This is just another classic example of the boneheaded nonsense spewed from the left.
Former President Bill Clinton enthusiastically weighed into the blistering national debate on immigration today with a resounding assertion that America needs more immigrants — not fewer — to ensure its long-term fiscal future. No one is talking about NO immigration…they’re talking about no ILLEGAL immigration.
At a symposium on deficit reduction today (see my earlier story), Clinton said that one key to avoiding massive debt is to maintain a good ratio between people paying into the system, and those receiving payouts (through such programs as Social Security.) Ya, how about a ration of 1 to 1? As it is 50% of the population pay nothing in taxes.
That means more jobs and more people working, he said. “Which to me means more immigrants.” The unemployment rate is sky-high…the need for more jobs means jobs per eligible worker. You don’t reduce the unemployment rate by adding more people to the pool.
Clinton said he supports immigration reform as proposed by President Obama or as supported by Sen. John McCain before he changed his mind.
Clinton spoke glowingly of the immigrant experience in the United States. “We’ve got somebody from everywhere here, and they do well,” he said. How eloquent.
And looking at the overall budget numbers, comparing money in to money out, “I don’t think there’s any alternative for us but increasing immigration,” he said. “I just don’t see any palatable way out of this unless that’s part of the strategy.”
Clinton didn’t mention it, but it’s not just legal immigrants who contribute to the plus side of the Treasury’s balance sheet. In fact, undocumented immigrants are even more lucrative for the government, particularly Social Security. Many undocumented workers have payroll taxes automatically withheld from their wages, but because they use fake numbers, never collect the benefits. See the leap here? From a statement that starts with “In fact” as though that lead in makes it actually be a fact (typically used by liberals…other the similar ‘the fact is’ or ‘the truth is’) it goes on to make a preposterous claim that illegal immigrants (not the euphemistic ‘undocumented workers’) are more lucrative than legal immigrants. The evidence? “MANY” undocumented workers have payroll taxes automatically withheld from their wages, but because they use fake numbers, never collect the benefits. Really? How many? Where is the evidence for this? Does the number who go this route actually make up for the countless that don’t? What about the fact that their families are all here, too? What about the fact that MANY (see, I can do it too) of the illegals work but also collect welfare? What about the fact that MANY of these immigrants (legal and illegal) send a great portion of their earnings back to their homeland instead of spending it to help the local economy?
What another crock.
