Thread: Bill Would End Free Ride for Invaders

http://www.cbs46.com/Global/story.asp?S=3845184

Bill Would End Free Ride for Illegals
Sep 13, 2005, 04:23 PM

ATLANTA (AP) -- There will be no welcome mat in Georgia next year for illegal immigrants if Republicans in the Georgia Senate have their way. A bill they are backing as a top priority would block taxpayer-funded benefits for individuals who are not citizens.

"We don't want Georgia to be a magnet for people to come here simply to live off taxpayer-funded services," said Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson, R-Savannah.

"We cannot afford to take care of everybody," Johnson said in a news conference with Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, whose bill to prohibit benefits to illegal immigrants is pending in the upper chamber.

"Our priorities should be on Georgia's neediest citizens ... (and) our neighbors, our friends who are hurting -- the evacuees from the Gulf," Johnson said. "Those should all be a higher priority than somebody who has broken the law and come to this country illegally."

The legislation would require anyone receiving taxpayer-funded benefits in Georgia to prove he or she is a Georgia resident and a U.S. citizen or is legally present in the United States.

Johnson said money the state spends on illegal immigrants is money that doesn't go to Georgia citizens "or even people like the evacuees that are here legally that need our help."

But no one knows precisely how many undocumented immigrants there are in Georgia or what state services, if any, they are draining.

Citizenship already is a requirement for some of the state's costliest and most critical social programs -- food stamps, Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids, and federal law requires states to educate the children of non-citizens through high school.

However, the measure potentially affects higher education in Georgia because citizenship is not required to attend one of Georgia's public colleges or universities.

Rep. DuBose Porter, D-Dublin, the House Democratic Leader, called the proposed legislation an emotional red herring. {So what?}

"They are raising an issue which has an emotional element but it's yet to be seen how real a problem that is in Georgia," he said. "This is obviously a measure to take the attention of Georgia voters off the bad things they have already done to Georgia." {Like the Dems record is stellar? LMAO}

Sen. Sam Zamarripa, D-Atlanta, said the measure will only accelerate the black market in false ID papers and documents. {Yeah like that isn't happening already}

"If you really want to fix this, you need to go audit the biggest employers in the state. You're going to discover inappropriate documentation for people that work. If they want to stop it, find the people that hire people.," he said. {Why don't you put your money where your mouth is and actually do it you reconquista chump?}

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

"If you really want to fix this, you need to go audit the biggest employers in the state. You're going to discover inappropriate documentation for people that work. If they want to stop it, find the people that hire people.," he said.

If they did that this guy would be just as pissed, if not more so.

If anyone has a link to Eric Johnson's e-mail, please post. I'd love to send him a letter of support and thank him. Let's hope common sense prevails.

ejohnson@legis.state.ga.us

QUOTE:
We cannot afford to take care of everybody," Johnson said in a news conference with Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, whose bill to prohibit benefits to illegal immigrants is pending in the upper chamber.

"Our priorities should be on Georgia's neediest citizens ... (and) our neighbors, our friends who are hurting -- the evacuees from the Gulf," Johnson said. "Those should all be a higher priority than somebody who has broken the law and come to this country illegally."

HE STAYS

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http://www.alipac.us/article714.html