AS A CALIFORNIA TAXPAYER I SAY "HELL NO"

CA Democrats Want More Money To Offer Free Healthcare For Illegal Immigrants

Because everyone’s a voter. And some count twice.

Reuters reports: “California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Thursday he expects lawmakers to pass a budget by month’s end instead of meeting a June 15 deadline because of disagreements over whether the state should fund health care for illegal immigrant children.”

Disagreements? Who woud support illegals?

With over $7 billion more in state revenues than had been expected, many lawmakers initially had expected to break the two-decade-long streak of missed deadlines because this year they did not have to haggle over spending cuts.

But last-minute differences emerged after a committee of lawmakers from both chambers of the Democrat-led legislature last weekend passed a spending plan to rival the Republican governor’s $131.1 billion budget proposal for the 2006-07 fiscal year starting next month.

Republicans, whose votes are needed for a two-thirds majority to pass a budget, balked at Democrat-backed provisions in the legislature’s plan to boost spending on health-care for children, including children who are not legal immigrants.

Ladies and gentlemen, witness politics in action.

You see, some politicians talk about creating efficiencies and reducing the burden on taxpayers, but any time there’s a surplus (e.g. $7 billion “more in state revenues than had been expected”), you can count on Democrats wanting to spend it.

“It’s a very bad idea,” said Republican Assemblyman Rick Keene. “We would be giving legitimacy to folks who are here breaking the law.”

State Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman added: “We don’t believe we should be setting up incentive programs to have more illegals come to California.”

Exactly. Makes total sense.

So, why are Democrats pushing for it?

Democrats have political reasons for taking the opposing position as California is increasingly Hispanic because of legal and undocumented immigration, especially from Mexico.

“A lot of Latinos are in Democratic districts,” said Pitney, adding that many could become Democratic voters if the U.S. Congress approves an amnesty for undocumented immigrants.

Well, there’s the answer.

Democratic Assemblyman John Laird said the legal status of children should not be of concern in emergencies: “We shouldn’t have doctors whose first question of a three-year-old brought into a hospital for meningitis is, ‘Is he here illegally?”‘

Didn’t we hear enough violins yesterday?

That’s like saying, some stores shouldn’t have to ask whether or not a customer paid for an item before leaving the building. The comparative logic is: By not questioning or caring about the status of citizenship (illegal=criminal), the state is widening the opportunity for rampant abuse. Free health care, come one, come all! It promotes it and most definitely creates incentive. Obvious to anyone. Just like shopping at a store that doesn’t charge for goods or service. It’s going to be very popular, until it goes out of business. Sounds like California.

And why should we care? If Mexico doesn’t provide free health care to their own people, why should we? Especially when they enter our nation illegally.

At a press conference, Schwarzenegger outlined his position on the dispute, which is midway between what Democrat and Republican lawmakers want. He would fund programs already providing health care to children, including undocumented children, but not expand the programs because of the costs.

“We should not politicize the children and drag them into this … But I would not go in the direction of expanding the Healthy Family program because we cannot afford it,” he said.

This is fact. And their should be no further “disagreements.”

Democrats and Republicans also are odds over whether to use about $1 billion to pay down debt or to build a reserve.

Unfortunately, some are not working with facts. And because these Democrats are in power, there’s only one thing they’re that familiar with building in California – and that’s more debt.