Myth: Illegal aliens contribute to the economy
Myth: Illegal aliens contribute to the economy
Dave Gibson
Immigration Reform Examiner
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In February, Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich announced that his county’s Department of Public Social Services paid-out more than $646 million in welfare and food stamp benefits to the children of illegal aliens in 2011 alone.
The press release from Antonovich’s office stated: “The $646.2 million consisted of $258 million in CalWORKs (welfare) and $388 million in Food Stamps) — a $21 million increase over the previous year.”
The supervisor pointed out that welfare and food stamps payments represent only a portion of the financial burden being placed upon county taxpayers by illegal aliens, saying: “With the $550 million for public safety and nearly $500 million for healthcare, the total cost for illegal immigrants to County taxpayers exceeds $1.6 billion dollars a year. These costs do not include the hundreds of millions of dollars for education.”
The continuously rising amounts explain why not only L.A. County, but the entire state of California is now in financial ruin.
In 2003, the American Southwest saw 77 hospitals enter bankruptcy due to unpaid medical bills incurred by illegal aliens.
In 2005, the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons reported that a staggering 84 hospitals in California alone, had been forced to close their doors because of the growing crisis. Hospitals which manage to remain open then pass the unpaid costs onto the rest of us, which translates into more out-of-pocket expenses and higher insurance premiums for all Americans.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, actual unemployment is currently 14.5 percent (U-6 figure). This, combined with huge trade deficits, the loss of our manufacturing base and a soaring national debt, we simply cannot afford to pay the bills for this nation’s illegal alien population.
If we are to once again find ourselves on firm financial footing, we can no longer accept elected representatives who choose to better represent a foreign national population, rather than those of us who actually pay their salaries.
If the federal government does not soon begin to vigorously enforce current immigration laws, the entire nation will be just as financially unstable as is California. However, there will be no bailout for the American taxpayer.
Myth: Illegal aliens contribute to the economy - National Immigration Reform | Examiner.com
