Philadelphia to Count Illegal Immigrants to Get More Taxpayer Funds

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has issued an executive order to stop city officials from asking immigration status for the express purpose of boosting the city’s population in the Census, and get more money from the federal government – i.e. taxpayers. (HT GrassrootsPA:)

Besides the obvious ramifications of flouting national immigration law, I am disturbed by the perverse incentives, and the effort to game the system. I’m sure most cities will do what the can to make their population look higher than it is, and get more funding taxpayer subsidies from the federal and state government.

If Mayor Nutter wants to retain more residents, he should stop driving them away with high taxes, concessions to government sector unions, and limiting parents’ school options.