Thread: Immigrants boost economy — but how much? (my eye)

Immigrants boost economy — but how much?
A study could help state avoid more surprises, but politics preserve willful ignorance
Image

Leila Navidi

Construction worker Juan Rodriguez stands outside Los Paisanos Bus Co. last month after saying goodbye to two friends who are going back home to Mexico.

By Timothy Pratt

Mon, Apr 14, 2008 (2 a.m.)
Roberto Alvarez sits after services at Ebenezer Christian Church last month in Las Vegas. Alvarez has three brothers in the construction business who, like many immigrants in the area, are out of work.

Leila Navidi

Roberto Alvarez sits after services at Ebenezer Christian Church last month in Las Vegas. Alvarez has three brothers in the construction business who, like many immigrants in the area, are out of work.
Jose Pepe Hernandez gets a hug before boarding a bus bound for Mexico. He is going back because he can no longer find work in residential construction in Las Vegas. The effect on Nevada's economy of the departure of many immigrant workers has taken officials by surprise.

Leila Navidi

Jose Pepe Hernandez gets a hug before boarding a bus bound for Mexico. He is going back because he can no longer find work in residential construction in Las Vegas. The effect on Nevada's economy of the departure of many immigrant workers has taken officials by surprise.
Sun Archives

* VEGAS EXODUS (4-6-200
* State illegal immigrant hiring law won’t work (3-22-200
* Immigration dissonance (3-6-200

Beyond the Sun

* Applied Analysis
* Wikipedia: Economic impact of illegal immigrants in the United States

Nevada’s invisible workers are causing trouble for the state.

After dozens of interviews, the Sun concluded in an April 6 story that 60 percent to 80 percent of the Las Vegas Valley’s residential construction workers are illegal immigrants. Tens of thousands of these immigrants who have lost construction jobs are no longer feeding money into the economy. Many are leaving Las Vegas.

Because these workers live and work under the radar, economists did not foresee the effects of their lost wages and spending on state revenues.

The result is “we plan in the dark,â€

(SIGH) IF ALL WORKERS ARE LEGAL WORKERS THEN THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEM WITH BUDGET PROJECTIONS. DONT ALLOW ILLEGAL ENTRANTS TO WORK IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED. INSTEAD THEY WANT TO ACCEPT ILLEGAL WORKERS INTO OUR SYSTEM. THAT MAKES NO SENSE.

Once again they are harping on the effect of illegal aliens on Gross Domestic Product and they are ignoring the effect on Per Capita Income particularly those within the same occupations as the illegals. Then there is the likelyhood that with reduced income more Americans rely on public benefits than would be the case in a labor market with less illegal competition. The people most likely to approve of the presence are those who are making money hiring them or are able to benefit a steady per cent of the rising Gross Domestic Product.