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That's not what I'm saying. If a company hires a foreigner instead of an American then that American doesn't have a job. If they don't have a job they are unemp

by kfprt 5y ago

That's not what I'm saying. If a company hires a foreigner instead of an American then that American doesn't have a job. If they don't have a job they are unemployed. If they are unemployed then they are a net cost to me the taxpayer. If we reduce unemployment we reduce the tax burden.

davidw 5y ago
This is zero sum thinking, and it's been pretty thoroughly debunked. We have more people in the US than in 1960, and far more programming jobs.
- kfprt 5y ago
  More people and fewer of them are in the labor force than in living memory. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART I should also note this isn't the 1960s when women were stay at home moms keeping the participation rate down. No, now it's just the nasty kind of unemployment where people are barely scraping by because single income with kids isn't middle class anymore.
reaperducer 5y ago
If they are unemployed then they are a net cost to me the taxpayer. Unemployment benefits are not paid for by you the taxpayer. They are paid by the employee during employment and by his former employer both during and after the employment period. At least that's how it was in the three states where I've opened companies.
- kfprt 5y ago
  While that is how unemployment insurance works, it is only temporary. Unemployed in the statistical sense means actively looking for work or on unemployment while in common parlance it refers to any person not currently employed. The costs of persons who are capable of being employed but are not come at great expense to the taxpayer. Foodstamps, housing assistance, healthcare and a myriad of other programs. It is far preferable to have as many citizens in the labor force as is reasonably possible.
  - random314 5y ago
    This is a super creative argument :D Arguing for protectionism for yourself while complaining about the cost of protectionism for the unemployed!! Who would be the "welfare queen" in this case. Is it those people who would have been unemployed with/without immigrants? OR Is it those who would have been employed only because of the presence of immigrants? As brexiteers have shown, be careful what you wish for.
    - kfprt 5y ago
      "Promote the general welfare" is written in the constitution. It is my understanding that this is the point of government. https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/preamble https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/preamble
UncleMeat 5y ago
Software engineers create more software engineering jobs. Hiring a foreigner doesn't leave a gap for an American.

by kfprt 5y ago

davidw 5y ago

This is zero sum thinking, and it's been pretty thoroughly debunked. We have more people in the US than in 1960, and far more programming jobs.

kfprt 5y ago
More people and fewer of them are in the labor force than in living memory. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART I should also note this isn't the 1960s when women were stay at home moms keeping the participation rate down. No, now it's just the nasty kind of unemployment where people are barely scraping by because single income with kids isn't middle class anymore.

reaperducer 5y ago

If they are unemployed then they are a net cost to me the taxpayer. Unemployment benefits are not paid for by you the taxpayer. They are paid by the employee during employment and by his former employer both during and after the employment period. At least that's how it was in the three states where I've opened companies.

kfprt 5y ago
While that is how unemployment insurance works, it is only temporary. Unemployed in the statistical sense means actively looking for work or on unemployment while in common parlance it refers to any person not currently employed. The costs of persons who are capable of being employed but are not come at great expense to the taxpayer. Foodstamps, housing assistance, healthcare and a myriad of other programs. It is far preferable to have as many citizens in the labor force as is reasonably possible.
- random314 5y ago
  This is a super creative argument :D Arguing for protectionism for yourself while complaining about the cost of protectionism for the unemployed!! Who would be the "welfare queen" in this case. Is it those people who would have been unemployed with/without immigrants? OR Is it those who would have been employed only because of the presence of immigrants? As brexiteers have shown, be careful what you wish for.
  - kfprt 5y ago
    "Promote the general welfare" is written in the constitution. It is my understanding that this is the point of government. https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/preamble https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/preamble

UncleMeat 5y ago

Software engineers create more software engineering jobs. Hiring a foreigner doesn't leave a gap for an American.