Are Illegal Mexican Immigrants Destroying California?
by Daniel Griswold
An article published this week by National Review magazine blames the many problems of California on—take a guess—high taxes, over-regulation of business, runaway state spending, an expansive welfare state? Try none of the above. The article, by Alex Alexiev of the Hudson Institute, puts the blame on the backs of low-skilled, illegal immigrants from Mexico and the federal government for not keeping them out.
Titled “Catching Up to Mexico: Illegal immigration is depleting California’s human capital and ravaging its economy,” the article endorses high-skilled immigration to the state while rejecting the influx of “the poorly educated, the unskilled, and the illiterate” immigrants that enter illegally from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America.
Before swallowing the article’s thesis, consider two thoughts:
One, if low-skilled, illegal immigration is the single greatest cause of California’s woes, how does the author explain the relative success of Texas? As a survey in the July 11 issue of The Economist magazine explained, smaller-government Texas has avoided many of the problems of California while outperforming most of the rest of the country in job creation and economic growth. And Texas has managed to do this with an illegal immigrant population that rivals California’s as a share of its population.
Two, low-skilled immigrants actually enhance the human capital of native-born Americans by allowing us to move up the occupational ladder to jobs that are more productive and better paying. In a new study from the Cato Institute, titled “Restriction or Legalization? Measuring the Economic Benefits of Immigration Reform,” this phenomenon is called the “occupational mix effect” and it translates into tens of billions of dollars of benefits to U.S. households.
Our new study, authored by economists Peter Dixon and Maureen Rimmer, found that legalization of low-skilled immigration would boost the incomes of American households by $180 billion, while further restricting such immigration would reduce the incomes of U.S. families by $80 billion.
That is a quarter of a trillion dollar difference between following the policy advice of National Review and that of the Cato Institute. Last time I checked, that is still real money, even in Washington.
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Some of the previous commentators tackled the issue of the immigrants never paying taxes which would help in these recession times and asking instead to have the same rights as the tax payers.
Some people even came with the idea that the illegal immigrants who bought houses they couldn't afford were one of the factors that triggered the : financial crisis
But from the pragmatic point of view, what can be done with these people? Unfortunately, illegal immigration into the United States is highly profitable proposition for both employers and the U.S. government, and it also benefits Mexico, which is the largest source country of undocumented immigrants into the US.
The US and Mexican governments actively stimulated illegal immigrants to enter USA and to work illegally for profit-hungry U.S. employers. Poverty-stricken immigrants , who are often desperate to house and feed their families, respond to the financial enticements...and then are blamed by U.S. citizenry for illegally being in the
I would say a resounding YES!
Clarification is needed. When any nationality comes here illegally the same thing could happen, since it is the Mexicans that are coming here illegally, it is a Mexican thing. Thus, this is not a racist stance, it is a matter of fact.
CA is forced to offer all public services in all languages. Why? Because so many people need services in Spanish and to offer only Spanish would be discriminatory. This is bankrupting CA.
ESL is a failed program that must be maintained .....only because it has not been repealed .... this is taking a hugh toll on school budgets.... other necessary programs are being cut in order to maintain ESL.
One in three people in CA are of Hispanic discent so at no time in the near future is English going to be an offical language of any kind. While cultural awareness is always a good thing, it is a good thing for both sides. CA must be aware and tolerant of Mexican culture .... the converse is not, however, true. Example, cinco de mayo. In CA schools Mexican children must be excused for this 'holiday' although it is not an offical holiday. I am Irish/Italian .... my children did not get excused for Columbus Day (which was an offical holiday) or St. Patrick's Day. Where is the sensitivty to my culture? Obviously children can not be excused for every 'holiday' or there would be a very short school year. The point is that you do not see the Irish or Italians or Germans or Japanese or anyone else protesting when they are not able to celebrate (no school) a holiday in their native country.
The cost of illegals to the system is nearly half the CA budget .... this explains our money problems. Everyone should be given health care without regard to who you are or where you are from, this is just the human thing to do. Everyone should be afforded a basic education , regardless. However, beyond that, the US and namely CA, does not have a responsibility to any illegals. Housing costs have sky rocketed ....part of this problem is publicly funded housing .....grant money ..... for minorities . To recieve this housing all they have to be is minority status but no paperwork need be produced, that would be illegal , an infringement of privacy .
The feds need to ease up on CA. We would like our state back but unlike AZ, we prefer to treat people in a more humane way and work through legal channels, we chose not to become part of the problem!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkSwuIGQq9I
pretty well sums it up.
