2:15 p.m. update, state grants
Back to reality: The campaign coin keeps flooding in for Mayor Bill Finch following his reelection fundraiser at Testo’s Restaurant two weeks ago … $70K, $80K, $90K; may even hit $100K by the time all check commitments are tracked down and counted.
That’s a mighty good start for the mayor who received a huge helping hand from Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa. When Mario dials for dollars, few are better. The mayor and Mario are trying their hand at playing nice after a frosty relationship following Mario’s ascension to party honcho. Finch had supported John Stafstrom for the job.
I understand the mayor sent over a couple of thank-you plants to Mario for his efforts. Mario would gladly exchange the plants for a little better communication. It’s budget time and the mayor will be submitting his second one to the City Council within the next week.
Mario has always taken an interest in the budget going back to his days on the Board of Apportionment and Taxation, the budget-making body before the authority was taken over by the City Council more than 20 years ago.
From what I’m hearing the mayor’s budget will not be pretty, but what budget is a walk in the park these days? Everyone is hurting. This is a key budget for the mayor. It’s going to be difficult–although not impossible–for him to govern effectively with back-to-back tax hits. Depending on the size of the increase and this being a reval year, some property owners could see reductions while many others will experience increases in tax bills.
The mayor has made gains–most notably dramatic union concessions–to close what was projected to be a $20 million budget gap in the current fiscal year. The mayor’s still hoping to receive some extra give-back loot from the Board of Education to close the deal.
The city’s fund balance (rainy day fund) that was $50 million 10 years ago is now below $10 million. How much will city bean counters dip into that to help close the hole in the budget year that begins July 1?
Wall Street credit rating agencies base their ratings on fund balance. The lower it goes the worse the credit rating, making the bond market more costly to taxpayers.
Whatever the mayor submits to the council will not be the end of it. The council will play around with the budget to try to minimize the tax hit in a council election year (the mayor is not up until 2011), or save nearest-and-dearest departments from cuts. Final mil rate will be set in June.
The graphic below generated by the state budget office shows the grant money the city received from the state for the current fiscal year and projected loot for the next two cycles, per the governor’s budget. Overall, the city is working with less as budget season begins.
| Town | Grant Type | FY 2008-09 | FY 2009-10 | FY 2010-11 | % Change FY08‑09 to FY09‑10 |
| Bridgeport | Adult Education | $1,391,886 | $1,392,861 | $1,392,861 | 0.07% |
| Bridgeport | ECS (Education Cost Sharing) | $164,195,344 | $164,195,344 | $164,195,344 | 0% |
| Bridgeport | LoCIP (Local Capital Improvement Program) | $2,123,842 | $2,083,001 | $2,083,001 | -1.92% |
| Bridgeport | Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund Grant | $9,559,715 | $8,833,883 | $8,833,883 | -7.59% |
| Bridgeport | Non-public School Pupil Transportation | $458,297 | $460,607 | $460,607 | 0.5% |
| Bridgeport | PILOT: Colleges and Hospitals | $11,200,500 | $10,041,445 | $10,041,445 | ‑10.35% |
| Bridgeport | PILOT: State-owned Real Property | $2,676,768 | $2,450,950 | $2,450,950 | -8.44% |
| Bridgeport | Public School Pupil Transportation | $2,468,093 | $2,461,726 | $2,461,726 | -0.26% |
| Bridgeport | Total State Aid (including ECS) | $194,744,903 | $192,411,486 | $192,411,486 | -1.2% |
| Bridgeport | Town Aid Road Fund | $670,458 | $491,669 | $491,669 | ‑26.67% |
Grogins Pushes Ed Funding
Speaking of the Education Cost Sharing, State Rep. Auden Grogins, the blonde banshee from Black Rock, is trying to up the city’s share from the governor’s proposed budget. See Grogins news release below:
REP. GROGINS: INCREASE IN EDUCATION COST SHARING PASSES HURDLE
Representative Auden Grogins (D-Bridgeport) is pleased to announce an important proposal to increase state funding for education to all cities and towns by a minimum of 2% over fiscal year 2009 has passed out of the Education Committee.
“I am very proud of the hard work of our Education Committee and the approval and passage of this education grants bill. I recognize that additional funding is hard to come by in these very difficult economic times. However, if we are going to make investments in our future, there is nothing more important than making an investment in our children’s education,” Rep. Grogins said.
