The Cost of Illegal Workers
A 2004 study on illegal immigrants has been appearing in the media outlets this week. The Center of Immigration Studies (CIS) August 2004 "independent, non-partisan and non-profit research" study "The High Cost of Cheap Labor" claims that each year illegal workers cost the US government more than $26 billion in services.
According to CBS 4 News, the study claims the largest expenses were found in "Medicaid, treatment for the uninsured, and food assistance programs, including food stamps and free school lunches."
But as CBS 4 went on to point out, illegal immigrants can't actually access federal aid programs. Therefore the area the US taxpayer spends money on for actual cross-the-borders illegals is medical treatment for the uninsured.
Contrary to what has been portrayed recently in the media and among groups hoping to end illegal immigration, in no state does the percentage of illegals without insurance outnumber the percentage of citizens without insurance.
The CIS study assumes that 2.7 million illegals are without insurance. Estimates show that nearly 44 million US citizens are in the same situation, a situation that lands one out of every six American children in poverty.
So if 2.7 million uninsured illegals cost the US government $1.6 billion a year (CIS estimates that treatment for illegal uninsured is $591 per person) then the 44 million uninsured citizens cost us $27 billion every year. Clearly we have a problem, but not with illegals coming and taking our services.
Lets look again to the other federal expenses associated with illegal immigrants. Medicaid and food assistance programs are included because children of illegals who are born in the US are citizens and have access to these areas of aid. In Colorado alone, Medicaid rolls have grow by 59%, placing a huge burden on taxpayers. Is this due to legal children of illegals?
Wal-Mart led the trend that other huge corporations now take advantage of; "underpaying their employees and using the states to subsidize workers' health care." Yes, business such as Wal-Mart, which turns a profit of $10.5 billion each year, are doing so at your expense. You make up for it with your tax dollars. You line the CEO's pockets when you buy goods from their stores.
Lets look at this Immigration issue for what it really is, Americans. It is always easy to pick out the bottom rung on the social ladder and abuse them. But to blame rising health care costs on the poorest of the poor is little more than victim blaming. Lets get angry at the folks really responsible for this mess. Let's shift our focus to rally and pass legislation to stop this corporate profiteering.
~Lila Schow
Because Responsible Citizens Clean Up After Their Government
http://goodusgov.org/
According to CBS 4 News, the study claims the largest expenses were found in "Medicaid, treatment for the uninsured, and food assistance programs, including food stamps and free school lunches."
But as CBS 4 went on to point out, illegal immigrants can't actually access federal aid programs. Therefore the area the US taxpayer spends money on for actual cross-the-borders illegals is medical treatment for the uninsured.
Contrary to what has been portrayed recently in the media and among groups hoping to end illegal immigration, in no state does the percentage of illegals without insurance outnumber the percentage of citizens without insurance.
The CIS study assumes that 2.7 million illegals are without insurance. Estimates show that nearly 44 million US citizens are in the same situation, a situation that lands one out of every six American children in poverty.
So if 2.7 million uninsured illegals cost the US government $1.6 billion a year (CIS estimates that treatment for illegal uninsured is $591 per person) then the 44 million uninsured citizens cost us $27 billion every year. Clearly we have a problem, but not with illegals coming and taking our services.
Lets look again to the other federal expenses associated with illegal immigrants. Medicaid and food assistance programs are included because children of illegals who are born in the US are citizens and have access to these areas of aid. In Colorado alone, Medicaid rolls have grow by 59%, placing a huge burden on taxpayers. Is this due to legal children of illegals?
Wal-Mart led the trend that other huge corporations now take advantage of; "underpaying their employees and using the states to subsidize workers' health care." Yes, business such as Wal-Mart, which turns a profit of $10.5 billion each year, are doing so at your expense. You make up for it with your tax dollars. You line the CEO's pockets when you buy goods from their stores.
Lets look at this Immigration issue for what it really is, Americans. It is always easy to pick out the bottom rung on the social ladder and abuse them. But to blame rising health care costs on the poorest of the poor is little more than victim blaming. Lets get angry at the folks really responsible for this mess. Let's shift our focus to rally and pass legislation to stop this corporate profiteering.
~Lila Schow
Because Responsible Citizens Clean Up After Their Government
http://goodusgov.org/
posted by Lila Schow at
2:44 PM
1 Comments:
Yes - it's the rise in uninsured from 28% in 2001 to 41% in 2005 that's taxing our health care system, not the millions of undocumented Latin Americans and their children who have illegally entered the country .
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