Hospital district struggles with burden from beyond its borders (Houston)

Houston Chronicle ^ | March 1, 2005 | BILL MURPHY

[sheana]

"If they are building our houses, mowing our grass, watching our children, the least we can do is to take care of them when they are sick," Zwick said.

Okay.........well since they are NOT doing any of that for me then I don't have to pay for them right?

[Mamzelle]

bump

[brytlea]

Darn, you beat me to what I was going to say! Amen. They are not working for me, and frankly I am willing to pay more for things if it means we can clean this illegal immigration mess up! And, if we stopped the flow of illegal immigrants coming in, perhaps things would reach critical mass in their own countries and their politicians would be forced to improve their situations. As long as we act as a safety valve and prop up their economies with dollars earned here, things will stay as they are....until we can no longer absorb any more. sundero

[varon]

"If they are building our houses, mowing our grass, watching our children, the least we can do is to take care of them when they are sick," Zwick said. "To abandon people when they work very inexpensively is unconscionable."

Well, Mr Zwick, the way I see it is that what is unconscionable is for you to encourage illegal immigration by offering "very inexpensive work" and then hiring these people knowing they are illegals. Are you in the habit of aiding, abetting and harboring criminals, Mr. Zwick?

[investigateworld]

H#ll, we got plenty of money, let'em all in.
/Snicker/

[sheana]

Radack and others are less enthusiastic about providing free care to residents from other counties.

That line got me too. Typical, they would rather provide free care to illegals than American citizens.

Americans first Mr Zwick!

[Pookee]

"You have to be dirt poor now before we'll take you," said County Commissioner Tom Stavinoha of Fort Bend County, where a family of four earning more than about $4,000 a year doesn't qualify for free care.

This trend of providing incentives to be poor and punishing those who succeed through increasingly progressive tax scales flies in the face of the capitalistic economy our country was founded on and will ruin us if not stopped.

[Williams]

Excellent post Dog Gone.

[bayourod]

""I think we have an obligation to provide care," Commissioner Steve Radack said of treating immigrants."...."It's a moral issue; it's a public health issue," said County Judge Robert Eckels. "This is how we do things in America." "

Steve Raddack and Robert Eckels are probably the two strongest Republican officeholders in Harris County, and long term committed conservatives. I'm proud to have voted for both of them. They are men of true character and wisdom in the mold of President Bush, unlike the cheap demagogues who play on the fears and prejudices of the insecure.

Ben Taub is a county owned charity hospital. Every year they have to make their case for increased funds from the county budget. And eventually, every year they get what they need. If it wasn't enough to treat our own Harris County indigent residents they wouldn't admit so many form out of county.

There isn't a county in this SMSA that isn't booming including Tom DeLay's Fort Bend County. The poor from the surrounding counties come because the care at Ben Taub is so superior.

There is no crises.

[JustAnotherSavage]

Speaking of expenses from over the border, a teacher from LA phoned into a talk show the other night. He earns $75,000 per year as a "special ed" teacher. He has 12 students in his class. All are illegals.

[holyscroller]

Great. If I ever need a heart transplant, I'll come on down to Texas and tell them I'm penniless and don't have a Social Security number. Sounds like about the only way an American gets a break.

[investigateworld]

I don't have an answer as to spiraling hospital and medical costs. I do know that if the borders were secure, there would be less of a demand for freebies. How to contain costs, short of sealing the border and being more picky about "legal" immigrants, seems about the only way. I just don't have an answer.

A lady friend of mine, processes court attachments on wages. She tells me that after a notice of attachment, the employers (frequently big box stores/ food service/hospitality (motels and the like) advise the subject is no longer employed there.
Hence, this low wage earner learns to stay off payrolls where 25% us going to be clipped off the top to pay for an ER Room visit.
This puts a legal citizen at an disadvantage, as the illegal simply uses a 000-00-0000 SSAN.
Please tell me the equity of this?

[Dog Gone]

The problem I have with providing free medical care to illegal aliens is a simple economic principle that has been proven correct in countless situations.

You always get more of what you subsidize, and less of what you tax.

If Japan offered free heart surgery to any American in the country legal or not, they'd be doing a lot more heart surgery on Americans for free.

[bayourod]

Productive employees are never a burden on the community. They are the most valuable assets a nation can have. They create the wealth that allows the top 20% of the taxpayers to pay 90% of the taxes.

Despite the hysteria you see on immigration threads, the facts are that our economy is booming, crime is down, taxes are down, unemployment is down, and Americans are enjoying the highest standard of living in our history. (and our culture is not under any imaginable threat except from courts.)

[investigateworld]

Motion to strike. Will the court please direct the witness to answer the question?

[bayourod]

"You always get more of what you subsidize, and less of what you tax. "

True, but I wouldn't fall off a roof and break a leg just to get free treatment at Ben Taub.

The Houston population is 40% Hispanic, many of whom were recipients of Reagan's amnesty, and our economy is doing great.

[bayourod]

"I do know that if the borders were secure, there would be less of a demand for freebies"

How many guards per mile do you think it would require to keep laborers out, and how much is that going to cost?

[investigateworld]

It doesn't how many guards I think it will take, as we have been shown the Political Leadership won't hire any more than a nominal sum. Notice all the talk about the 2000 new positions for the BP, then we find out only 200 +/-100 were funded. (But they did find the money to provide Viagra for welfare recipients)
And as it is the first day of a new month I hereby make my standard declaration that I too would flee that corrupt SH known as Latin America. (Or at least I would hope I'd have the gumption to do so)

[Dog Gone]

Granted, but if you fell off a roof in Victoria, you might hitch a ride to Ben Taub for free repairs.

I don't disagree with your overall assessment that hispanic immigration, both legal and illegal, has some beneficial effects on our economy. It would be interesting to see a study on it from someone other than advocacy group on either side of the issue. I agree that the economy is doing great locally, but taxes are increasing pretty fast to provide services to those unwilling or unable to pay for them. That becomes a severe problem to the retired on fixed incomes.