Rep. Grogins authored legislation to increase the education cost-sharing grant amounts for the top five priority school districts this session and has been working to advance the legislation.
The Education Committee today passed a substitute bill to apply a minimum of 2% increase to all municipalities. The measure is contained within House Bill #6688, An Act Concerning Education Grants.
The bill now goes to the Appropriations Committee for consideration.
New Shays Gig
Former Congressman Chris Shays, defeated by Jim Himes in November, has landed a DC job. Shays confirmed in an email exchange with OIB that House Minority Leader John Boehner will appoint him to the Wartime Contracting Commission where Shays will review contract issues involving Iraq and Afghanistan.
Shays had sought appointment to head the Peace Corps, a presidential selection, but has withdrawn his name as a result of his new job. Shays, who has placed his home for sale in Black Rock, will be needed in DC several days each week.
The Wheel House
My fellow golfers (good players; I stink) tell me the city’s two municipal golf courses up at Fairchild Wheeler are in the best shape in years; so on Wednesday I visited new golf pro Steve Roach of Black Rock, an experienced club hand who’s happy to be home.
Steve has spent a number of years working with kids as part of the First Tee Program, devoted to golf and character development. I had not been up to The Wheel in years and was surprised by the neat renovations to the pro shop and new grill room. Kudos to Charlie Carroll, director of Public Facilities, who oversees the golf courses.
Go see Steve for a bunch of lessons, enjoy the amenities at the city-owned facility and check out the good food at Vazzy’s grill room, managed by OIB reader Larry Laconte. Maybe we’ll have a webzine party up at The Wheel. How about a putting contest between Local Eyes and Warren All U Can Eat Buffet?
That would be some negotiation between those two, reading putts.
Cruising With WindCheck
Time to clean and launch boats. WindCheck is a cool publication based in Bridgeport. See news release below:
WindCheck Magazine’s recently launched website is the winner of a 2009 North American Marine Industry Web Award. The magazine’s website, www.windcheckmagazine.com, was named “Best Marine Site – Editorial Content” in a contest sponsored by Boats.com and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).
Citing the website’s user-friendliness and ease of navigation, the competition’s judges stated, “WindCheck Magazine does a great job of getting out of the way and letting the content speak for itself. Their blend of regional and youth-specific content does a great job of promoting boating in the Northeast and reaching out to young people.”
Launched in 2002 by Publisher Anne Hannan of Stratford, CT and Editor-in-Chief Christopher Gill of Bridgeport, CT, WindCheck recently published its 76th print issue. Their award-winning website was launched in October, 2008.
“We are very pleased to be recognized by Boats.com and the NMMA in this manner,” said Gill. “We believe that by integrating our print and online editorial content, we are able to offer our readers and advertisers the most well-rounded product possible.”
The announcement has been sent out nationally and internationally to the marine trade industry. “Your site is an excellent example of the standards our industry should be striving to achieve,” said Larry Rains, Marketing Manager of YachtWorld.com and Boats.com. For the announcement, visit www.tradeonlytoday.com.
About WindCheck Magazine – WindCheck, whose slogan is “Sailing the Northeast,” covers the regional cruising, racing and junior sailing scene. Features in every issue include an events calendar,20tide tables, U.S. Coast Guard news, environmental updates and boats for sale. Published eleven times a year, WindCheck has a circulation of more than 30,000, and is available for free at more than 850 locations in New Jersey,New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Steve has spent a number of years working with kids as part of the First Tee Program, devoted to golf and character development. I had not been up to The Wheel in years and was surprised by the neat renovations to the pro shop and new grill room. Kudos to Charlie Carroll, director of Public Facilities, who oversees the golf courses.
Kudos??? Bet Ms. CH Smoker is thinking of a Lisa joke to insert!!!
Smoker always has an intriguing point of view.
She also says what 99% of the annex is afraid to.
As the self-styled Magazine Man, I applaud the efforts of WindCheck Magazine which puts Bridgeport on the nautical map!
As a world-class (snicker, snicker) putter, I challenge Warren All U Can Eat Buffet to a contest. I’m a better putter and I can prove it. Steve Roach will be the judge and Lennie the MC.
