Governor or Used Car Salesman?

This weekend, California’s Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, stated that he is “happy” that illegal immigrants get state services and says that they are not to blame for California’s $24.3 Billion budget deficit.

This is a shocking statement from the supposed leader of the largest state in the union. The Governor further went on to say that they (the illegal aliens) were only costing an estimated $4 or $5 Billion and that it was a “small percentage” of the deficit.

Honestly, I am getting tired of the duplicity and conscious fraud that our political leaders are engaging in and it should be a crime for them to be misleading the voting population in such a manner. Further, with the complicity of the overall liberal media, where fact has become as scarce as a Republican registration card in California, the Governor can get away with these statements and no one is the wiser.

The reality is that by some accounts, the illegal immigration issue in California costs the state over $13 billion per year. In 2004, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) issued a study of the fiscal cost of illegal immigration to Californians. At that time, the cost to the state’s taxpayers was $10.54 billion a year. In February 2009, FAIR estimated California’s illegal alien population has grown to 3,200,000, a 10.3 percent increase. As a result of both the continued growth in the illegal alien population and the higher cost of governmental services, the current fiscal cost outlays for the illegal alien population in California are now approaching $13.1 billion annually, more than half the estimated budget shortfall for the next year.

In fact, Even George Skelton at the LA Times admits that there is at least $7 Billion per year spent on supporting illegal aliens. And even more disturbing, as recent as six weeks ago, Arnold himself even admitted that they cost as much as $6 Billion per year – or at least 50% more than his low number yesterday. The current state deficit is projected to be approx $23.1 Billion through June 2010. Thus, Arnold’s ‘small percentage’ of the deficit is at least 20% (using his false numbers) or as much as 56% (using the FAIR’s numbers). The facts are that California does not really have a revenue problem as communicated by the Governor and the failures of the media to fulfill their responsibilities to our society is a travesty at best and criminal at worst.

The Founding Fathers of our country ensured that the press could present the facts without risk of recrimination via the First Amendment to the Constitution (Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…). I believe that the intent of the First Amendment was that the press would not be beholden to the political interests and in fact, in times past, relished in pointing out the blatant lies that the politicians are all too well known to put out.

Overall, we have an obligation to hold the Governor responsible for his blatant misstatements and what I would dare declare, a conscious fraud. Further, we need to hold the general main stream media to the same standard. There has to be accountability for the words that one speaks or there is no credibility or trust.

Would you buy a car from this man? Haven’t we had enough?

Greg Powers,
Dana Point, California

From the San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday, June 6, 2009

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he’s “happy” illegal immigrants get state services and says they’re not to blame for California’s $24.3 billion budget gap.

Schwarzenegger, an immigrant himself, says the estimated $4 billion to $5 billion the state spends on illegal immigrants annually is a “small percentage” of the deficit. The Republican governor told The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board on Friday that it’s easy to “scapegoat” illegal immigrants. But he says the state’s budget has a much deeper spending imbalance.

He noted the federal government requires California to provide emergency health care and education to illegal immigrants. And he says illegal immigrants often help pick the state’s crops and construct its buildings.