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A formula for opportunity

9-digit tax ID numbers help workers eager to pay fair share
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/18/06
BY JOHN VANDIVER

TOMS RIVER BUREAU

On a recent rainy morning, Carlos Cedeno Jr. paid a visit to his dad's downtown Lakewood office — near the place where day laborers wait for work early in the morning.

Cedeno Jr., 27, was looking for experienced tree climbers to hire for work in suburban Philadelphia. The jobs were long term, paid up to $30 an hour and included housing and health benefits.

One problem: Cedeno Jr.'s boss requires his workers to have tax identification numbers — something many undocumented immigrants don't possess.

That visit by Cedeno Jr. has prompted a new community service program at Casa Don Carlos — the place where Carlos Cedeno Sr. runs his landlord/tenant mediation and property management business on Route 9.

Cedeno Sr., Lakewood's former fair housing officer, brought a group of about 15 workers to his office that morning, where the process of obtaining tax identification numbers was launched.

"Do you want to pay taxes?" Cedeno Sr. asked the men in Spanish.

"Si," answered the group in unison.

So far, Casa Don Carlos has signed up about 20 workers for tax numbers, which enable taxes to be withdrawn even if the workers are undocumented. More and more people are dropping by Cedeno's office, seeking help filling out their applications.

"Word is spreading. People are hungry for help. I'm helping the illegals to pay their taxes. The Hispanic community wants to pay their taxes and their fair share," Cedeno Sr. said.

As federal lawmakers grapple with how to handle a growing population of undocumented immigrants, Cedeno Sr. says it's in the interest of the workers to start paying taxes. If an amnesty program is implemented, a record of paying taxes could help the workers obtain legal residency.

Not everyone, though, likes the idea of helping undocumented immigrants find better jobs.

"This will merely reinforce their attitude that they have a right to be here, and that's wrong. If we don't nip this in the bud, we're not going to have an American culture anymore," said Vince Johnson, 57, an undocumented immigration opponent from Brick.

But many contractors say the only way to assemble a team of workers is to tap into the undocumented immigrant community. Not many U.S. citizens want to lay bricks, climb trees or shingle roofs, say the contractors.

"There's so much work out there. So many contractors are looking for people. We need manpower," Cedeno Jr. said.

Gene Gatens, a contractor from Brick, said the hardest part of managing his home remodeling business is finding workers who are citizens. He said he sympathizes with employers who are forced to find their work force among the undocumented worker population.

While it's relatively easy for undocumented immigrants to sign up to pay taxes, it's much harder to obtain legal residency.

"There's a real dichotomy there," Gatens said. "The average guy on the street is striving for legitimacy."

Ramiro Ramos, 22, was hoping to get a job with Cedeno Jr., but he'll have to wait. To obtain a tax number, proper identification is needed, whether it's an international driver's license, birth certificate or passport.

Ramos' birth certificate is back in Mexico. When it arrives by mail, Cedeno Sr. says he'll be signing Ramos up for a tax number.

"It's a great opportunity to get some help," said Ramos, referring to the new program at Casa Don Carlos.

The Tax ID number was established in 1996 by the IRS and was aimed at collecting income tax from people without Social Security numbers. More than 7 million ITIN numbers have been issued since 1996, according to the IRS.

Critics say the program enables undocumented workers to blend into a society where they don't legally belong. In Lakewood, the presence of Latino men gathered on Clifton Avenue each morning is a source of controversy.

Merchants say the men who huddle on street corners are bad for business. In October, township officials opened a muster zone three miles from downtown with the hopes of luring the men away from the downtown streets.

So far, the zone has failed to catch on in any substantial way.

Cedeno Sr. hopes his efforts to get the men tax numbers will translate into steady work, eliminating the need to mill on Clifton Avenue.

Word is spreading. In recent weeks, contractors from Delaware and New York have been calling Cedeno's office, inquiring about workers with tax numbers.

Most of the big contractors who offer the better paying jobs require the tax numbers, Cedeno Jr. said.

"This is their first step to getting straightened out," Cedeno Jr. said.

Cedeno Sr.'s response to critics of undocumented immigrants: "They're here. There's nothing you can do about that. They're here now and they want to contribute, to pay taxes."

John Vandiver: (732) 557-5739 or jvandiver@app.com

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(STAFF PHOTO: BOB BIELK)
Volunteer Monica Guerrero (left) of Lakewood helps Salomon Aguilar (center) and Jorge Cervantes apply for tax identification numbers.
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