Thread: Immigrant groups try to steal thunder from tea party

Immigrant groups try to steal thunder from tea party

Immigrant-rights groups sought to tap some of the "tea party" thunder Thursday by using the anti-tax-and-spending movement's nationwide protests to argue illegal immigrants must be legalized because they are eager to pay their full taxes.

But tea partiers, rallying on the day federal income-tax returns were due, didn't buy it.

The collision between two of the big political movements in America is expected to escalate heading in to this year's midterm elections as both push the political parties from different directions.

"Here there are people who don't want to pay taxes, and we're saying there are all these people who want to carry the load and we don't allow them to," said Mary Moreno, a spokeswoman for the Center for Community Change. She led a delegation that delivered five boxes of blank tax forms to a Capitol Hill office as a symbol of all the tax money left uncollected because illegal immigrants have not been legalized.

The Immigration Policy Center and the Center for American Progress, two liberal-leaning think tanks, have estimated that legalizing illegal immigrants would generate between $4.5 billion and $5.4 billion in tax revenues over three years.

Tea party supporters mocked the idea.
"Oh man. How do they come up with this? They won't be real Americans if they love taxes," said Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican who rallied with the tea partiers later in the day.

Hesaid the IRS won't turn down any extra revenue from illegal immigrants who want to pay it now, but alsodoubted legalization would be a good deal for American taxpayers.

Together, the immigrant-rights groups and the tea partiers represent the two big mass political movements of the last few years.

In 2006 and 2007, immigrant-rights marches and rallies drew millions of people to the streets of major cities and helped propel an immigration bill to the Senate floor both years. Neither bill made it out of Congress, but backers say the strength of Hispanic and immigrant votes helped send President Obama to the White House.

Since Mr. Obama took office, though, the tea parties have become the political movement to watch, with rallies across the nation attracting thousands of supporters, and with lawmakers in Washington trying to figure out how to harness the movement's energy.

The two forces have even gone head to head. Last month, on the day the health care bill passed the House, tea party supporters gathered on the Capitol's West Front lawn to voice their opposition, while blocks away tens of thousands of immigrants-rights supporters held a rally to demand legalization.

But some immigrant-rights backers argue that there should be a natural point of agreement between the two groups, and they point to studies that suggest legalizing illegal immigrants would be an overall help to taxpayers.

That point is hotly debated, with studies coming down on both sides of the question. There is no doubt many illegal immigrants work off the books, but analysts debate whether the new taxes generated would compensate for a possible higher use of government aid.

Lynn Tramonte, deputy director at America's Voice, a leading immigration advocacy group, said the tea party is an outgrowth of anxiety over the government's failure to solve problems. She said if Congress could pass a bipartisan immigration bill it could show government can work.

She said polls don't show immigration being a galvanizing issue for tea party supporters, who have organized primarily around opposition to expanded government and too much spending.

Ms. Moreno said she's seen signs that anti-illegal-immigrant groups keep trying to co-opt the tea party, "but I don't think they've had much success."

Still, Mr. King, who has ties to tea party groups and is a leader on calling for a crackdown on illegal immigration, said tea partiers are more likely to come out in support of stronger border security and more immigration enforcement.

"There's a very strong conviction toward border security and the rule of law within people that have gotten newly active in the tea party. It has to be there, whether it's been voiced or not, because they are constitutionalists," he said.

Despite their differences, the two movements have shown they can turn supporters out on the streets and rally them to communicate with lawmakers. And both sides have plans to continue to do so in the run-up to this year's congressional elections.

But both sides stressed their differences.

"The right to protest is a very American right, and I think you'll see that in both the tea party movement and the immigrant reform movement. But the contrast really is about a positive outlook to the future and embracing this country, wanting to be part of this country," she said, adding that she has been struck by "how large and peaceful and patriotic and happy the immigration rallies are. It's literally families with blankets, picnics."

Mr. King noted another difference between the two movements: When they both rallied in Washington on the same day last month, the much larger immigrant-rights rally left far more trash on the nation's lawn, the National Mall.

"The tea party people leave it clean. That's not the fact with those other folks," he said.

video
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 ... l-thunder/

The Pro IA folks pretending Illegals want to pay taxesis a joke. If they are intent on paying their "fair share" how about starting with paying your hospital bills and stop collecting earned income tax credits which you really did not earn.

Florida estimates IA's cost the state 3.8 BILLION a year in services such as welfare & health care.Now add that times 50 +/-and their paltry 5.5 Billion they say they will create in tax revenue is laughable especially when they bring the rest of their poor families here to get on welfare.

Pay taxes or collect refunds and EITC? Just think of all the benefits they could collect if amnestied - including membership in the 47% that don't pay taxes.

Some interesting comments related to the article.

Originally Posted by ReggieMay

Pay taxes or collect refunds and EITC? Just think of all the benefits they could collect if amnestied - including membership in the 47% that don't pay taxes.

Collect EITC and any other new benefit they can get their grubby hands on. If amnesty passed that 47% non payers would increase.

The Immigration Policy Center and the Center for American Progress, two liberal-leaning think tanks, have estimated that legalizing illegal immigrants would generate between $4.5 billion and $5.4 billion in tax revenues over three years.

Thanks for letting us know that illegal aliens are tax cheats and they are depriving the US of billions in lost tax revenue.

They could be paying taxes now but they are dishonest.

Dixie

Added to homepage
http://www.alipac.us/article5153.html

Illegal aliens can pay taxes without amnesty. All they have to do is file and send in their money with their checks drawn on the Bank of America. Simple as that. Anybody can have an excuse for anything and this is just another method of muddying the waters

THEY TAKE AMERICAN JOBS AND TAKE MOST OF THE MONEY AND SEND IT HOME SO THEY NOW HAVE LESS MONEY AND NOW BESIDES THE MONEY THEY SEND HOME WHICH IS MOSTLY MADE OFF THE BOOKS SO ARE GOVERNMENT WILL NOW GIVE THEM ALL THE BENEFITS THEY NEED FOR THEY SEND MONEY HOME TO PAY FOR THEIR HOME BACK HOME AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AMERICA AND GET BENIFITS
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO TAKE OVER THAT COUNTRY AND ARE SOLDIERS SHOULD BE HERE TAKING OVER MEXICO INSTEAD OF IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WHO DO NOT WANT US THEIR

I'm fairly disturbed that the Washington Times would run this story and completely omit the fact we held Tea Party Against Amnesty events at over 50 Tea Party events across America...

Numerous leaders like me, Tom Tancredo, Ted Poe, Sheriff Joe, JD Hayworth, Russell Pearce, etc... spoke out against illegal immigration and against Amnesty specifically at events across the country....

Numerous national press releases were sent out about that...

And the Washington Times dropped the ball how????

W

They steal everything else why not?