Dallas, TX

[KrazyHorse]

Let's reiterate:

neither speer nor slowwie have any ****ing clue about how the US immigration system works. I have direct knowledge of it, and have at least glanced over all the visa categories available. But, as usual, when he's not busy being a coward *****, Slowwhand will simply continue to post random nonsense which has absolutely nothing to do with anything, and Speerie will display simple hardheadedness in the face of superior knowledge and experience.

[SlowwHand]

I don't know much about immigration and pay and all, Albert. All that I'm saying is that the quote wouldn't apply to illegals. All it really is doing is saying that KH is full of crap. That's all that I know.

[Hauldren Collider]

Can someone explain to me how the state of Texas and/or the city of Dallas can pay for its government and services without imposing a wage tax? Are there ways for cities to generate income without taxation? Does Dallas impose high business taxes or something?

Property taxes.

[KrazyHorse]

I AM NOT DEBATING YOU!

I am asking questions. I have witnessed it myself and I thought it was common knowledge that immigrants do this. It seems to me that from how you paint immigration in this country, it would be virtually impossible or very difficult for these immigrants to do what they do, especially in the numbers that they do it (ie- come here and work with family ties or company sponsorships, send back remittances, and return home in a few years). This is not a debate or an argument.

WTF are you on about, then? THERE ARE 12 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THE US, GIVE OR TAKE.

Not all of them are Mexican, and not all of them work along the border or as landscapers.

I personally know some Pakistani guys who had Canadian permanent residency and would go work in the States for 6 months at a time whenever their cousins/uncles etc down there would ask them to.

Illegally working in the US is pretty ****ing easy, especially in a family-owned business.

If they weren't permanent residents due to family ties, then they were almost certainly illegal.

[Hauldren Collider]

In Washington, from what I can tell it's really really hard to get a decent job without legal immigration status. Even really crap places check your immigration status.

There are however still very large numbers of illegal immigrants here.

[SlowwHand]

Property taxes.

Incorrect.

[Hauldren Collider]

sales tax then

[SlowwHand]

Do some comparisons. Start with California vs. Texas and maybe you can tell Albert why.

[Al B. Sure!]

Property tax?

This is from last year but still...

In Philadelphia, the current rate is 8.2% of your home’s assessed value. The assessed value is supposed to be about 1/3 of the home’s market value.

Unless Dallas' property tax rate is higher, then it's still not making sense how Philly can tax so much and Dallas not, yet both cities can maintain services.

As for sales tax... we have 8% sales tax in Philly which is about the same as Dallas.

[Al B. Sure!]

WTF are you on about, then? THERE ARE 12 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THE US, GIVE OR TAKE.

Not all of them are Mexican, and not all of them work along the border or as landscapers.

I personally know some Pakistani guys who had Canadian permanent residency and would go work in the States for 6 months at a time whenever their cousins/uncles etc down there would ask them to.

Illegally working in the US is pretty ****ing easy, especially in a family-owned business.

If they weren't permanent residents due to family ties, then they were almost certainly illegal.

So they were all illegals? Interesting. I still hesitate to believe all of them were illegals but shady stuff probably was going on even in the legal case. Interesting. I'm surprised this isn't more of a political issue then. It never seems like illegal immigration gets any traction in local politics in the Northeast but we apparently have as many illegals as the Southwest.

There are 37 million legal immigrants and estimates are 8.7 million illegal... i would suspect the illegal would be greater then.

[SlowwHand]

It can't be sales tax. That would insinuate that people buy more of everything in Texas. I doubt it.
It can't be property taxes, because property is jacked up sky high in California. As a result, one would think that the property taxes, in total, would be more than in Texas.
Then why the failure in California and the success in Texas? Once I said that all I could think of was fiscal irresponsibility, I meant it. That's what I think, and that's all that I can think of as a key factor.

[Al B. Sure!]

The budget deficit in Philadelphia is $2 Billion and in Pennsylvania is $1.2 Billion even with much higher taxes than Dallas or Texas.

[SlowwHand]

This may kill you.

Texas has weathered the economic downturns better than most states with the Texas State Legislature passing and Gov. Rick Perry signing on June 19, 2009 a 2-year budget (Sept.1, 2009 to Aug. 31, 2011) with a projected $9 billion Rainy Day Fund. The FY 2010-2011 biennium budget of $182.3 billion spends $1.6 billion less in general revenue than the previous biennium. Gov. Perry congratulated the Legislature for passing the budget saying, “The Legislature has done a commendable job in reducing the general revenue appropriation to live within the Comptroller’s revenue estimate issued in January," and only used his line-item veto power to cut $97.2 million in general revenue and $288.9 million from all funding sources. [1]

A "Rainy Day Fund".

[KrazyHorse]

There are 37 million legal immigrants and estimates are 8.7 million illegal... i would suspect the illegal would be greater then.

a) Stop DanSing. I read your post without this bit

b) The great majority of legal immigration to the US is through family connections, and most of the rest falls into "highly skilled labour". Unskilled/medium skilled labour not through relatives is almost entirely illegal

[Al B. Sure!]

Sloww:

But how is that possible? Where is Texas getting money from? The Federal government?