I have a good amount of friends who have come to this country legally and they have told me on more than one occasion that they believe that the US allowing the illegal immigrants to come to this country is a slap in the face to them.
I can't help but to agree with them. I know it's very hard and their country is in a state of chaos, but so was Russia when my friend came over from there, so was South Africa when my friend came from there. They are Illegal and can find a way to get here legally.
I really like the illegals that I know and have no problem with them as the people they are, but it still remains that there IS a way to come to America legally and they should do that.
The blame is not totally on the immigrants that come here to make a better life for themselves, but the employers that give them below minimum wage instead of hiring legal workers .
Tell me where I went wrong.
Now that the Federal judge has refused any delay in implementation of mandatory E-Verification system for all government contractors. It is time to impose federal mandated standards on every state and local government as well, not to forget every business nationwide. But not on a voluntary basis anymore? For once the open border, globalists lawsuits have been finally apposed by the courts. But we cannot, must not allow them to gain the advantage again, as they have in the past. We must in addition fight against any path to citizenship . It will be a running battle against special interest groups contrary to unemployed citizens and legal residents. In 1986 the immigration control and reform act became law , but was undermined, mismanaged and severely under funded. What we had was an important piece of legislation that was disregarded and used fraudulently. GOOGLE--NUMBERSUSA & JUDICIAL WATCH FOR MORE DETAILS.
Instead of moving towards another controversial new immigration reform law, the legislators can author amendments to the Simpson/Mazzoli bill? First and foremost it requires no more Amnesties? Next! Follow the example of Australia's and now the United Kingdom's strong opposition to mass immigration. Overwhelmed by slack laws, Britain and Australia have addressed the massive problem, by allowing only the well educated, tradesman and professional people into each nation. Unlike ourselves the US politicians have catered to big business—IN CORPORATE WELFARE--and covertly removed any serious enforcement at the borders or ports of entry. Years of intentional apathy and self indulgence has allowed the tolerant invasion of destitute foreign workers and families, costing taxpayers trillions of dollars in welfare benefits. The Border States specifically have succumbed to millions of illegal occupiers who have drained government treasuries
A public option in health care can never be, while taxpayers are forever opening their wallets to supporting the poor of other lands? We cannot afford to subsidize foreign workers anymore? The bill has no restriction in the wording to authenticate a persons legal status. Personally, I want a single payer system to stop the profiteering by insurance companies, but I don't want to be taxed for underwriting illegal immigrants and their families? Even if they add an amendment declining illegal immigrants from the health care bill, they will still be included if the Democrats enact another path to citizenship? Then what about the others on the opposite side of our weak fence, they will hear the Amnesty bell chiming and rush for the border, or enter as tourists in an airport.
Allowing people into America as guest workers to work in agriculture became a parody. Given amnesty in 1986 they moved away from the fields and moved to higher paying jobs bring in their immediate family members. In 1986 the 3.5 million legalized people fraudulently materialized to be 5 million. Today under labor laws the guest workers who enter under special visas, are supposed to return to their country of origin? This of course never happens and therefore hundreds of thousands disappear into America and then farmers must import more to pick fruits and vegetables. Mandatory E-Verify, to control illegal immigration on a nationwide grand scale would drive foreign aliens from the workplace, when they are identified.
The career politician’s who cheat taxpayers by prostituting their services to big business, must not stay in Washingtonto defy public voices ever again. A POSSIBLE REWARD FOR REPORTING SUSPECTED EMPLOYERS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS, CALL THE IRS HOTLINE 1-800-829-0433 GOOGLE their website! The IRS does not take kindly to employers that seek to evade taxes by paying cash for day labor as this is especially common practice at construction sites. Call up the politicians you voted for at 202-224-3121 and tell them NO MORE AMNESTIES!. YES TO A PERMANENT E-VERIFY! BUILD THE ORIGINAL TWO-TIER FENCE! ENFORCE THE 1986 (IRCA) IMMIGRATION LAW THAT'S ON THE BOOKS. DON'T OVERPOPULATE AMERICA! PROJECTED INCREASE BY 2050--430 MILLION PEOPLE FROM A CURRENT 307 MILLION.
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I thave always taken pride in being a progres-
sive Christian, but over the years I have become alarmed at the huge numbers of undocu-
mented people that have come here causing a tremendous strain on our social welfare systems especially in the health field. Over-
population is a dire threat to the livlihood of any sovereign nation. One only has to look at India and China as well as parts of Africa and Latin America to see the never-ending poverty and infant mortality rates that exist.
