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TAXES AND MIGRATION. Remember the old saying, "when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail?" Well, as Mark Steyn shows, when all you know is tax cuts, every problem stems from high marginal rates. He genuinely appears to think that illegal immigrants enjoy their status: After all, no taxes! It's "the perfect arrangement for modern life ." That you have to hide in the bushes every time your employer decides payroll is too high and the INS should come by the plant for a look-see is, I'd guess, a small price to pay for the much-heralded grail of federal tax relief.
--Ezra Klein
COMMENTS (6)
Ezra,
Do you really think illegal immigrants live in fear of deportation? Not the ones I know.
Posted by: Erkie | May 21, 2007 8:51 AM
So Erkie, you're saying that they would prefer to remain illegals for the tax breaks?
Posted by: Col Bat Guano | May 21, 2007 9:26 AM
This post and the comments so far are proceeding under the assumption illegals don't pay taxes. Someone working off the books doesn't pay taxes, which is seperate from one's immigration status. Many illegal immigrants are working using fake Social Security numbers. That means their company is withholding taxes for them. It also means they don't file their 1040EZ. Which means they don't get a small refund. Which is why it's said illegal immigrants actually pay more in taxes than they get back.
Posted by: American Citizen | May 21, 2007 10:33 AM
What American Citizen said. Many illegals are actually trapped in highly exploitative arrangements.
It hardly needs to be pointed out that Mark Steyn is one of the vilest, most thoroughly dishonest and contemptible excuses for a human being on the face of the earth, but in this non-foreign-policy context it bears repeating.
Posted by: LaFollette Progressive | May 21, 2007 10:49 AM
Pet peeve nitpick: Nobody has to fear the INS anymore, because the INS no longer exists. They split it into "Citizenship and Immigration Services" and "Immigration and Customs Enforcement" when they created DHS. So today's immigrants have to worry about getting picked up by ICE.
Posted by: Stentor | May 21, 2007 11:18 AM
Since Wal-Mart has been facing considerable opposition from the financial services and banking industry, its efforts to establish a 'banking' entity here in the USA, has been stymied. However, the Government of Mexico will give Wal-Mart what it wants. Thusly, immigrants will be able to bank in Mexico, transfer their hard-earned dollars on their credit card, and will have no further need for the traditional banking entities. As such, another 'captured' consumer in similarity to Target and others similarly situated.
And from the standpoint of the small business owner, life becomes more difficult. So, Steyn's mantra would be more appropriately applied, not the to the immigrants, but to the small business owner. As such, no-income, no-taxes. And marginal rates need not come into play.
And that's Steyn's "reality" which he fears to address, and as per the usual from the Right. Of course, the 'zomby-ism"of the Right still won't get in the way of their political practices.
Posted by: Jaango | May 21, 2007 11:54 AM