Build A Wall and Lose $18 Billion

Here's the link to the Comptroller's report in pdf format (5.00 / 1)

It's an interesting read. (24 pages)
Undocumented Immigrants in Texas

Revenue from immigrants come from taxes that can not be avoided such as sales tax and various fees and user taxes on gasoline and car inspections etc.

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by: sonia @ Fri Dec 08, 2006 at 22:36:27 PM UTC

Thanks! (0.00 / 0)

I couldn't find the report online, thanks for putting it up.

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by: Matt Glazer @ Sat Dec 09, 2006 at 00:43:09 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Republican controlled, my foot.... (0.00 / 0)

and who is Strayhorn's spokesperson? Isn't it...ummmm....some guy named ummm..Mark Sanders? And wasn't Sanders Tony Sanchez's spokesperson back in 2002?

And as far as the actual report itself, Texas has grown at such a rapid pace that the supposed need for these lawbreakers is far outpaced by ongoing, rapid population growth.

Laughable that Glazer tries to associate illegal immigration control efforts with the right wing. Wasn't it during the 2006 election that some Dems were hopping on the border control band wagon?

Talk about trying to have it both ways (just when you think no one's looking).

www.completethewar.com

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by: sfagrad02 @ Fri Dec 08, 2006 at 22:49:00 PM UTC

Interesting (0.00 / 0)

I am not sure I have ever met any spokesperson that has also been involved in policy and economic impact analysis. If that is the case in the Comptrollers office, I hope Combs won't fire this catch.

I am going to jump on a limb, but I doubt that Sanders or the communications office had much to do with this report with the exception of releasing it to the media.

As for the Democrats, there have been some on the wrong side of countless issues. However, how many Democrats campaigned on  closing the border? I know Rick Perry did on TV and Lamar Smith did in mail pieces. I am sure there are more than a couple more than that.

I am not sure who is trying to have it both ways. The Democrats are fairly unified in the fact that they want to work with the President to have a guest worker program. Republican's on the other hand are split between total lock down (including making it a felony for Churches to give food or clothes to undocumented workers) and the President's proposal.

Here is a solid write up on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act.

Why is it that our candidates and elected officials want to work against public opinion and well documented policy analysis?

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by: Matt Glazer @ Sat Dec 09, 2006 at 00:56:37 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

If only it were so simple (0.00 / 0)

What Strayhorn did not and could not calculate is what the revenue/productivity would have been if Americans had held the jobs that illegals are doing.  What we know for sure is that there are plenty of Americans who can and want to do those jobs.  Would the economic contribution have been more, less, or the same?  No one can know this without vastly more data than Strayhorn can produce -- or anyone else, I suspect.

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by: Wanderer @ Fri Dec 08, 2006 at 23:39:00 PM UTC

Read the Article (5.00 / 1)

What Strayhorn did not and could not calculate is what the revenue/productivity would have been if Americans had held the jobs that illegals are doing.  What we know for sure is that there are plenty of Americans who can and want to do those jobs.  Would the economic contribution have been more, less, or the same?

I think that the bottom of the article starts to address this very topic.

The report says removing illegal migrants from the state would lead to a tighter labor market and higher wages.

"Without the undocumented immigrant population, Texas' workforce would decrease by 6.3 percent. ... The most significant impact would be a noticeable tightening in labor markets," the report says.

"This tightening would induce increases in wages. ... While pay increases can be viewed as a positive social and economic development, when they rise due to labor shortages they affect economic competitiveness. In this case, it would be expressed as a modest decline in the value of Texas' exports," it adds.

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by: blank @ Sat Dec 09, 2006 at 21:09:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

But... (3.00 / 1)

we must stop the invasion!  Their taking our jobs,  stealing our health care and only want to live off of welfare!  They don't pay income taxes!

[/sarcasm]

I fail to understand how anyone can complain that they "don't pay taxes" because the nation is losing money from the income taxes they wouldn't make enough to pay into anyway.

"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."- James A. Baldwin

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by: Timothy @ Sat Dec 09, 2006 at 03:50:43 AM UTC