No one has ever totaled up the cost to California taxpayers, ratepayers, consumers and drivers to continue to uphold what Gov. Gavin Newsom calls “our California values.”
These values, according to the people in Sacramento who have the power to take other people’s money, are crucial to California’s “world leadership.” This might be more convincing if there had ever been a ballot measure asking California voters if they wanted to lead the world, accompanied by the required fiscal analysis estimating what in the world that would cost.
There once was a ballot measure that asked California voters if they wanted their tax dollars used to provide public benefits for undocumented immigrants. It was Proposition 187 in 1994, a citizens’ initiative that would have excluded undocumented immigrants from accessing publicly funded schools, non-emergency healthcare and social services. California voters said “yes” by a margin of 59% to 41%.
The courts did not allow Prop. 187 to stand. Today national polls are finding strong public backing for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. The Axios/Ipsos poll in January found that 66% of Americans support removing all immigrants who are in the country illegally.
In California, the same question was asked by the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll in March 2016, when Donald Trump was the Republican presidential front-runner. At that time, only 16% of California voters favored the deportation of all undocumented immigrants, but 62% viewed illegal immigration as a “major problem” in the state. Regarding public benefits, Californians opposed allowing undocumented immigrants to qualify for student loans at state universities by a margin of 50% to 46%, and they opposed making all illegal immigrants eligible for Medi-Cal, the safety-net state health insurance, by 52% to 43%.
Perhaps the general public’s views were summed up in 1994 by a voter in the Crenshaw district who told the L.A. Times, “I think it’s not fair that others come into California and get benefits.”
But the state government thought it knew better. Lawmakers gradually extended full Medi-Cal coverage to every low-income undocumented immigrant in the state, regardless of age or length of residency.
According to the California Department of Health Care Services, as of January there were more than 1.4 million undocumented immigrants enrolled in full-scope Medi-Cal. In other states, immigrants without legal status are entitled to restricted-scope Medicaid (the same program’s national name), which covers a limited category of benefits, such as emergency and pregnancy-related care. But upholding California Values meant state taxpayers would pay for everything — specialists, prescription drugs, dental care, even long-term care. What’s the annual cost? So far, about $6 billion more than the roughly $6 billion that was budgeted.
By coincidence, or maybe not by coincidence, the state’s budget deficit roughly equals what the state has spent on full-scope Medi-Cal for illegal immigrants. When Gov. Newsom suggested mild cutbacks to the benefits for the undocumented population, Senator Lena Gonzalez led a rally of lawmakers to demand the continuation of full coverage. She said she would not rule out supporting a tax increase to pay for it.
Speaking of tax increases, the California Teachers Association announced a campaign to renew temporary income tax increases on higher-earning state residents. The teachers’ union said if the tax increases are not renewed, there will be a 15% budget cut to public education.
By coincidence again, or maybe not, an estimated 15% of children enrolled in California’s public schools are there as a result of illegal immigration. According to the legislative analysis of Senate Bill 48, “the Migration Policy Institute estimates that 133,000 undocumented children between the ages of 3 and 17 years are enrolled in California public schools, and 750,000 K-12 students have an undocumented parent.” That’s a total of 883,000 students, or 15% of the 5.8 million children enrolled in California’s public schools through grade 12.
Senate Bill 48, coincidentally authored by the tax-happy Sen. Lena Gonzalez, states that the Legislature “finds and declares” that immigration enforcement has a “chilling effect” that results in “decreased school attendance and school funding.” The bill attempts to prevent U.S. immigration authorities from entering a school site unless they have a “valid judicial warrant or court order.”
It appears that California Values don’t allow for immigration enforcement because the state might need fewer teachers, and the California Teachers Association owns enough state politicians to ensure that such a thing never happens.
In 2017, state lawmakers passed what they named The California Values Act, also known as the sanctuary state law. It protects undocumented immigrant criminals by limiting state and local cooperation with federal authorities. Newly appointed U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli is working around that state law by issuing federal arrest warrants that can’t be ignored, unlike ICE detainers.
It’s just one example of how federal authorities are coming after our California Values in a way that could force state residents to accept safer streets and lower prices.
Both Congress and the Trump administration are trying to halt what the state government considers its world leadership on global climate change, a complicated web of mandates, fees and credit-trading schemes designed to make petroleum products more expensive so “green” technologies can be subsidized into existence. These are hidden taxes, but there’s also a flagrant and nation-leading gas tax to top it off. Electricity costs are similarly jacked up by “green” mandates. None of this has any effect on the global climate, unless the sloshing of money can cause a tsunami.
California Values also require spending your tax dollars — at least $25 million to start — on suing the Trump administration. In the latest battle, the state will go to court to fight for the right to ban the sale of gas-powered cars and trucks.
Meanwhile, California has the highest poverty rate in the nation when the cost of living is taken into account. State residents pay higher taxes, higher utility rates, higher gas prices and a higher cost of living overall. Newsom’s California Values are not a good value for Californians.
Write Susan@SusanShelley.com and follow her on X @Susan_Shelley
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Susan Shelley: The ‘California Way’ costs too much )
Also on site :