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  1. #1
    Senior Member concernedmother's Avatar
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    Illegal Immigrant Benefits Holding up CA Budget

    http://ocregister.com/ocregister/new...le_1181178.php

    Thursday, June 15, 2006 Classified ads Get a job Buy a car Find real estate Go shopping

    Thursday, June 15, 2006
    Debate on illegal immigrant benefits holds up budget
    GOP lawmakers aren't keen on paying for health care for illegal immigrant children; the pace of state debt repayment is also an issue.

    By SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON
    The Orange County Register


    BY THE NUMBERS

    779,000: The number of children statewide who are uninsured

    38,400: Estimated number of O.C. children who are uninsured

    19,000: Estimated number of uninsured O.C. children who are undocumented

    76: Percentage of uninsured O.C. children who are Latino

    Sources: Assembly Budget Committee; Children’s Health Initiative, OC Children & Families Commission, St. Joseph Hospital of Orange County, State Department of Finance.


    SACRAMENTO – For the 20th year in a row, state lawmakers are expected to miss their constitutionally mandated deadline to pass a state budget Thursday night, despite a rare, $7.5 billion tax windfall that many thought would make the process easier this year.

    A key sticking point that is keeping the $131 billion spending plan for 2006-07 from being passed has little to do with money and everything to do with the topic that polls show is foremost on Californians' minds: illegal immigrants.

    At issue are proposals by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislators to improve health care coverage for California's poorest children, including ones who live here illegally. That's unacceptable to GOP lawmakers who argue the plans would serve as another incentive luring undocumented immigrants to California.

    Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez chastised Republican lawmakers Wednesday for not being more compassionate.

    "I've just got to tell you I'm very disappointed in my Republican colleagues who are using this as a sticking point to not want to get a budget done," he told reporters. "Is the value of the life of that child worthless because that child came to this country illegally? Or because his or her parents brought them here illegally? I don't get that. These are children."


    Ackerman
    Senate Minority Leader Dick Ackerman, R-Irvine, later dismissed the criticism. "Part of the problem in California is that primarily the Democrats have extended so many benefits to illegals.....that we are a magnet for them," Ackerman said. "If he (Nunez) is so concerned about children, then we should cover children in Mexico, too. That's the same as covering illegal children here. Why stop at the border?"

    Schwarzenegger wants to give a one-time infusion of $23 million to 18 counties with health care programs for poor children who are not eligible for Medi-Cal or Healthy Families. The funding would help those counties care for up to 24,000 such children who would otherwise end up on a waiting list by mid-2007. (Orange County does not currently offer such stop-gap programs, and thus, would not receive any of that money).

    Ackerman said he and other Republican legislators oppose the one-time funding because their reading of the bill language suggests the money would soley go to covering children of undocumented immigrants.

    They and Schwarzenegger oppose Democratic proposals that would provide roughly $2 million in 2006-07 for planning an expansion of the state's "Healthy Families" program that provides coverage to the state's poor children whose parents earn too much to be eligible for Medi-Cal. The Democrats are also calling for dropping a provision in 2007 currently makes coverage available only to children of legal residents.

    Other key areas of disagreement that are holding up the budget include:

    •$1 billion Democrats want to put in a reserve fund and determine how to spend later instead of using it to pay down debt as the governor and Republican legislators propose.

    •Repaying Proposition 42 transportation funds borrowed to help balance the state budget. The governor wants to repay $920 million borrowed from the gas tax fund intended for road projects, while Democrats propose repaying $460 million.

    Nunez said he hoped the partisan differences could be resolved by the end of the month. The 2006-07 budget is supposed to go into effect July 1.
    <div>"True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else."
    - Clarence Darrow</div>

  2. #2
    Senior Member loservillelabor's Avatar
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    "If he (Nunez) is so concerned about children, then we should cover children in Mexico, too. That's the same as covering illegal children here. Why stop at the border?"
    Hey Nunez. We're waiting for your answer.
    Unemployment is not working. Deport illegal alien workers now! Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  3. #3
    Senior Member crazybird's Avatar
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    Is the value of the life of that child worthless because that child came to this country illegally? Or because his or her parents brought them here illegally? I don't get that. These are children."

    There are poor starving children all over the world as well as poor hungry American citizens. For every illegal taking these benefits means one less deserving citizen qualifies. The well is running dry in alot of areas because funds that are supposed to be used for our legal citizens are being cut to make "special" accomodations for illegals. Our education system is in shambles and it 's the legal American Citizen that is being short-changed across the board for them. Enough already.
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  4. #4

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    Click below to see the California Legislative Axis of Weasels!

    http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/latinocaucus/

    "Let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth's sake." -- Louisa May Alcott

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