DC Council gives away $20m to illegal immigrants

[Anonymous]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/3/catania-finds-20m-restore-dc-healthcare-funding/

No wonder taxes are so high across the river.

[jsteele]

If you believe that people who are not legal DC residents should pay for the services they use, you should support a commuter tax.

In the case of this $20 million, it's a "pay me now or pay me latter" situation. In the United States, or at least in DC -- Virginia may be different -- we don't kick sick people out on the street. When they show up at the emergency room, they get care regardless of their legal status. Despite what Republicans seem to believe, that care is not free. By providing this health insurance, individuals can receive care through more appropriate (and cheaper) means. In the long run, this is actually a money-saver.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:If you believe that people who are not legal DC residents should pay for the services they use, you should support a commuter tax.

In the case of this $20 million, it's a "pay me now or pay me latter" situation. In the United States, or at least in DC -- Virginia may be different -- we don't kick sick people out on the street. When they show up at the emergency room, they get care regardless of their legal status. Despite what Republicans seem to believe, that care is not free. By providing this health insurance, individuals can receive care through more appropriate (and cheaper) means. In the long run, this is actually a money-saver.

I believe that people who are not legal US residents should pay for services. Apparently many other jurisdictions do too.

The whole straw man argument of "we must pay for them or they'll be a burden" is so tiresome. Their just being here leeching off the system is a burden to DC. Didn't DC just have to raise taxes because they couldn't balance the budget?

[Anonymous]

Didn't this 20million dollars come at the expense of salary cuts to the DC workers. Wow!

[Anonymous]

oh, and the council did not take a salary cut or furlough. just the worker-bees.

[Anonymous]

I have no problem with giving $20 million to fund medical coverage for immigrants and I am a tax-paying resident of the District. However, I would have rather them repaid DC employees for their furlough days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:If you believe that people who are not legal DC residents should pay for the services they use, you should support a commuter tax.

In the case of this $20 million, it's a "pay me now or pay me latter" situation. In the United States, or at least in DC -- Virginia may be different -- we don't kick sick people out on the street. When they show up at the emergency room, they get care regardless of their legal status. Despite what Republicans seem to believe, that care is not free. By providing this health insurance, individuals can receive care through more appropriate (and cheaper) means. In the long run, this is actually a money-saver.

I believe that people who are not legal US residents should pay for services. Apparently many other jurisdictions do too.

The whole straw man argument of "we must pay for them or they'll be a burden" is so tiresome. Their just being here leeching off the system is a burden to DC. Didn't DC just have to raise taxes because they couldn't balance the budget?

You can't argue with a straight face that these people don't contribute some economic benefit to the city. Who the fuck do you think parks your BMW downtown?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:If you believe that people who are not legal DC residents should pay for the services they use, you should support a commuter tax.

In the case of this $20 million, it's a "pay me now or pay me latter" situation. In the United States, or at least in DC -- Virginia may be different -- we don't kick sick people out on the street. When they show up at the emergency room, they get care regardless of their legal status. Despite what Republicans seem to believe, that care is not free. By providing this health insurance, individuals can receive care through more appropriate (and cheaper) means. In the long run, this is actually a money-saver.

I believe that people who are not legal US residents should pay for services. Apparently many other jurisdictions do too.

The whole straw man argument of "we must pay for them or they'll be a burden" is so tiresome. Their just being here leeching off the system is a burden to DC. Didn't DC just have to raise taxes because they couldn't balance the budget?

You can't argue with a straight face that these people don't contribute some economic benefit to the city. Who the fuck do you think parks your BMW downtown?

I don't know. I don't check ID.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't this 20million dollars come at the expense of salary cuts to the DC workers. Wow!

No, it did not come at that expense. Also, it should be noted that regardless of what the OP of this thread seems to think, the $20 million has not been approved by the Council. It has been approved by one Council committee. It still has a long way to go before it becomes law (if it ever does).

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
The whole straw man argument of "we must pay for them or they'll be a burden" is so tiresome. Their just being here leeching off the system is a burden to DC. Didn't DC just have to raise taxes because they couldn't balance the budget?

This program only applies to low income individuals. It's people who would be covered under Medicaid if they were legal. They most definitely will be a burden one way or another if they become ill.

