Schwarzenegger “happy” illegal immigrants have access to health care, education
Published: June 6, 2009
Updated 1 year ago
California’s most famous immigrant, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, spoke out on Friday against those who claimed that illegal aliens were to blame for California’s budget crisis. Schwarzenegger’s view on illegal immigration has leaned farther and farther to the left, coming full circle yesterday when he declared to The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board that he’s “happy” they have access to services like emergency health care and education.
Schwarzenegger, a Republican, hasn’t always been an advocate of rights for illegals. In 1994, Proposition 187 made it to the ballot in California. Prop 187 was an initiative to make illegal aliens ineligible to receive public health and education services; Bill Clinton criticized it as a piece of “divisive” legislation motivated by “racial energy.” It was approved by voters and eventually overturned in Federal court. Arnold Schwarzenegger, before the launch of his political career, voted for Prop 187.
Since his election as governor in 2003, Schwarzenegger has gone about carefully building an argument for granting citizenship to illegal Californians. A major challenge to his stance comes from his own party; on the federal level, Republicans advocate no tolerance for illegals. In 2006, the governor renounced his 1994 vote for Prop 187. In 2007, during a National Press Club speech, Schwarzenegger laid out his plan for California’s illegal immigrants.
“One side says—send all illegal immigrants back and build a fence. The other side says—forget about it and give everyone amnesty…What about being realistic and actually solving the problem? There is a totally reasonable, centrist approach to the issue. It is this: secure our borders while at the same time recognizing economic and social reality by providing a guest worker program and a path to citizenship for those already here and meet a certain criteria. That is a mainstream solution.”
The California budget crisis has put pressure on the state government to streamline essential programs and get rid of inessential ones. Direct or indirect aid for illegal immigrants has been a center of discussion now that Californians are working with a $25 billion deficit. Instead of blaming the budget deficit on illegal immigration, Schwarzenegger has defended their presence as vital to the economy.
During his interview with The Sacramento Bee, Schwarzenegger warned against the political scapegoating of illegal immigrants in hard economic times. “ 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. 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 cost of services to illegal immigrants - estimated at $4-5 billion annually - is a “small percentage” of the deficit, the Governor added.
His changing position on illegal immigrants may have something to do with how he got his start in America. Schwarzenegger may have been an illegal immigrant at some point in the late 1960s or early 1970s due to violations in the terms of his visa.
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This piece needs severe, SEVERE, editing.
Old people are accustomed to paragraphs so they can cruise with their bifocals. What meth freak posted this?
Who is responsible for California’s problems, anyhow?
Why is Arnold smiling?
Sorry, he’s not smiling…
He is grinning.. and his face is misshapen.
That’s 1 gallon of botox. Smooths out those wrinkles, but leaves him looking a bit like a phony, which is a form of honesty, because the fuck is a phony, he’s made a career out of being a phony. Same with his Botox filled wife, Maria.
I’d love to see that shit when his face deflates though.
he is responsible for the massive short fall, he rode in on the back of Davis who was dealing with the phony energy crisis, (can you remember how to spell Enron) when the ISO’s threw the switches in a cynical attempt to black mail all of California, and in one instance in San Francisco when the city went dark an amubulance en route was caught in gridlock and the patient died and in a elevator stuck in the shaft some one had a herat attack? 14 people died that day attributed to the power being shut off.
Then came 911 and yet again the California economy shuddered as did the nations, and Davis opined he would have to raise DMV fees as was legal under tha law because California has a slide rule tax system where fees go down during the good times and can be adjust during the worse times.
So…along comes the howling GOP fueld mob and guy with a fat wallet, enter the governator demanding gvt stop its ways?
Now if you are still with me here? What did he do?
He set about to impose propositions that the voters shot down, just like his most recent ones except of course this time the voters voted FOR an 18% pay cut on the legislators.
Which he could care less about because he is very wealthy and takes no salary, oh the humanity.
And, as history plays out? It records he raised the same taxes Davis thought best to do and you never heard a wimper, because of course it was the GOP that raised hell the first time and they werent going to do that again as their boy is the governor this time around right?
Alas what history records is that schools and childcare seniors and those most at risk take the hit, as the LA Times does special reports showing that staffers of the Gov’s office have been taking long drinks at the tit when it came to travel and lodging expenses to junkets and all?
How truly special right?
As California drowns he is hapless to resolve the problem now because the numbers are just too massive to make a difference and the state just doesnt get it because they are holding the conventional line when it comes to taxes fees and assessments by demanding full payment instead of coming to terms to the new economic realities that the revenue model is no longer relevent what with the new dynamic?
