 | VirileVagabond (31)
10/08/2006 | There really is little doubt whether illegal immigration exerts deflationary pressures on goods and services sensitive to the costs of low-skilled labor. Increased competition for jobs in these sectors can only lead to lower prices in an efficient market. The downside in a modern welfare state is the increased burden on the social welfare infrastructure, so the increased purchase power from the deflationary forces must be compared to the increased tax burden necessary to maintain that infrastructure. As I've stated elsewhere, until the minimum wage is set at a more realistic rate to reflect the true value of low-skilled labor and a society quits paying the able to be idle, economic forces will continue to fill the gap anyway.
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 | DrEntropy (38)
05/03/2006 | Mass immigration lowers the cost of certain goods and services (lettuce, servants) which is good for everyone, especially the rich. It also raises the cost of housing and places a heavy burden on public services, leading to the exodus of the middle class from areas of high immigration (i.e. California).
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