http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...-bn05horn.html

Horn wants county to tally cost of illegal immigration
By Karen Kucher
UNION-TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS TEAM

12:19 p.m. May 5, 2006

SAN DIEGO – County Supervisor Bill Horn said on Friday that he wants to know how much illegal immigrants cost county government in public health care, social services, law enforcement and other programs so local officials can try to get federal reimbursement.
Horn said he plans to ask his four board colleagues on Tuesday to authorize a definitive study on the fiscal impact illegal immigration has on the county's coffers.



I'm the guardian of the county's treasury,” Horn said at a news conference on the steps of the County Administration Center. “My concern is what is it costing, what is the cost accounting of this whole issue?”
Horn said the report would not look at the fiscal benefits of illegal immigration, such as the property taxes or sales taxes paid by those working and living illegally in the United States. He said that is a job for the federal government or Chamber of Commerce-type organizations.

“We know that illegals are in our jails... and they benefit from our public health and from social services. And they use up resources that otherwise would go to legal citizens,” Horn said.

Horn decided to request the study – which he said might be done in-house by county employees rather than by an outside consultant – while preparing for his State of the County address. He is serving as the Board of Supervisors chair this year.

Horn said the only figures he could find was that it costs about $50 million annually to incarcerate illegal immigrants in the county's jails. The county is reimbursed about $2 million a year for those costs.

Brian Bilbray, a former county supervisor and former congressman who is running to fill the 50th District seat left vacant by Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, attended the news conference and voiced his support for Horn's proposal.

Bilbray said the federal government was like a “deadbeat dad” that is walking away from the illegal immigration problem. “Washington really does not understand the huge negative impact that illegal immigration has on local government and the local taxpayers,” he said.

Horn said he isn't advocating illegal immigrants be denied emergency services, but said the costs should be borne by the federal government.

He offered the example of a van filled with illegal immigrants crashing on a county road.

“When they get treated, they should be taken in vans and taken back across the border,” Horn said. “But they don't do that. Instead, that hospital, that fire department, that responder, whoever it might have been, picks up the tab. Because nobody pays us for that service.”

Horn said county officials should be allowed to identify or report people who are illegally in the country who receive social services, probation services or health care.
San Diego County leaders have sought reimbursement for county costs associated with illegal immigration in the past.

In 2001, supervisors sent a $50 million bill to the federal government, asking for reimbursement for incarcerating and processing illegal immigrants accused of crimes and for providing emergency medical services. In 1994, supervisors declared a local emergency based on the high cost of illegal immigration.

Local officials say federal reimbursements don't come close to covering the county's costs.

Karen Kucher: (619) 293-1350; karen.kucher@uniontrib.com