Nowhere in california do we hear the state saying okay, we are in this together lets make a deal? make partial payments on this or that fee and tax and we will all work through this, nope because the moeny lenders are feasting on blood soaked accounts, and th stae is a partner, did you ever hear then lower the gasoline taxes last year? Nope…R-E-V-E-N-U-E.
And still the guy could not close the gap as every day folk were being held for ransome when it came to the family car…
its Arnold, he brought himself into the game, no one went around sayong ohhh…please Arnold save us?
Just the GOP who inherited the whirl wind of their own creation. The same ones who now hang the jacket on Arnold as they skulk out the door.
Do not weep for Arnold, he will be just fine which is more than we can say for those who will suffer after he is gone, and oh?
Please? Dont even ask us to vote for him as our senator or congress person nor attempt to change the constitution so he can run for president cause we all know Palin has eye on 1600 Penn.
Arnold must be on drugs to say the immigrants are not responsible for the problem in California. Not all of the problem but a great portion of it
We use a term to dehumanize them. We call the immigrants “illegal aliens” as if they stepped off some mother ship from Andromeda. Then, in the classic American way (these days so it seems) we want to blame “them” for all “our” problems.
In California we have a sacred cow which was passed by the voters. It’s called Proposition 13. That was one of the most irresponsible acts Californians did to THEMSELVES. Now that the state is teetering on a crisis, everyone wants to blame the cheapest of labor (remember Arnold IS a Republican) for all the shortfalls.
They sold it to us by telling us that Prop 13 would keep taxes down on elderly people at a time when home values were rising and seniors could not keep up with their property taxes. This indeed was the case for most SENIORS…but not the case for everyone. It was a sloppy, slap dash thought out piece of crap. Now we have the situation we have now…and it’s the IMMIGRANTS FAULT? What am I missing here besides a modicum of common sense?
The flaw here is that Prop 13 didn’t address that. Instead it addressed EVERYONE. It should have applied to those who were retirees and not deriving any other income other than pensions, social security etc.
Don’t expect any politician to suggest prop 13 was flawed. Most Californians are not aware that the state has balanced the budget (LOL)
by borrowing against future read: non existent tax revenues. No one ever imagined the bursting real estate bubble would vanish–especially these last few years…and it did. So much for deluded expectations. When are people going to take responsibility for ill thought out plans instead of finding scapegoats…which is not surprising given the brain power behind
most of these “no tax” “let me get your vote” style propositions which of course win at the polls. It’s so much easier to pump a hole out of a ballot and walk away and do lunch than to face the cold and hard reality that has now presented itself.
So blaming immigrants is laughable. Especially now. Many businesses save TONS of money by employing them. Even some of them are leaving the state. Who are we left with? Ourselves. Now when things get worse who can we blame next? Delusional is an understatement. Denial is more like it.
I didn’t read everything you said b/c it was like a college doctorate essay, but….retired city workers inSan Francisco are yanking down $200,000.oo per year in retirement pension. Democrat Union Cities rape the taxpayer. And I generally support Unions. Funny thing is, the only Unions left are GOVERNMENT WORKERS.
NAFTA Refugees are expensive and intolerable no matter how you slice it.
Thanks for the compliment on my writing. I’m in the wrong job. I know NAFTA refugees are costing us money..but they are cheap labor for state businesses which will want to use them now more than ever. That’s why I’m suspicious when a Republican multimillionaire who is cozy with big business says such things. Meanwhile you have the extreme right demonizing them. Makes me wonder exactly what the official GOP stance is on illegal immigrants. Religious right vs. big biz money GOP. Cracks are showing.
My father is a retired Teamster. He has things I will never have in retirement. As much as I would like to support unions for worker protections I have mixed feelings about them. I was in a union for a time, and I think the company bought them out. The company I worked for basically did what they wanted and the union would look the other $$way$$.
>We use a term to dehumanize them. We call the immigrants “illegal aliens”
Interestingly, Mexico DOES police their borders and deport illegal aliens.
But that’s different, I’m sure.
I’m aware they do the same thing and treat their immigrants miserably. But they also have drug cartels running the show and are a third world nation. Surely we are not going to follow their lead on this? Are we?
In California we have a sacred cow which was passed by the voters. It’s called Proposition 13. That was one of the most irresponsible acts Californians did to THEMSELVES. Now that the state is teetering on a crisis, everyone wants to blame the cheapest of labor (remember Arnold IS a Republican) for all the shortfalls.
