Immigration and Texas' Budget Crisis: The Elephant in the Room

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | December 30, 2002 | Chris Allen

[Lockbox]

Send the bill to the Feds, they ‘control’ the boarder. Time for the Feds to pay for this mess. It is not fair for the locals to pay out of their pocket since they cannot 'control' the boarders.

[afz400]

"Time for the Feds to pay for this mess"
That doesn't solve anything - no American taxpayer should have to pay for this mess - we need to refuse free medical treatment to these illegals, arrest employers who hire them, and landlords that harbor them.

[Fiddlstix]

Bump

[junta]

bttt

[Ben Ficklin]

Now for some reality:

Major issues to be addressed in the upcoming lesislature:

Insurance reform. Homeowner and automobile
Limiting govt/budget issues- driven by Gov Perry(aka Mr Veto) and the "Rebels who had a cause"
Tort/Malpractice lawsuits
School Finance
Transportation- the last session abandoned "pay-as-you-go"
Redistricting

[dalebert]

This problem is so big I doubt it can be solved. Texas DHS is over run with illegals and can not do a thing about it. As the laws now stand these people are entitled. It is neither the state or feds paying the price. WE ARE.

[maxwell]

The District provides not only emergency care to illegal immigrants, but also a full range of elective services, even access to its fertility clinic that is not included in the health plan for District employees. While the 700,000 illegal immigrants in Texas are only eligible for welfare if they have worked for at least ten years or received asylum, they receive free health care, food stamps, education, and nearly all other government services.

There's a big chunk of the problem. Sounds pretty straightforward.

Until Washington fortifies border enforcement to stop illegal immigration and reduces the number of unskilled legal immigrants

Well no, that is only part of the solution. A big part would be to work on folks who are already here: 1) kick everybody who ain't supposed to be here OUT and 2) tighten the belt and get hardassical on their a$$es, in the best spirit of the "orphanage" Republican-- you wanna get yourself out of abject poverty? Don't expect food stamps from us... Get a job and better yourself like every other taxpaying American...

This boggles my mind, that it is apparently known just about exactly how many illegal immigrants are in Texas. Well if you know how many, then you presumably know WHERE THEY'RE AT! And if you know where they're at, you could presumably round 'em up and ship 'em back! What's the problem here?!

[RainDog]

According to 2000 U.S. Census data, some 13.2 percent of immigrants enroll in welfare programs

And they all live in Texas? No, both the burden and the benefit of immigration is sprinkled throughout the nation.

I live in Texas. While Hispanic immigrants are more concentrated here than in other areas of the country, am I really supposed to blame a $5 billion budget shortfall on Hispanic immigrants? Ridiculous. (Notice the article never uses the word "Hispanic"; instead, "immigrant" is code for Hispanic.)

Texas budget woes are complex. With respect to immigrants, immigrants pay rent, purchase gods, pay sales tax, pay gasoline tax, provide labor and services and on an on, and while no one has real stats on the gray/black economy, immigrants are more than likely a net PLUS for the Texas economy.

This article is out of the same Trent Lott school of thought that served him so well. Should our borders be respected? Of course. But the notions expressed and hinted at in this article should be passionately rejected.

[RainDog]

purchase gods = purchase goods

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Although the evidence suggests that immigration, both legal and illegal, is fueling the rapid growth in state spending on social services, this issue is almost entirely absent from the debate.

Tell us about it...

[lewislynn]

Someone better re-think "The Future Is Texas".

[lewislynn]

Send the bill to the Feds, they ‘control’ the boarder. Time for the Feds to pay for this mess

The Feds is you.

[dennisw]

bttttttt

[gubamyster]

ping

[BlackElk]

Your post is remarkably reasonable. I predict it will be drowned out, unfortunately, by those who would rather gun down Mexican grandmas and toddlers than let them cross over into freedom as a way of life. You are right that it is not fair that the burden be disproportionately borne by those in the border states.

[MissAmericanPie]

Oh, they pay rent? What's that suppose to mean? You know good and well renters do not pay property taxes, nor school taxes.

There is a middle school here that is 90% illegals, drive to your local welfare office, report your findings back here. Go to your local free clinic, report back here if you are fair. I have done this, I can report there ain't a whole lot of Americans there. The majority presence is illegal emigrants and new arrivals that are un-needed and unwanted, and have no prospects of enriching anyones lives but their own while depressing the living standard for natural born Americans, especially our elderly who have a hard time holding onto their homes because of the property tax burden.

It is not just Mexican illegals, it is also the massive emigrant influx from all over the world, some legal, many not legal. All working low paying jobs, and renting apartments, and none of it contributes to their cost in services. Our property taxes have gone up, yet again, it costs almost $4,000 a year per student none of which is covered by the presence of these foreigners.

I stopped suffering pangs of conscience for any but my own fellow American years ago. Slaves of globalism they are rousted, robbed, and throughly put upon, and demanded more from. It is not our constitutional obligation to be slaves of such a system, nor is it our obligation to save or feed the world. I'm ready to see some "Compassionate Conservatism" for the ones that deserve it, our young, and our elderly, and our citizens whose culture and values are being drowned out, not to mention our votes.

[B4Ranch]

. With respect to immigrants, immigrants pay rent, purchase gods, pay sales tax, pay gasoline tax, provide labor and services and on an on, and while no one has real stats on the gray/black economy, immigrants are more than likely a net PLUS for the Texas economy.

The part you forgot is that illegals send 40 to 50 percent of their check back to their home country. This doesn't do a damn thing for our economy.

[Centurion2000]

You know good and well renters do not pay property taxes, nor school taxes

Actually they do but it is all wrapped up in the price of their rent. You honestly think the property owner isn't going to get the costs of property taxes out of the renters ?

[citizen]

.... we need to refuse free medical treatment to these illegals, arrest employers who hire them, and landlords that harbor them.

Absolutely right!

And deport, deport, deport......after fingerprinting and pictures