KHOU 11 News Immigrant Story

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

According to the SSA:

"The Social Security Administration

[mrfootball]

So what...we're talking about 1.5% of SS, when they make up 5-8% of the US Population (likely more).

Sales taxes don't account for much, sorry pal.

Income taxes, do.

In as far as our burgeoning apartment/slum population in Houston and Texas...something needs to be done to ensure these people pay their fair share. Apartment dwellars don't pay near as much (per capita) as homeowners, yet they flood our schools...a large percentage of whom shouldn't be here to begin with.

[VicMan]

How the flat hell can illegals pay taxes if they are being paid in cash?

Paying more taxes than Americans do? Are you new?

No, he isn't new. He is 100% correct. That's how sales and property taxes work.

By the way, the taxes are already deducted from the salary before the guy is paid in cash.

How many laws do you think the illegals in the MS-13 gang break EVERYDAY !

Pay attention to my post. Most illegal immigrants are not members of criminal groups.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

No, he isn't new. He is 100% correct. That's how sales and property taxes work.

By the way, the taxes are already deducted from the salary before the guy is paid in cash.

Are you mad?

[RedScare]

How the flat hell can illegals pay taxes if they are being paid in cash?

Paying more taxes than Americans do? Are you new?

As far as the numbers you have stated above, give me concrete numbers, not estimates and then we can talk.......

mrfootball assumed they were being paid in cash, not me, and not the Social Security Administration.

As for concrete numbers, those would be those things in my post that do not look like letters. Here is an additional one. SSA says that there are 9 million payroll accounts that do not match a citizen yearly. There are an estimated 11 to 12 million illegals in the US. There's your 75% number.

"We" don't need to talk. And I don't have the time to correct all of your false assumptions. I get the impression you'd rather not know the truth on this matter anyway. Tends to deflate your argument.

[VicMan]

So what...we're talking about 1.5% of SS, when they make up 5-8% of the US Population (likely more).

Sales taxes don't account for much, sorry pal.

Income taxes, do.

Dead wrong. The state of Texas has no income tax. Texas only has sales taxes.

Are you mad?

No. What has been said has been said.

* School districts are funded in property taxes. Illegal immigrants pay rent. Part of rent is to cover property taxes.

* Texas has no income taxes. Texas only has sales taxes.

In as far as our burgeoning apartment/slum population in Houston and Texas...something needs to be done to ensure these people pay their fair share. Apartment dwellars don't pay near as much (per capita) as homeowners, yet they flood our schools...a large percentage of whom shouldn't be here to begin with.

I would like to know how apartments are taxed. Why not do research?

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Dead wrong. The state of Texas has no income tax. Texas only has sales taxes.

No. What has been said has been said.

* School districts are funded in property taxes. Illegal immigrants pay rent. Part of rent is to cover property taxes.

* Texas has no income taxes. Texas only has sales taxes.

I would like to know how apartments are taxed. Why not do research?

And your point is what?!?!?!?!?!?!

The US gov. has an income tax. Illegal immigration isnt a Texas problem, its an American problem. To me its not about Texas, its about America.

[Heights2Bastrop]

By the way, the taxes are already deducted from the salary before the guy is paid in cash.

I can only speak from my admittedly and somewhat limited knowledge of the construction industry, but most of the construction firms I was involved with hired all workers as

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

"We" don't need to talk. And I don't have the time to correct all of your false assumptions. I get the impression you'd rather not know the truth on this matter anyway. Tends to deflate your argument.

Like your pro American avatar? You are too funny for words............

Give me concrete, not estimates............

[editor]

I would like to know how apartments are taxed.

Apartment building are taxes like any other business, then the amount of tax is split up and factored into each unit's total rent.

[musicman]

Was the comment live or pre-recorded?

Pre-recorded

Maybe you're just mad because you're Hispanic, and can't make good tacos yourself?

Seriously, How was the statement you mention offensive? Get the chip off your shoulder and stop looking for a fight.

You're missing the point completely. It is the stereotype i'm against.

We have quotas for a reason. It doesn't matter whether or not Mexicans (ie. MEXICAN NATIONALS) like them or not. As it stands now, we have a hypocritical 'look the other way' policy that has allowed far too many MEXICAN NATIONALS into our country

mrfootball has definitely narrowed it down to Mexicans. there are many other nationalities who are coming here illegally as well. To lump them all as Mexicans is racist.

[KinkaidAlum]

Funny, Redscare and Vicman give numbers, facts, and even resources to back them up but they are still being bashed by people just throwing out their opinions.

In my mind, if you have a problem with illegals working in this country, you should GO AFTER the people who hire them. Seems quite simple to me. If all these blowhards would just stop hiring people then they'd stop coming here for the opportunities because there would be none.

