More jobs, larger tax base, fewer entitlements

The government continues wasting our money, leading us further into socialism and worse.  Our leaders refuse to understand that the free market economy works, but only if the government stops trying to help.  Nonetheless, government continues handing out “free” money, people little noticing that they are becoming dependent on those monies and losing the incentive to be self-sufficient.

To promote the president’s socialist admonition to “share the wealth,” the government spends money on cash for clunkers, new home purchases, mortgage, bank and auto bailouts.  Instead of redistributing the wealth, why not spend it competently on new jobs, a larger tax base and cuts in entitlement programs?

What would it take to do this?  First, honoring our laws rather than ignoring them.  Second, working to cut the size of government spending rather than spending us into oblivion.  Last, considering what is best for the people rather than what is best for the government.

I saw this possibility when reading a report by Vanderbilt University professor Carol Swain, who evaluated job losses at Swift & Co. meatpacking plants.  In 2006, 1,300 illegal aliens were arrested at six Swift plants–10 percent of the company’s workforce.  According to illegal alien proponents, they were just doing jobs that Americans refuse to do, proving their value to our economy.

So, what happened?  Did losing 10 percent of their employees force the company out of business because no Americans were willing to do these jobs?  Isn’t that what we are routinely told?  Guess what?  The company was not crippled; rather, it was back to normal operations within a few months with a full workforce.

The replacement workers?  Americans were more than willing to do the jobs but they demanded and received fair wages.  And the benefits to society?  Those 1,300 illegal aliens were deported, 1,300 American workers found jobs, the costs of entitlements decreased, and because the American workers were paid more than the illegal aliens, tax revenues rose. Professor Swain saw this same pattern repeat at other companies.

But, what would it cost to do this on a large scale nationwide?  Maybe it would cost more to arrest and deport illegal aliens than to just leave them alone, despite taking American jobs.  Maybe it would be cheaper to just give them all citizenship, theoretically ending the illegal alien problem.

That was tried in 1986 with the Immigration Reform and Control Act that allowed a path to citizenship for 2.7 million illegal aliens.  That amnesty obviously failed to solve the problem because there are now an estimated 12 to 15 million illegal aliens in the United States. Moreover, the Heritage Foundation estimates it will cost U.S. taxpayers $2.6 trillion to legalize the current number of illegal aliens.

Well, what if we did arrest and deport illegal aliens?  The Center for American Progress estimates deporting all illegal aliens would cost about $200 billion spread out over five years.  But this estimate might be high because it predicts a maximum of only 20 percent of the illegal aliens would self-deport, a number much lower than the over 50 percent seen when the Eisenhower administration mass deported illegal aliens in the 1950s.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (F.A.I.R.) estimates illegal aliens in our country cost the taxpayers $50 billion a year.  The Heritage Foundation published another study, “The Fiscal Cost of Low-Skill Households to the U.S. Taxpayer,” which included many of the illegal alien families.  It estimated the yearly cost  to the taxpayers at $22,000 per household, similar to F.A.I.R.’s estimates.

These organizations do have a political slant, so take the numbers with a grain of salt.  That said, these numbers suggest a net taxpayer savings of $10 billion a year for five years, followed by an ongoing savings of $50 billion a year.

The bottom line?  No matter how you massage these numbers, deporting illegal aliens cuts costs of entitlement programs and adds better paying jobs for American workers, who then pay more taxes.  An added bonus?  It’s the right thing to do.

Print Page 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

One Response to “More jobs, larger tax base, fewer entitlements”

• Brittanicus says:

  October 5, 2009 at 12:51 PM

  Other amendment to the (IRCA) law can be added, but the majority of public opinion demands no path to citizenship or BLANKET AMNESTY. Leave America and apply for an immigration entry visa like honest potential immigrants have for years? If you live in America previously without THE PEOPLES PERMISSION, you will be subject to fines, but not necessarily exempt from an entrance visa. Criminal aliens and anarchists obviously must remain–persona none gratis. A points system must be enacted similar to countries in Europe and even Australia. Points are observed for special highly skilled individuals, specially engineers, scientists and computer specialists and other equally outstanding credentialed labor.
  The deterrent for smuggling yourself and family members into a sovereign country, with no longer is a civil offense. Every business within the jurisdiction of these United States and its territories and islands will be instructed to install E-Verify permanently. A mandatory directive will include criminal penalties for not operating the E-Verification application in all employment. No working person shall be exempt including those who have been on payroll for twenty years or more. New immigrants cannot access any welfare or government subsidies, unless under emergency status. A new stage 2 E-Verify modified to check the persons right to health care, drivers licenses, car insurance, real estate including home purchase. E-Verify could also be adapted to vet a persons voting status in coming elections to halt violations of the law. Within the local Social Security administration those who have remained in limbo, can be verified for any number of irregularities.
  In time as E-Verify and its innovations are upgraded, with biometric and photo recognition improvements, the system will certainly pay for itself. Chances are in the coming months rogue politicians whose immigration grading can be viewed on NUMBERSUSA, will try to weaken or drop E-Verify for the favors they owe the US Chamber of Commerce? Just as they are accomplishing breaking down 287 G, police immigration questioning. ICE raids and other enforcement tools. As I have said before this is all about ECONOMICS. ITS about deteriorating infrastructure, its about the Census bureau stating that in the year 2050, the nation’s population is projected to increase by nearly 130 million people — the equivalent of adding another four states the size of California. Understand about this physical nightmare at CAPSWEB. In conclusion, there is much more information about the corruption in our political parties; not just immigration at the JUDICIAL WATCH site.
  PAY ATTENTION to the fact that the present Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger is currently endorsing San Francisco’s–Sanctuary City–Liberal/Socialist Mayor Gavin Newsom for the new Governor of the State. This would be an absolute atrocity to the legal communities, when Newsom allowed ID for illegal aliens and refused to put young illegal immigrant gang members in the hands of ICE? Indirectly the sanctuary policy that was indifferent to Federal law, was an accessory in the June 22 slaying’s of Anthony Bologna and his sons Michael and Matthew. There is already a nauseating mayor in Los Angeles who supports the illegal immigrant invasion, so you definitely don’t want Gavin Newsom giving bogus identification or welcoming millions more illegal families to extract subsidies from the already cash strapped Californians.