Texas Taxpayers Spent $678 million on Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants

Star-Telegram (DFW) ^ | 12-13-08 | ANDREW CHAVEZ

[engrpat]

Healthcare for illegal immigrants cost the Texas government and local hospital districts $678 million in a year, according to a new study that state lawmakers hope will show the federal government how much Texas is spending in uncompensated care for illegal immigrants.

The study, by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, estimates that $597 million of the total was spent by 94 public hospitals during fiscal 2005-06.

The remainder, about $81 million, went to the state’s contribution to emergency Medicaid, which pays for emergency medical care for things such as childbirth, and to the Texas Family Violence Program, which funds shelters, 24-hour hot lines, counseling and other related services. That figure is from fiscal 2006-07.

The figures are intended to lend support to future state requests for more federal funding to offset the costs.

All figures were estimates because of the limited information available. However, a bill proposed for the upcoming state legislative session would require agencies to report the cost of services provided to illegal immigrants.

Legislative reaction

The report, generated by the House’s 2007 appropriations bill, was criticized by a Fort Worth legislator as "immigrant bashing."

Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, said looking just at the cost of illegal immigrants doesn’t take into account the money they pump into the state.

[ThunderStruck94]

I am a jet instructor pilot stationed at NAS Kingsville (South Texas). Was just selected as a Commander and came back from Iraq last March after serving a tour in Fallujah with 2nd MEF on an IA. I wanted to help the community and volunteered at the local hospital. After a couple of months I got so fed up with wheeling the illegal alien baby machines out the front door. Most didn't speak English and treated me like crap. You should see the loot that they get for free. Expensive baby seats, months worth of diapers and formula. What the hell are we doing in this country? Why can't we put a stop to this? Everyone knows what is going on and everyone knows it is wrong. I felt I was contributing to the problem and had to stop volunteering. How messed up is that?

[HighlyOpinionated]

Well, this time “It’s Bush’s Fault” fits perfectly.

[iopscusa]

And yet we just had a national election and Illegal Immigration was never on the table, WTH is that about. We have been snookered by both of the crap political parties. I think the only way out of this non-functional system is to wipe the slate and start over!

[ValerieTexas]

Send a bill to the government of Mexico.

[sushiman]

Where is the outrage ?

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Yet we still elect pro-illegal/anti-American politicians....McCain a perfect example of this

Until we develop more backbone than the America-hating pro-illegal elements in this country...we will continue to be saddled w illegals

[Osage Orange]

I’m just surprised it’s not much, much more.....

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

I if were elected President, as soon as I lowered my arm after taking the oath of office I would order active duty Army and Marine Corps units to the border.....from California to the Gulf of Mexico. It would be the first of many actions I would take. But we have Obama coming into office next month, and he is part of the open borders crowd. The invasion will continue, until us native born Americans revolt.

Thank-you for your service, by the way.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

Exactly. And if Mexico doesn’t pay that bill, we should seize their oil fields. Uncle Sam must stop being Uncle Sap.

[Joe Boucher]

Yes, but how much did employers save by hiring unskilled unwashed illegals?

[A_Former_Democrat]

Of course it won’t. Just look at this line:

“The figures are intended to lend support to future state requests for more federal funding to offset the costs.”

It’s never about getting rid of the costs, it’s always a revenue issue.

[Cowboy Bob]

Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, said looking just at the cost of illegal immigrants doesn’t take into account the money they pump into the state.

This guy can't be serious...

[nmh]

Guess we have to BAIL THEM OUT TOO!

[monocle]

Many states, particularly California, are seeking federal assistance due to the financial crisis and yet these are the very states which add to their problems by refusing to enforce existing ilegal immigrant provisions.

[Condor51]

Harrumph! This article is RACIST.

So what if Texas taxpayers paid $678 Million ($678,000,000) for undocumented aliens 'citizens'. These law abiding 'illegal entrants' pay their fair share of taxes. They pay "Withholding Taxes" each week, even if the boss doesn't report it these hard working people pay taxes darn it.

A whole 7.65% is taken out of their paychecks for FICA. Why at $12.00 an hour that's a whopping $36.72 per week! And if they work an entire year they pay $1,909.44. That's more than enough to cover a free education for their six kids, extra government workers that speak Spanish, plus thirty free visits to the hospital emergency room for removing slivers and coughs.

And so what if they don't pay any Federal Income taxes on their whopping $24,000 annual income because they have eight deductions, or that they get free money for the earned income credit. They pay FICA "Taxes" you boobs.

Sheesh, I wish all you small minded white power racist bigots would get over it. These are "God's People" we're talking about here my friends.

[Penny]

Folks, if you haven't already, it's time to join NumbersUSA.com and FAIR.org. En masse, our faxes and financial support DO make a difference.

I credit these organizations along with talk radio with helping light up the phone lines last year. Let's start doing it again, for our country's salvation depends on our voices of action, not just of complaining!

Regards . . . Penny

[Fresh Wind]

Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, said looking just at the cost of illegal immigrants doesn’t take into account the money they pump into the state.

What money do they "pump into" the state? Does he mean the federal welfare money that goes to them?

And, what about the millions that they send home to may-he-co that isn't being spent in this country?

[engrpat]

Can I borrow....well steal...your spelling sticker?

[B4Ranch]

Now.................

I hope the following 14 reasons are read so many times that the readers get sick of reading them. I have included the URL’s for verification of the following facts.

1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year.
http://tinyurl.com/zob77

2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens.(In California, illegal immigrants account for about 1,350 of the 61,000 people on dialysis. Their treatment cost taxpayers $51 million last year).
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English!
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that’s two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the US
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html

11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroine and marijuana, crossed into the U. S from the Southern border.

Homeland Security Report
http://www.house.gov/mccaul/pdf/Investigaions-Border-Report.pdf

12. The National Policy Institute, ‘estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.’
http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/publications.php?b=deportation

13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin.
http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm

14. ‘The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States’.
http://www.drdsk.com/articles.html#Illegals

The total cost is a whooping $ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR !

[JudgemAll]

America has infrastructure that is being misalocated down to a Union and “human” rat hole.

It is absurdity in society as a rule.

Absurditization of society has another name, and it is Sovietization of society.

The gov. usage of lawsuit machinery moneys at tax payer expense and what not is ridiculous. THese activism have completely bypassed balanced legislative and executive process, for sake of “democracy in action”, at the expense of Republic principle. Ever since the courts have been judging the Constitution without reins and based on political purposes, it’s been like this.