www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/817592/posts
The New York Times reported 11 California's "shortfall is bigger than the annual budgets of every other state except New York. What is the big secret that California politicians, both liberal and conservative, are afraid to tell the public? Is it that California Democrat Governor Gray Davis and an overwhelming Democrat majority in the state legislature squandered a budget surplus of at least six billion dollars and put the state $35 billion in the red? Is it that the Democrats will try to raise the state's income, sales, gasoline and perhaps property taxes, as well as fees for automobile registration, college tuition and whatever else they can think of. Is it that these extra taxes and fees could total hundreds or thousands of dollars per year for most Californians? California does not regularly report such information to the public. However, occasionally a piece of the picture is revealed, as in 1994 when the voters had to decide on Proposition 187. Among other things, that Proposition would have denied illegal aliens elementary and secondary education in government schools. A United States Government Accounting Office analysis around that same time basically supported Governor Wilson's higher figure. Nine years and who knows how many hundreds of thousands of additional illegal aliens later, we only can guess at the present cost. Calls to the offices of several state legislators revealed an ignorance about the present net fiscal impact of illegal immigration on the state. Leading researchers of illegal immigration told me the studies have not been done. In addition to the cost of providing illegal aliens with elementary and secondary education, what are the costs to California taxpayers from the following? Government officials failed to tell the voters what scattered news stories have revealed for years: just like private hospitals, public hospitals and trauma centers are overrun by illegal aliens who use these facilities for primary, non-emergency health care. In addition to these costs, what does the state collect from illegal aliens through taxes and fees? What does the federal government taxpayer pay to California to reimburse it for any costs resulting from illegal aliens? The irresponsibility of leaving these questions unanswered is breathtaking. Once the decision is made to part the taxpayer from his money, the next decision is about distribution of that money. Even if one believes that illegal aliens are entitled to some of that money, their moral claim to that money is less than that of everybody else. Therefore, in the face of an unprecedented reduction in the standard of living for the state's population through cuts in services and tax and fee increases, the first order of business should be to tell the people what the state is spending on people who are here in violation of the law compared to what the state receives from these illegals. Only then can the people, through their government representatives, make an informed decision about what services to cut and what taxes and fees to raise, if any. With California leading the deficit disaster, California also can lead the way to a vital part of the solution. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, in addition to California, 23 other states have the initiative process, which 13 "enables citizens to bypass their state legislature by placing proposed statutes and, in some states, constitutional amendments on the ballot". Because our elected state representatives will not force the states to tell the public the net fiscal impact of illegal immigration, in those initiative-friendly states, the people should put propositions on their ballots that would require their states to provide the information annually. To ensure that the information is collected, analyzed and presented accurately and completely, perhaps a state agency with a reputation for honest public policy analysis 14 like California's Legislative Analyst Office should prepare the report. Our government representatives are about to cut services to people who are here legally and take more money from them, without telling us the net economic impact on the state treasuries of illegal aliens who are receiving our tax money. They are about to force us to lower our standard of living while we support illegal aliens. The only way to stop them is to force them to give us the information about our money by passing such a proposition in each state. As for the federal government, which is being asked to help eliminate these deficits, members of the House and Senate could request the federal GAO to do an annual comprehensive study for both the federal and state treasuries. Because there is no federal initiative process, we must lobby House and Senate members to request such reports from the GAO. California is providing a multi-billion dollar foreign aid program to Mexico because our politicians won't protect us. All the California haters here at FR take note - we're paying to keep your food prices low. If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me. Not clear as to where a party will be found with clean hands on this one, but the Whigs went the way of the dinosaurs, so can one or the other of the two majors. Other Bump Lists at: 61 Free Republic Bump List Register 62 10 posted on 01/06/2003 11:03:14 AM PST by 63 Ernest_at_the_Beach 64 Post Reply | 65 Private Reply | 66 To 4 | 67 View Replies To: Tancredo Fan; During the next election we should have a media blitz at least as big as any candidates informing the public not to vote for candidates that don't support positive meaningful changes. We must force every candidate to choose between America and Mexico and target every candidate for defeat that chooses Mexico ; We should vote them out of office and ship them to Mexico where they belong. I personally believe if they're illegal aliens, their cars should be impounded on the spot. They will never hear a peep of protest from taxpayers or voters. Kind of like the figgures that Bush has squashed about the effects on American income of our manufacturing leaving our shores. The agency no longer has the money to print that kind of report to mail out to the individual states. It is true, and I hope it will open the eyes of those in other states who think that illegal immigration is not a problem. It is devastating to watch towns turn to slums while local politicians avert their eyes and pretend that it's OK in hopes that the new arrivals and their relatives will vote for them. With the millions of "new" liberals voting here in California, a conservative doesn't have a chance, and is a disappearing breed. I'm sure all the anti-Prop 187 crowd will be more than happy to have you reap this bonanza. So it is possible that as soon as CA elects a Gov who posseses guts and a conservative view, he or she can go to court to activate 187 which would save billions a year. Currently the state spends a minimum of $6000 per illegal child to a maximum of $50,000 for a handicapped child. Figure with over a couple of hundred thousand illegal kids times 6-50 thousand dollars and you get an updated figure that is a nightmare. I hate the desecration of our borders 145 24 posted on 01/06/2003 9:53:05 PM PST by 146 ezone 147 Post Reply | 148 Private Reply | 149 To 18 | 150 View Replies To: janetgreen Thanks for posting this article. It is true, and I hope it will open the eyes of those in other states who think that illegal immigration is not a problem. Oh, it's true alright, and those in other states are now seeing this crisis, close up and personal. I have collected articles from at least 20 states where illegal aliens are literally invading their states as well. In my opinion, the Republicans and the Democrats have almost drove this nation into a third world ditch, not to mention the national security nightmare they have created for all American's. All I've heard from him is that he wants to grant amnesty, which only encourages more to come. A country cannot keep importing poverty and ignorance and retain its strength and culture. He disappoints me because he ignores this huge problem and those o...
|
http://csua.com/feed/