This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
According to "Utah's Hatch wants immigrants to pay back taxes" (Tribune, June 7): "If immigrants here illegally want to become citizens, they should act like citizens and pay their back taxes, said Sen. Orrin Hatch, who casts the issue as a matter of fairness — and a move that would make the government some money."
If our senator was interested in fairness, he would have introduced an amendment to the immigration bill introduced by the "Gang of Eight" that requires employers who have hired those who are here illegally to pay their fair share of back taxes.
Employers who pay "under the table" do not pay employee withholding taxes (including their matching payments for Social Security and Medicare), unemployment insurance, workers' compensation or health care. They also force competitors to hire illegal immigrants in order to compete or be forced out of business.
These employers should have been the top concern of the "Gang of Eight," since paying jobs are the No. 1 reason we have more than 11 million undocumented immigrants. If Congress is willing to go after immigrants but not employers, how does that look?
These employers are not in the shadows. It should be easy to find them.
Susan Rounds
Midvale