Immigrant Labor Won’t Fund Retirement

Thomas F. McLarty and Bill Richardson cite the need to pay for the baby boomers’ retirement as justification for mass immigration and an amnesty for illegal immigrants (“Border Politics Begin at Home,” Commentary, Aug. 22). Their case simply does not hold up demographically or economically.

Apparently McLarty and Richardson have missed the news reports about our nation’s schools being overcrowded--a pretty good indication that there is a huge generation about to enter the labor force, which will be paying into the Social Security system for the next 40 to 60 years. They also ignore the economic data about the people for whom they advocate amnesty. More than one-third of all households headed by legal Mexican immigrants are receiving welfare benefits, and one-quarter of households headed by illegal immigrants from Mexico are on welfare. These are the people the aging baby boomers are supposed to rely on to finance their retirements?

Dan Stein

Executive Director

Federation for American

Immigration Reform

Washington

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What most people who are against “illegal immigrants” seem to forget is that without them we would not have any produce in the stores, because there is no one else who would work for the salaries the illegals get or live in the hovels that the produce owners provide for them. Nor would we have anyone to do all the menial jobs in the restaurants for the salaries that they receive. We would be paying a great deal more for all of the produce that is getting more expensive every day. Meanwhile, the illegals, who have no rights, still pay taxes for gasoline, food, etc.

People who are against the illegals should go to Mexico and see the poverty that these people live with and then think about what they would do if they wanted to improve their lives--if they wanted their children to have a better life--and then judge the illegals.

Daria Case

Sherman Oaks