MODERATOR: I've thought of something to make this a whole lot more controversial in the area of health care. So why don't each one of you tell us how much money the state of California should spend on health care for the kids of illegal immigrants? Who wants to go?
BUSTAMANTE: I'll go. I'd be more than happy to deal with that immigrant issue because I think that you know the one thing you shouldn't do in life is take it out on the kids. It's not their fault that their parents are here. Let's put that aside for a minute. The people who are here. You know, I know, that sometimes people think that their food comes from Safeway or Ralphs, but it really doesn't. It comes from 70 percent of the people who pick our food and put it on our table are these immigrants. They are also the same people who work hard every day. They pay their taxes. They stay out of trouble with the law. Thirty percent of the construction, 40 percent of the hotels, all these folks who are here, who are working, they are taking care of their families. They are paying taxes. You know, for them not to be able to have a driver's license or to be able to put their kids in school is just plain wrong.
CAMEJO: I just want to say this, the people we are talking about are the lowest paid workers in California who work the hardest, who pay taxes and receive almost no benefits. They are essential to our economy. We loosely use this word, I think totally inappropriately, illegal. No one is going to arrest them. If somebody is illegal, you arrest them. But nobody is going to arrest them because they are essential to California. Everybody knows they are here to stay. They are part of our family. We have to end this apartheid system that we have toward them. They are part of our community and are essential to our economy. I really object to this term illegal. I mean, you know, in the first debate I referred to who came over here totally illegally and it was European Americans who came over here. But they are here. So give them a driver's license, give them their rights. I'm not going to object to that. But these are the people of the indigenous people of this continent. Let's understand that if your economic situation was the same as theirs, you would do exactly the same thing. People all over the world are moving through borders to try to feed their families. Let's look at this as a human problem we face, not as criminality. These are part of our families. We need to help them and work with them and give them medical insurance and the cost that will come about, they are paying for it because right now they are contributing as taxpayers.
SCHWARZENGGER: We have to make sure that every child in California is insured. That is the most important thing. I'm very passionate about children's issues. It is very important because they cannot fend for themselves. The children, we have a healthy family program here in California, and it is a very, very good program (unintelligible). The only problem with the program right now is that only two-thirds of the people that are eligible are not having this health care. And because the government has not done a good job in reaching out and finding the people and letting them know to sign up and find easy ways for them to sign up. Two-thirds of the people that are eligible do not have the child care. It is really terrible. If I become governor l would immediately go out there (unintelligible) and get it out so everyone knows about it and every one signs up because we must insure our families, the low-income families, especially the children.
HUFFINGTON: I'm very glad that Arnold is in favor of providing health care for illegal immigrants. That's really good news because you did vote for 187. And also I'm really glad that you say that because you have also come out against licenses for undocumented immigrants. There is a bit of a contradiction here. In fact, I was really saddened that you are an immigrant who has come out against giving the basic right to immigrants here like trying to drive to go to work or take your kids to school. It's all very well that that you say you are for children, you want them to be insured. But if their parents cannot legally drive them to work in a way that they are insured and safe, don't you think that is a bit of a contradiction?
SCHWARZENEGGER: Arianna, again, as usual, you are off here. We are talking about health care and you are talking about driver's licenses.
HUFFINGTON: But they are connected.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I am against the driver's licenses because it is (unintelligible) Therefore it is dangerous to the security of California. Governor Davis came out about a year ago, had made it clear, has said we cannot do that because it is dangerous. It is a security problem. Notice now because there is an election coming up on Oct. 7, now all of a sudden he says let's get some more votes. That is the idea of this thing. It is wrong to do that. And he knows we have a security problem. The governor is supposed to represent the people of California not special interest. That is the problem.
MCCLINTOCK: I think you are all losing sight of a very important fact, and that is we are talking about families that are in this country in violation of our nation's immigration laws. Now this nation has the most generous immigration policies of any nation in the world. Illegal immigration undermines that process of legal immigration that's the strength of our nation, and there are millions of people who are willing to abide by our immigration laws to come to this nation, become Americans and see their children grow up and prosper as Americans. Illegal immigration is the process of cutting in line in front of them, and I don't believe we should be rewarding such behavior. Illegal immigration is costing this country $4 billion in direct costs out of our treasury by the most conservative estimates available. We've got to make sure our immigration laws are enforced. I led the opposition to the measure on giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants because it undermines the enforcement of our immigration laws.
HUFFINGTON: (unintelligible) We are for taking care of the kids, but not for driving them safely to school or to the emergency room or wherever their health care is to be provided. And ultimately that is a kind of pandering to this Pete Wilson team that you are surrounding yourself with because ultimately they are not going to change. They don't really fundamentally care for those immigrants in this country.
SCHWARZENEGGER: There is no background check. It is dangerous for our security.
Recall Debate Transcript - September 25th, 2003
