Saturday, April 01, 2006
Hatred of Immigrants
A fair-sized fraction of the public hates immigrants, particuarly illegal immigrants from Mexico. These immigrants are blamed for the shortage of such services as good public schools and free health clinics. I can remember a time, many years ago, when Los Angeles County maintained a system of free health clinics. My wife and I used to go to one to obtain our annual flu shots. Most of the people at the clinic we attended were young women with children. The women were mostly latinas. I expect that most of the people who used the clinic didn't have the money to pay a doctor for similar services.
In those days also, California had good public schools. Our public schools were as good as any in the nation.
Today, as a result of the "taxpayer revolt" of the 1970's and 1980's, the County of Los Angeles no longer supports free health clinics. In fact, some hospitals in the county are closing their emergency rooms because of lack of money to run them. Furthermore, our public schools are poorly funded, down near the bottom of the list along with Mississippi. Unfortunately, wage scales and the cost of housing are much higher here than in Mississippi. Allowing for the difference in the cost of living between California and Mississippi, I'd say that our schools are even less amply funded than those of Mississippi.
How does all of this relate to illegal immigrants? Simply this: many people blame the illegal immigrants for putting an unacceptable strain on our schools and our medical facilities. Many people, both in and out of Congress, advocate denying illegal immigrants and their children the use of schools and hospital emergency rooms. The argument is made that if they were denied these facilities, they would choose to return to Mexico (or whatever other country they came from).
My point: Illegal immigrants are not the cause of public schools being overcrowded and underfunded. Illegal immigrants are not the cause of the closure of many hospital emergency rooms. These events are the result of the taxpayer revolt, not a wave of immigration.
Howard Jarvis explained the strategy behind the taxpayer revolt. It was simply to deny government at any level the money to provide all the unnecessary services for the public. Jarvis argued, for example, that libraries should be private and users should pay for using them. So also hospitals. The goal of Jarvis and his followers was to "shrink" government. We have Howard Jarvis to thank for our underfunded public schools, for hospitals having to close emergency rooms, for an understaffed police force, and others. Let us put the blame where it belongs, not on immigrants.
In those days also, California had good public schools. Our public schools were as good as any in the nation.
Today, as a result of the "taxpayer revolt" of the 1970's and 1980's, the County of Los Angeles no longer supports free health clinics. In fact, some hospitals in the county are closing their emergency rooms because of lack of money to run them. Furthermore, our public schools are poorly funded, down near the bottom of the list along with Mississippi. Unfortunately, wage scales and the cost of housing are much higher here than in Mississippi. Allowing for the difference in the cost of living between California and Mississippi, I'd say that our schools are even less amply funded than those of Mississippi.
How does all of this relate to illegal immigrants? Simply this: many people blame the illegal immigrants for putting an unacceptable strain on our schools and our medical facilities. Many people, both in and out of Congress, advocate denying illegal immigrants and their children the use of schools and hospital emergency rooms. The argument is made that if they were denied these facilities, they would choose to return to Mexico (or whatever other country they came from).
My point: Illegal immigrants are not the cause of public schools being overcrowded and underfunded. Illegal immigrants are not the cause of the closure of many hospital emergency rooms. These events are the result of the taxpayer revolt, not a wave of immigration.
Howard Jarvis explained the strategy behind the taxpayer revolt. It was simply to deny government at any level the money to provide all the unnecessary services for the public. Jarvis argued, for example, that libraries should be private and users should pay for using them. So also hospitals. The goal of Jarvis and his followers was to "shrink" government. We have Howard Jarvis to thank for our underfunded public schools, for hospitals having to close emergency rooms, for an understaffed police force, and others. Let us put the blame where it belongs, not on immigrants.
