Los Angeles Times editorial: Sticking it to California

This report by Jordan Rau last week detailed how demands from Washington on the way illegal immigrants are counted may jeopardize a successful family-planning service for the poor in California.

This morning, a Los Angeles Times editorial argues:

"But the administration's demand isn't just wasteful; it's duplicitous. Immigration is a responsibility of the federal government, not the state. In fact, the feds should be stepping up to pay the full costs for illegal immigrants. The presence of immigrants in California who lack the legal status to use many public services represents a dual failure on the part of the federal government: It has neither prevented illegal immigration nor enacted comprehensive immigration reform to resolve the conundrum within its borders.

"Instead, California, which has no authority to change the situation, picks up the costs and is being called on to do the work of federal immigration agents as well, while the feds are held to no accountability for their own failures. Ordinarily, we'd say this dispute could be resolved amicably with an audit every five or 10 years to confirm whether the state's statistical formula is accurate. But the administration's demand is extortionate. True, the federal government shouldn't be picking up part of the tab for 86% of the women aided by this valuable program. It should be helping to pay for all of them."

Click here for more on immigration.

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

Comments

[southoc]

California does have the power to enforce the law.

Do not provide services to illegal immgirants. Deport them.

Sue the federal governemt for 700 billion to pay us back for being the prison and welfare system for Mexico.

[Its everyones job]

its not just the Federal governments job to deal with Illegal aliens, but every State, City and American Citizen.

To NOT hire any Illegal Aliens
To NOT provide any education money to illegal aliens
To NOT provide NON-Emergency health care
To NOT allow any illegal alien to use any social service other then from their own government consulate.
To NOT allow Illegal aliens to gain access to U.S.Credit

Its all our jobs to keep out Illegal aliens and to protect our nations future our children.

[MaryJ]

They need to leave. We can't afford to provide them with "free" social programs anymore, regardless of how good or efficient such programs may be.