The Burden of Illegals?

The New York Times reports on surprising news that illegal immigrants working in the United States are filing federal and state income tax returns in record numbers. One of the reasons for the increase in filings is that some of the immigration reform proposals include a linkage between paying taxes and a pathway to citizenship.

Many illegal immigrants showing up at tax preparation offices around the country say they hope that filing a return will create a paper trail that could lead to citizenship one day.

This should be seen as great news for everyone concerned about illegal immigration in the United States. Paying taxes and sharing the burden of funding government services is a clear demonstration that the illegals have a desire to become members of the larger community. In addition, this development should torpedo the notion that illegals are little more than parasites that have attached themselves to the United States in order to feed at the trough of government social services.

The single best way to defeat the threat of the Other is to transform the Other into one of Us. The payment of taxes is an important element of shared civic responsibilty. The vast majority of illegal immigrants have demonstrated a desire to work and a desire to better themselves and their families. These are some of the values that form the foundation of the American middle class. We could do far worse than attempt export these middle class values to Mexico and Central America.

Time to Hunker Down

The Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management has issued this report concerning the bad ass storm that is currently underway for much of the eastern United States. The City of Watertown and surrounding areas can expect the following:

Rain turning to all snow after midnight and into Monday morning. Snow fall is expected to be heavy at times (particularly between 2 a.m. Monday through 2 p.m. Monday afternoon). Totals in Jefferson County may reach 18 inches, with higher amounts on the Tug Plateau.

Immediate steps to take: Bring in all outdoor furniture, toys and any light-weight materials; do not leave animals outside for long periods of time; ensure you have enough food, medical and other supplies today; check the batteries in your flashlights. Do NOT use candles if the power goes out; fill the fuel tank in your car, generator and snow blower today.

I do not look forward to shoveling another foot and a half of heavy snow from the sidewalk and driveway on Monday. This is the price we pay for living in Upstate New York. As far as preparations, I think I'm as ready as I can be:

I let the cats outside to play and explore this morning, so they're back inside now for the duration of the storm; I stocked up on groceries and gassed up the car yesterday afternoon; and the utilities are all paid up, so short of a power failure, I'll have lights, heat, and an internet connection. Who could ask for more?

What Did You Think Would Happen?

The Syracuse Post-Standard reports on a recent meeting between Central New York farmers and Rep. Mike Arcuri (D-NY). Chief among the concerns raised by the farmers was the lack of available agricultural workers needed to work on the farms. The reasons for the labor shortages are simple: fear of arrest and deportation.

"Increased enforcement of immigration laws hit grape growers hard in 2006, said Tom Macinski, of Standing Stone Vineyards in Seneca County. The enforcement crackdown not only eliminated undocumented workers from the labor pool, he said, but also affected legal migrant workers.

They heard rumors about upcoming arrests," Macinski said. "They stayed away out of fear, even though their paperwork was entirely proper. . . . That made getting the grape crop in in 2006 much more difficult and also made it more expensive."

The call for tighter border restrictions and crackdown on illegal immigration comes primarily from conservative Republicans in the West and Southwest. The most notable proponent of tighter enforcement is Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO). Tancredo has launched a long-shot bid for the Republican Presidential nomination largely on a need to restrict the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States.

Agricultual workers are rational actors interested in pursuing their own self-interests. Therefore, when the costs of working in the United States (harrasment, arrest, and deportation) exceed the benefits (wages), the labor pool will begin to dry up. This is how the free market works.

In order to counter the labor shortages, there are two available options: reduce the immigration crackdown or increase wages for agricultural workers. If Tancredo and his supporters are serious about reducing illegal immigration, then they should level with the American people about the increased price of food and agricultural commodities that will follow.