Warren All U Can Eat Buffet thinks every problem can be solved with a knife, fork or spoon. That’s not true. For example–
MOST ANNOYING (and frustrating) HUMAN ACTIVITY:
trying to grab a golfball with a fork.
He’ll never contemplate The Fairway to Heaven because he won’t be able to leave the putting green.
(wink)
Local Eyes
No Fairway to Heaven for me. I’m more of a Milky Way guy and don’t like Snickers.
Congrats to WindCheck. I like the cut of their jib. A warm-weather welcome to Steve Roach. His Dad is that famous Urologist, whose license plate is 2PCME. Loquacious Larry LaConte is doing a great job up “The Wheel”!
Drive-In service is provided at the Driving Range!
On Shays’ new job in the war machine, excuse me, the Wartime Contracting Commission …
I’ve written it before, I’ll write it again:
Number of Christopher Shays’ trips to Iraq: 19 (round-trip, first class)
As of April 2, 2009: Number of trips from Iraq by US military personnel (one way, cargo class) – 4,263.
Nice to know that the monkey is now in charge of the banana store. Many more round trips for Chrissy, many more one-way trips for the grunts.
So our little Chrissy’s supposed choices were Peace Corps or War Corps, huh?
Interesting that he chose the one that already involves 4,263 American corpses. As always, there’s little job security in peace.
To quote from the Elvis Costello song (written by the great Nick Lowe):
“What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding?”
Not one Goddamn thing, in my opinion. It’s the only thing I don’t find funny in this world.
Nice to know that the monkey is now in charge of the banana store. So, what’s funny about that?
Sometimes if you don’t laugh, you cry.
PT
Mr. Barnum’s Bridgeport To Nowhere
bridgeportintheknow.com/wordpress/
I really have to chime in on this off-topic issue that has me outraged.
But first, congrats to Shays.
Secondly, our Mayor has done a fairly good job at getting the budget in shape. Layoffs are the easy way. Real union concessions are mandatory not the deferrals of costs he recently entered into. Which, I believe, is going to haunt us when it comes due and there is no money in the city treasury to pay them. Guess who gets to pay? Economic development is harder. He doesn’t seem to have a clue as to how to generate revenue except by taxing the homeowners. Not a Finch fan. Hope someone else beats him next time.
Now, back to my heinous issue.
I was picking up some take-out at a local Wendy’s (not in Bridgeport). As you walk into the place, there are signs all over offering shift work and manager openings.
As I was ordering, a lady asked for an application. She was summarily told by a hispanic women who barely spoke enough english that there was no work. The Wendy’s person didn’t even want to give out the application despite signs stating the contrary. The lady insisted and finally got the application.
The applicant sat adjacent to my table filling out the form. She told her companion that she was on welfare receiving WIC, food stamps and Section 8 housing assistance. By getting a job she could improve her life and that of her family. She then commented that she recognized four of the workers as being illegals that live illegally in the housing complex where she lives. She further suggested that the Hispanic manager who did not want to give her the application would only hire her illegal acquaintances. She even suggested that some people actually charge illegals to get them jobs like this.
These are her words, not mine.
But it does cause us to think how unfair the lack of enforcement of our immigration laws are when unemployed citizens who are taking costly entitlements are denied employment because the growing hispanic community has built an infrastructure which ensures illegals have a place to work when they get here.
I am aghast. I trust Obama and his wild plans to get the people of this world out of this recession. His seemingly reckless spending plans can work, but they will only work if we can increase the legitimate working rolls so that payroll taxes can be collected to reimburse the onerous loans from other nations that stagger our economy.
Every Walmart that I go into has a money transfer station that caters to an apparent illegal community who send the illegally obtained wages earned without the benefit of collected taxes back to their relatives in Mexico and Central and South America.
I am told that the illegal issue has only grown and that it is expected to continue to grow. How on earth can we get out of this economic mess that we are in if 20 million illegal aliens are earning money that could otherwise be paid to the steadily growing number of unemployed citizens who are receiving entitlements but could pay taxes. The answer is abundantly clear. We cannot.
It is outrageous to think that there exists, right here in our surrounding communities, an organized effort that denies unemployed US citizens employment so that the ever-growing illegal community can be assured of work that ultimately benefits the economies of their homelands rather than our country.
