. All they want is a better life than what they could have had where they used to live.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Illegal Mexicans don't work harder than I do. They are breaking the law by their presence. They are stealing my tax dollars by using public services without paying for them. Many of them do not have federal income tax withheld from their pay as the rest of us do. Their children are not required to have proof of immunizations to enter public school while the children of American citizens cannot go to school without such proof.

They are bankrupting scores of American hospitals because they cannot pay for the medical services they demand.

What paltry sales taxes they pay do not begin to cover the costs to the American people.

You are wrong about these people. They come here to break the law and exploit our generosity and foolishness. They will take everything we will foolishly allow them to take. They have no respect for our laws, our language or our culture.

We built the world's greatest country without abandoning laws of immigration and naturalization and we would be vastly a better nation if we respected legal immigrants by throwing out the illegal ones.

I have personally talked to thousands of LEGAL immigrants and they deeply resent the lawbreakers who trespass and destroy our legal system, strain our economy, fill our prisons and ruin our proud heritage through the cooperation of traitorous, cowardly politicians.

[Spiff]

These are not bad people. They work hard. Harder than most of the rest of "us" do. All they want is a better life than what they could have had where they used to live.

They're not "bad" people!!? Except that they are breaking the law. All bank robbers want is a "better life" too. And some bank robbers "work hard" to rob banks. Are you going to defend them too?

[lonestar]

All they want is a better life than what they could have had where they used to live.

Congratulations! We've just rented a bus and we are busing some of ours up to you.

Enjoy! And your hospitals should be hiring more ER personnel; it will be needed.

[sangoo]

Every time they buy something at a store, they pay sales tax. Part of the rent they pay goes to property tax. Most likely they *do* have income (etc) taxes withheld from their pay. It goes on from there.

You've got to be kidding! They use food stamps provided by the taxpayer and get housing assistance provided also. Most of them DO NOT have taxes withheld from their pay.

[sangoo]

These are not bad people. They work hard. Harder than most of the rest of "us" do.

Do you really believe this stuff, or are you just throwing bombs? Why don't you also tell us that they pay for their health care?

[novacation]

"They work hard. Harder than most of the rest of "us" do".Holy smokes!I work 70 hours a week to keep my child OUT of the public schools.There was an article in FR recently with the numbers.The average real Californian pays $5,600 to the state. The average illegal pays $1,600. It isn't just the 2.2 billion they suck out of public education. 41% get food stamps,welfare and free medical.

I have niece who works in the school system in the Bay area.She is going to quit because it is so overrun with illegals who require so much special attention.The mojados dump off there 5 kids, with no english skills and they think the pencil sharpener is for grinding corn.

They might work harder than you do,but real Americans are the hardest working people in the world, and the don't bleed the social services to feed and medicate 5 kids.

Then there are the other social costs.Criminals, driving without insurance and being dangerous drivers,the break down of the American way of life,disease they bring with them, and on and on.

They are here to have a better life for themselves while SCREWING UP THE LIVES HARD WORKING AMERICANS.They are going to be the downfall of this great nation.

Americans are fighting and dieing to keep this nation safe. Do you think the illegal invaders, who have done nothing to improve this country, should benefit from the deaths of brave American soldiers?

You're nuts!

[Tancredo Fan]

Every time they buy something at a store, they pay sales tax.
But it's illegal for them to be here. Do they 'pay sales tax' on all the $ billions they send to their home countries?

Part of the rent they pay goes to property tax.
Most of them cram 5 families into single family dwellings, thereby straining the local infrastructure.

Most likely they *do* have income (etc) taxes withheld from their pay.
How? By using fraudulent documents? Did you know that's a felony? It's also a crime for them to work here to begin with. Where does it end?

These are not bad people.
That is a bald faced lie if I ever heard one. They are all criminals.... every single one of them.

They work hard.
Not all of them do. It's unlawful for them to be here, it's unlawful for them to work here, and now you're saying that they work hard? Then why are their home countries such a mess?

Harder than most of the rest of "us" do.
"Us?" Why is that in quotes?

