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Immigration See other Immigration Articles Title: Schwarzenegger: Don't blame state budget deficit on illegal immigrants Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday disputed claims that illegal immigrants caused California's $24.3 billion deficit, while he praised their economic contributions and said he is "happy" they have access to services. The Republican governor, answering wide-ranging questions from The Bee's editorial board and its readers, also vented about roadblocks to his authority posed by political foes and warned that government can't sustain the current level of "unbelievable benefits" for public-sector workers. In response to dozens of questions from readers who say the state ought to wipe out the deficit by eliminating services for illegal immigrants, the governor said it is a "myth" that those immigrants are to blame. He said the cost of services to illegal immigrants, which has been estimated at $4 billion to $5 billion annually, is a "small percentage" of the deficit California faces. "Yes, it is something that ought to be dealt with, but the fact of the matter is, I think it's an easy scapegoat for people to point the finger and say, 'Our budget is out of whack because of illegal immigrants.' " "It's not," he added. "Our budget is out of whack because we have self-inflicted wounds that the Legislature and this state has never really sat down and had the will to go and make the necessary changes that have to be made." The governor noted that the federal government requires California to provide emergency health care and education to illegal immigrants. Schwarzenegger in 2006 renounced his 1994 vote for Proposition 187, the initiative to block most services for illegal immigrants, which courts deemed unconstitutional. "You know something, as far as I'm concerned, I'm happy that they can get the services," he said Friday. "Because I would like to have the services if I'm somewhere in another country
if I have an accident with a motorcycle and I go to an emergency room, I don't want someone to say, is he here legally?" Schwarzenegger also highlighted the economic contributions of illegal immigrants. "Everything we eat today is picked and created by undocumented immigrants, to a large extent," he said. "And every time we go to a restaurant and every time we go and move into a building, a lot of those buildings are built by undocumented immigrants' hands." Schwarzenegger has two budget proposals that affect immigrants. He proposed asking the federal government to deport up to 8,000 illegal immigrants in state prisons to save $182 million. He also wants to save $120 million by eliminating benefits for newly legal low-income immigrants who do not yet qualify for federal assistance. The governor has said he believes the United States should enforce tougher border controls, and he has advocated for immigration changes such as a guest worker program. A Federation for American Immigration Reform study released in 2004 said illegal immigrants cost the state $9 billion annually, including $7.7 billion on education. But University of Southern California demographer Dowell Myers has disputed that number and said it is difficult to quantify the full economic impact of illegal immigrants. Jim Gilchrist, president of the Minuteman Project, accused the governor of "pandering to political correctness." He acknowledged that costs of some goods and services could increase without illegal immigrants, but he said that would be outweighed by tax savings. "The money for services comes from increased sales taxes, increased property taxes, increased DMV fees," he said. Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, praised the governor for saying immigrants are not to blame. "Our economy is very, very dependent on the immigrant work force," he said. "They're a very disciplined, very stable, very productive work force. Our economy would collapse without them." Facing a $24.3 billion deficit after signing a $92 billion spending plan in February, the Republican governor accepted some blame for what has transpired since he was elected on the promise of fiscal rescue.
Poster Comment: He said the cost of services to illegal immigrants, which has been estimated at $4 billion to $5 billion annually, is a "small percentage" of the deficit California faces. HEY F**KTARD (that's you Arnold) Do you think we are as dumb as you? The deficit of your pathetic Mexican state is 24.3 billion according to the article. You say the cost of the p.o.s is 4 or 5 billion annually, should be anally. Now jackass, what percentage is 5 billion out of 24? It is 20% of the deficit. THAT IS NOT A SMALL AMOUNT. Im sure 4-5 billion is a lowball estimate. Just think, If you didnt give the aliens BENIFITS THEY ARE NOT ENTITLED TO, PAYED FOR BY CALIFORNIA CITIZENS FOR THE LAST 5 YRS. you wouldnt have a deficit would you jackass?
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#6. To: Disgusted (#0)
He means mommy would have to raise her own kids, and daddy would have to mow his own lawn, because neither is willing to pay a fair wage, the white man's wage. And actually that whole "very disciplined, stable, productive" bit is only true, to the extent it is true, for the first and maybe second generations. Then they assimilate / revert into baggy pantdom.
The Blue Pigeon. The mayor of Phoenix was very worried about a plague of pigeons in Phoenix. He could not remove the pigeons from the city. All of Phoenix was full of pigeon poop, the people of Phoenix could not walk on the sidewalks, or drive on the roads. It was costing a fortune to keep the streets and sidewalks clean. One day a man came to City Hall and offered the Mayor a proposition. 'I can rid your beautiful city of its plague of pigeons without any cost to the city. But, you must promise not to ask me any questions. Or, you can pay me one million dollars to ask one question.' The mayor considered the offer briefly and accepted the free proposition. The next day the man climbed to the top of City Hall, opened his coat, and released a blue pigeon. The blue pigeon circled in the air and flew up into the bright blue Arizona sky. All the pigeons in Phoenix saw the blue pigeon and gathered up in the air behind the blue pigeon. The Phoenix pigeons followed the blue pigeon as she flew southward out of the city. The next day the blue pigeon returned completely alone to the man atop City Hall. The Mayor was very impressed. He felt the man and the blue pigeon had performed a wonderful miraculous service to rid Phoenix of the plague of pigeons. Even though the man with the pigeon had charged nothing, the mayor presented him with a check for 1 million dollars and told the man that, indeed, he did have a question to ask and even though they had agreed to no fee and the man had rid the city of pigeons, he decided to pay the 1 million just to get to ask ONE question. The man accepted the money and told the mayor to ask his ONE question. Do you think the Mayor is going to ask how the blue pigeon led all the pigeons away? Do you think the Mayor is going to ask where all the pigeons went? Do you think he is going to ask where the man got the blue pigeon? Nooooooo! The mayor asked: 'Do you have a blue Mexican?'
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