“Every Walmart that I go into has a money transfer station that caters to an apparent illegal community who send the illegally obtained wages earned without the benefit of collected taxes back to their relatives in Mexico and Central and South America.” God Almighty, you are one of the stupidest assholes that ever logged on here. The wages are LEGALLY obtained: someone paid them for an honest day’s work. And if these workers were not sending money back to friends and relatives in their countries of origin the economies there would collapse. That would make for a DEPRESSION, instead of a RECESSION. If you are to criticize anyone for this problem of illegal immigration, it ought to and should be the landscapers, house painters, construction companies, restaurants, and other firms that hire undocumented workers and pay them in cash under the table. It is the employers committing the illegality here by hiring the aliens and not paying the appropriate taxes for social security, payroll taxes, etc. The men and women hired to do these jobs are but a part of the Great American Melting Pot. The only people that have a right to call themselves native Americans are the members of the various Indian tribes that were here before pale face came and fucked their shit up.
I need to vent a little more and only have about 5 minutes to do so.
I wish you people who wish to castigate Shays would read about his accomplishments in Iraq rather than label him a War Contractor. Shays’ multiple trips to Iraq were not to contribute to the military action but to ensure that the infrastructure of that nation could be restored so that the people of Iraq could live in comfort and security. You know … “the pursuit of happiness.” The roads had to be restored, schools and hospitals built, power plants rebuilt, water purification put on line, food distribution facilities, on and on and on. Sure, he had a lot to say about the war. But his principal objective is to restore good order so that the people of Iraq could live properly.
“Sure, he had a lot to say about the war. But his principal objective is to restore good order so that the people of Iraq could live properly.”
And as for the Americans who’ve been sacrificed in an unwarranted invasion perpetuated and sustained by Shays and many, many others–how “properly” did they die? And how “properly” has the crumbling infrastructure and standard of living in this nation been restored since that invasion without price tag began so many long years and budget cycles ago?
If Shays wants to be the cost accountant for an industry that supports death, he should have applied for a job as accounting clerk at a local funeral home.
Again, he’s a monkey in charge of the banana store.
PT
Mr. Barnum’s Bridgeport To Nowhere
bridgeportintheknow.com/wordpress/
Ok, I got pissed at Shays and wrote a blog about it. But, being the lemonade from lemons kind of guy that I am, I also decided to use Shays’ example of how to find work in this sluggish economy and write myself some lemonade!
I’m sure that the unemployed types among you will appreciate these valuable and insightful job hunting tips–inspired, of course, by Chris Shays! It’s a little piece I like to call “Chris Shays’ Resume–or–Chimp In Charge Of A Banana Store”.
bridgeportintheknow.com/wordpress/?p=420
Lemonade makes me pee! (But I keep that kind of personal information off my resume.)
PT
Mr. Barnum’s Bridgeport To Nowhere
Zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz …
Hey Kid!
I see you have been hitting the snooozzze button.
Meet me in front of the Black Rock Arts Center before I get evicted, and I will really “Yuck” you Up!
Thought you were already evicted. If not, well hey, it is only a matter of time. If only your common sense was as great as your ego …
S.B.
Shays will work 2-3 days per week and be paid the salary he made as a congressman; not bad for part-time work!
The “Peace Corps Vet.”
GIVE ME A BREAK.
The war contractor knows where to make his dollars; I suppose he now hopes for a long-long war to make lots and lots of money.
It makes me sick.
WOW
Something positive has happened in Bridgeport
and it seems the Black Rock (non) Arts Center is no longer run by Joe the Scam, don’t let the door hit you in the ass.
Bridgeport’s gain is New London’s loss.
Good News!!!
I’m not sure that really is good news. The idea of an art center was and is a good one. Black Rock is the, uh, “bohemian” section of Bridgeport. The expansion of culture is a good idea, and Joe Celli does deserve at least some credit here for planting the seed, if not actually nurturing the sprout. There are three commercial galleries in Black Rock, all on Fairfield Avenue. Mr. Celli did demonstrate the viability of cultural attractions in an area known primarily as a bar belt for the coddled/privileged students of SHU and Fairfield University. If Mr. Celli’s grotesquely obese ego hadn’t gotten in the way IPA would have a long-term lease with the city. Alas, his rather sleazy business tactics combined with a dire municipal budget and a down economy to put the Black Rock Art Center on the “optional equipment” list.
