New California Budget to Include Health Care for Alien Children

California is once again breaking new ground in granting entitlements to illegal immigrants, and thereby encouraging more people to come to the state unlawfully. More people is the last thing that drought-ridden California needs. Already at 40 million residents, with 50 million projected by 2050, the state is all but out of water for residential use.

More health care for unlawful immigrants may mean less coverage for citizens.

In his latest overreach, Brown will allocate about $40 million in health care funding for illegal immigrant children as part of his $115.4 billion budget to take effect on July 1. Once fully implemented, the total will eventually increase to $132 million in annual funding.

CAPS warned that Sacramento’s plan would hurt citizens. Since ever-fewer primary care physicians accept Medi-Cal, adding illegal immigrants to the ranks of those who hope to access it reduces the chances of treatment. And Californians can be sure that soon after July 1, the State Assembly will launch another appeal to give health care to adults here illegally also. Nothing is ever enough.

In my interview with the Associated Press, only part of which was included in the story, I told the reporter that when medical benefits are tacked on to the long list of privileges already in effect for unlawful immigrants – jobs, driver’s licenses, the Trust Act, instate Dream Act university tuition – there’s little reason for individuals contemplating coming to California illegally not to make the journey.

I also said to the AP that California’s citizens, who still represent the state’s overwhelming majority regardless of ethnicity, anxiously await legislation that has their best interests at heart.