Who’s changing your grandma’s diaper? Who’s mowing our lawns? Who’s cutting and wrapping the chickens? Immigrant workers are indispensable to the U.S. economy, contributing significantly across various sectors. They fill essential roles in industries often overlooked by American-born workers, in health care, agriculture, construction and meatpacking — jobs that are high-risk and low-paying, yet crucial to the nation’s infrastructure and food supply.
For example, in 2014, immigrants paid approximately $328 billion in taxes, including $104.6 billion in state and local taxes and $223.6 billion in federal taxes. These contributions bolster public services and Social Security programs, benefiting all Americans.
At the same time, immigrant workers bring invaluable skills and innovations, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, where they make up more than 23% of the workforce. Their expertise not only drives technological advancements but also keeps the U.S. competitive on a global scale.
The narrative that immigrant labor is a drain on the economy is simply unfounded. Instead, these workers should be recognized for their critical role in sustaining and growing our economy, performing jobs that many Americans are unwilling to do, while contributing to the nation’s overall prosperity.
Immigrant workers bring value to our country, our neighborhoods and our families.
— Lynn Elam, St. Charles
Immigrants are not a drain
Are immigrants without documentation a drain on the United States’ public benefit programs? The resounding answer is “no.”
Immigrants without documentation and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients are not eligible for most federal benefit programs, such as Social Security retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
These immigrants are also not eligible for health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act and are prohibited from purchasing unsubsidized health coverage on ACA exchanges.
Only a handful of benefits that are deemed necessary to protect life or guarantee safety in dire situations are available to these immigrants.
Even when immigrants are eligible for public benefit programs — because they reside in the United States legally and with proper documentation — they use federal public benefit programs at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens.
Immigrants with and without documentation pay more into United States public benefit programs than they take out through sales and consumption taxes, income taxes, property taxes and contributions to the Social Security benefit system.
Immigrants — with and without documentation — contribute more to American society than they take. I encourage voters to remember this.
— Susan S. Russo, Batavia
Vision for new state flag
I may be severely limited in artistic ability, but that hasn’t stopped me from imagining a new state flag design. What makes Illinois distinctive? Well, Chicago naturally, so we might fashion a downtown skyline in silhouette in blue for the background. But Illinois is more than just the big burg by the lake. We ought to acknowledge the rest of the state in the foreground somehow.
The violet, our state flower, and our state bird the cardinal are possibilities. But then I remember hearing once on a field trip to central Illinois that Champaign County was the popcorn capital of the world. Whether that still holds 30 years later, I’m unsure, but the Illinois Farm Bureau indicates that our state is currently ranked second in the country for corn production and No. 1 for soybean — lest all us urbanites who can barely tell one crop from the other forget. Therefore, depicting a row of golden crops would be fitting.
I’m going to continue imagining a graphic, but I didn’t want to let the moment pass here without saluting all our overworked and underpaid farmers statewide and beyond. And I hope some Illinois artists more gifted than I will be thinking similarly with their representations.
— Tom Gregg, Niles
Bravo to the Park District
The Chicago Park District deserves special recognition and credit for recently sponsoring the second annual Golden Special Olympics for adults with developmental disabilities, age 45 and older. The event was a true celebration of inclusivity, determination and community spirit. It was an honor to be a part of this event as a coach for my sister.
Special thanks to the Conrad Hilton Hotel for its warm hospitality and to the generous support of the Spirit of Chicago for providing a dinner cruise for the athletes and their families and coaches during the event’s closing ceremonies. The Park District’s organization was outstanding, reflecting its dedication to making this event a success for all involved.
Once again, Chicago has proved itself to be a City of Big Shoulders.
— Geri Flynn, Chicago
Stopping bullying in kids
A recent column by Heidi Stevens (“Party left heartbreaking, beautiful legacy,” Aug. 25) regarding a child’s birthday party, which no invited children came to, brought back memories of my own youth, wherein certain children in my school were often treated differently than others, due to different dress, looks or other characteristics beyond their control, and the long-lasting effect it surely must have played on their lives.
There are many little things children can do without thinking of the potential consequences of their actions. I am reminded of one particular girl in junior high and the potential damage we other children may have caused her. The situation finally slowed when a homeroom teacher stepped in and sent her out of the classroom on an errand. The teacher then in no uncertain terms told us this had to stop and spoke of the hurt she viewed in this little girl’s eyes.
Once we all advanced to high school, that girl sort of just drifted into the crowd, and if there was continued hurtful acts, I at least was not a witness to it, although who knows what damage had already been done.
Parents need to address this type of wrongful behavior before it starts. Children need to have drilled into their minds that bullies and meanness toward others are never acceptable and that if such actions are observed, try to explain how wrong it is to those committing the acts or at least seek help from other adults to make it cease.
I addressed this with my daughter early in life and my grandsons as well, numerous times.
As for that little girl, while time moves on, I can only hope and pray that whatever damage she incurred in those early years has been tempered in her later years. I still have occasional thoughts of that matter from time to time, and I guess that is the price I must pay for being part of the problem those many years ago.
As parents, maybe we can all help avoid such matters by guiding our children with some tough love once in a while and by urging the need to be compassionate toward others who may appear different.
My heart goes out to that little girl and all others who may have suffered such pain in their early years.
— Charles Kliche, Lombard
Missing cartoonist Joe Fournier
While we’re discussing comics, cartoons and how much they contribute to the joy in our lives, I want to say how much I miss Joe Fournier and his thought-provoking, funny, but never vicious political humor. There were times during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic when the best thing in the paper was his cartoon. Thank you, Joe. Wish you were here. Again.
— Mary Lange Muenchow, Frankfort
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