The only sure things in life are death and taxes, eh?
Just an observation B Kid, not a criticism, but when did you become the end-all blogger??? People throw out their opinions and if you don’t agree you lash out with obscenities and nasty comments. Relax a little Kiddo, life’s too damn short for your anger.
Bridgeport Kid
Read your rebuttal to Stone Barrington. Then reexamine who you think is stupid.
So what’s your point?
Well, Grandma has to agree that The Black Rock Arts Center was an anchor for all the arts and entertainment business in the area. It seems there is a consensus that there were some shady areas of the Art Center but I also attended a great Brazilian Jazz show there and it gave me hope for the proliferation of art in the city.
I wish the center had been successful as we now have a building that looks for all intents and purposes blighted. It is my understanding that the building will be up for sale and in this economy I don’t see it going anywhere soon. The city should look into replacing that art center with a more upstanding center like how about a BRIDGEPORT ART COUNCIL??? What kind of “biggest city in Connecticut” are we? The city does nothing to support or encourage the arts. Pioneers like Billie Jean Sullivan and City Lights as well as Mr. Celli. are all we have got. The Black Rock art center should rise again maybe as the Bridgeport Art Center. In the absence of a supportive city I implore you to support the arts. SUPPORT THE ARTS! SUPPORT THE ARTS! … please …
It would be a blessing from God Himself if a Bridgeport Art Center were opened and managed by the FTC organization.
“The wages are LEGALLY obtained: someone paid them for an honest day’s work. And if these workers were not sending money back to friends and relatives in their countries of origin the economies there would collapse.”
Wages for which statutory taxes are not paid are not earned LEGALLY no matter how hard the person worked.
Barrington is absolutely correct. Taxes must be paid on ALL wages if we are to ever get the money to pay back all of our loans from China. Every time an illegal takes a dollar under the table, we get hurt.
You’re right about one thing, though. The bastard that hires the illegal and doesn’t collect payroll taxes is a real criminal.
Which was part of the point I was making. The wages are earned legally by the person doing the work. If there are employers that are willing to skirt the law by paying cash and avoiding the niceties of FICA and Social Security withholdings, it is the employer breaking the law. You cannot penalize a man for trying to earn a living unless he’s peddling narcotics, practicing murder for hire or otherwise engaging in a criminal profession. If an immigrant is here illegally, give them due process under the law, something ALL people are entitled to, not only legal residents and citizens. If the jobs weren’t available there wouldn’t be a demand.
The Latino community provides more than a little sustenance to Bridgeport’s economy. They have families, so they buy groceries, clothing, car insurance, medicine, health care, etc. etc. etc. And remember: the Latino community was here long before illegal immigration became a hot-button issue for political conservatives to get the troops all riled up. Puerto Ricans make up a large part of Bridgeport’s Latino community. They were discriminated against in housing, employment, education, the same shit only a different day. So they empowered themselves, politically and economically. Successive waves of immigrants from Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean have done the same thing. Sure, some of their number are here illegally. It is to some extent true that they are displacing American workers, but the Americans are being displaced by foreigners that work harder for longer periods of time. We’ve grown lazy as a nation, too lazy to paint our own houses, cut our own lawns. Next time you go to a diner for a nosh after a night of partying, chances are about 110% that your food will be prepared by someone from Mexico and the dishes washed afterward by someone from Honduras. Know what else? They may well be here as resident aliens.
NEWS FLASH:
Rod R. Blagojevich, this state’s ousted governor, was charged on Thursday with 16 felony counts, among them racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud and extortion conspiracy in a wide-ranging scheme to deprive residents of “honest government,” prosecutors said, including trying to leverage his authority to pick someone to fill President Obama’s former Senate seat.
Five of his closest advisers, including his brother, Robert, a top fundraiser, and two former chiefs of staff, were also charged in the 19-count indictment.
April fool!!! I know it’s April 2nd, but yesterday I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen since last year. The first words out of his mouth were: “Happy New Years”. It’s freaking April and some people are still doing their new year greetings. So I guess it’s O.K. to do some April fooling the day after April fools day.
