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So now we're supposed to forget that the practically open southern border was the intent of "liberals" rather than the intent of Republicans and conservatives who exploited the cheap labor?
This means they're all the fault- the bleeding heart liberals and the capitalists who hate minimum wage and exploit workers. Let's not be so partisan boys.
So now we're supposed to forget that the practically open southern border was the intent of "liberals" rather than the intent of Republicans and conservatives who exploited the cheap labor?
This means they're all the fault- the bleeding heart liberals and the capitalists who hate minimum wage and exploit workers. Let's not be so partisan boys.
Yes, Holly. Republicans are more than willing to pay a lot of money to American citizens to bring in the crops. They would never be in favor of exploiting immigrants.
I always find it amusing that free market capitalists suddenly become protectionists when the topic is immigration. Then all of a sudden competition is a bad thing.
I'm struck by the venom directed at Raimondo for her state pension efforts. City of Providence retirees should only hope someone with her guts comes along soon to save that unfunded pension/health care liability circling the drain. Billions promised!
The 800 lb gorilla in the room not being talked about is the infusion of illegal aliens in this state. It seemed the 120 or so "children" being absorbed by Chaffee recently was simply glossed over by the media. How much is this costing us to be a "sanctuary" state?
Even using the highest estimate anyone has made, from the Rhode Islanders for Immigration Law Enforcement, an anti-immigration group, the total is $400M. That's about 5% of the state budget, and is just about the same as the annual deficit in the pension fund -- that is, in the absolutely "best" case scenario for the 'it's illegal immigrants' fault' claim, eliminating every single penny spent on migrants here illegally would stop the pension fund from shrinking, but wouldn't do anything to build it up to proper levels of funding.
Except that $400 million number doesn't hold up. RIILE claims that the state spent more money reimbursing hospitals for unpaid care of illegal migrants than the state actually spent on ALL hospital reimbursements -- clearly the fraction going to illegals can't be more than the entire total! To give you a sense of the credibility of RIILE's numbers, Terry Gorman, the group's president, sourced that hospital reimbursement claim to "an employee" of a hospital whose name he did not remember, who Gorman says he heard on a talk radio show.
The biggest expense is probably for education; RIILE claimed $250 million, but based on estimates of illegals from DHS and RI Dept of Ed estimates, $50M is more likely.
All told, it's probably a reasonable guess that 1-2% of the state budget goes to illegals. That of course ignores the sales taxes they pay (and gas tax, etc), which makes some of that back.
You won't dig RI or PVD out their holes by deporting people.
Yes, Holly. Republicans are more than willing to pay a lot of money to American citizens to bring in the crops. They would never be in favor of exploiting immigrants.
I always find it amusing that free market capitalists suddenly become protectionists when the topic is immigration. Then all of a sudden competition is a bad thing.
But we are also a nation of laws, or at least we were...
Even using the highest estimate anyone has made, from the Rhode Islanders for Immigration Law Enforcement, an anti-immigration group, the total is $400M. That's about 5% of the state budget, and is just about the same as the annual deficit in the pension fund -- that is, in the absolutely "best" case scenario for the 'it's illegal immigrants' fault' claim, eliminating every single penny spent on migrants here illegally would stop the pension fund from shrinking, but wouldn't do anything to build it up to proper levels of funding.
Except that $400 million number doesn't hold up. RIILE claims that the state spent more money reimbursing hospitals for unpaid care of illegal migrants than the state actually spent on ALL hospital reimbursements -- clearly the fraction going to illegals can't be more than the entire total! To give you a sense of the credibility of RIILE's numbers, Terry Gorman, the group's president, sourced that hospital reimbursement claim to "an employee" of a hospital whose name he did not remember, who Gorman says he heard on a talk radio show.
The biggest expense is probably for education; RIILE claimed $250 million, but based on estimates of illegals from DHS and RI Dept of Ed estimates, $50M is more likely.
All told, it's probably a reasonable guess that 1-2% of the state budget goes to illegals. That of course ignores the sales taxes they pay (and gas tax, etc), which makes some of that back.
You won't dig RI or PVD out their holes by deporting people.
5%, 1-2%, who knows. It's probably somewhere in the middle. The question is, can RI afford to throw away even the lower estimate on criminals who don't belong here? That is not chump change, there are much greater needs. No it won't dig RI out of its hole, it will just make it less of a magnet for freeloaders. That is what will have huge payoffs.
Even using the highest estimate anyone has made, from the Rhode Islanders for Immigration Law Enforcement, an anti-immigration group, the total is $400M. That's about 5% of the state budget, and is just about the same as the annual deficit in the pension fund -- that is, in the absolutely "best" case scenario for the 'it's illegal immigrants' fault' claim, eliminating every single penny spent on migrants here illegally would stop the pension fund from shrinking, but wouldn't do anything to build it up to proper levels of funding.
