The Immigration Influx Analyzed as a $346 Billion Cost to Taxpayers
By Marion Edwyn Harrison (07/08/08)
With respect to immigration how much attention the dollar benefit to the economy and the dollar cost to Federal taxpayers ought to be weighed is a subject which has received scant media attention. The balance, whatever it may be, probably is not the crucial question in an objective analysis of the value and problems of huge (and preponderantly Latino or Hispanic, mostly Mexican) immigration. As with any analysis of a complicated fact pattern, the cost element appears worthy of some analysis and evaluation.
The largest ethnic group presently living in the United States, counting those here lawfully and unlawfully, is Hispanic. In view of the fact many such people unlawfully are here United States Census Bureau figures, themselves often suspect in densely populated and lower income metropolitan areas, may be yet less reliable. However, there is no need for high arithmetic accuracy nor are statistics from other sources available. Thus, one considers the Census Bureau figures.
As appears rather empirically evident, Hispanics comprise the largest ethnic group. The Census Bureau figures, combining all residents of Latin American ethnicity, approach 46 million, or some 15% of the total population. Blacks aggregate about 41 million, Asians about 15 million.
Not surprisingly, there are disagreements among experts as to predominate causes for the increase in the ethnically Hispanic population. That increase is said to have be running about 3% annually, contrasted with the Black rate of increase of about 1% and the White rate of about 3/10ths of 1%. Whatever the figures, what are the causes?
Not surprisingly, the predominant causes are immigration and birthrate. Because so many immigrants have entered, and are entering, the country by unlawfully crossing the Mexican Border, it is no surprise that immigration is a major cause. Inexpert that I am, I find it difficult to believe that birthrate is anywhere near equally significant. However, many experts opine that birthrate is a major - some say, the major - contributor to the increase.
There inevitably are two elements of emotion in the evaluation. Lawfully or unlawfully, vastly fewer individuals would enter our country but for the deplorable economies and lack of work in their native land, say nothing of the extent to which in some countries oppression further holds down its unfortunate citizen seeking a job sufficient to earn a living to support a family. Hence, sympathy toward a lawful immigrant is common and, although in lesser measure, also toward the similarly motivated individual entering unlawfully. Further, what if one defies the prevailing liberal prohibition and profiles Latinos as a group? One - admirably, I hope - finds them family oriented. Hence, the experts tell us what our eyes often behold: more children.
It is difficult to introduce the subject of cost in this type of context. However, the cost of immigration necessarily is a factor for consideration.
A former Director of Research at the Hudson Institute, also having been a senior economist at W. R. Grace & Co., more recently President of ESR Research, has calculated estimated cost. Predicated upon a figure of 37 million resident immigrants, he has calculated a cost to the Federal Government - hence, to the American taxpayer - of $346 billion for the calendar year 2007. That would equate to about $9,000.00 per American taxpayer. It would not be appropriate in this Commentary to play statistician and attempt to evaluate that figure. The point is more fundamental. Immigrants, now predominantly Latin American and within that group predominantly Mexican, evidently cost our taxpayers money. To what extent does that cost, whatever it may be, counter the worth of generally cheaper and very willing labor?
The issue of unlawful immigration unquestionably should not be resolved upon a balancing of benefit to our economy versus cost to taxpayers. As this Commentary repeatedly has espoused, the maximum realistic effort should be made to eliminate unlawful immigration. However, what appears to be the potential for a cost-benefit analysis may be worthy of consideration in evaluating lawful Hispanic immigration. In any event, it should not be ignored.
Marion Edwyn Harrison is President of, and Counsel to, the Free Congress Foundation
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