Why is California Burning? Because It’s Importing Poverty
Why is California Burning? Because It’s Importing Poverty
By Linda Thom
California finally has a budget deal, through accounting maneuvers and budget cuts (including the release of convicted felons). But California’s budget is toast—whether or not the economy turns around.
The cause: Millions of low-income, unskilled immigrants (not just illegals) with lots of children have moved in. And lots of high- and middle- income Americans have moved out. [Golden State losing folks as old Dust Bowl beckons, By Phillip Reese, June 14, 2009]
Immigration’s highest cost is the public education of the immigrants’ children. That falls on state and local taxpayers—not on federal taxpayers. Therefore, states with the largest number of immigrant and immigrant-descended students pay the most for over-immigration—although it is the result of failed federal policies.
In the fall, schools across America report average daily attendance (ADA) which is a measure of classroom hours of instruction. In the spring, schools collect data for students by race and ethnicity. The National Center for Educational Statistics data shows race and ethnicity as a percentage of students. For the tables below, ADA is multiplied by percentage of students by race and ethnicity. Calculations are my own.
U.S.
Total
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian/PI
Native Am
1986
36,863,867
25,952,162
5,935,083
3,649,523
1,032,188
331,775
2006
45,931,617
25,951,364
7,854,307
9,415,981
2,158,786
551,179
Change
9,067,750
(799)
1,919,224
5,766,459
1,126,598
219,405
Source: National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES).
Overall, in twenty years, the increase in Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander children in the U.S. made up three quarters of the enrollment increase for U.S schools.
In California in the same period, enrollment of White and Black children declined by 1.4 million. But enrollment of Hispanic and Asian students increased by 2.5 million students. Therefore, the increase in Hispanic and Asian students in California made up 132 percent of California’s enrollment increase (and an incredible 28 percent of the enrollment increase for the entire country).
California
Total
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian/PI
Native Am
1986
4,429,792
3,118,5774
713,197
1,218,193
124,034
39,868
2006
6,349,270
1,917,480
495,243
3,142,889
742,865
50,794
Increase
1,919,478
(1,201,094)
(217,953)
1,924,696
618,830
10,926
In most of the country, K-12 education is funded by local governments. But in California, K-12 education is funded directly by the state government. Reason: In 1978, voters passed Proposition 13 which capped assessed property values and limited the rate at which property taxes could rise. When a property sells, the assessed valuation rises to the sales price and the rate of growth is then capped again. This is not as much as a problem as opponents claim, because most properties have changed hands.
Of course, elite opinion dislikes voters interfering in government’s taxation plans . The London Economist reflected this consensus recently when it disparaged California’s initiative system as “the crack cocaine of democracyâ€
