Don't reward lawbreakers with tuition break

Every tax is a pay cut. Every tax cut is a pay raise.
Citizens for Limited Taxation

Don't reward lawbreakers with tuition break Sunday, December 19, 2004

Nicolas Sanchez, Ph.D.,
Professor of economics at Holy Cross College Metrowest Daily News

The argument has been made that we, the American taxpayers, should subsidize illegal immigrants' children to the tune of an extra $10,000 when they attend public colleges in our Commonwealth. It is said that these children should not be blamed for the illegal behavior of their parents. And anyone who disagrees with this argument has a mean-spirited attitude.
The above is re-enforced with a victim's story: poor Hector, who came to this country illegally at the age of seven, has spent 12 years attending our schools, has done well academically, and can't afford the extra 10 grand to attend UMass-Boston. But do not cry for him: cry for the American taxpayers, their children and our democracy!
Suppose that 100 illegal children had showed up in our Framingham schools 12 years ago. The true economic costs of education then -- taking into account not only what was paid out to teachers and administrators, but including all capital costs, and expenses paid out by the town -- was in excess of $8,000 per child. All these costs must and have been paid out by taxpayers. I will use a fixed $8,000 figure to simplify the calculations.
One hundred students at $8,000 each, for 12 years, and assuming a low interest rate of 5 percent, turns out today to be approximately $12.7 million, in today's money. These subsidies do not include expenses for kindergarten, visits to the emergency room at the hospital, policing and court costs if any of these kids turns out to be maladjusted, etc.
College costs are dramatically higher than costs at lower educational levels. In 2001, for example, it was estimated that the cost of education at Williams College was $75,000 per student. This included all the capital costs. So, if we increase those costs to $80,000 today, and assume that UMass-Boston's costs are half the costs of such an elite institution, per student cost of education at UMass would amount to roughly $40,000. Liberals want taxpayers to subsidize each illegal student (paying in-state tuition) with $32,000 per year, for four years. (This figure, of course, is quite different from the $10,000 that they present to the public.)
Let us now return to poor Hector. We, the taxpayer, have already subsidized him with $127,337 for his first 12 years here (in today's money). Liberals want us to subsidize him with an additional $113,470 (again, in today's money and using the same 5 percent discount rate). If we assume that only 10 out of the 100 illegal students who entered our educational system go on to college, that means that our educational subsidies to the 100 illegal children amount to more than $13.8 million. No wonder liberal writers declare: "this is not about money" -- while we bow in respect to their lack of financial acumen. And you better bow, for otherwise you will be accused of having a mean-spirited attitude!
How relevant is this argument for Framingham taxpayers? Well, I do believe that 100 young Hectors have been and continue to enter the school system as illegal immigrants every year, and every year we are subjected to at least a $12 million dollar increase in educational costs (in today's money, and making heroic assumptions that the true educational costs have remained fixed at $8,000). I also believe that the families of these children have not paid out $12 million in taxes. These families, in fact, hide their income and send their savings abroad. (For the U.S. as a whole, these transfers reach into many billions of dollars -- call it Framingham-style outsourcing!)
At the state level, I can predict that many more than 400 illegal immigrants will take advantage of in-state tuition, it this were granted. Who could refuse a $113,470 hand-out? What I find most disturbing, however, is the demands that are made on us, the American citizens and taxpayers. The mainline press has failed to cover the demonstrations in Boston by illegal immigrants. But why not, since it does not even defend its own copyright material, which is snatched by the foreign language press!
Where does this leave our American children in Massachusetts? Their parents are at least $12 million poorer every time 100 illegal children join any school system in our state. The tax burden on state taxpayers will increase significantly-while politicians make every effort to hide the burden, calling it additional help for our cash-strapped schools. I call these burdens a punishment on our American children and on the middle class, which pays most taxes. On top of it all, we are rewarding lawbreakers.
When we welcome legal immigrants, we extend to them not only a welcome mat, but huge subsidies. We do so because our elected representatives have felt, wisely or unwisely, that these immigrants will make a difference to the future of our country. We may agree or disagree with the extent of legal immigration, but the decision has been made through the democratic process. This is not the case with illegal immigrants, who have made a mockery of our system of laws.
Yes, what part of illegal is it that supporters of illegal immigration do not understand?

