It would never happen, but I would support it

[jstegman]

I especially like the last sentence of this story. The guy says it right.

A Coffey County legislator who says political correctness is destroying the country wants to impose a 3 percent payroll tax on noncitizens to help pay for bilingual education and other expenses in Kansas schools.
“I want people to pay their fair share,” said Rep Bill Otto, R-LeRoy, who added that his bill would help track illegal immigrants in the state.
Otto’s measure is drawing strong criticism from a Hispanic lawmaker and others who work on immigration issues.
The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that about 50,000 illegal immigrants live in Kansas, more than three times the number who were in the state in 1990.
In 2005-2006, the state paid about $30 million for bilingual education, according to the Kansas State Department of Education.
Though the bill hasn’t been scheduled for a hearing, opponents already are lining up to blast the legislation as flawed and not well conceived.
“These workers are already paying taxes through income tax and through sales taxes when they go shopping,” said Rep. Delia Garcia, D-Wichita, who is chairwoman of the Kansas Legislative Latino Caucus.
The bill would impose a 3 percent tax on all noncitizens from July 1 through July 30, 2013, Otto said. Employers would be responsible for identifying noncitizens and collecting the tax, with a penalty of up to $10,000 per occurrence, plus the outstanding tax, for those who fail to comply.
The money from the tax would go into the state’s general fund, according to the bill.
“It just makes people who have the right to work and are already paying taxes, pay more,” said Justin Palmer, an immigration attorney with a Wichita law firm. He said the bill would not have an impact on illegal immigrants who are paid in cash or those who use fake documents.
“If that’s his intent, he’s missing his own target,” Palmer said.
Otto said illegal immigration, while a federal government issue, is hitting states in the pocketbook for things such as bilingual education.
“At the state level, the only thing we can do is tax everybody that is not a citizen of this state,” he said.
Otto said he made it clear during his campaign that he was going to be “dog ugly” on immigration.
“My thing is, I have never been politically correct,” he said. “Political correctness is destroying this nation.”



This was posted today on CJonline

[Jolly Rancher]

[Made in the USA]

Ditto

[Outofdodge]

Originally Posted by jstegman

“My thing is, I have never been politically correct,” he said. “Political correctness is destroying this nation.”

While I can appreciate the sentiment and the feelings.....

Let us suppose for a minute or two that you are a coffey county business owner and this law goes into effect. You already make an honest and true effort to comply with the documentation rules on hiring people. Lets take it one step farther because you were well trained and perform background checks on all hires which would include a basic credit check because people in your firm have access to your funds. With the basic check you are as comfortable as you can be that you are not hiring "illegal" immigrants with fake numbers Now you have to change your payroll system and independently verify who is an immigrant and selectively withhold funds from their checks and remit this to the government for not reimbursement to you. "I'll just hire citizen's" you say? Then you run up against discrimination laws and have to deal with that hassle. This little law that makes some feel good is costing you the business owner and penalizing you for following the law.

Carry it one step further. This law as proposed targets one group of people based on national origin (or lack thereof in this case). It passes but now comes the law suits. Law Suits to defend a good law and a good situation are one thing. This law as written invites judicial overview and now you as a Coffey county tax payer must help pay the cost of that defense. Because of that cost, your deputies who work too hard need a raise but either they don't get one and go elsewhere or you pay higher taxes. You lose again.

This law as proposed only proves that the people of coffey county need to elect smarter representatives.

[Army_of_One]

Yeah despite how "good" the law may sound to joe citizen I agree with OOD that you cannot single out people for taxes based on their origin. That would be blown out of the courts fast.....

[K C Muffin]

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

Yeah despite how "good" the law may sound to joe citizen I agree with OOD that you cannot single out people for taxes based on their origin. That would be blown out of the courts fast.....

Help me understand. Why can't we? Citizens get one tax, noncitizens, regardless of their green-care status get another? I bet Quicken could program that in a flash and so could any of the others.

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by K C Muffin

Help me understand. Why can't we? Citizens get one tax, noncitizens, regardless of their green-care status get another? I bet Quicken could program that in a flash and so could any of the others.

Can you have a tax based on where you are from?

I have a ? too. IF you are illegal then by PAYING taxes to the gov't doesn't that give you some legitimization. Wouldn't the be like someone growing marijuana paying taxes on the profits? LOL

[K C Muffin]

Hang with me for a second. I know it sounds ludicrous, but just add a half cent tax on to the foreign workers here legally to help pay for their brothers/sisters that are here illegally and I think we'd all be singing a different tune. It would be justified....we provide the optional education for the legal foreign workers....they use our roads and other services. We'd just compensate for their use AND one or two illegal's use.

[jstegman]

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

IF you are illegal then by PAYING taxes to the gov't doesn't that give you some legitimization.

If this were the case then we shouldn't need green cards or citizenship tests. Anyone can come to this country, get a job, pay taxes and instantly become a citizen? BLAH! If you want to come here and take advantage of the system with no desire to become a legit citizen and put the money back into THIS economy then it should cost you more during your stay.

[Flying Dutchman]

"I'll just hire citizen's" you say? Then you run up against discrimination laws and have to deal with that hassle.

I agree with your post OOD. I only wanted to give my 2 cents on this statement. You do not run into discrimination laws by NOT hiring legal citizens since you cannot legally hire someone unless they are a citizen or here legally. I mean to say there is no law that says you have to hire non-citizens that I am aware of.