Gregory D.

Lee

Read Greg's bio and previous columns here

April 28, 2008

Illegal Aliens Cost Americans More Than Taxes

I don’t know what the intent of the left-leaning Los Angeles Times was when they reported last week that “Healthcare gap could be fatal for ill immigrants,” but it got my attention.

The article explained how an illegal Mexican immigrant snuck her infant daughter, Puente, to Los Angeles to seek treatment for a liver ailment. True to form, the infant received not one, but two liver transplants 10 years apart at an average cost of $520,000 a pop, including anti-rejection medication. Ten years later, she received a third liver transplant, all courtesy of the California taxpayers through a state health care program for indigent children under the provisions of Medi-Cal.

Now she’s 21 years old and the state refuses to pay for a fourth liver transplant because she’s too old for a specific child program. To me, the “health care gap” that could be fatal for ill illegal immigrants was certain death for the three American taxpaying residents of California that were deprived of one because they were passed over for an illegal alien. There are only so many livers available for transplants, and obviously three deserving Americans were deprived of them.

And if that wasn’t enough, the article went on: “Late last month, Puente learned of another, little-known option for patients with certain healthcare needs. If she notified U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that she was in the country illegally, state health officials might grant her full Medi-Cal coverage. Puente did so, her benefits were restored and she is now awaiting a fourth transplant at UCLA.”

Just about the time I was beginning to feel sorry for this woman whose health has been unfortunate since infancy, Puente was quoted as saying, “It doesn’t matter if I’m undocumented. They should take care of me at UCLA for the rest of my life because I’ve been there since I was a baby.” Excuse me? Why haven’t this woman and her mother been deported yet?

When state and federal health care programs do not screen out illegal recipients, this is what you get. No wonder California must make up a budget deficit of approximately $14 billion this fiscal year. And, what is the liberal state legislature’s solution? Raise taxes, of course!

A recent crackdown on illegal immigrants in Los Angeles spurred a counterattack by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other local officials who went to Washington to meet with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to voice their concerns. Their concerns are not that approximately 450,000 to 480,000 illegal aliens in L.A. are depriving Americans of gainful employment. They contend that the increased arrests of illegals working in L.A. will affect the city’s economy. Sorry to break this to the mayor, but it won’t be a concern as soon as unemployed skilled and unskilled Americans have access to the jobs.

The way I see it, every illegal alien-held job is one less job for an American. There is no possible counter argument to that. Illegals only doing the work Americans won’t do is ridiculous. Americans don’t do construction jobs like tile work, flooring, framing, roofing, plumbing and gardening? Americans won’t work in factories? And this notion that illegal Mexican immigrants want to eventually become U.S. citizens is equally nutty. What evidence is there of that? They make substantially more money, send it home, buy a hacienda and retire much better than they would if they had stayed home and worked in Mexico.

Illegal aliens cost the American taxpayer untold billions of dollars every year. Yes, we are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. The immigrants who first migrated here hundreds of years ago did so legally, and the thought of doing something illegal to gain citizenship repulsed them. That’s the difference between then and now.

So if you like higher taxes, millions of fewer jobs for Americans, higher unemployment rates, less tax revenue for the U.S. Treasury and state governments because of under-the-table payrolls, more crime, gangs, graffiti, drive-by shootings, more expensive health care and utility bills due to deadbeats, freeway congestion, more pollution, more global warming, less available housing, unlicensed and uninsured drivers on the road, overcrowded and woefully inadequate schools, in-state college tuition for illegals, more drugs, overflowing jails, more drunk drivers, higher rents due to low supply and pressing “one” for English, than you should be happy with the status quo.

I personally would like to see those millions of jobs and scarce organ transplants go to deserving Americans instead of illegal aliens who make a mockery of our generosity.

Gregory D. Lee is a nationally syndicated columnist and can be reached through his website: www.gregorydlee.com.

© 2008 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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