I know quite a few folks who are all up in arms in Houston about this who at the same time aren't willing to give up their cheap lawnman, child care service, and house cleaner. They just want everyone else's workers to go away because there is this misperception that all these folks are taking something away from us.

Of course, another issue that arises is that maybe if we had a higher minimum wage that would actually lift a worker above the poverty level, a national health care policy other than "Don't Get Sick," and other incentives, native Americans might be more willing to do some of the crap jobs that many feel are beneath them... Just a thought.

So, all you immigration haters should unite to support the above reforms NOW. LOL

[editor]

there are many other nationalities who are coming here illegally as well. To lump them all as Mexicans is racist.

Then you'd better mark a lot of the organizers of today's immigration marches as "racist" because they played to the Mexican communities, and anyone else was an afterthought. I didn't see one march in any city that started in a Chinatown, or Little Italy, or Greektown, or whatever. In fact, some of the members of other minority groups were complaining in the days leading up to today's events that they were being shut out, which is a shame considering that Korean radio stations did more to mobilize the effort in New York than most of the Mexican stations.

[musicman]

I know quite a few folks who are all up in arms in Houston about this who at the same time aren't willing to give up their cheap lawnman, child care service, and house cleaner.

You forgot taco maker.....

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Funny, Redscare and Vicman give numbers, facts, and even resources to back them up but they are still being bashed by people just throwing out their opinions.

In my mind, if you have a problem with illegals working in this country, you should GO AFTER the people who hire them. Seems quite simple to me. If all these blowhards would just stop hiring people then they'd stop coming here for the opportunities because there would be none.

I know quite a few folks who are all up in arms in Houston about this who at the same time aren't willing to give up their cheap lawnman, child care service, and house cleaner. They just want everyone else's workers to go away because there is this misperception that all these folks are taking something away from us.

Of course, another issue that arises is that maybe if we had a higher minimum wage that would actually lift a worker above the poverty level, a national health care policy other than "Don't Get Sick," and other incentives, native Americans might be more willing to do some of the crap jobs that many feel are beneath them... Just a thought.

So, all you immigration haters should unite to support the above reforms NOW. LOL

Please tell me you dont believe what you just wrote here.............

[musicman]

Then you'd better mark a lot of the organizers of today's immigration marches as "racist" because they played to the Mexican communities, and anyone else was an afterthought.

I concur 100 percent. I'm definitely not in agreement with what happened today.

[KinkaidAlum]

I 100% agree with what I wrote above.

Please tell me which part you don't agree with?

Attacking illegal immigration for being the cause of poor educational standards, higher unemployment rates, or for being a strain on our social service system is the easy thing to do. It's always easier to just blame some group for all our social ills. Seems as if every generation targets a new "evil." Seems to me as if we are moving away from blaming queers for all our problems and moving on to "those people/Mexicans." I wonder which lucky group will be next?

Who knew that gays would be so 2005?

[mrfootball]

Seems to me as if we are moving away from blaming queers for all our problems and moving on to "those people/Mexicans

Oh brother...

I think where some of the more doltish posters (ie. "kinkaid" alum) go wrong is in their belief that being opposed to ILLEGAL immigration somehow makes you automatically opposed to LEGAL immigration....That being opposed to ILLEGAL immigrants somehow makes you a racist.

That's horseshit and you know it. Cut the hysterics...

As for Texas only collecting 'sales taxes', that's quite untrue.

If you're a homeowner, you may notice a $5,000-$10,000 chunk taken out of your ass each year for Property Taxes. Add to this figure School Taxes, Port Taxes, Community College, Fire, EMS, and Police...

Then add another $10,000-$20,000 year for personal Federal income taxes...

(I'm sorry, but a typical illegal and his weekly trip to the Wal-Mart, doesn't quite cover the impact his being here creates).

Do illegals bother to get the proper licensing?

Apartment/Slum owners (slumlords if you will) assuming they pay proper taxes, have properties that are of typically low appraisal value and high density. That combination (which incidentally describes the housing situation of the vast majority of illegals in Houston) creates havoc on our schools. And doesn't even come close to paying for the share of services they require.

Who pays?

We do.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

I 100% agree with what I wrote above.

Please tell me which part you don't agree with?

Attacking illegal immigration for being the cause of poor educational standards, higher unemployment rates, or for being a strain on our social service system is the easy thing to do. It's always easier to just blame some group for all our social ills. Seems as if every generation targets a new "evil." Seems to me as if we are moving away from blaming queers for all our problems and moving on to "those people/Mexicans." I wonder which lucky group will be next?

Who knew that gays would be so 2005?

Gays? What do gays have to do with illegal aliens?

[nmainguy]

Gays? What do gays have to do with illegal aliens?

Everything. We have been transported to Earth to destroy marraige-even more than breeders have done to themselves.

