Data on Illegal Immigrants Can Be Used in Many Ways

Regarding “Clearing Out Bad Data on Illegal Immigrants,” Golden State, Dec. 22:

Michael Hiltzik says California spends no more than $4.6 billion a year on illegal immigrants, and that California’s budget gap is running $8 billion to $12 billion annually.

When I do third-grade math, then illegal immigration represents 38% to 57.5% of the budget gap.

That is not small change in my book.

True, solving the illegal immigration problem won’t solve the state’s budget woes, but it sure would help.

Jack McGowan

Ventura

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Hiltzik forgot to mention the massive “off-book” economy that keeps our tax-supported agencies on starvation rations.

There is no hard data on the percent of illegals who are in this shadow economy, but it can’t be insignificant.

Linda Noon

Escondido

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Whatever benefits immigrants also benefits their families abroad.

That, in turn, benefits their countries and reduces the pressure for immigration. It is a win-win situation. Just do the numbers.

William DuBay

Costa Mesa

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We have another important cost to society: The downward spiral of worker wages because of an unending supply of desperate laborers who drive wages for unskilled legal workers to the level of poverty.

Think of how the state and local coffers would be affected if low income workers were paid a living wage and the underground economy were eliminated such that we all paid taxes commensurate with income and purchasing power (sales taxes).

If this magically happened, we would not be talking about state deficits. Instead, Californians would be able to afford an education system that we could all be proud of, roads that were passable and access to health care for taxpaying citizens. With an educated population and living wages paid to the employed, we would not need to spend so much money in the criminal justice system.

Thomas Oatway

Valencia