Posted on 05/24/2004 3:59:22 PM PDT by take
Ariz. conservatives upset with hospital immigration vote
Immigration hawks are upset with four Arizona Republicans for voting against a federal measure that would have required hospitals to report illegal aliens to federal authorities.
Conservative illegal immigration opponents such as the Protect Arizona Now coalition are blasting votes against the hospital bill by Arizona Congressmen John Shadegg, Jeff Flake, Jim Kolbe and Rick Renzi.
The legislation was supported by those who want to see stricter border and immigration controls but opposed by hospitals who do not want to get caught up in law enforcement and federal issues.
Illegal immigration is a substantial strain on hospitals in Arizona and other border states because they are federally required to provide emergency care and often receive no compensation from indigent undocumented aliens.
Protect Arizona Now is trying to get a referendum on the November ballot that would bar illegals from receiving state welfare and social services benefits and require state agencies to report undocumented persons to the federal government.
Major business groups and the state's Republican establishment -- including members of the congressional delegation-- oppose the PAN initiative arguing immigration is a federal and not a state issue.
Valley GOP Congressmen J.D. Hayworth and Trent Franks voted for the federal hospital immigration bill which failed by a 331 to 88 vote. Hayworth and Franks have both called for tougher border controls and immigration law enforcement but do not support PAN.
Immigration is a big issue for Flake and Kolbe. They are co-authors of a business-backed federal guest worker bill along with Sen. John McCain. They are also facing primary challenges. State Rep. Randy Graf, a top PAN backer, is challenging Kolbe in his southeastern Arizona/Tucson House district. Flake is being challenged by business lobbyist and former state legislator Stan Barnes.
The state's two Democratic congressmen -- Raul Grijalva and Ed Pastor -- also voted against the hospital bill. Hispanic groups and Democrats including Gov. Janet Napolitano also oppose the PAN referendum.
Renzi is in a tough reelection battle with Democratic challenger Paul Babbitt. The freshman Republican is in a key swing district and receives strong support from the White House as well as national and state business interests.
AZ voters need to send the "Open Borders" bipartisan crowd a message.
illegal aliens are ILLEGAl! hopitals are required to report all sorts of "stuff", gunshot wounds, small pox etc.
Some states eveve pregnant women drug user reporting.
This is just enabling illegal alien faux outrage.
just look to Los Angeles as an example - the swamp of criminal aliens using emergency rooms as their local doctor has taken it's toll...believe it or not LA is down to less than a half-dozen trauma care hospitals...even the county's own mammoth King hospital has lost it accreditation -
the reason hospitals don't care is because it's corporately cheaper to cry overcrowding and go BK and sell off the hospital campus real estate and get out of the medical business -- the more illegals are served the quicker they can legitimately get out ...
The border hospitals have it especially bad --- it's not just those who are sneaking into the USA to live -- collect welfare or work -- but those who live in Mexico who wish to obtain completely free health care in the USA --- coming over illegally or legally but with no intention of paying their own hospital bill.
Another reason the hospitals don't care is that they can use this for a big tax write-off if they are for-profit, and the federal and state governments send millions of dollars to bail out the hospitals for all the free care they give out --- interesting how much money is being sent to the border so the access to free health care for foreigners isn't cut off but rural hospitals providing access to American citizens are left to close their doors --- no big bail-outs.
U.S. Constitution
Article I , Section 8, Clause 15
Powers of Congress
"To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions:"
Amendment V
"nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation"
All four of those "Republican" Congressman should be tried for treason.
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ping
Thank goodness I live in JD's area.
When the federal government refuses to do its job and enforce the law and when the state takes tax dollars and uses it to aid and abet illegal aliens, it does indeed become a state issue.
When emergency rooms and trauma centers go belly-up due to treating illegal aliens, it harms the citizens of that state.
As for the "major business groups" and the "state's Republican establishment", go pound sand.
But then there's the struggling young American couple who need emergency services and get billed $800.00 for one emergency room visit (true story). They are expected to pay, and if payment is late, the account gets sent to a collection agency.
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Time to Vote For Randy Graf and at least KAN KOLBE.
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