Aw, bullshit, ya dummy. The problem is a childish legislature that thinks borrowing billions of dollars to fund wasteful programs going forward made sense, when it did not. YOU DO NOT SPEND MONEY YOU DO NOT HAVE.
The stupid government of California should’ve taken a hint from the voters when we passed Prop 13 and STOPPED WASTING MONEY.
The answer to our problems is NOT more taxes because who the fuck can afford to pay the ones we already have? No, fuck that. We need a government that won’t try to fund every little stupid pet social project or promote unendin growth that only leads to overcrowded freeways, cities, etc.
I don’t want to hear anyone on RS suggesting new or more taxes. If you want to pay more taxes, fine, pay my share too while you’re at it. But don’t take me along on your ride of stupid. More taxes is not the answer. Cutting expenditures is.
Written like a true voter in California. Thanks!
The TRUE beneficiaries of Prop 13 are CORPORATIONS that own - as a group - the lion’s share of real property in California. BTW corporations never die.
I think Prop 13 should be changed because, as time goes on, new property owners are SUBSIDIZING existing property owners (including corporations), and not able to do a good enough job because of the limitations imposed by Prop 13.
I agree that people over, say, 60 years-old should be able to have a Prop 13 benefit, but corporations (that never die) and younger people should start carrying more of the burden. And I include myself in that group of younger people.
I discussed this with my fellow homeowners in a 400-unit condo complex. I was absolutely shocked to see the differences in property taxes people paid. It was clearly NOT FAIR for the newer owners, who had much higher mortgage payments as well as the much higher property taxes. Meanwhile, people with large 6000 square foot homes in the Beverly Hills area are paying much less in property taxes than condo owners (sometimes less than half what someone with a 1000 foot condo pays.)
This SO needs to be fixed.
Thanks! I’ve heard this before from others who have become the newer owners of properties here in the Los Angeles area. It makes no sense. I think our Governor will be forced to change it because of the dire state of affairs. The state simply needs more money.
Oh, and by the way, how did other states (NY, FL, IL, TX) deal with this? I’m curious. I know of no other state with the skyrocketing real estate and property tax situation that had a Prop 13 style measure passed. Surely all those states especially Florida had seniors in homes that had increased in value substantially just like California. Where is their Prop. 13?
I’ve worked on a case in TX over the last two years (I’m a lawyer.) I was surprised to know that our client pays $26,000 in property taxes annually on their beautiful home. (It is a large home, and I stay in the “guest quarters” which is like a small, fully furnished, one bedroom apartment.) Here, for the same type of property (purchased at the same time my clients purchased their home), the property tax would be less than $10,000. This is the big problem with California.
Texas is barely suffering from the national recession. And their property values are so much lower than the property values here in California. So, Texas is doing something right (even though it bugs me that Texas is so Republican. So, I could never live there.)
Texas must be doing something right. A previous comment on my post said the newer purchasers are subsidizing those who fell under Prop 13 and taking the brunt of the high taxes here. And another person said our legislature spent money it didn’t have. Not only that, it borrowed from future state revenues which have now fallen flat.
I am now more curious exactly what Texas is doing and why we don’t hear more about it.
>>Californians are working with a $25 billion deficit…
>>The cost of services to illegal immigrants - estimated at $4-5 billion annually
I think that estimate is way low, but even accepting it at face value means that he admits it’s a fifth of the deficit, then says he just doesn’t care?
Pardon me, King R-nold, but that sort of thinking is is exactly the problem.
Many of us are tired of our elected officials representing everyone but their constituents. They represent foreign governments, multinational corporations and criminals and those with deep pockets… All for political purposes and always at our expense.
WTF do we have to do to get noticed? Renounce our citizenship, leave the country and sneak back in?
Illegal aliens have been a financial problem for the state for longer then the past year. If one takes the low and probably inaccurate figure of 5 billion dollars a year and times it by the last 10-20 years, one comes up with a much more substantial figure ( think probable surplus if the state wasn’t paying for illegal aliens). Most of the non governmental studies on illegal alien cost show the California figure at almost 3 times what Arnold is claiming. The open border/cheap labor and ethnic special interest groups do not want the total actual costs becoming general information. They continue to leave out various costs when they do their “studies”. For example most fail to add in the cost of education and health care or wage depression. Notice that the governor doesn’t release his figures to back up his remarks!
