Georgia: Voters could boot illegal aliens from hospitals, schools

[rainbow4321]

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2005/02/14/daily47.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Hard on the heels of four bills by Senate Republicans that would tighten restrictions on illegal aliens, House Republican leaders have introduced a proposal that would cut off their access to state-funded hospitals and schools.

House Resolution 256 advocates a constitutional amendment that would bar illegals from receiving medical care at public hospitals and other facilities, except in emergency situations; ban them from enrolling in public grade schools and colleges; and prohibit them from obtaining driver's licenses and other permits.

It is sponsored by House committee chairs Roger Williams of Dalton (intragovernmental coordination), Bobby Franklin of Marietta (legislative and congressional reapportionment) and Ron Forster of Ringgold (interstate cooperation). None of the three could be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latin Elected Officials, said his group will oppose the resolution. "It really does surprise and confuse me that on the one hand, Georgia is trying to become the secretariat for the Free Trade Area of the Americas," Gonzalez said, "and on the other hand the Senate, as well as the House leadership, which all say the FTAA is very important, are allowing their colleagues to put forward legislation like that."

[philosophie_en_rose]

1. Give me a break!

These are the same people who vote for a moron that fabricates a war, steals billions of dollars for his cronies, and sends this country's economy to hell.

Yet - spending money on social services on undocumented people who come to this country for the "honor" of receiving substandard pay in jobs no one else will take is just intolerable?

Idiots!

[jody]

2. The federal government is responsible for keeping illegal aliens out

of the U.S. If the president and congress don't do their job, then the federal government should pay for all social benefits, not an individual state. That's the principle voters in Georgia understand and so do I.

[ret5hd]

3. yet it is the people of the locality, county, state,...

(and yes, the country) that is receiving the benefit of what is essentially slave labor.

[jody]

5. I agree with you regarding the beneficiaries but the solution is to either

prevent them from entering or open the gates for everyone. The latter approach would quickly swell the U.S. population by hundreds of millions. That might be acceptable if we exiled everyone who refused a job thereby taking them off the welfare rolls.

I don't know the answer but I'm not convinced that an open gate policy for immigrants is a viable solution by itself.

Until we find a feasible solution, I believe the federal government should either deport illegal immigrants or pay all the cost they place upon state and local governments.

[QC]

6. Not all the people benefit from that cheap labor,

only the comfortable ones, like business owners, people who can afford housekeepers and lawn maintenance, etc. Working people are hurt by their bosses bringing in cheaper labor. Consider what has happened in the meat-packing and construction industries--those were once union jobs with decent pay and bennies, but the bosses broke the unions, eliminated the benefits, imported workers, and cut wages by half. That's why there is some resentment of immigrants among the working class. Personally, I think their anger is misdirected, but it's understandable why they are angry.

[LevelB]

4. Unbelievable

I live in Georgia and am constantly in awe of the legislators.

It really appears that they are trying to create a new class of share-croppers. No education, restrictions on movement, limited to minimal health care. And, of course, no relief in the courts.

James 5:4

B.