Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill: Too Forgiving on Lawbreakers?

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There is no logic to the granting of any form of amnesty to illegals?

There is no logic to A " POLISH" PERSON wanting to deny another people the oportunity to do what their ' POLISH" ancesters did. That don't make any sense and if all inmigrants had to leave this country you better start packing and go.

What the hell do you know about what other inmigrants do or want to do with their lives? I came here with a student visa and due to financial problems and because I don t have any family I could not afford to renew it when i should but I am not going to let people like you humilliate me for that . You only mention professional people in America but what about the ones that are just coach potatoes and live just on social security checks and walfere? There are millions of professionals from all over the world here with Masters and Ph.D ready to boost the economy so lazy people can continue to do nothing for their country and receiving their checks. Don't you POLISH people take critical thinking classes in YOUR COUNTRY?

I went to College here while working full time, because yes, we work! that is why the goverment give us a tax number to pay our taxes. I have now a Bachelors Degree and want to get a Master in my field of study and I am not going to take insulting and racist coments from a nasty Polish inmigrant like you. Why the hell do you think that you have more rights that new inmigrants have today? Because your family came before? Hell no. We will leave this Country after you and your POLISH family.

marialopez of NJ 12:40PM November 11, 2010

Allow me come to the CONCLUSION section first and then I will document the path of getting there. Comprehensive Immigration Reform (in its present proposed form) will end up costing Americans $90 Billion per year.

Based upon PEW research 85% of undocumented aliens are Latinos coming from Mexico, & south and Central America. Their TFR (Census Bureau) total fertility rate is above 3.0 meaning that for every female in the range of age 17-40 on the average will have 3 children. Under current tax laws a family earning minimum wage or more will receive a positive cash tax credit of $1000 for each child under age 17. Assuming that 45% of the 12,000,000 undocumented are such females (5,400,000) have or will have 3 children each, or a total of 16.2 million children, each entitled to a $1000 CHILD TAX CREDIT. Then the CTC could theoretically hit a high of $16.2 billion. As the children age out that number will decline, but as their children age the valley of the curve will once again climb putting the $1000 CTC on perhaps a plateau or a slightly climbing curve (dependent upon their children's TFR).

Next the Earned Income Tax Credit for a family of three children for CY 2009 was $4687 for a family of 3 kids earning $26,000 or for a family of 3 earning $20,000 the EITC was $5667. Both these figures are above minimum wage. Run the numbers; average EITC to $5177 for the above 5.4 million females and you get a product of $28 billion. Their health care for the dad, the mom and 3 children will cost $6804 per year for a total family cost of $36.7 billion. So far, the grand total is $80.9 billion. Mind you, I am not finished. Federal aid to education for them will cost $1000 per child per year. Assuming that they will have all 3 in children in school at the same time, the cost will be as high as $3000 per family for a total of $16.2 billion. Have I passed $90 billion yet?

Finally the costs to states will run a low of $7500 in California and $11000 in New York to educate them. Let's average education costs to the states at $9250, thus each immigrant family costs state treasuries $27,750 for a family of 3 kids. The education costs will exceed $149.9 billion. Now have I passed $90 billion. We are talking about a range of costs. The lower portion of the range will be $90 billion the upper portion will exceed $200 billion it all depends upon our citizens carrying the CTC, the EITC and the education costs. of course the amnesty advocates will say, "they will pay taxes!" Oh yeah? How... when their incomes will hover around $10-$12 per hour. No income tax... only renters' taxes on real property and sales taxes. I am a tax preparer. THEY WILL PAY NO INCOME TAX. they will pay FICA and Medicare taxes. In California they will buy State Disability Insurance, but their withdrawals will match or exceed that insurance. THEY ARE AND WILL BECOME THE LARGEST ECONOMIC BURDEN THAT HIS COUNTRY HAS EVER ASSUMED (beyond war).

Captain H Frith II of CA 6:13PM October 07, 2010

I have to agree with Nick from Il. This country can not afford illegal aliens becoming legal. The earned income credit that they would now qualify for would send this country further into bankruptcy. This country is already in the middle of a double dip recision, and even though my heart breaks for the plight of illegals living in this country "we can't afford them".

Further more this country only allowes so many entries per year and for every illegal given amnesty is a denial for someone who followed the law and waited their turn.

Andrea of TX 7:29AM August 29, 2010

There is no logic to the granting of any form of amnesty to illegals.

First point. My grandparents came over in the 1890's from Ireland. They came legally stopping at Ellis Island like most folks did. They didn't come over just to make money. They came over to become Americans. I grew up in a mostly Polish neighborhood. Most of the parents were from the old country. Their children went to American schools that taught only in English. They all learned the language. They assimilated.

The new batch of immigrants do not want that. They want the spoils and then want to go home.

2nd point. If they must pay fines, do jail time, go home and then come back or whatever, who really believes that all 12 million of them will. Although I am merely plucking a figure out of the air, I seriously doubt that more than 10% of them would take advantage of the amnesty in those circumstances.

So what do we do with those that don't take advantage?

Final point. For those that do accept amnesty, what becomes of them. The people that hired them are not going to pay them min. wage or FUTA or SUTA or FICA or any of the other payroll taxes employers pay for their workers. This means they are now unemployed and on the dole. This also means that we will get a new infux of illegals to take the place of the now legal immigrants.

