[lbo-talk] Dean Baker on immigration

B. docile_body at yahoo.com
Tue Apr 18 15:03:58 PDT 2006


By the same token, I do know that some folks on disability try to get jobs where they're paid "under the table"/off-the-books so they won't lose benefits. That means they don't pay into the system from their paycheck, either, of course.

Anecdotally, I've known one (white) person in the past who did this while getting SSDI; but I also did know some kids on student visas from Bangladesh in the 1990s who were working under the table at a convenience store run by folks from their home country. All of the above do pay sales taxes, user fees for services like driver's licenses, etc., and they pay into the system in a variety of ways, even if their pay isn't taxed. As these workers try to get ever-more decent jobs, they do what Doug said, get the fake SS# and start paying into the Social Security fund, FICA, etc., with no real hope of ever drawing from it.

But this thread is pretty much nothing more than classic false dichotomy, right? Artificially pitting immigrants against the native disabled.

-B.

Marta Russel wrote:

"Many illegals get fake Social Security cards so that they can get most any kind of job or they use a friend's SS#. I have seen that happen before where people work as in home support services workers (attending to disabled persons daily task needs)."



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list