Fiscal Note Fiasco

This is a very quick analysis on comparing fiscal notes, but it certain appears there may be Fiscal Note Fraud (or perhaps just inconsistency) favoring illegal alien amnesty proponents.

When comparing fiscal notes on pro (amnesty) and anti (enforcement) illegal immigration bills, there seems to be some inconsistency in fiscal notes. For example when the enforcement style bills are computed, no credit is given for savings made by reducing the number of illegals and their commensurate costs and the number of Utah's illegals is minimized.

When the guest worker (amnesty) style bills are analyzed, the estimated number of illegals increase and the added supposed taxes paid are inflated.

Specifically, look at the fiscal note for SB 60 Substitute "Employers currently not withholding taxes on wages for undocumented immigrants would withhold and remit between $11.5 million and $81 million per year in additional taxes" 

This means at 5% income tax, they are indicating the undeclared wages of illegal aliens are $1.6 billion or, with 58,000 illegals employed, about $27,500 annual taxable wage (not counting exemptions or deductions)

On one hand, amnesty proponents proclaim that illegals pay taxes; on the other hand, they say if we legalize them Utah will get all this money.

The note also says we have to hire one more attorney and pay extra ($625,200) for English training.  (Why would Utah Taxpayers need to pay for their education on English? - Does a REAL immigrant receive that?   It states at the top, "The bill will likely cost the Department of Public Safety $8.3 million" but that figure does not seem to appear in the summary table.

HB 116 (original, not substitute) credits "Enactment of the bill may allow additional income tax withholding of an estimated $11.5 million ongoing to the Education Fund beginning in FY 2014." The sub does not show a note as of this writing, look quickly as they change quickly and updates often remove the old notes.

For comparison, HB0070 - Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act Fiscal Note  has now been modified from it original unwarranted costs (and no benefit in cost reduction)

HB0253 - Employment of Unauthorized Aliens lost its initial $1 million cost (again with no savings credit)

Fiscal Note

On the positive side, HB0165 - State Reimbursement for Required Medical Services Act does show a fiscal note cost of $26,352,700 for  "Required Medical Services" to illegal aliens Utah will make an attempt (probably futile) to recover from the Federal government.

NEW Omnibush Invasion Proposal

Sources say that a prominent Utah Legislator is proposing an undisclosed, unwritten, unconstitutional and unwanted bill which would consolidate all of the good legislative ideas, that would have assisted in the program of "Attrition through Enforcement" into an Omnibush Compact Invasion Program.   

The sources say part if the proposal will require that all of the current undocumented immigrants in the state of Utah would be welcomed into the loving arms of the citizens' homes.

This would create more diversity, tolerance, civility, harmony and, particularly, appropriate reverence for the Utah Compact. The sources report that it will be proposed that every family in the state of Utah must invite into their homes an equivalent number of illegal aliens to reside with them.  

The Utah Compact has recently surreptitiously replaced the Utah Constitution, because it has received the requisite signature requirement of 0.001% of the Utah population.

To facilitate this process, all Utahns must register for a citizens Pilot Accountability Program, (PAP) and receive a criminal background check from the Obama DHS to insure that they are not affiliated with any member of the Tea Party. They will also be required to undergo a PAP smear, which will designate them a racist, xenophobic, capitalist, racemongers. 

If there are not enough illegal aliens available, more can be invited to Utah, he indicated that an an unlimited supply is available.

The under privileged and much maligned illegal aliens will then be given their long awaited and richly earned awards of the American Dream. These poor, hard working, misunderstood, brave, morally clean, and reverent true immigrants, residents and owners of the state will have the option of choosing which families they will join in paternal, maternal, infernal union and eternal bliss. 

Host Citizens will, of course, be required to learn Spanish, and pay a one time fine of $5,325 to cover the cost of educating one other person who has not yet been able to afford 400 pesos for a ladder.

Welcome, one and all, 

to Aztlan. 

Speaking of Farm Labor Costs

You've heard the lament, we need illegal aliens to pick the crops.  Without them our food cost would skyrocket. NOT SO!   Farmers can't find anyone to work for the sub-minimal wage - so try doubling the pay, it'll only raise the cost of lettuce by 8% and possibly save us more other in costs associated with illegal aliens.

Here's a 2009 Study on the issue from U of CA Davis on the subject of Food and labor Costs:

"Farmers get a small share of the retail food dollar, an average 19 percent for all commodities. In 2006, farmers received an average 30 percent of the retail price of fresh fruits and 25 percent of the retail price of fresh vegetables, so consumer expenditures of $429 on fresh produce meant $118 to the farmer (0.3 x 220 = $66 + 0.25 x 209 = $52). Farm labor costs are typically less than a third of farm revenue for fresh fruits and vegetables, meaning that farm worker wages and benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables cost the average consumer unit $38 a year. (www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FoodMarketingSystem/pricespreads.htm)

Even though strawberries are picked directly into the containers in which they are sold, and iceberg lettuce gets its film wrapper in the field, farmers and farm workers get a small share of the retail spending on fresh produce. Consumers who pay $1 for a pound of apples are giving 30 cents to the farmer and 10 cents to the farm worker; those spending $2 for a head of lettuce are giving 50 cents to the farmer and 16 cents to the farm worker."