Can we afford that?

When we have almost 20 million unemployed Americans and another 10-20 under employed, can we afford to legalize a group of people responsible for lowering the net income level of amny professions and keeping our unemployment extremely high.

I don't think we can

NickF of IL 8:13PM May 22, 2010

I guess many posters don't understand the definition of the word "illegal". Do you realize that if we give amnesty to all, America will go broke!! If most illegals hold low paying jobs as everyone says, making them "legal" will entitle them to food stamps, welfare, medicade and dozens of other programs that taxpaying citizens pay for. And don't tell me "they" will become taxpayers if they are legals. Poor people DON'T pay income tax. Hooray for Arizona to have the guts that the Feds don't have.

Dennis of WY 11:10AM May 19, 2010

Well first of all I agree completely with the first persons statements. THE ONLY people in this wonderful coutry who are not immigrants are the Native Americans. Question..... IF there was a country that had more opportunities, better education, better hospitals, etc. would you not all go to provide your wifes, children, mothers, fathers, etc. a better life? I know I would. Who are we to decide who should be legal and who shouldn't? God did not put up borders. Yes we should have some type of immigration laws, shut off the borders, do extensive background checks, etc. but if they are already here, working, studying, why not give them the chance to become legal? For all of the people against the immigration reform, check out the prices on the USCIS web site for the documents just the papaerwork, fees would be an enormous boost for the US economy. As far as welfare goes, what welfare office doesn't check the legal status of a person before approving them foe services? That is a glich in our govt. What we need to do is make it mandatory to be drug tested to et any kind of public assistance. This would cut out over half of the money our govt. is dishing our to the lazy drug addicts in our country. Leagalize the immigrants and quit suppoting the drug habits of the lazy americans.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kimberly bermudes of NC 11:41PM May 16, 2010

Let me ask you a simple question. Where are your ancestors from? Going by your name, it seems like your ancestors where from Germany or some part of Europe. You or your family under no curcumstance been native of the soil. So how on earth you are trying to preach that illigal immigrants should not be pardoned. Think back a wee bit. Take the illegal immigrants and send them back to where ever they come from. You know what is going to be the outcome! Well, first of all, the lawn in front of your house will be unkept, the babies at home will be without nannies, the garbage from your house will pile up, the daily wage workers at the farm will non exist, and so on and so forth. You know what will happen to your saving...it will all disappear because you will have to pay a real steep amount for all the above activities if it was not for the illegal immigrants.You seem like a matured person so why not use your maturity and analyse the content of what you pen down. Do not get swayed by rightist or leftist views, whatever it maybe. I can go on and on being critical to your views but that is not my objective. What I just want to convey is, lets forget the negativity and find a solution to this illegal immigration problem rather than harping about the problem. That way, you will make your forefathers and founders of this great country proud...the ones who made this country..The land of the immigrant!

And this is for Louise.You call the illigal immigrants criminal but you dont mind using their services for cheap!!

SAM of CA 7:11PM April 28, 2010

@ mixed messages o wow com'on not like your family was completely native american. you're saying your mess of your rents? its time to do something about immigration we all know it is problem and trying to solve it now. comparing Germany to america first think when i hear word Germany i think of Nazi's when i hear AMERICA i think of land of opportunity with equal rights so its time to buckle up and react something on immigration.

dreamact of AK 3:47AM April 25, 2010

I think giving legal status to illegal immigrants is sending out a mixed message to other people in other countries. We're condoning their being in this country illegally, by granting them green cards, or other legal status within INS. We're allowing them to basically "bully" the politicians into granting them legal status, by all their protests. Pretty soon, all of their extended family members are coming into the country, riding on THEIR green cards, not to mention all the children they are having once they are in this country--legally or not. Then their kids start to think that yes, it's okay to do what you want, even if it's illegal, and you can get rewarded for it; this government's a push-over. Then they join up with gangs and it's a mess. Take a look. And if they don't get jobs, they go on government food stamps, welfare, etc., and the tax payers have to pay for that. Moreover, we're presented with these overwhelming unemployment rate figures. Well? I mean take an honest look: Americans who are qualified for jobs have to take a back seat to people who don't even have legal status here, not to mention people who are coming in on green cards, and then bringing in more of their families, from the Philipines, Mexico, getting them on green cards--as long as they're willing to sit in their living rooms for 6 months here in the states, to show they are simply HERE. No wonder those unemployment figures are high. You never give people the whole picture. Those who would vote on this bill need to take a really good look, a thorough look at the bigger picture of what's going on in our cities with illegal immigrants. Open your eyes.

Anonymous of WA 4:53PM April 11, 2010

I think to grant "amnesty or pardon" to whoever violated the laws by any means is not acceptable but to impose some sort of penalty for what they did is most probably "fair". They have to admit their violations. pay fines and pass background check and put at the back of line of legalization. That is generous America for everyone who came in the first place for the American Dream which is hard nowadays in the shadows of economic hardship we all face. Let the Congress debate and come up with a fair immigration reform that serves the interests of America.

God Bless America

Sam Mo of MI 1:23AM April 09, 2010

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Bonnie Erbe

Bonnie Erbe

Bonnie Erbe is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report and hosts PBS's weekly news analysis program, To the Contrary with Bonnie Erbe. She also writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column for Scripps Howard News Service.

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