DWI: Driving While Illegal
" A coalition of groups (Wisconsin Coalition for Safe Roads) has stepped up its effort to convince Gov. Jim Doyle to allow illegal immigrants to....drive.... (They are ) working people who need to drive to New Berlin and Mequon...."
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 14, 2009
The coalition is seeking to have the State of Wisconsin issue certificates in lieu of driver's licenses to people who have no Social Security card since they are in this country illegally. If someone has no social security card, how can he or she get a job anyway? Legitimate employers nowadays demand to examine them, if only to comply with requirements that payroll taxes be withheld. I suspect that many of the illegals who are working are paid in cash, and that nothing is withheld for income or Social Security tax. If so, these people and their employers are violating our tax laws and well as our immigration laws.
We have been told that illegal immigrants are doing jobs that no American would do, at least not for the same meager pay. This claim was never very creditable, but in view of current unemployment statistics, it is even more ludicrous now. I contend that for every job held by an illegal immigrant, there are several equally qualified American citizens who would gladly accept it for the same pay. Employers could not so easily evade their responsibilities to pay at least minimum wages and their share of the Social Security tax if they were employing Americans, but they should be made to comply with these laws.
Whether more immigration at this time is, on balance, beneficial for America is arguable. But even if some immigration is beneficial, the nation must be able to choose those immigrants with the skills and resources that would best serve American interests. We must be able to exclude criminals, subversives, and those infected with communicable diseases, especially AIDS. Illegal immigration makes a mockery of all these efforts. Yet prominent American politicians of both parties have advocated a "reform bill" that would allow illegals to stay here why they applied for citizenship. Since the recent economic downturn, support for this plan appears to have declined.
So, how should we respond to the demand those who have sneaked across our borders and taken jobs for which they pay no taxes be authorized to drive on our streets and roads?
"No way, Jose!"
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 14, 2009
The coalition is seeking to have the State of Wisconsin issue certificates in lieu of driver's licenses to people who have no Social Security card since they are in this country illegally. If someone has no social security card, how can he or she get a job anyway? Legitimate employers nowadays demand to examine them, if only to comply with requirements that payroll taxes be withheld. I suspect that many of the illegals who are working are paid in cash, and that nothing is withheld for income or Social Security tax. If so, these people and their employers are violating our tax laws and well as our immigration laws.
We have been told that illegal immigrants are doing jobs that no American would do, at least not for the same meager pay. This claim was never very creditable, but in view of current unemployment statistics, it is even more ludicrous now. I contend that for every job held by an illegal immigrant, there are several equally qualified American citizens who would gladly accept it for the same pay. Employers could not so easily evade their responsibilities to pay at least minimum wages and their share of the Social Security tax if they were employing Americans, but they should be made to comply with these laws.
Whether more immigration at this time is, on balance, beneficial for America is arguable. But even if some immigration is beneficial, the nation must be able to choose those immigrants with the skills and resources that would best serve American interests. We must be able to exclude criminals, subversives, and those infected with communicable diseases, especially AIDS. Illegal immigration makes a mockery of all these efforts. Yet prominent American politicians of both parties have advocated a "reform bill" that would allow illegals to stay here why they applied for citizenship. Since the recent economic downturn, support for this plan appears to have declined.
So, how should we respond to the demand those who have sneaked across our borders and taken jobs for which they pay no taxes be authorized to drive on our streets and roads?
"No way, Jose!"
Labels: immigration, unemployment
posted by Gerald S Glazer at 10:49 AM
4 comments
