The Poor are Still Consumers

“Even the poorest people are still consumers[1],” this is completely true. This makes me think of every single time someone in Texas complains about illegal immigrants not paying taxes. Yet people do not think of the stimulus in the economy that these immigrants make.[2] These immigrants still pay for rent, gas for their cars, if they operate under a social security number that isn’t their own they will never receive the benefit of it. According to the article in the New York Times “Undocumented immigrants produced $1.58 billion in state revenues, which exceeded the $1.16 billion in state services they received.” If you would like to read further about immigrants paying taxes read this: http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/unauthorized-immigrants-pay-taxes-too

            I knew a woman with two kids who worked sixty hours a week. She worked at the famous restaurant with golden arches, making only 5.00 an hour. Yet her kids were always dressed in name brands like Aeropostale and vans shoes. She always had coach sunglasses and Coach purse. She had enough money to go shopping and had money left over to pay her rent. This is my personal experience with even the poor being consumers. When I read about Coca-Cola and the bright box, it made me smile. We all deserve to enjoy the little things like a soda. Even if Coca-cola is not ending hunger or purifying water, its one more thing that the poor have that they did not before..

---

[1] http://www.fastcoexist.com/1682004/how-misinformed-ideas-about-profit-are-holding-back-the-worlds-poor

[2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/post/how-much-did-illegal-immigrants-contribute-to-texas-economic-boom/2011/08/19/gIQASvBFQJ_blog.html