Thread: GA House votes to tax illegal immigrants' wire transfers

House approves fee on illegal immigrants’ wire transfers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By: Nancy Badertscher
02/14/2006

After two hours of contentious debate, the Georgia House approved legislation today that would impose a 5 percent fee on illegal immigrants who use wire transfers to send money out of the country.

The “Illegal Immigration Fee Act,” the first bill focusing on illegal immigration to reach a legislative chamber, passed 106 to 60.

Supporters of HB 1238 billed it as a small step to recouping some of what state government spends on health care, mostly emergency room care, for illegal immigrants.

Detractors argued that it would penalize hard-working people, many of whom are doing jobs that Americans don’t want. They also suggested the fee on wire transfers could send more undocumented workers underground and harm U.S. companies.

State Rep. Tom Rice (R-Norcross), the bill’s chief sponsor, said the fee would allow illegal immigrants to pay back some of the costs they impose on the health care system.

“All it says is: If you are here illegally, and you seek to transfer money out of the country by wire, you will be asked to pay,” Rice said. “We’re not going to send you to jail or get the immigration bus after you.”

He said estimates show that about $1 billion is wired out of Georgia each year to Mexico.

The fee would not apply to anyone who can prove they are in this country legally by presenting one of more than a dozen documents, including a driver’s license or passport.

The bill was amended on the House floor to exempt the fee if the illegal immigrant can produce a pay stub or a tax return that shows they’ve paid taxes in Georgia.

Democrats lead the floor fight against the bill. But state Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton) was an exception.

Scott declared the need for immigration reform because of the impact that illegals are having on crime, public schools and even his personal comfort level. “It bothers me that the children of an illegal immigrant in this country will have the same rights to citizenship as my child,” he said.

But Scott said he believes Rice’s bill would “tax people who are doing the best they can to provide for their families.

“I’ve got a moral problem with that,” he said.

Scott said illegal immigration should be addressed at the federal level and said he feared, with Rice’s bill, the state is “headed down the road with piecemeal immigration reform, instead of meaningful immigration reform.”

Rep. Al Williams of Midway was one of several Democrats to denounce the bill as punishing those who are struggling to make a living and “good enough to pick our onions, gather our straw, wash our dishes.

“You cannot be a persecutor of the least of God’s people, and convince your people back home you love the Lord,” Williams said.

The bill now goes to the state Senate, where a comprehensive bill dealing with immigration, has been introduced.

Link

One small step for man.........

We all work hard and pay taxes...Plaeeez They are no longer above the law, it's a step in the right direction.

Scott said illegal immigration should be addressed at the federal level

If I hear this phrase one more time I swear I will scream. This seams to be the "talking point" for everyone that has anything to do with enforcing our laws or doing anything about illegal immigration.

Why are these people so pathetic?

[quote]We’re not going to send you to jail or get the immigration bus after you.â€

I have called for this here in Colorado, not that anybody hears me!
This tax would be unfair to my LEGAL immigrant wife and my money that is TAXED and has ended up in South America! Yes, we have sent money back and I am citizen and I was born here and the wife is legal all the way. Therefore, I don't see this law being upheld by the Georgia Supreme Court.

Nevertheless, I am glad it passed and maybe I will be wrong? I would be willling to pay %5 more in Colorado if that is what it takes to get those illegals being paid under the table in cash to pay some tax!

HOORAYYYYY for Georgia! Let us hear a big rebel yell! YEAHHHHHH!

If you cast a big net like this, you'll catch your friends too.



----------------------------------------------------
After two hours of contentious debate, the Georgia House approved legislation today that would impose a 5 percent fee on illegal immigrants who use wire transfers to send money out of the country.
----------------

Let's hope, after Georgia gov't gets hooked on this money, that they treat illegals more like smokers, than like "contributors".



----------------------
(.....)
They also suggested the fee on wire transfers could send more undocumented workers underground and harm U.S. companies.
(.......)
---------------------------


Nah, it will send the money underground, and will no doubt add millions to cartel revenues(unintended consequences).

Sneaky employers could set it up,so they could pay their illegal employees with DIRECT wire transfers out of country. Or use a neighboring state to do the transfer, to avoid the tax. (is that legal?)





-------------
The fee would not apply to anyone who can prove they are in this country legally by presenting one of more than a dozen documents, including a driver’s license or passport.
---------------

Here's the loophole, and wire transfer companies can look the other way, if it means maintaining their cash transfer fees.
.



-pa

Ridiculous. Stop wasting your energy on trying to make a profit and simply deport these criminals. Ever heard of that?

instead of meaningful immigration reform

There's those secret code words again. Makes you wonder who's writing the script???

REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!