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Reader Takes Hard Look at the Day Laborer.
Posted on Thursday, February 02 @ 23:25:36 EST by jfbailey
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WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. February 3, 2006: A CNR reader contemplates how much the Day Laborer, a recent news issue in Mount Kisco and Brewster, actually costs the taxpayer:
John,
Just some thoughts about the day labor ‘locus’ who just ‘take, take, and take’ and who have been the objects of derisive comments by our neighbors to the north.
Because many of the complaints mention burdening the schools and public services, let us look at a family consisting of a couple with two young children. Although it is unfair to assume that all day laborers are ‘illegal’, we will assume that the family does not file either federal or state tax forms and works for employers who pay in cash and do not withhold any taxes.
(More)
The majority of school funding comes from property taxes. Our family does not pay property taxes, but neither does any other renter – individual or business. The landlords pay the property tax, and the renters indirectly pay their share through their rent. Thus, our family contributes to the school district budget just like any other renter. Actually, the majority of the day labor population does not have children with them and they are supporting schools which they do not use.
Funding for city services comes from the property tax as above and from sales taxes, which our family pays. In fact, sales taxes are a very regressive tax, and, percentage wise, they pay a much larger proportion of their incomes to the federal, state, county, and city coffers than someone earning $160,000.
They also pay the excise taxes on their phone and cable bills, and highway taxes on gasoline, and the tax on … .
Last year I attempted to total up all of the various stealth taxes that an average citizen pays, and, in my case, I paid more in that manner than I did in property taxes. Our undocumented family pays these taxes – just like anyone else.
They also spend money at the supermarkets, luncheonettes, and clothing stores.
They do not pay Social Security or unemployment taxes, but they cannot file for unemployment or retirement benefits, so that seems a wash.
How about income taxes? To estimate income I took numbers from a report done by The Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at the University of California. It found that day labors earned a little above minimum wage, but were, on average, only able to work about 20 hours per week. The average income was $8,489. Plugging this number into H&R Block’s Tax Cut for both husband and wife, and taking the standard deduction, I found that our family would have received an $897 federal refund, and a $392 state refund.
It appears that the sweat equity provided by our undocumented family does go to pay for the cost of services provided to them. Further, that by being ‘illegal’, they saved us $1,289.
There are many issues concerning the growing day labor population that need to be addressed. But let us identify and solve the real issues, not send up smoke screens to cover up unthinking bigotry.
Don Hughes
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