Despite a widespread belief to the contrary, Chicago-area Latinos pay substantially more in local taxes than they collect in education and other government services, according to a study being released on Wednesday by the University of Notre Dame.
The report by the university's Institute for Latino Studies says Hispanics pay $4.3 billion in direct sales, property and other taxes, and contribute another $724 million to stores and other businesses they patronize.
In turn, local governments pay out $3.9 billion on education, health, public safety and other services, the institute found — roughly 77 cents for each $1 in Latino-generated tax income.
Latinos also earned $26 billion here in 2009, own more than 56,000 businesses and comprise 20% of the local labor force, three times the level of 1980.
The report comes amid a continuing national debate over immigration, legal and otherwise, and whether an influx of Latinos in the past three decades has been more boon or bane. The findings are sure to figure into that debate.
"What we found was surprising and very positive," said institute research director Juan Carlos Guzman. "When you look at the balance of the costs and benefits, the costs of educating Latinos and what they contribute in terms of taxes, the balance is positive."
One Latina leader quoted in a press release announcing the study findings had even stronger comments.
"With many looking for a scapegoat for our region's fiscal woes, the Institute for Latino Studies once and for all refuses the notion that Latinos are socioeconomic 'drains,' " said Sylvia Puenta, executive director of the Latino Policy Forum. READ MORE
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