Juxtapose this article with Calipornia’s problems: (btw this guy is old and has been a journalist BEFORE the CORPORATIONS consolidated and destroyed the 4th branch)
“Howie Carr’s field guide to the Mass. hackerama”
Tracking the not-so-elusive hackasaurus greedicus of Massachusetts is a lot like exploring the vast Amazon rain forests or the Marianas Trench - new species are constantly being discovered. The difference is that in the Massachusetts hackerama, no species of hack ever goes extinct.
“Disabled” hacks
Hackasaurus badbackus:
Evolved mostly from the Group 4 public-safety subspecies. Despite early career-ending disabilities, can often be observed splitting wood, winning body-building contests and driving commercial vans with 28-foot ladders on the roof. Multiplied rapidly in recent years, but suffered a brief die-off in 2008 when the feds impaneled a grand jury and confiscated all retirement records of the Boston Fire Department.
State House hacks
Hackasaurus felonious
Utterly clueless, lumbering class, identified by such inane calls as “Top o’ the mornin’ Mistah Speakah!” and “How da family?” Like Australian marsupials, have evolved in near-total isolation from outside world, as demonstrated by sighting of indicted ex-House Speaker Sal DiMasi last week. He sniffed to a reporter, “I won’t be shying away from any of my planned events.” Really, Mistah Speakah? You mean like your arraignment in federal court tomorrow at 4:15? You better make that one, or they’ll be issuing a warrant.
Lobbyist hacks
Hackasaurus parasitus
Parasites, using State House hacks as their hosts, in return offering the elected pols free booze and golf, as well as the occasional “DiMasi” - or payoff. Despite their leeching nature, most lobbyists have grown far richer than their legislative sponsors. Known by the call, “When’s yer next ‘time,’ Mistah Chairman.” Currently embroiled in a species-wide crisis: Some big-game hunters known as “reformers” want to strip them of the right to collect bonuses for getting bills passed, or not.
Blue-ribbon hacks
Hackasaurus rubberstampus
Natural habitat: Panels appointed by the governor that recommend tax increases and outrageous pay raises for public “servants.” Can change coloration at will, and often do, going from Democrat to Republican to Democrat, depending on the administration.
County hacks
Hackasaurus no-showus
This hardy, ancient species has largely vanished from eastern Massachusetts, due to the disappearance of its habitats via state takeover. But in the forests, the county hacks live on as in days of yore. A few weeks ago, several 300-pound-plus leaders of the pack - known as sheriffs - were spotted foraging at the State House for more money. They appeared together in a hearing room, like a herd of grazing mastodons, and several reps mistakenly surmised they had stumbled into a look-alike contest for the Globe’s Dan Totten or state Rep. Brian Wallace.
Green hacks
Hackasaurus moonbattus
A recent species, thought to be descended from the legendary moonbat. Have established a large colony in a new agency - the Green Communities Division of the Department of Energy Resources. Infestations reported across the hackerama. Enjoy supervising installation of light bulbs that provide next to no light and toilets that barely flush, as well as issuing RFPs for the purchase of Priuses that no self-respecting hack would be caught dead in driving to a golf course or the Pheasant Lane Mall during business hours. Without careful harvesting - preferably in the 2010 elections - this bold species could easily overrun vast swaths of the bureaucracy.
Courthouse hacks
Hackasaurus lifetimus
Two kinds of lawyers become judges in Massachusetts - those who failed miserably in private practice, and those who never even tried.
A colorful subspecies is the “clerk/magistrate,” which may be an even better job than judge. A clerk cannot hire a close relative, so here’s how that works: The clerk hires the dim-bulb offspring of the clerk in the next town over, and then that clerk hires your - well, you get the picture.
Double-dipper hacks
Hackasaurus slurpus-trothus
Breathtakingly brazen, will endlessly feed at the public trough - in daylight. A genus that includes some of the most shameless hacks in Massachusetts, among them Reps. Bill Delahunt and John Olver, state Sen. Ken “Double Dip” Donnelly of Arlington and MCCA boss Jim Rooney.
Milton hacks
Hackasaurus gubernatorius
Statewide, the unemployment rate may be up around 9 percent, but in the governor’s hometown, it seems to be around zero. The Parole Board, the Division of Capital Asset Management - who knew the 02186 zip code would one day replace 02127 as the gold standard of the hackerama?
MBTA hacks
Hackasaurus sleep-at-wheelus
A stealthy creature, seldom if ever seen in the wild, because most of them long since completed their 23 years for a full pension and vanished to Florida, leaving behind only a few fossilized footprints, in the form of billion-dollar deficits.