We have been transported here to adopt your unwanted children.

We have been secretly deposited here to offer you great style, fashion and design.

But we have not come to clean your toilets or mow your yards. That's why you allow the willing illegal Hispanic Earthlings to come into your country.

[KinkaidAlum]

Gays = Illegals in the sense that they are trumped up as a complete diversion.

Illegal Immigration is this year's Gay Marriage scandal. It has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with Iraq. It has very little to do with our rising national deficit. It's not the cause of concern for social security since they won't receive it later. Illegals aren't overloading our national healthcare system since we don't have one and even if we did they'd be afraid to use it due to deportation. Mexican immigrants (since the backlash seems most directed at Mexicans) aren't selling our nation's ports to Arab nations. They aren't causing terrorism and weren't the cause of 9/11. Last time I checked, Bin Laden wasn't washing dishes in Laredo or picking citrus in Bakersield. They didn't fail to respond after Katrina and Rita.

That said, they are apparently the end all be all of all of our social ills this past month. Exactly how those folks in D.C. wanted it...

[nmainguy]

Gays = Illegals in the sense that they are trumped up as a complete diversion.

Illegal Immigration is this year's Gay Marriage scandal. It has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with Iraq. It has very little to do with our rising national deficit. It's not the cause of concern for social security since they won't receive it later. Illegals aren't overloading our national healthcare system since we don't have one and even if we did they'd be afraid to use it due to deportation. Mexican immigrants (since the backlash seems most directed at Mexicans) aren't selling our nation's ports to Arab nations. They aren't causing terrorism and weren't the cause of 9/11. Last time I checked, Bin Laden wasn't washing dishes in Laredo or picking citrus in Bakersield. They didn't fail to respond after Katrina and Rita.

That said, they are apparently the end all be all of all of our social ills this past month. Exactly how those folks in D.C. wanted it...

Kinkaide,

Are you saying the Republicans are done demonizing gays and have decided to move on to Mexicans as a vehicle of deflection?

[MarthaG]

OK, I cannot resist putting my 2 cents in. I do not get to post much these days, and seem to come in on the end of most conversations...which I find very interesting and I learn much. What I have to say contains no facts, only my opinions, based on my experince with this issue.

First, I drop my son off at high school each morning. The school is 90% populated by Hispanics/Mexicans. And I would estimate that more than 50% of those are illegal. The standarized testing rates are low, which means teachers are spending more of their time bringing the slower kids up to speed, and not spending as much time with my son.

Now with the New Orleans kids in my other son's middle school, the teachers had as many as 40+ kids per class, who are not getting along. Imagine what effect that had on my son's report cards this year.

As far as property taxes, I belive that most of the illegal's (in my neighborhood) rent low cost housing/apartments and have way too many people per sq. ft. of living space. Therefore the rent they pay is not much per person, and the property taxes being paid on that property is nowhere near what I pay on a house that contains 3 of us. In other words, they (the illegals) are getting a heck of a deal on their education expenses. Oh, I forgot to mention that the majority of those kids are getting free lunches everyday and my son (me that is) is paying $3 per day for his sandwich or slice of pizza.

However, I must admit that I have a yard service that charges me $30 per visit and a cleaning lady that charges $60 per visit. I could do the cleaning on Saturdays, and my sons could be doing the yard, but we choose not to. Could I get a high school student to do these things well for the same cost? I doubt it. To me it just means if I want someone who is legal to do these chores, I would have to pay more. Or I'd have to give up some of my free time and get off my a$$ and take care of it myself.

I do not buy tacos from the stands that are on every corner of our neighborhood, so I would not miss them at all. I do however love Mexican food, but as someone said before, I do not think I'm paying a reduced rate for this food at any of the restaurants, eventhough I'm pretty sure many of the workers in the kitchen are not legals.

I agree we have a problem in this country with this issue. I agree things need to change. I'm happy to hear on the news when they bust employers for hiring illegals. (And seems a lot of that has been going on for the past few weeks - or at least more is getting on the news). Anyway, my 2 cents, whatever it's worth.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Gays = Illegals in the sense that they are trumped up as a complete diversion.

Illegal Immigration is this year's Gay Marriage scandal. It has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with Iraq. It has very little to do with our rising national deficit. It's not the cause of concern for social security since they won't receive it later. Illegals aren't overloading our national healthcare system since we don't have one and even if we did they'd be afraid to use it due to deportation. Mexican immigrants (since the backlash seems most directed at Mexicans) aren't selling our nation's ports to Arab nations. They aren't causing terrorism and weren't the cause of 9/11. Last time I checked, Bin Laden wasn't washing dishes in Laredo or picking citrus in Bakersield. They didn't fail to respond after Katrina and Rita.