Don't reward lawbreakers with tuition break	Sunday, December 19, 2004
Nicolas Sanchez, Ph.D., Professor of economics at Holy Cross College	Metrowest Daily News
The argument has been made that we, the American taxpayers, should subsidize illegal immigrants' children to the tune of an extra $10,000 when they attend public colleges in our Commonwealth. It is said that these children should not be blamed for the illegal behavior of their parents. And anyone who disagrees with this argument has a mean-spirited attitude. The above is re-enforced with a victim's story: poor Hector, who came to this country illegally at the age of seven, has spent 12 years attending our schools, has done well academically, and can't afford the extra 10 grand to attend UMass-Boston. But do not cry for him: cry for the American taxpayers, their children and our democracy! Suppose that 100 illegal children had showed up in our Framingham schools 12 years ago. The true economic costs of education then -- taking into account not only what was paid out to teachers and administrators, but including all capital costs, and expenses paid out by the town -- was in excess of $8,000 per child. All these costs must and have been paid out by taxpayers. I will use a fixed $8,000 figure to simplify the calculations. One hundred students at $8,000 each, for 12 years, and assuming a low interest rate of 5 percent, turns out today to be approximately $12.7 million, in today's money. These subsidies do not include expenses for kindergarten, visits to the emergency room at the hospital, policing and court costs if any of these kids turns out to be maladjusted, etc. College costs are dramatically higher than costs at lower educational levels. In 2001, for example, it was estimated that the cost of education at Williams College was $75,000 per student. This included all the capital costs. So, if we increase those costs to $80,000 today, and assume that UMass-Boston's costs are half the costs of such an elite institution, per student cost of education at UMass would amount to roughly $40,000. Liberals want taxpayers to subsidize each illegal student (paying in-state tuition) with $32,000 per year, for four years. (This figure, of course, is quite different from the $10,000 that they present to the public.) Let us now return to poor Hector. We, the taxpayer, have already subsidized him with $127,337 for his first 12 years here (in today's money). Liberals want us to subsidize him with an additional $113,470 (again, in today's money and using the same 5 percent discount rate). If we assume that only 10 out of the 100 illegal students who entered our educational system go on to college, that means that our educational subsidies to the 100 illegal children amount to more than $13.8 million. No wonder liberal writers declare: "this is not about money" -- while we bow in respect to their lack of financial acumen. And you better bow, for otherwise you will be accused of having a mean-spirited attitude! How relevant is this argument for Framingham taxpayers? Well, I do believe that 100 young Hectors have been and continue to enter the school system as illegal immigrants every year, and every year we are subjected to at least a $12 million dollar increase in educational costs (in today's money, and making heroic assumptions that the true educational costs have remained fixed at $8,000). I also believe that the families of these children have not paid out $12 million in taxes. These families, in fact, hide their income and send their savings abroad. (For the U.S. as a whole, these transfers reach into many billions of dollars -- call it Framingham-style outsourcing!) At the state level, I can predict that many more than 400 illegal immigrants will take advantage of in-state tuition, it this were granted. Who could refuse a $113,470 hand-out? What I find most disturbing, however, is the demands that are made on us, the American citizens and taxpayers. The mainline press has failed to cover the demonstrations in Boston by illegal immigrants. But why not, since it does not even defend its own copyright material, which is snatched by the foreign language press! Where does this leave our American children in Massachusetts? Their parents are at least $12 million poorer every time 100 illegal children join any school system in our state. The tax burden on state taxpayers will increase significantly-while politicians make every effort to hide the burden, calling it additional help for our cash-strapped schools. I call these burdens a punishment on our American children and on the middle class, which pays most taxes. On top of it all, we are rewarding lawbreakers. When we welcome legal immigrants, we extend to them not only a welcome mat, but huge subsidies. We do so because our elected representatives have felt, wisely or unwisely, that these immigrants will make a difference to the future of our country. We may agree or disagree with the extent of legal immigration, but the decision has been made through the democratic process. This is not the case with illegal immigrants, who have made a mockery of our system of laws. Yes, what part of illegal is it that supporters of illegal immigration do not understand?

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