Except that $400 million number doesn't hold up. RIILE claims that the state spent more money reimbursing hospitals for unpaid care of illegal migrants than the state actually spent on ALL hospital reimbursements -- clearly the fraction going to illegals can't be more than the entire total! To give you a sense of the credibility of RIILE's numbers, Terry Gorman, the group's president, sourced that hospital reimbursement claim to "an employee" of a hospital whose name he did not remember, who Gorman says he heard on a talk radio show.
The biggest expense is probably for education; RIILE claimed $250 million, but based on estimates of illegals from DHS and RI Dept of Ed estimates, $50M is more likely.
All told, it's probably a reasonable guess that 1-2% of the state budget goes to illegals. That of course ignores the sales taxes they pay (and gas tax, etc), which makes some of that back.
You won't dig RI or PVD out their holes by deporting people.
Of course you will. Using your figures.....no, let's cut it in half. 200 some odd million easily covers the 178 million alleged to be RI's short fall. One should probably triple that to get to the truth. In five years time, it will probably get to a billion. It s an overall attitude of not disturbing voter base that is getting us deeper and deeper. I have to laugh at those thinking Raimondo has "guts". She is simply continuing the mess.
Illegals coming here are not coming here to work. They are coming here and being put on welfare and as MassNative states, the long term damage will be immeasurable if the "it's ok for them to come" attitude continues..
Give me a reason why we should harbor illegal's if deporting them doesn't do any good.
It garners the Hispanic vote is the only reason I can think of. Politicians have been making and breaking laws forever to suit their needs..
Of course you will. Using your figures.....no, let's cut it in half. 200 some odd million easily covers the 178 million alleged to be RI's short fall. One should probably triple that to get to the truth.
Illegals coming here are not coming here to work. They are coming here and being put on welfare.
Give me a reason why we should harbor illegal's if deporting them doesn't do any good.
It garners the Hispanic vote is the only reason I can think of. Politicians have been making and breaking laws forever to suit their needs..
$400 million wasn't *my* figure, that was the figure from the group that agrees with you. All other estimates are far lower, closer to $50M per year. And so you're saying it's really $1.2 billion -- that even the activists who agree with you on deportation are grossly downplaying the cost? Why would they?
All the studies show that the vast majority of illegals do in fact come here to work, and actually find work. There's really no disagreement on that among anyone who looks at data, but for a quick link see a recent study from the Migration Policy Institute, which is a respected bipartisan group: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites...thorized_1.pdf They find 2 of 3 illegal immigrants being employed; with an even higher rate of households having at least one working member (e.g., husband works, wife doesn't).
As further evidence, the flow of migrants from Mexico slowed drastically after the 2008 crash and in fact was already slowing before then as the economy picked up in Mexico -- about 80% lower today than 10 years ago. If they were moving for welfare benefits, which have increased since then, instead of jobs, why would the flow have gone down so much? It tracks job availability quite well over time.
I'm struck by the venom directed at Raimondo for her state pension efforts. City of Providence retirees should only hope someone with her guts comes along soon to save that unfunded pension/health care liability circling the drain. Billions promised!
This is the actual pension reform and what the whining is all about- basically the 6% COLAS......
Gov. Chafee and Treasurer Raimondo presented a proposed overhaul of the Ocean State’s pension system to a joint session of the General Assembly on October 14, 2011. The Rhode Island Retirement Security Act of 2011 (RIRSA) had five major planks:
1. A suspension of cost-of-living adjustments until the pension system reaches a combined 80 percent funding level;
2. A new defined-contribution plan to work in tandem with the current defined-benefit pension plan;
3. An increase in retirement age for current employees;
4. A change to the amortization rate of liabilities, and
5. A plan to help local governments bring their unfunded pension liabilities under control.
This is the actual pension reform and what the whining is all about- basically the 6% COLAS......
Gov. Chafee and Treasurer Raimondo presented a proposed overhaul of the Ocean State’s pension system to a joint session of the General Assembly on October 14, 2011. The Rhode Island Retirement Security Act of 2011 (RIRSA) had five major planks:
1. A suspension of cost-of-living adjustments until the pension system reaches a combined 80 percent funding level;
2. A new defined-contribution plan to work in tandem with the current defined-benefit pension plan;
3. An increase in retirement age for current employees;
4. A change to the amortization rate of liabilities, and
5. A plan to help local governments bring their unfunded pension liabilities under control.
Real interested in what #5 involves. I haven't heard much on the subject from either Chafee or Raimondo.
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