Hey kid, here’s a link to Blago’s troubles. Lennie will get some flashbacks out of this one.
www .suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1508772,rod-blagojevich-indicted-040209.article
Lacking a scheduled duel, I am compelled to declare Warren All U Can Eat Buffet the master putter at Fairchild Wheeler. (whispering) But you’re always allowed to change your mind.
Today’s killer posts come from Stone Barrington, The Bridgeport Kid, yahooy and S.O.B. This Blog is rapidly becoming home to foot-stomping, truth-talking world-class bloggers who have opinions that make me smarter. Winners gather here!
Name Droppings? Let me see if this thing really works.
According to Lennie, the more a name is typed in OIB comments, the bigger that name gets. In other words if I typed “Mojo” 1 Million times, you should notice that the name “Mojo” grew in size.
So what I’m going to to is write my own OIB name and see how many times will it take to be the size of, well, you know, that other guy. So here I go:
Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez, Joel Gonzalez.
The OIB Classifieds really work.
I got a surprising e-mail from someone answering the Lost & Found section of the OIB classifieds. I received this response from a guy who claims to know the whereabouts of the Joel Gonzalez index finger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_iiLRNmo-E
The only problem is that Joel’s index finger went missing in 1994.
Joel, if you read carefully you will see that it is Lennie that must use the name in his posts, other posts don’t count.
Granted. The Latino community is comprised of hard working, thoroughly decent human beings who come here to earn money that is not available in their own countries. I have always said the only time you see a group of Latinos hanging around a street corner is when they are repairing the concrete.
You talk about legality. A Latino who earns money under the table and does not pay taxes on the wages is breaking the law and robbing our nation of the resources we so desperately need to effect our economic recovery.
As far as I am concerned, any Latino here without proper admission documents and who does not pay income tax on wages should be jailed and deported just as if they were arrested for committing a felony.
20 million people earning money without paying taxes is a significant cause of the US financial crisis. The uncollected social security taxes alone if collected would restore stability to that bankrupt system. And Yes, I would like to punch in the nose every greedy employer who hires these people and ignores the obligation to collect payroll taxes.
I have empathy for the illegal Latino community but cannot tolerate the damage they do to the economy by not paying taxes.
Damage is a relative topic. How much damage has been done by crooks like Bernie Madoff and the rest of the Ponzi schemers recently uncovered? Madoff alone took investors for more than $50 billion (!) and counting.
The immigrants working here and remitting money back to the old country? They are providing economic support to their relatives that receive the money, which in turn supports the economy of the old country. Arresting illegal immigrants is a thorny issue. If the Latino day laborers in the U.S. are not able to send money home, the result would be an economic collapse, and it wouldn’t be a slow roller.
Don’t you get it? The untaxed money illegals send to their homes is the money we need to restore our own economy. Why are you so dense about this?
Another thing. Our out-of-work citizens are being supported by government-paid entitlements (for which there are no funds to support) that are driving our economy into a deep abyss from which we may not recover. Yet you think that it is perfectly acceptable for untaxed US wages to be routed to another country so that that country’s economy can be bolstered. Amazing.
“The untaxed money illegals send to their homes is the money we need to restore our own economy.” Why am I being so dense? Get real, du-du-dude. You can’t use the money earned by illegals to pay off the national debt. The problems with the national and local economies is sheer greed. Greed on the part of mortgage brokers that were so obsessed with the commission-driven bottom line that they sold home loans to people that didn’t have a rat’s ass of a chance in paying them off. Greed in starting a war in Iraq and handing virtually all the reconstruction contracts to Kellog, Brown and Root, a subsidiary of a company that former Vice President Dick Cheney worked for.
Communicating with you is like communicating with a brick. Payroll taxes are the salvation of our economic woes. The illegals aren’t paying payroll taxes. It’s not about them. It’s about the government getting the money needed to pay off our debt. Untaxed wages will destroy us. You are a fool. A dangerous one at that.
Your knowledge of economic policy and theory is woefully inadequate. More revenue is generated through sales and property taxes, so-called “sin” taxes on alcohol and tobacco, etc.
It is not about the illegals. If they could have the payroll taxes deducted from their wages, they would. It is the employers that are at fault here. You really ought to get a better grasp on the facts and realities.
Kid,
You write with clarity, but your words are as empty as your understanding of the issue.