Friday, February 25, 2011

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)

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.


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