 

And here's their 2002 study  (and demonstrating the inflation in food cost in seven years)

 

"The 109 million consumer units spending an average of $322 and purchase a total of $35 billion a year in fresh fruits and vegetables. Even though strawberries are picked directly into the containers in which they are sold, and iceberg lettuce gets its film wrapper in the field, farmers received an average 16 percent of the retail price of fresh fruits in 2000, and 19 percent of the retail price of fresh vegetables, so $322 from the consumer means $56 to the farmer (0.16 x 163 = $26 + 0.19 x 159 = $30). Farmers do not pay all of this $56 to farm workers- farm labor costs are typically less than a third of farmer revenue, meaning that farm worker wages and benefits are less than $18 per household a year, or less than one half of one percent of average annual spending. 

 

"This means that consumers who pay $1 for a pound of apples, or $1 for a head of lettuce, are giving 16 to 19 cents to the farmer, and 5 to 6 cents to the farm worker."

 

For a more detailed cost analysis, go to the exciting report "SAMPLE COST TO ESTABLISH AND PRODUCE ICEBERG LETTUCE" dated but informative 

Utah Guest Workers

Many Utah Guest Worker proponents would have us think that illegal immigration this is a new problem and they have a NEW solution, one that will certainly work.   plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

Braceros: History, Compensation

Excerpts - (but the entire article should be read!):

 

During the 1920s, when European immigration was being restricted, there were calls to restrict the Mexican immigration as well. California farmers made three major arguments in favor of continued Mexican immigration: "normal" workers shunned seasonal farm jobs; farmers could not raise wages because they were price takers in national and international markets; and Mexicans were "homing pigeons" who would not stay in the United States and create social problems.

* * * * * *

In the spring of 1942, California farmers predicted that there would be labor shortages for the fall harvest, and they called for the importation of between 40,000 and 100,000 Mexican farm workers.

* * * * * *

 

Between 1942 and 1964, some 4.6 million Mexicans were admitted to do farm work. Many Mexicans returned year after year, but the one to two million who participated gained US work experience, and some decided to continue migrating illegally after the program ended. The Bracero program was small during the war years; admissions peaked at 62,000 in 1944, meaning that less than two percent of the four million US hired workers were Braceros.

* * * * * *

 

The wartime Bracero program ended on December 31, 1947. Farmers were still allowed to recruit Braceros through official channels, but illegal Mexican workers were also available.

* * * * * *

 

Illegal Mexican farm workers found on US farms were legalized in a process that official US government publications called "drying out the wetbacks," which involved taking them to the Mexico-US border, issuing them documents, and returning the now legal Braceros to the farm on which they were found.

* * * * * *

 

In 1949, for example, about 20,000 Mexicans received contracts from US employers to cross the border as guest workers, and over 87,000 arrived illegally in the United States and then had their status legalized.

* * * * * *

 

However, growers had the upper hand in Congress, which in 1951 approved PL-78, the Mexican Farm Labor Program.

* * * * * *

 

One argument for Braceros was that allowing Mexicans to come legally as guest workers would reduce the number of illegal "wetbacks."

* * * * * *

 

The Coastal Growers Association in Ventura county, for example, reduced its employment of lemon harvesters from 8,517 in 1965 to 1,292 in 1978 while increasing average hourly earnings from $1.77 to $5.63. With fewer workers employed for more hours, average annual earnings rose from $267 (for 151 hours) to $3,430 (609 hours).

* * * * * *

 

About 10 percent of the wages earned by Braceros between 1942 and 1949 were withheld by US farmers and sent by US banks to Mexican banks. These forced savings often disappeared, and the Mexican government said it had no record of what happened to these forced savings.

*********

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. George Santayana

 

Instate Tuition Update

Rep. Carl Wimmer has again introduced a bill to repeal instate tuition for illegal aliens, HB 191

The original measure to allow this policy was predicated on the federal passage of the so-called Dream Act, which has never passed.  

An AG opinion at the time opined legality for implementation because no judicial decisions had been adversely rendered.   In the interim, such a decision has been rendered and is now under appeal to the US Supreme Court.

It would be entirely appropriate to repeal this unwarranted benefit now and minimized potential adverse affects to the taxpayers of Utah in the California Court decision is upheld.  At UU alone there were 25,881 residents and 4,938 non-residents (including Grad. students) at $10K each differential that's a potential $50 million annual payback that could be required if a CA Appellate decision is affirmed.  






Below is an update, with the increased numbers, of the subsidy provided to foreign national adults (tuitions as of 2009):

Illegal Aliens Enrolled In Utah Institutions
School	Illegal Aliens	% Total illegal Alien Enrollment	In-State Tuition & Fees (12 hours)	International Student Tuition & Fees (12 hours)	Difference	Difference between in-State and International Student Fees - One Semester	Difference between in-State and International Student Fees - Two Semesters
University of Utah (Freshman/Sophmore)	115	18%	$2,420.60	$7,597.58	$5,176.98	$595,352.70	$1,190,705.40
Utah State University	53	8%	$2,228.82	$6,675.68	$4,446.86	$235,683.58	$471,367.16
Weber State University	52	8%	$2,043.66	$5,777.47	$3,733.81	$194,158.12	$388,316.24
Southern Utah University	11	2%	$2,134.50	$6,423.50	$4,289.00	$47,179.00	$94,358.00
Dixie State College	0	0%	$1,572.60	$5,448.60	$3,876.00	$-	$-
College of Eastern Utah	3	0%	$1,235.00	$2,270.00	$1,035.00	$3,105.00	$6,210.00
Utah Valley University	224	35%	$2,024.00	$5,944.00	$3,920.00	$878,080.00	$1,756,160.00
Salt Lake Community College	185	29%	$1,395.00	$4,365.00	$2,970.00	$549,450.00	$1,098,900.00
Snow College		0%	$-	$-	$-	$-	$-
Total	643	100%				$2,503,008.40	$5,006,016.80