Hack-ademics
Hackasaurus phony-jobus
Known by their plaintive wail, “I am not a hack.” Oh yes you are. Talk about feeding frenzies - all those diminutives in the job titles equal big money for the hackademic. Billy Bulger at $359,000 was the tip of the hack fossil record. Look at the career coatholder Albie Sherman, “vice chancellor, university relations,” making $170,000 - for what exactly? Now comes Jim Leary, former state rep. from Worcester, “associate vice chancellor” - today $104,000, next year at least 150 large. Bet on it.
Community hacks
Hackasaurus bottom-feedus
Not everyone can go to college or graduate school, you know. Street guys need no-show jobs, too! Where else will the drivers and bagmen of tomorrow come from? So your average urban hustler becomes an “outreach coordinator” or a “youth advocate” or a “liaison to the community.” Feel free to mix ’n’ match job titles - advocate to the outreach community. Youth liaison to the coordinator of outreach. An infinitely adaptable genus.
Globe hacks
Hackasaurus obsoletus
Evolving species, about to proliferate very rapidly as Morrissey Boulevard layoffs begin in earnest. Beginning migration to the Public Sector, likely to supplant earlier Herald and Telegram breeds who will be unable to compete for foods against the newcomers’ trust funds and Park Avenue pedigrees. Expect to begin hearing a lot of these voice mails among state flacks: “Hi loveys, I’m Muffy Buffington and I won’t be back in the office until after my squash match. Cheers! If you need me after hours, try the Wauwinet on Nantucket. Right-o!”
Effing hilarious. Apply to the City near you!
Damn. See your doc post haste. I can’t make heads or tails of what you are trying to get across. Up your meds, or get some.
Of course its not the illegal aliens (alien=not from this country, not outer space to the dink above) fault.
It’s the fault of the tooth fairy, making all those nickels dimes and quarters and not paying tax on them.
Arnold is happy illegals get our funding because he wants to destroy CA along with the US and create a one world government where he can be Caligulator!!!
Aliens not from this country? So then let’s apply to to ALL IMMIGRANTS not just the Mexicans. We have other Illegal Aliens from other countries than Mexico (next comes Asia) but you won’t hear a Lou Dobbs mention those…why? They are a huge exporter of people to the US as well. Mexico by far has the biggest load, but don’t play stupid and pretend that is the only country in the world that is sending us people.
We have a third world country that has been in our backyard for oh…120 years or so (including the Spanish occupation)– but you can’t be troubled with such trivial things.
What a metaphor for America. In many cases WE DON’T EVEN KNOW OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS…sad but true..including Mexico.
To Natty, WTF? I find what you post interesting and in many cases very funny. So please know that I am a fan. However, if you expect to keep your reader’s attention try an edit your post to decrease their length.
As to the Statement made by the Governor.
“The cost of services to illegal immigrants - estimated at $4-5 billion annually - is a “small percentage” of the deficit, the Governor added.”
This statement is simply not supported by the facts. While I do agree that illegal immigrants are not responsible for all of the problems, they are at least part of it. $4-5 Billion annually equates to approximately 20% of the deficit. Sounds like a problem to me.
If Prop 13 had not passed some elderly home owners MAY have lost their homes (I stress the word MAY). That would have been sad. However, had it failed it is more likely that our property tax system would have worked to stabilize the increase in housing prices. Meaning, the price of houses in California would be much lower do to the fact that people can’t afford a $600,000 dollar home at pre-Prop 13 levels (adjusted for inflation of course).
Some of the comments are thoughtful…
But JEEZ…’illegal’, as an adjective, in front of either word ‘immigrant’ or ‘marjuiana’ has the SAME effect. So don’t be a hypocrite and allow yourselves to be played by GOP racists and their ‘rebel’ libertarian buddies who couldn’t catch a clue, even if it was framed in gold .
It’s good to see a principled stand by an elected politician — even if he is a fascist jerk who could careless about legal ‘people’ and their rights anyway (IE women and their legal rights not to be sexually mistreated and abused by rich guys)…but he clearly understands the NON-PARTISAN nature of this question.
So should you…
We blame it on you–moron. Weren’t you elected to clean up the mess? You bad mouthed Davis and you haven’t done shit.
Why is California like a breakfast cereal?
Because once you remove all the fruits and nuts, all you have left is a bunch of fucking flakes!