Comments on: Tax Rebate Wrinkle Excludes Some Americans

Some Taxpayers Burned By Rule Aimed At Keeping Illegal Immigrants From Getting Rebates

[variant_530]

Must be outsourcing that bathroom re-model. $1200 dosent buy much of a remodel when we have to pay those unscrupulous contractors top dollar for shoddy work.

[ourtomorrows]

Well I am certainly heartbroken for this couple. Remodel of the bathroom, how will they do without that. It is too bad that there is this complication but, nothing is perfect. I am somewhat less concerned about a couple like this then I am about a couple in my hometown who are counting on the check to help pay fuel and food bills, they both have social security numbers and have been paying taxes to the government for the last 30 plus years. Its too bad, congress should try to fix it for the soldiers, but for the rest, live with it.

[liberalme]

And yes, we pay an economic price for not having an immigration system that meets the needs of the US economy.
Posted by davidlar2 at 02:58 PM : May 12, 20

David-we are paying a high price because most of OUR hitech jobs have been "outsourced" right down to the production jobs.
I''ll bet most of the hitech jobs are in China or Japan.
Very little is made in this country anymore, because it cheaper for, say Nike to pay the Vietnamese $59.00 a month which is exactly what they have been getting paid---and charge an average of $100 for a pair of sneakers.
The only way Americans will win the "war on jobs" is not to buy foreign made products--and that "ain''t" gonna happen.
Americans see it, they want it and they buy it! Then complain.

[hlb1230]

Waaa How cares you didn''t get free money. Get over it! You don''t see the thousand other people who need the money running to cnn for a story. Beside He makes good money. I wish I could stay home with my kids and make plans to remodel my bathroom. No instead both my husband and I HAVE to work to make ends meet, and this rebate will be going to pay for gas and other bills, not redoing a bathroom. Just go home or shut up, lifes not fair!

[davidlar2]

I am an American-born US citizen. My wife is a European born European citizen. We have lived (legally) in a couple different countries in Europe and in the US. It was much easier for me to move legally to two different countries in Europe than it was for my wife to move legally here. Things are definitely broken on the legal immigration front in that it is too hard to legally move here. I say that not only because of my family experiences, but also because I work in high tech and frequently hire immigrants. I advertise jobs that require a science Ph.D. and frequently have zero American applicants. So, yes, it is easier in some other countries. And yes, we pay an economic price for not having an immigration system that meets the needs of the US economy.

[liberalme]

Second, most of the posts are negative to all immigrants, not just illegal immigrants.

Posted by davidlar2 at 02:50 PM : May 12, 2008

The wife has not, as yet gotten a Social Security card, what''s it like in other countries david--easier?
Not from what I understand, and contrary to what you think--the biggest problem Americans have is with the "illegal" part of immigration!

[davidlar2]

"what''''s the big deal? it only effects a few people and the payment itself is only $300 to $600, which most people will probably drink up the night after they get the check."

The point is that things in America are supposed to be fair and this is not. Things in America have become too ad hoc, nothing is thought through by our politicians, and that is the big problem! This is one issue, but it is a general problem in our society. Not every society on the planet is as dumbed-down as ours and things are getting worse, not better.

[liberalme]

so some lame foreigner doesn''''t get to remodel his bathroom. boo-hoo! maybe you can write nice letter to india and ask them to make up this amount. thank you--don''''t come again!

Posted by cpaide at 02:42

Right!! And, name one country where we can sneak into, get a job, not speak their language, get free medical assistance, food stamps and subsidized housing!!
Name just one other country besides the good ole US of A!

[davidlar2]

First, the people described in the article are NOT illegal immigrants that is the point.

Second, most of the posts are negative to all immigrants, not just illegal immigrants.

[cpaide]

what''s the big deal? it only effects a few people and the payment itself is only $300 to $600, which most people will probably drink up the night after they get the check.

so some lame foreigner doesn''t get to remodel his bathroom. boo-hoo! maybe you can write nice letter to india and ask them to make up this amount. thank you--don''t come again!

[liberalme]

liberalme...Not all of our ancestors came through Ellis Island.

Posted by tomanyt at 01:42

No some came through PA-and some came through Calif.

-but MOST immigrants back then came here "LEGALLY" more so than today, my grandparents came here LEGALLY early 1900''s and I was fortunate enough to grow up looking at the pride on their faces for being Americans!

[liberalme]

Posted by davidlar2 at 01:59 PM : May 12, 2008


Try reading with both eyes open---the problem IS NOT with immigrants---it''s with ILLEGAL immigrants!!

[liberalme]

I don''''t think many of the high tech immigrants in silicon valley are living on food stamps..... I think many of them are working very hard, possibly harder than you....


Posted by davidlar2 at 02:05 PM : May 12, 2008

And then, again, probably not! Specifically in Florida!

The people you are alluding to, most likely, have their "own" social security numbers---read the article-PLUS I was responding to another poster trying to entwine "legal" immigration with "illegal" immigration---nothing similar to what "was" and what "is"!

[davidlar2]

JoeCoolSwat: Did you read the article? It tells you what the problem is? Its not as simple as your post suggests.

[joecoolswat]

Its simple...file a tax return, owe nothing to the IRS and you get a 600 check....Use an Illegal social security number, break immigration laws or owe the government back taxes and you get nothing....Whats the problem...

[davidlar2]

"The difference is, our ancestors came here legally, learned english, became citizens, and WORKED to provide for themselves and their families. There were no food stamps, no free medical assistance and no HUD--WE haven''''t forgotten, our government hasn''''t forgotten either, they are looking for "legal" slave labor for their corporate friends."

I don''t think many of the high tech immigrants in silicon valley are living on food stamps..... I think many of them are working very hard, possibly harder than you....

[davidlar2]

"As an immigrant, having the opportunity to live and work in America is like getting a free sundae. Not getting a stimulus check is like complaining that the free sundae is missing the cherry on top."

Why don''t we just have a higher tax bracket for people not born in America? And we can also give them separate water fountains to drink from that are labelled foreigner.

Do you really think computer science Ph.D.s will always dream of moving to the US when they can get 2x salaries in Switzerland? Let them go? How much poorer are you willing to be because we don''t have competitive high tech industries in this country?

[davidlar2]

America will pay a price for its anti-immigrant, anti-globalization, anti-laws of economics attitudes. All of you who have strong views that people who are not born in the US should not live here, who believe that we should not trade with other countries unless it is tightly controlled by the government, who believe that the laws of economics don''t apply to America because we have some god given right to do whatever we want with no consequences, guess what? How much are you willing to pay for those views? All of the spin in the world, all of the twisting of economics statistics to justify your view will not nullify the cost associated with that. The bottom line is this- foreigners with Ph.D.s contribute to the US economy, how much do you want to pay to get rid of them? Foreign goods and imported products do contribute to the quality of life in America and to keeping costs down (do you really want Kraft singles instead of Dutch gouda at the same price?). Want a high minimum wage, want a gas tax rebate, want the government to borrow more money to give you more
rebates now, want 90% tax on everyone who earns more than you? Guess what, these things have long term costs associated with them regardless of what spin you give them.

[ianlou]

Boo Hoo,
As an immigrant, having the opportunity to live and work in America is like getting a free sundae. Not getting a stimulus check is like complaining that the free sundae is missing the cherry on top.

[tomanyt]

liberalme...Not all of our ancestors came through Ellis Island.