Immigration costs, benefits

Re: Setting the record straight on immigration costs, Herbert Grubel and Patrick Grady

I was shocked by the tone of this FP Comment piece. I understand it is the analysis done by economists Herbert Grubel and Patrick Grady, but it’s so one- sided... Of course, immigrants make less, they are taking the jobs they can get — and yes, they pay less taxes — that is because they make less.

Did the authors actually look at the progression of immigrants’ salaries since 1985? Did they track the increase in individual immigrants salaries over a decade, taking into account that they may have gone to school to enhance their education and get higher paying jobs and actually pay more taxes?

It seems that they’ve assumed an immigrant will always be at the “bottom of the barrel.”

It’s an unfair characterization — the Irish came over and made their way, the Italians did it, eastern Europeans came, Vietnamese came — all of them have enriched the fabric of Canadian life.

Without immigrants the population declines and there isn’t the base to drive and grow the economy. Did they factor a declining GDP and tax base into their calculations?

I do agree, immigration needs to be managed, and not everyone can live in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.

However, do they not recognize that an immigrant is like a new hire, that you invest in training, mentoring and knowledge transfer, and in a while they become very productive...

A government needs to take a 10- year view with regard to immigration and human resources development.

Doug Miller, Ottawa