Thread: A readers view : Impact of immigration spending overstated

Today's Inbox: Impact of immigrant spending overstated
June 9, 2008


A reader's view
The June 6 article, "Study Cites Immigrants' Economic Impact," does not give a correct assessment of the impact illegal immigration has on Iowa. The article states there is a $4.4 billion spending impact, generated by 25,200 people. Doing the math, this indicates that each of the 25,200 is spending a whopping $174,603. If these numbers were true, it would also mean that illegals are taking high-paying American jobs, which the article denies.


Furthermore, the article fails to even acknowledge the fact that illegal aliens also have a definite negative drain to society, which may not even be fully offset by what they produce. Assuming the 25,200 illegals make below-average pay in Iowa, we could safely assume they make $25,000 or less each. Using this number, makes their total wages earned $630 million.

It is not fair to talk about what illegals produce without looking at their toll on Iowa society. We all know it is in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The problem is it that is hard to assess the negative impact of free health care, including free baby delivery, the negative impact of free Spanish translators in schools and the unknown cost of such things as Spanish signage in mega corporations such as Lowe’s which has full Spanish and English signage in their Iowa stores. Also, please consider the cost of crimes by illegals.

Illegal immigration results in illegal employment, and illegal employment hurts Iowa's working class. We need to craft legislation that is more punitive toward illegal employment and require an Iowa ID for employment. With a significant portion of the illegal-employment dollars earned being shipped out of the United States, those dollars have little, if any, economic benefits for Iowa or Iowa's working class. Remember, illegal employment pulls down average wages.

— George Davey, West Des Moines



http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/p ... /1001/NEWS

It doesn't take a Math whiz to see the numbers just don't add up. Even with remittances sent back home it especially doesn't add up. Spending welfare money for food stamps hardley constitutes "spending" when it's not money they made.....it's our money. Taking a job from an American and spending the money earned doesn't make the "hispanic shoppers" the target group either. It's just robbing Peter to pay Paul. Redistribution.......not anything new or added to our economy.