How Immigrants Saved Social Security

[trof]

Hunh?
Say what?
Read on.



Immigration is good for the financial health of Social Security because more workers mean more tax revenue. Illegal immigration, it turns out, is even better than legal immigration. In the fine print of the 2008 annual report on Social Security, released last week, the program’s trustees noted that growing numbers of “other than legal” workers are expected to bolster the program over the coming decades.

One reason is that many undocumented workers pay taxes during their work lives but don’t collect benefits later. Another is that undocumented workers are entering the United States at ever younger ages and are expected to have more children while they’re here than if they arrived at later ages. The result is a substantial increase in the number of working-age people paying taxes, but a relatively smaller increase in the number of retirees who receive benefits — a double boon to Social Security’s bottom line.

We’re not talking chump change. According to the report, the taxes paid by other-than-legal immigrants will close 15 percent of the system’s projected long-term deficit. That’s equivalent to raising the payroll tax by 0.3 percentage points, starting today.

That is not to suggest that illegal immigration is a legitimate fix to Social Security’s problems. It is another reminder, however, of the nation’s complex relationship with undocumented workers. Would the people who want to deport all undocumented workers be willing to make up the difference and pay the taxes that the undocumented are currently paying?

It is also a reminder of Social Security’s dynamism. As society and the economy evolve, so does the system, responding not only to changes in immigration and fertility, but also in wage growth and other variables. As such, it is adaptable to the 21st century, if only the political will can be found to champion the necessary changes. Those include modest tax increases and moderate benefit cuts that could be phased in over decades — provided the country gets started soon.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/opinion/02wed3.html?ei=5088&en=89c27bd2cb7ac97c&ex=1364788800&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

[glowing]

1. Does anyone doubt that they don't want to enslave us all?

[trof]

2. Kick fer the hell of it.

:-)

[Hannah Bell]

3. Oh, the bullshit. Let me count the ways.

1. Illegal immigrants pay into SS - but don't take out.
2. Wonderful how dynamic our economy is, SS's prospects have improved because we're stealing money from illegal immigrants.
3. Furthermore, since we're stealing from them, we won't want to deport them.
4. Those who want to deport them will have to pony up the money we're currently stealing from them (not by taking the vacant jobs - "americans won't do them," but through higher taxes)
5. SS has a problem.
6. This problem can be solved by stealing from illegal immigrants, raising payroll taxes, & reducing benefits.
7. Part of this problem is caused because there aren't enough workers to replace the baby boomers.
8. However, we don't want illegals.
9. However, we ARE bullish about stealing the SS payments of illegals, so we can't deport them. If they were legal, that would remove the free lunch of theft.

The World's Best Newspaper - What a bunch of Orwell-speak.


There is no SS problem.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3092956&mesg_id=3092956

PS: I have nothing against any kind of immigrant. I have a LOT against the economic policies that FORCE people to leave their families & communities when they don't want to, & the bullshit lies designed to justify the economic terrorism.

[GetTheRightVote]

4. this is not an acceptable excuse for the jobs lost to native born or

or naturalized Citizens. Naturalized citizens wait for long periods of time and do not break the laws of this country. The financial lost of a job is more meaningful then that of a small increase in SSN returns later in life.

This is a no brainier logical conclusion and the comment in this discussion a poor excuse for breaking the laws of this land created by its elected officials to protect the rights of native born or naturalized Americans who have sacrificed to lay claim to the privilege of citizenship. Those individuals who have gone out of their way to melt into the melting pot, who speak our English version of that language, and who have a great deal of real regard to the claim of being an American and what it really means.

A person can not demand this citizenship as a right, it is a privilege that is born into for the lucky otherwise earned by the determined and an honor only those who follow our laws should ever receive period.