Texas lawmakers struck hard at illegal immigrants Monday

[Caligastia]

Legalizing illegals probably wouldn't help much anyway because once you are legal you have to be paid minimum wage, and taxes are taken out of your paycheck. It's a lose-lose situation for illegals and those who employ them, surely.

[Jon Miller]

But a win for the rest of us.

JM

[Caligastia]

How? If after amnesty most illegals continue to work under the table, how is it a win?

[Ramo]

Why would they possibly work under the table? They'd get paid significantly more with no legal risk if they work legally, and most of them already pay payroll taxes anyways.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Why would most illegals continue to work under the table? They would have access to complaint procedures about how they are treated. It isn't like the agg companies can simply just terminate all those jobs - they won't be able to function without that help.

Some, who are intimidated into it, may. But others will probably join up with unions and realize it is easier over the table. Hell, the welfare/workfare benefits are probably better than how much they are getting paid now .

[Caligastia]

Surely a large part of the reason illegals are employed is because they work for much less. If you make them more expensive to employ (legalize) then farmers/employers will turn to those who are still illegal.

[MOBIUS]

I wonder how well the Tejas economy would survive without 'illegals'...?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Surely a large part of the reason illegals are employed is because they work for much less. If you make them more expensive to employ (legalize) then farmers/employers will turn to those who are still illegal.

Aside from the fact that the illegals realize they could do far better and benefit far more being legal and open.

[Caligastia]

No doubt some could, but I'm sure a large chunk will find that their opportunities dry up once they become more expensive to employ.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Caligastia
No doubt some could, but I'm sure a large chunk will find that their opportunities dry up once they become more expensive to employ.

Like I said, do you think the agg companies will sack that many people, which would result in destroying their business? I'm sure former illegals realizing that they can do better even on what pitiful welfare/workfare the state is offering is bound to get notice.

[Caligastia]

The companies might not sack them en masse, but if there are still illegal workers available who will work for less than the newly-legalized, supply will meet demand.

[Whoha]

Originally posted by Ramo
Why would they possibly work under the table? They'd get paid significantly more with no legal risk if they work legally, and most of them already pay payroll taxes anyways.

because wages/working conditions/benefits are determined by supply and demand. if they can undercut one of those recipients of amnesty by offering to work under the table then they will get that job.

[Imran Siddiqui]

You forget about welfare. In Texas, which has pretty low benefits, a person who is actively looking for work can get about $3.50 per hour (counting food stamps and medicaid). That is far in excess of what these people are being paid currently. True, that is $1.65 off the federal min wage, but that is before factoring in the costs involved in hiding this information from the feds. It becomes less economically viable for companies to hire illegals when they realize that if they became legal and were looking for work, they can get a decent amount of money and more than what the companies are offering under the table. When you add the welfare amount plus the hidden costs involved in illegally hiring folk, it won't work well.

And, of course, the federal government could use the increased revenues to increase the hidden costs of hiring illegals.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
You forget about welfare. In Texas, which has pretty low benefits, a person who is actively looking for work can get about $3.60 per hour (counting food stamps and medicaid). That is far in excess of what these people are being paid currently. True, that is $1.55 off the federal min wage, but that is before factoring in the costs involved in hiding this information from the feds. It becomes less economically viable for companies to hire illegals when they realize that if they became legal and were looking for work, they can get a decent amount of money and more than what the companies are offering under the table. When you add the welfare amount plus the hidden costs involved in illegally hiring folk, it won't work well.

You're not making sense. What is to stop these employers from hiring illegals in place of the newly legalized? Just because the newly legalized can go on welfare does not mean there will be any shortage of new illegals to take their place if things stay as they are on the border.

And, of course, the federal government could use the increased revenues to increase the hidden costs of hiring illegals.

How are revenues going to increase when access to benefits for these people greatly increases with citizenship? And how can the government increase the hidden costs of hiring illegals?

[Whoha]

The newer illegals won't be able to become legal barring a significant change to the current amnesty plan.