Because of the Catholic Churches teachings against birth control and family planning and abortion services to the poor in latin America,
the result has been parents having more children than they can support and nourish! The result is that many of these children have no choice but to leave their impoverished homes and try to make it here in the US. We now have over 60 million hispanics in America and in places like southern California, the majority of these people are uneducated, possess low skills and help to keep wages down!
Look at huge numbers of hispanic youths that are high school drop outs and belong to gangs and its a scary picture. We need to finish building the wall along the Mexican border and to do everything we can to discourage illegal immegration and to promote here and in Latin America, family planning and access to abortion services before its to late! If not, we as a country will be speaking Spanish by 2050! Is that what we want as a society ?
I hope we can pick up some French along the way as well. Of course, I also hope that we all interbreed to the point that noone can tell who used to be what either. I long for the day that we all have a light perma-tan and can't point the finger at someone born a little different that ourselves and ridicule.
"possess low skills and help to keep wages down!" And this is precisely why they aren't going anywhere. It's not coincidental that the people with the money are not screaming the loudest on this issue.
I sincerely appreciate your response and I rea-
lize that I was somewhat harsh in my opinions!
I love this country despite its homophobic laws and our blundering foreign policy esp our folly in invading Irag and the consequences of that collasel mistake by Bush! Sorry for the digression...I have always been amazed and troubled by Hispanic poor people in 3rd world countries like Mexico and Central America who have large numbers of children and then no means to support them. There is so much povery and misery in these countries and the future for most of them are bleak to say the least! I can certainly understand why these kids with no skills or education try to flaunt our immigration laws and start a new life here in the US. They need to respect our laws and play by the rules like everyone else. I would like to see our govt and religious community do everything it can to economically support these countries so they can remain in those countries and provide for their children. We are a finate country and we can only support so many people. I do fear the worst if we don't take action now!
Hell of an issue isn't it? I sense from your posts more compassion and concern than hatred. Cheers to you for that. Heck, you may even be a closet liberal waiting to out yourself.
" I can certainly understand why these kids ... start a new life here in the US"
This states that you are quite capable of thinking both sides of an issue. I respect that greatly. I am left of center to be certain, but I do not fail to regcognize the difficulty in this issue. I may even take a harsher stance than you do when it comes to illegal immigration issues.
"...I have always been amazed and troubled...who have large numbers of children and then no means to support them"
I believe that a large portion of the blame for overpopulating poor families lies in the incredible masses of Catholics in these countries. When you tell poor people not to use prevention, then you end up with a large family. Of course I realize that it's far more complex than that.
"They need to respect our laws and play by the rules like everyone else"
Would you say that the actions needed should be pointed at the immigrant labor or the employers of illegals? My opinion dictates that if you hang a carrot in front of a mule, you don't beat it when it starts to plow the field.
" I do fear the worst if we don't take action now!"
Ah, the tricky part. Have you ever had the "round them up and bus them back" thought? I have. It doesn't work though, does it? In fact, there are no absolute solutions to this issue. Certainly, penalizing employers harshly would eliminate the demand for the supply. But then you are left with:
A. Would the employers not be able to find labor?
B. What would that do to the cost of goods and services?
Do we ignore these issues and let the market find its own equilibrium without this supply of labor? The solution was thought to be work visas. That system isn't working, obviously, and I am not aware of any other that's any better.
What about unbridled assimilation into our country? That doesn't really seem to be the answer either. You state that we are a "finite country". That is true too. Our resources are limited, and sending those resources in the form of US currency to Mexico is not the wisest policy. So then what?
We are left with what we have actually. False policies and rhetoric being tossed about as panaceas. My only concern is that while we play villian through our capitalistic greed, we villianize those who are bit players.
of ignoring Godly principles and precepts and Calfornia has been choosing anything and everything over God for years, in the schools , in their courts of law , in their government,with one exception being recently when Prop. 8 passed,so for the most part the only persons to blame for the mess California is in are the liberal secular progressives Californians and those who are conservative who do not try to stop them that is what is destroying any chance this California has for restoration from all the damage done by ignoring Godly precepts and principles.Californias finacial situation, their illegal alien situation, their corrupted police and schools systems are destroying California and horrific crimes statistics, debt beyond their control and this current illegal alien situation are only consequences to the bigger picture of lack of respect for Godly things and instead they have exchanged morality for immorality, financial soundness to out-of-control spending and inflation, safe communities for hostels of gang violence and mob corruption, California has exchanged the good life for a burden no one can bare and its finally getting to the " what goes around comes around stage" and thats the best thing that could happen to them. I think maybe hitting rock bottom might cause them to finally get a focus on putting priorities in the right place which are Godly ones not worldy ones.Its always interesting to watch California and see what happens they dont seem to have that objective luxury.