Moreover, since empathy appears to be quite beyond your capability, let's try self-interest. Do you really want the person cooking your food to be unable to afford a doctor's visit to treat his communicable disease? To you want to ride on the Metro next to someone who is sick, but unable to afford medical care?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The whole straw man argument of "we must pay for them or they'll be a burden" is so tiresome. Their just being here leeching off the system is a burden to DC. Didn't DC just have to raise taxes because they couldn't balance the budget?

This program only applies to low income individuals. It's people who would be covered under Medicaid if they were legal. They most definitely will be a burden one way or another if they become ill.

Moreover, since empathy appears to be quite beyond your capability, let's try self-interest. Do you really want the person cooking your food to be unable to afford a doctor's visit to treat his communicable disease? To you want to ride on the Metro next to someone who is sick, but unable to afford medical care?

No. I want the person to go back to where they came from and then apply to come to this country legally like so many of my friends and family did. Many of my friends spent over $150,000 in to get a US education to then be eligible for H1-B (EB2) (which costs about another ten grand) to finally get their green cards. All the while making sure every single I was dotted and T crossed.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I have no problem with giving $20 million to fund medical coverage for immigrants and I am a tax-paying resident of the District. However, I would have rather them repaid DC employees for their furlough days.

It's not either/or. Catania found the $20 million by shifting things within his own budget. The furloughs are not under his jurisdiction, healthcare is. Repayment for the furloughs was going to be paid for by either extending bar hours, allowing liquor sales on Sunday, or a per-drink tax on alcoholic beverages. But, the Council could not agree on a revenue source and, hence, no means to pay for the furloughs. The full Council can attempt to shift Catania's healthcare money to pay for the furloughs, but I doubt any of them are that suicidal. The last thing they want is a pissed off Catania.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

No. I want the person to go back to where they came from and then apply to come to this country legally like so many of my friends and family did. Many of my friends spent over $150,000 in to get a US education to then be eligible for H1-B (EB2) (which costs about another ten grand) to finally get their green cards. All the while making sure every single I was dotted and T crossed.

Well, I want a red Ferrari. Neither one of our desires changes reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The whole straw man argument of "we must pay for them or they'll be a burden" is so tiresome. Their just being here leeching off the system is a burden to DC. Didn't DC just have to raise taxes because they couldn't balance the budget?

This program only applies to low income individuals. It's people who would be covered under Medicaid if they were legal. They most definitely will be a burden one way or another if they become ill.

Moreover, since empathy appears to be quite beyond your capability, let's try self-interest. Do you really want the person cooking your food to be unable to afford a doctor's visit to treat his communicable disease? To you want to ride on the Metro next to someone who is sick, but unable to afford medical care?

No. I want the person to go back to where they came from and then apply to come to this country legally like so many of my friends and family did. Many of my friends spent over $150,000 in to get a US education to then be eligible for H1-B (EB2) (which costs about another ten grand) to finally get their green cards. All the while making sure every single I was dotted and T crossed.

Yeah, well I wanted the banks to go broke for their mistakes (because it would be justice and because I pay for my errors) but it wasn't in the nation's interest to let them go bankrupt so I accepted that. It's not in my friggin' interest to wait till hell freezes over and all these people voluntarily go home so in the mean time I would prefer it if they weren't a burden on the local emergency room where they cost us a lot more than if they go to a doctor - thus the advantage of spending $20 million on them as a preventative measure.

Your way doesn't save us money. My way does. If you want to keep pouring money into hospital emergency rooms, you just go ahead and write them a check but keep my tax money out of it.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no problem with giving $20 million to fund medical coverage for immigrants and I am a tax-paying resident of the District. However, I would have rather them repaid DC employees for their furlough days.

It's not either/or. Catania found the $20 million by shifting things within his own budget. The furloughs are not under his jurisdiction, healthcare is. Repayment for the furloughs was going to be paid for by either extending bar hours, allowing liquor sales on Sunday, or a per-drink tax on alcoholic beverages. But, the Council could not agree on a revenue source and, hence, no means to pay for the furloughs. The full Council can attempt to shift Catania's healthcare money to pay for the furloughs, but I doubt any of them are that suicidal. The last thing they want is a pissed off Catania.

Good to know. Thanks. And LOL about a pissed off Catania. He can be chippy!