I know...first hand. It's part of what I deal with everyday. Folks assume that Ag employs most of the illegal aliens, and nobody in Ag employs more than California. I know second-hand from direct sources in Texas and Florida, the second and third largest Ag labor states. As for the number of exemptions...there's a limit as to how many one can claim without providing dependant information. Cash payments? That's something urban folks do when they pick up day laborers...a relatively small portion of the illegal alien labor pool compared to industries such as Ag or even hotels/restaurants...and it's those urbanites who assume their own deeds reflect overall reality. Employers can only deduct formal payrolls, not off the books employees, so the perceived savings folks imply in thinking companies pay by cash is simply so much fodder for discussion.
Unless someone with more direct information comes forth, I rest comfortable with what I know rather than rely on perceptions of blog-created info.
Not trying to be nasty...it's just I've heard those same comments over the years from various sources. It is the single biggest fallacy of the immigration debate. I am certainly not a voice for illegal aliens nor do I want amnesty for any. But we're not going to fix a problem until everyone understands what the problem is.