All they want is a better life than what they could have had where they used to live.
The same can be said about car thieves, burglars, bank robbers, and other criminals. If they want 'better lives', I suggest that they occupy their time building a better Mexico, not mooching off the United States. They need to be ferreted out, rounded up, and immediately removed from the country.

[txdoda]

You don't know what you're talking about.

Every time they buy something at a store, they pay sales tax. Part of the rent they pay goes to property tax. Most likely they *do* have income (etc) taxes withheld from their pay. It goes on from there.>>>>>>>>


So you think our "sales tax" alone foots the bills in this country ??? Good, now we can ALL quit paying fed. taxes......hahaha

"Rent" for 2/3 familes (many kids) living together does NOT pay their share of property & school taxes. In my town, our pop. went DOWN by a few hundred from 1990-2000, but we have been "invaded". Now we're told we Immediately need TWO more elementary schools, & next it will be TWO more middle schools, I guess.

Please tell me how much in FED. TAXES an illegal making min. wage with 4/5 kids PAYS......NONE, plus he the quailfies for EIC plus MANY "child tax" credits. Never mind the FREE healthcare he's also getting.


These are not bad people. >>>>>>>>>>


LA county was "murder capitol" last year, & has been turned into a DUMP.......Ca jails are 25% illegal.....Ca has largest illegal pop. and also the largest DEFICIT.

[metalurgist]

Most likely they *do* have income (etc) taxes withheld from their pay. It goes on from there.

It goes on from there all right. If they do have any income tax withheld they then go on to file for the "Earned Income Tax Credit" that will give them back more than they paid. Illegals stealing from the public again.

[JustPiper]

They cannot pay taxes for a paycheck when they have no working visa! They are hired for lower wages by people who know they are illegals. Pay income taxes, show me proof!

[FITZ]

They work hard. Harder than most of the rest of "us" do. All they want is a better life than what they could have had where they used to live.

Maybe if they worked so hard, things would look a whole lot different where they used to live. You have to ask yourself why the same people who created such a crappy system or allowed it to go on (remember --- Mexico is a democracy) are going to be different just because they moved en masse 1000 miles north. They keep their language, their culture, their politics ---- things will end up the same where ever they go.

[rolling_stone]

Tell me since these are such hardworking "taxpaying" people, where do we draw the line? Why not let everyone that wants a better life come here? Then we could look just like Mexico, or Pakistan or Somalia!

AS for paying taxes, where do you get the idea that they pay anywhere near what they use in benefits in taxes? You want it you pay for it, not me.

....The total net cost of the IRCA amnesty (the direct and indirect costs of services and benefits to the former illegal aliens, minus their tax contributions) after ten years comes to over $78 billion. (Measuring the Fallout: The Cost of the IRCA Amnesty After 10 Years, CIS, May 1997)....

[Mr. Mojo]

These are not bad people. They work hard.

Some are very good people, in fact. But you seem to be ignoring the fact that illegal aliens from Mexico represent a disproportionately high (to put it mildly) percentage of jailed violent crimminals.

[tickles]

Those that want a better life actually learn OUR language. those that want to take advantage of our social services, medical care and such insist on ballots being printed in their language(and they probably aren't citizens...but who cares huh?) classes for their kids in their native language, all social services to be explained to them in their language..even after they've been here long enough to have learned our language. Plus the big problem for me is they put a drain on the resources we need (school and medical) for our own people (and here I am thinking the disabled and elderly, not the young who are quite capable of going out and getting a job...but those who are MR, physcially challenged etc)

[Laur]

Why someone comes here is irrelevant, a red herring. The point is in HOW they come here: legally or illegally. Most of the ancestors you allude to came here legally, having first waited their turn while meeting whatever requirements existed relating to having a job, a place to live, sponsor, and meeting health standards.

So the issue is not immigration; it is legal v. illegal immigration. It is who gets to determine immigration policy -- the potential emigre, or the host country.

[luckystarmom]

Then they should come here legally. I have no sympathy for someone that breaks the law to come here.