That said, they are apparently the end all be all of all of our social ills this past month. Exactly how those folks in D.C. wanted it...

i smell false enlightenment........

it is ok to start a thread here about gay and lesbian issues without clouding it in with ILLEGAL ALIENS. for me, putting the issues into the same catagory is no good........

[nmainguy]

OK, I cannot resist putting my 2 cents in. I do not get to post much these days, and seem to come in on the end of most conversations...which I find very interesting and I learn much. What I have to say contains no facts, only my opinions, based on my experince with this issue.

First, I drop my son off at high school each morning. The school is 90% populated by Hispanics/Mexicans. And I would estimate that more than 50% of those are illegal. The standarized testing rates are low, which means teachers are spending more of their time bringing the slower kids up to speed, and not spending as much time with my son.

Now with the New Orleans kids in my other son's middle school, the teachers had as many as 40+ kids per class, who are not getting along. Imagine what effect that had on my son's report cards this year.

As far as property taxes, I belive that most of the illegal's (in my neighborhood) rent low cost housing/apartments and have way too many people per sq. ft. of living space. Therefore the rent they pay is not much per person, and the property taxes being paid on that property is nowhere near what I pay on a house that contains 3 of us. In other words, they (the illegals) are getting a heck of a deal on their education expenses. Oh, I forgot to mention that the majority of those kids are getting free lunches everyday and my son (me that is) is paying $3 per day for his sandwich or slice of pizza.

However, I must admit that I have a yard service that charges me $30 per visit and a cleaning lady that charges $60 per visit. I could do the cleaning on Saturdays, and my sons could be doing the yard, but we choose not to. Could I get a high school student to do these things well for the same cost? I doubt it. To me it just means if I want someone who is legal to do these chores, I would have to pay more. Or I'd have to give up some of my free time and get off my a$$ and take care of it myself.

I do not buy tacos from the stands that are on every corner of our neighborhood, so I would not miss them at all. I do however love Mexican food, but as someone said before, I do not think I'm paying a reduced rate for this food at any of the restaurants, eventhough I'm pretty sure many of the workers in the kitchen are not legals.

I agree we have a problem in this country with this issue. I agree things need to change. I'm happy to hear on the news when they bust employers for hiring illegals. (And seems a lot of that has been going on for the past few weeks - or at least more is getting on the news). Anyway, my 2 cents, whatever it's worth.

Your 2 cents are worth volumns. I'm going to assume your kids are in Waltrip and Black which are now vastly different than when I was there. I would love to talk with you one on one away from this thread.

[MarthaG]

Everything. We have been transported to Earth to destroy marraige-even more than breeders have done to themselves.

We have been transported here to adopt your unwanted children.

We have been secretly deposited here to offer you great style, fashion and design.

But we have not come to clean your toilets or mow your yards. That's why you allow the willing illegal Hispanic Earthlings to come into your country.

BTW NMainguy, I can agree with the above, except maybe the destroying our marraiges. I think we are doing a fine job of that ouselves. So I cannot give you credit for that one. But you did forget to take credit for the great hair stylist, and chefs of the world.

[nmainguy]

BTW NMainguy, I can agree with the above, except maybe the destroying our marraiges. I think we are doing a fine job of that ouselves. So I cannot give you credit for that one. But you did forget to take credit for the great hair stylist, and chefs of the world.

Oh Martha, you know I was just trying to be the funny guy...but you ae correct on one point; I did forget to add the great chefs of the world [me=#1 ]...but the guy who cut my hair last week... > > > >

[jmancuso]

houston is a sanctuary city so cops just can't walk up to a mexican and demand his ID...to find out whether he/she is illegal.

[musicman]

Oh, I forgot to mention that the majority of those kids are getting free lunches everyday and my son (me that is) is paying $3 per day for his sandwich or slice of pizza.

Oh let's not go here. This is one of my pet peeves. The free lunch program is nothing more than a money making venture for the school districts. They receive money for each student that eats. I just don't know how a person with a cell phone and satellite tv being taken to school in an escalade qualifies for free lunch. I guess there's no money left after paying their cell phone, satellite tv, and car bills.

[DJ V Lawrence]

What I don't understand is why there's an "A Day Without Immigrants Day" or "A Day Without Immigrants" movie. They both are pointless, because that's not the issue, and because this whole country is nothing but immigrants." Even the Native Americans are of Asian decent.

If protesters REALLY want to get the point out, there should also be "A Day Without Illegal Immigrants", and 'A Day Without Illegal Immigrants" movie, and everyone who is working as a U.S. citizen "illegally" should take the day off to show why illegal immigrants in this country are so important. That's the only way to get the point across, and it should be done because it's an important issue, and I'd like to see an easier and quicker process for people who want to become American citizens and move here legally to do so.