[Number 10 GI]

Originally Posted by GrumpyOldMan

Here is a brief summary of the economic impacts: (It is a very complex subject with lots of opportunities to come to false conclusions.)

A review of the academic literature by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that "over the past few decades, most efforts to estimate the fiscal impact of immigration in the United States have concluded that, in aggregate and over the long term, tax revenues of all types generated by immigrants—both legal and unauthorized—exceed the cost of the services they use."

While the overall fiscal impact on the US is beneficial, unauthorized immigrants have an adverse impact on the budgets of some state and local governments. While cautioning that the reports are not a suitable basis for developing an aggregate national effect across all states, they concluded that:

"State and local governments incur costs for providing services to unauthorized immigrants and have limited options for avoiding or minimizing those costs"

"The amount that state and local governments spend on services for unauthorized immigrants represents a SMALL percentage of the total amount spent by those governments to provide such services to residents in their jurisdictions"

"The tax revenues that unauthorized immigrants generate for state and local governments do not offset the total cost of services provided to those immigrants",

and

"Federal aid programs offer resources to state and local governments that provide services to unauthorized immigrants, but those funds do not fully cover the costs incurred by those governments."

The IRS estimates that about 6 million unauthorized immigrants file individual income tax returns each year. (Think about it - they are "illegal" and file income tax returns...)

Research reviewed by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office indicates that between 50 percent and 75 percent of unauthorized immigrants pay federal, state, and local taxes.

Illegal immigrants are estimated to pay about $7 BILLION per year into Social Security.(Which they will never get back in the form of SS payments)

In addition, they spend billions of dollars per year, which supports the US economy and helps to create new jobs. The Texas State Comptroller reported in 2006 that the 1.4 million unauthorized immigrants in Texas added almost $18 BILLION to the gross state product, and contributed $1.58 billion in state revenue while costing the state about $1.16 billion in services used.

So, what's the next crime? I can provide reports from law enforcement around the country that the undocumented populations in their cities and countries have LOWER crime rates than citizens. The explanation seems to be they are trying to maintain a low profile so they don't get deported.

We can keep going round and round - we have been doing it since the 1930's - or we could try to find solutions that both sides can benefit from. But, then what would the Politicians use to keep us mad at each other.

I give as much credence to the CBO as I give to the national media and politicians. Nada, zip, nothing! Pure hogwash.