To respond to both accusations at the same time made by JHarmon, I'll begin
with the one about paying taxes. Well, the truth of the matter is that
illegal immigrants do pay taxes. They pay taxes in the form of income
taxes (where they don't get returns), they pay sales tax, taxes for rent,
etc. They just don't get anything for those taxes. Allowing for illegals
to get drivers licenses just allows them to take advantage of one thing
that they do pay taxes for.
As for the reason that housing rights people defending dilapitated
housing, it occurs for the simple fact that without that housing, there
would be NOTHING for low income people. It's not as if the state and city
are building massive amounts of quality low income housing that advocates
are ignoring out of sheer willfulness, they just see the practical
situation being a option between bad housing and no housing.
The same thing is true for illegal immigrants. They're here, and they
are for a large part driving our economy. Not recognizing this just allows
the gross exploitation of them to continue. A driver's license is just one
small step towards a life of dignity for such people, the next step would
be better paying jobs, and education for their children. I feel a greater
deal of solidarity with the highly exploited, hard working illegal
immigrants than I do with most people in this country.
Robert Wood green party member/irate foucaldian
resident of St. Paul, university employee/student
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